The Valedictory Function of the 5th edition of the Indian Schools Film Fest (ISFF), an annual event organized under the aegis of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman was held on Sunday, 28th January 2024 at Indian School Al Seeb Auditorium.
Mrs. Mahfoudha Mubarak Al Araimi, Director General for Labour, Muscat Governorate graced the function as Chief Guest. Mr. Lal Jose, renowned South Indian Film Director, Producer and Actor was the Celebrity Guest on the occasion. Dr. Sivakumar Manickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, Indian Schools Oman presided over the function.
The programme was attended by Mr. Shameer PTK, Vice Chairman, Mr. Nidheesh Kumar, Director in Charge, Mr. Vijay Saravanan, Director on Board, Mr. Vinobha M. P. Senior Principal and Education Advisor, Mr. Krishnan Raman, President of the School Management Committee, Members of the School Management Committee, Principals, Teachers and students of different Indian Schools in Oman.
This 5th edition of ISFF with the tagline ‘Imagine, Ignite, Influence’ had an array of genres such as Short Film, Animated Film, HSE Video Creation, Ad Making, Reels, Travelogue, and Educational Movie for the students and facilitators to unleash the spark of their ingenuity.
Mr. Krishnan Raman, the President of the School Management Committee welcomed the august gathering and spoke about the educational significance of the Film Fest.
Dr. Sivakumar Manickam underscored the significance of the Film Fest in his address. “The purpose of the film fest organized by the Indian School Board is to give a hands on experience to our students on the nuances and techniques of film making and to make them aware of the numerous avenues open to them in this domain,” Dr. Manickam said. He lauded the efforts of Indian School Al Seeb in harnessing maximum participation for the event.
Principal Dr. Leena Francis gave a presentation compiling the exciting phases and vibes of the film fest and threw light on the acumen and creativity of the participants. The School Coordinators were felicitated by Vice Chairman Mr. Shameer PTK, Director in Charge Mr. Nidheesh Kumar and Director on Board Mr. Vijay Saravanan.
Nritanjali, a classical dance performed by the students enthralled the audience by its grace and expressive choreography. Retro to Metro was another dance performance which captured the evolution of dance, music and costume, inviting audience to experience the joyous fusion of past and present.
The keynote address by the renowned film producer Mr. Lal Jose inspired the audience with his personal experience of transformation that films had on him. Chief Guest Mrs. Mahfoudha Mubarak Al Araimi, Director General for Labour, Muscat Governorate along with the Celebrity Guest and Chairman gave away the prizes and certificates to the winners of different genres of film making.
Irresistible euphoria swept across the assembly reached the peak statures of excitement as the Vice Chairman announced Indian School Al Maabela as the overall champions. The coordinator of the winning school team flaunted the coveted trophy in great exultation.
Film Fest was organized in three categories which included Junior (Grade VI to VIII), Senior (Grade IX to XII) and Open Category which could have children of any level. Facilitators of Schools and Children with Special Needs also participated in this mega event. Earlier last month, workshops were held to guide and train the participants on the nuances of filmmaking.
The festivities of the 5th Edition of ISFF concluded with great memories of fine aesthetic moments brought in by the budding movie makers and their teams. The school choir sang the school anthem, bringing down the curtains of a festive season of anticipation, excitement, and enthusiasm.