Odisha to Set Up State Film Archive to Preserve Cinematic Heritage

Bhubaneswar: Highlighting the cultural significance of cinema, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Friday said that films mirror the socio-cultural life of a society, and preserving them ensures that cinematic treasures lost to time can be revived for future generations. He was speaking as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the 10th Film Preservation and Restoration Workshop held at Kalabhoomi.

Minister for Co-operation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Pradeep Bal Samanta also attended the event. He noted that old Odia films are a repository of inspiration and artistic excellence, stressing the collective responsibility to safeguard them for posterity.

A major highlight of the event was the signing of an MoU between the Odisha Government and the Film Heritage Foundation to establish a state film archive. The agreement was signed by Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department, and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director of the Film Heritage Foundation.

The 10th Film Conservation and Restoration Workshop, organised from November 12, was a collaborative initiative of the Film Heritage Foundation, the International Federation of Film Archives, and the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department of the Odisha Government. Hosted at the Odisha Handicrafts Museum, Kalabhoomi, the workshop concluded today.

A total of 59 participants received certificates and mementos in recognition of their completion of the intensive training programme, which aimed at strengthening film preservation efforts and building skilled capacity in the field of restoration.