Shortcut to fame

Small is big. At least when it comes to films. With directors like Atlee and Karthik Subbaraj bringing socially-relevant narratives to the big screen, short films are considered the ultimate training ground for young filmmakers.

That was the aim of the First Clap contest, an all-India initiative aimed at unearthing cinematic innovation.

“We want to make good creative talent be seen by the industry and get absorbed into the mainstream format,” says director Jayendra Panchapakesan, co-founder of Qube Cinema. Qube allows over 100 screens to play host to a variety of short films.

Calling the shots

With over 250 entries traversing a variety of topics, the short film contest began last December. After multiple rounds of shortlisting, the final five were selected by an illustrious jury that included directors KV Anand and Vetrimaran. “For all the people who have dreams of making good films, this is just the beginning,” says Jayendra. And for first-prize winner Sri Vijay Ganapathy, the platform offered by the contest is life-changing.

“As a B.Com student from Madurai, I grew up watching people like actor Suriya and the work of KV Anand and PC Sreeram. To be able to share the stage with them has been a dream come true,” shares MBA graduate Ganapathy. He is just one of the five young filmmakers who are hoping to make a statement with their own short films.

His prize-winning Ival Azhagu tells the story of a woman fighting for her life when trapped in a cyber scandal. A narrative that Ganapathy felt was relevant to today’s societal constraints, the film is one of the five short-listed works that have garnered monetary rewards and praise from industry celebritiesz.

“I’ve been intimidated by stalwarts like Bharathiraaja sir, but seeing the talent here today, I think I should start fearing these young filmmakers,” laughs director Vetrimaaran. The opportunities created by Moviebuff, which presented the contest, includes an opportunity to intern with Suriya’s 2D Entertainment and have the film screened at Sathyam Cinemas.

Story trail

“Working in feature films, we’re hard-pressed to package a story into two hours. To see these young innovators bring out such content in a span of three minutes is so inspiring,” Suriya says. The journey, he says, is just beginning. “We want to bridge the gap between short films and feature productions, creating a collective that takes our cinema forward.”