The Information and Broadcasting Ministry will hold a series of film festivals in the northeast with a view to promote cinema in the region and to popularise the states as film destinations.
The first among these festivals will be held at Meghalaya capital Shillong from March 3 to 6.
Similar events have been planned at Aizawl, Mizoram and Sikkim's capital Gangtok, officials said, adding, plans to hold film festivals in other northeastern states would be chalked out soon.
Besides best of Indian cinema being showcased at the Shillong film festival, workshops on different aspects of film-making will also be held to encourage and enrich local filmmakers, sources said.
A workshop on film-making by K Hariharan, director of L V Prasad TV film academy in Chennai, is one of the scheduled programmes at the festival. An exhibition on 100 years of Indian cinema would also be held.
I&B secretary Bimal Julka said the purpose behind holding festivals in northeastern states is to boost the culture of cinema in the region as well as to encourage local filmmakers.
"We want to encourage a culture of cinema and also promote the northeast as a filming destination. The region has immense potential as it is rich in terms of scenic locales," Julka said.
Northeast was given special focus even at the recently held International Film Festival of India at Goa.
