Bhubaneswar: Our Odia films are the heart and soul of our cultural heritage. Their restoration and preservation will not only bring cherished memories back to life but also inspire the younger generation. The Odisha government is leaving no stone unturned to safeguard these cinematic treasures, said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after inaugurating the 10th Film Preservation and Restoration Workshop India 2025 at Kalabhoomi Odisha Crafts Museum in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
Informing that the state government is inking an MoU with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), the organiser of the workshop, the Chief Minister called upon the experts and members of the film fraternity to share their valuable insights so that the government can chalk out a concrete action plan.
Mr Amitabh Bachchan, the brand ambassador of the FHF, who joined the evening virtually, expressed his deep concern that the priceless creations of Odia cinema legends are hanging by a thread due to the lack of a proper preservation policy and, at the same time, lauded the state government for partnering with the FHF in breathing new life into the state’s cinematic legacy.
The inaugural ceremony was graced by legendary actress Waheeda Rehman as Guest of Honour, Minister of Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Pradeep Bal Samant, Chief Secretary of Odisha Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner, Odisha, Smt Anu Garg, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department Smt Poonam Guha Tapas Kumar, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur , award-winning filmmaker, producer and archivist, veteran actors Sri Prashanta Nanda and Sri Sidhant Mohapatra, and other distinguished personalities.
On this occasion, Robin Baker was awarded with FHF Outstanding Achievement Award for his incredible contribution as an ardent cinephile, passionate film programmer and evangelist for showcasing film heritage, who has over a career spanning 35 years championed and celebrated the return of archival films to contemporary audiences through his inspired curatorial initiatives.
At the same time, the Champion of Film Heritage award was conferred to Surya Deo, the founder secretary of the Film Journalists’ Forum (FJF) and Sanjoy Patnaik for their outstanding contribution to preserving India’s cinematic legacy.
Similarly, Certificate of Appreciation was awarded to Rashmiranjan Mohapatra for beautifully expressing classic Odia films through Pattachitra.
The 10th Edition of the Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India 2025 is being conducted at Kalabhoomi by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) in partnership with the Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department, Government of Odisha, and in association with the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).
The eight-day workshop will cover both theory and small group practical sessions in the best practices of the preservation and restoration of celluloid and digital films and film-related materials and will bring together experts and participants from across the globe.
It is bringing together a total of 60 participants-20 from Odisha and 40 from across the world, and distinguished faculties.
As a cinematic treat, the restored classic ‘Maya Miriga’ (1984) by Nirad Mohapatra, restored by the Film Heritage Foundation, will be screened at Keshari Talkies on November 13, 14 and 17 at 6.30pm and the screenings are free and open to public. Adding to the showcase, ‘Kanakalata’ (1974), restored by NFDC-National Film Archive of India, will also light up the same venue on November 16 at 6.30pm.
