Long live the cinema lovers
A new cinema blog offers everything you need to know about alternative cinema in the country. If you walk, talk and sleep movies, don’t give longlivecinema.com a miss. Launched in January, the new cinema blog offers a fresh perspective on the country’s alternative cinema, with trailers and reviews of independent movies, experiences of filmmakers and updates on film schools and festivals across India. It has clearly got an audience, with 1,200 hits every day.
Behind the scenes
Shiladitya Bora, 29, the man behind the blog, says his day job got him thinking. “My job involves looking for Indian independent films. And there is no database for this in India. I thought of organising all the information and accordingly create a space for these films in the larger context,” says Bora, who works with PVR Director’s Rare, which finances independent films like Sudish Kamath’s Good Night Good Morning and Rajshree Ojha’s Chaurahen. Targetting aspiring filmmakers, the blog offers inputs on all the aspects of this profession, including photography, costumes and scriptwriting. “This acts like a support system for Indian filmmakers,” insists Bora, who hails from Assam.
Coming up
The blog recently launched a database of Indian independent films. “We have started with close to 300 independent films including short films, with a new interface,” says Bora, who self-finances this platform, with the help of another content manager. Browsing through the blog, you will come across first-hand accounts of film making by Sudish Kamath, Rajshree Ojha and Raja Sen. “I have roped in directors like Ashvin Kumar and Anu Menon to write for our blog,” adds Bora.