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BHUBANESWAR: Oriya feature film Khyanikaa-The Lost Idea directed by Orissa-based filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharyya and Kadvi Hawa made by Orissa’s national award-winning filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda would be screened at international film festivals –the Cardiff International Film Festival in the UK and the India Kaleidoscope Film Festival (IKFF) in New York respectively. Amartya is overjoyed at his film getting an invitation for screening from overseas. He told Orissa , “It was absolutely overwhelming for me to know that the Oriya film will be screened abroad. Though this is a film made in Oriya, it can spread a global message.” The film, he said, also garnered good response at its world premiere at the Hidden Gems Film Festival in Calgary. The film festival would be held in November. The film is a fantasy-driven tale of two men — a poet and a painter, who were seen claiming possession over the same idea in a rural village that’s portrayed as a wonderland. ‘Idea’ is personified as a beautiful young lady free of bondage. The two men try to justify their claim over their idea through different forms of art. They were unable to settle the conflict. Finally, they approached ‘Fate’, per
sonified as a big fat man of authority to judge their claims. They realised that Idea is no one’s special possession and it isn’t wise to rely on fate for a judgment. In the end, they made a decision to bury their claims, and settle the matter once and for all. Panda, who hails from Sonepur, a small town in Orissa, is well-known for his film, I am Kalam. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri award. His film Kadvi Hawais based on climate change, starring Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey and Tillotama Shome in the lead. In the film, Ranvir as a young bank loan recovery agent and Sanjay as a blind old farmer —- both ordinary people — are fighting for survival in two extreme weather conditions. The film received a Special Mention at the 64th National Film Awards earlier this year. The filmmaker wanted to spread a message to the society – to preserve our natural resources. “I am not offering any solution as such but I urge the citizens to be mindful about environment and save our natural resources,” said Panda.
2 Oriya films selected for festivals abroad
