The 47th edition of the International Film Festival was held from 21 – 26 November 2016 in Goa. The Film Festival, held at Panjim in Goa witnessed thousands of participants from film producers, actors, film critics and students of film and visual science. The students and faculty of BSc in Film and Television Production from SPICE, Bengaluru, participated in the event. It was an eye-opening experience for both students and faculty. For the students, this was their first experience of the Film Festival. The students made comprehensive use of the Festival watching critically a few films and attending various short courses on film making and new technologies used in film making and distribution process. Films like Nelly showed the complexities of human emotions while The Tunnel kept students on the edge of their seats as they rooted for the protagonist of the movie to survive under the debris of a collapsed Tunnel. The movie Two Birds One stone / Our mother (the story of a mother and her family) kept the students in rapt attention as it was screened. During a workshop, the film critic Samar Nakhate taught the students that film appreciation should not be limited simply to the story that a film narrates. Explaining through Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Psycho, he explained how time and distance are shown throughout the movie using light, shadows and acting. Students also attended a workshop on film distribution by Qube Cinemas. Faculty and students stayed at St Xavier’s Retreat House which is close to Baga beach that allowed students to enjoy long walk on the beach in the evening hours. Students were overjoyed and thanked the Institute and faculty for the rare experience and exposure to the international cinema.
