Technology guru Sam Pitroda and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur have announced a movie script-writing contest for students of the IITs.
CHICAGO: Technology guru Sam Pitroda and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur have announced a movie script-writing contest for students of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Speaking at the PAN IIT-2006 global meet at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, Pitroda said that considering the multifaceted talent of IIT alumni, both Kapur and he believe this would be an exciting contest.
Pitroda, who is also chairman of India’s National Knowledge Commission, said IIT Bombay should introduce a master’s course in film technology because of the growing convergence of various media.
“The IITs need to think outside the box,” he said. “The time is absolutely right for them to introduce a course that takes in its sweep film technology, animation, film engineering and so on.”
The Pitroda-Kapur script-writing contest will be an annual feature starting next year. Details such as the deadline for submission, format, selection criteria, jury, and date for final selection will be announced on a website.
Asked why the contest was restricted to IIT students, Pitroda said, “We could have kept it open to students generally, but the logistics would have been tough to manage. Besides, IIT students have established a name for themselves when it comes to multitasking.”
A winner and runner-up will be chosen by a jury comprising well-known names from the world of cinema and other professions. The winning scripts may eventually be made into movies.
Pitroda said he had been toying with the idea for a while. Asked about the prizes for the contest, he said that though there would be “decent amounts for the winners”, money was not the motivating force but “a desire to do something exciting and tap into a large talent pool”.
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