Bhubaneswar filmmaker’s short film at Cannes film festival

Bhubaneswar based filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharyya’s short film, Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo (In Poetic Hues), made in Bengali and English, has been selected for screening at the 68th Cannes film festival 2015 in May, under the “Court Metrage” section.

“It is a very prestigious festival and every filmmaker has a dream to scren his/her films there. So, it is very encouraging for me that my movie will have its premiere at the festival. I believe it will also boost the confidence of other young filmmakers of the city,” said Amartya.

The 11-minute-film is a satire on the present day society that depicts how creativity is killed by economic pressures and political corruptions.

The film has been shot at various locations in Odisha. “Most of the scenes have been shot in the areas around Udayagiri and Khandagiri, while a number of shots have been taken at Barang. Odisha has many beautiful places and I made sure that its beauty is showcased through the film,” said the 27-year-old filmmaker.

The film has been made on a shoestring budget.

“To cut costs, I shot and edited the film myself apart from directing and writing it. The cost of making the entire film was less than two thousand rupees,” Bhattacharyya said.

All the actors in the film are software engineers and the lead actress, Amrita Chowdhury, has earlier worked with Bhattacharyya as a choreographer and dancer in his first Odia feature film Capital I.

Amartya does not wish to miss the Cannes opportunity. “It is big honour for me. I will definitely try to be there and experience the vibe of the prestigious film festival,” he said.