Cameras roll as children turn directors for heritage films

INTACH’s Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) organised the second edition of the Amritsar and Punjab Filmit Festival at Spring Dale Senior School today. Students from around 15 schools participated in the event. The festival celebrated their creative efforts and showcased short heritage films made by students, awarding the winning entries. It aims to promote cultural literacy and heritage education among the younger generation.

Sahiljit Singh Sandhu, Chairman of the Spring Dale Educational Society, and Rajiv Kumar Sharma, Principal of Spring Dale Senior School, along with Maj Gen Balwinder Singh (Convener, INTACH Punjab State Chapter), Gagandeep Singh Virk (Convener, INTACH Amritsar Chapter) and other INTACH members inaugurated the festival. They addressed the need for integrating heritage education into the mainstream school curriculum.

Maj Gen Balwinder Singh said, “Filmit is a multicultural project that enables students to make short films about their city’s heritage. Students receive training in content development and technical skills through a series of workshops. So far, over 6,000 short films have been produced by students across India. The project has been celebrated in cities such as Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Ambala, Chennai, Goa and Hyderabad. It culminates in an annual ‘Filmit’ Festival, where the best films are screened and schools are recognised for their contributions.”

INTACH’s student films have also received recognition at the International Children’s Film Festival held in Hyderabad in 2013, 2015 and 2017. A film titled Phoolwati Amma by Nigam Pratibha Chaukhandi was awarded the second-best film made by child directors worldwide. In 2015, 19 student films were also screened as part of the non-competitive category. These films have been showcased internationally, including at the International Children’s Film Festival in Tel Aviv and the SIFFCY Film Festival over the years.

Amritsar