Pune: Tourism and filmmaking can complement each other and create several new opportunities for young directors, said filmmaker and actor Om Raut at the concluding ceremony of the fifth International Tourism Short Film Festival held at YASHADA in Baner.“Both tourism and cinema can awaken people, make them more sensitive and enrich their understanding. Young filmmakers should make the most of the opportunities emerging at the intersection of tourism and filmmaking,” Raut said.The two-day festival was organised on the occasion of World Tourism Day by Parbhanna Foundation in association with Maharashtra Tourism Department, Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari and Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal. Raut was conferred the ‘Parbhanna Special Contribution Award’ by veteran actor Shashank Shende and former IAS Shekhar Gaikwad. The ‘Parbhanna Lifetime Achievement Award’ was presented to Vihar Travels’ Deepak Pujari and was received by Rishikesh Pujari. The ‘Outstanding Agri-Tourism Award’ went to Madhuban Agro Tourism, Chandrapur.The festival was based on the theme ‘Promoting Tourism through Films’ and featured screenings, interviews, panel discussions, group discussions and masterclasses. A total of 26 short films and documentaries were screened over two days, while an exhibition featuring 50 selected photographs was also organised.Speaking at the event, Shende said content should remain the most important element of creative filmmaking and urged filmmakers to preserve strong narratives through short films. Gaikwad said tourism preferences were changing, with the younger generation increasingly looking for unique experiences rather than conventional sightseeing. “Every village has enough diversity and uniqueness to develop its own identity and brand. The need is to identify and present this uniqueness effectively,” he said.Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal president Meghraj Rajebhosale said the response to the festival was encouraging and assured continued support. Pankaj Chavan, public relations officer of Chitranagari, urged emerging filmmakers to make use of the various schemes and facilities available through the film city.Festival chief coordinator Ganesh Chappalwar, Rajebhosale, Chavan, jury members Vaishali Kendale and Dr Anmol Kothadiya were present at the concluding ceremony. Senior editor Sanjay Awate, Dr Kiran Kulkarni, secretary of Maharashtra govt’s Cultural Affairs and Marathi Language departments, Maharashtra Economic Development Council president Sachin Itkar, Pune Tourism Department deputy director Bharat Langhi, festival adviser Prof Rajiv Ghode and foundation secretary Manisha Ugale were among those present at the inaugural ceremony.‘The Ricard Dance’, ‘Echoes on the Walls’ and ‘Keki’ among winnersIn the awards announced at the festival, ‘The Ricard Dance’ and ‘Echoes on the Walls’ jointly received the first prize for Best Documentary. ‘The Last Paradise’ and ‘Hodyanche Gaav’ shared the second prize. ‘Keki’ won the Best Short Film award, while ‘The Shattered Mirrors – An Epiphany’ and ‘Vaster Beer’ received the Best Vlog award. In the student category, ‘Alak’ won Best Documentary and ‘The Voice of Old’ won Best Short Film. Nilesh Kunjir was named Best Director in the documentary category, while Tushar Udeg won the Best Director award for a short film. The Maharashtra Tourism Special Mention awards went to ‘Sustainable Tourism in Konkan’ and ‘Dindi – Way of Life’. The Jury Special Awards were presented to ‘Legacy in Tunes’, ‘Aagam’ and ‘Mahabaleshwar Forest’.
