3 days ago
Film festivals help raise the standards of regional cinema, audience discernment, says Sreekar Prasad
Film festivals have an important role in raising the quality of regional cinema and the standards of audience appreciation of the art, noted film editor A. Sreekar Prasad said on Friday (August 8, 2025).
Inaugurating the Second International Film Festival hosted by the Puducherry Film Forum, the multiple national award-winning film editor noted that as a place where not only those in the cinema industry but people from all walks of life gather, a film festival's greatest advantage is that it presents cinema from across the world in its purest form.
The three-day free entry fete, held in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association and Alliance Française, is showcasing a cross-section of world cinema with entries from the U.S., France, Spain, UK, Iran and Argentina apart from India.
Mr. Prasad pointed out that a festival was also a forum where participants could learn and unlearn and return emotionally charged after the exposure to different kinds of cinema happening all over the world.
'It will eventually improve the quality of regional filmmaking and also how the audience looks at films. Films are art forms that are there for posterity and leave a lasting impression on people,' he said.
These sort of platforms were a great opportunity for everyone to see good films, interact with filmmakers and probably learn and unlearn from watching films that are made for commercial reasons, he added.
'To get a pure cinematic experience, I don't think there is a better place than a film festival,' Mr. Prasad said.
'And, when the lights are off and the sound comes on, the sort of thrill that a filmmaker would probably get is incomparable.'
Satish Nallam, president of Alliance Française, Laurent Jalicous, Director of Alliance Française, Sivakumar Mohanan, filmmaker and C. Patcheammalle, Secretary of the Puducherry Film Forum spoke.
Prominent personalities from the realm of film and literature participated in the opening ceremony.
In addition to the screenings, the event is also featuring a masterclass by Sreekar Prasad on August 9, film reviews and discussions.
The Forum had launched the first film festival in 2024, building on its 12-year legacy of organising international documentary and short film festivals annually since 2011.
