BHUBANESWAR: The National Road Safety Short Film Festival 2022 has received an overwhelming response with 230 entries from across the country. Filmmakers, amateur film enthusiasts and students have submitted entries in form of documentary, experimental, narrative, fiction, non-fiction and animation format.
There are entries in many non-Odia languages including Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and English on various aspects of road safety.
Apart from Odia language, there are quite a few entries in Santhali language as well from tribal belts of the State. The shortlisted movies will be screened on June 18 and 19 in Rourkela. The festival will culminate at Puri where the movies will be screened on June 24 and 25.
The winners will be selected by a jury panel of film industry and non-industry professionals and luminaries from different walks of life.
Jury members for the festival include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dharitri Patnaik, actor and former Chairman of Odisha Film Development Corporation Satyabrata Tripathy, national award winning film producer Manish Mundra and national award winning filmmaker Rajesh Touchriver.
A first of its kind festival being organised in the country aims at raising awareness on road safety issues and promote increased engagement in road safety in Odisha as well as across the nation. The best film in both Odia and non-Odia categories will get a cash award of Rs 1 lakh, first runner-up will get Rs 80,000 and the second runner-up will receive Rs 60,000.
The best director, best screenplay, cinematography and best actor/actress will get Rs 25,000 each.