Mysore/Mysuru: “Cinema has the power to influence minds; use it to enlighten the audience, never to mislead,” said renowned Kannada film actor Srinivas Prabhu, emphasising the profound social responsibility of young film-makers.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Cinerama 2026, 8th National-level Short- Film Festival organised by the Department of Visual Communication (VISCOM), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Mysuru, on Apr.9 at its premises in Bogadi.

Srinivas Prabhu recalled that Apr. 9 commemorates 50 years since his first stage performance in the play ‘Marichana Bandu’, which marked his entry into the creative world.

He expressed joy in celebrating this landmark moment with students of Visual Communication, describing them as, “inquisitive minds stepping into cinema with dreams.”

Addressing the students, he emphasised that while dreams are essential, the journey in cinema is fraught with challenges. He urged them to cultivate resilience and a positive mindset while navigating the complexities of the creative field.

Drawing from his extensive experience across mediums, he highlighted the distinctions between theatre, cinema and television — describing theatre as the actor’s medium requiring precision without retakes, cinema as the director’s medium and television as a space defined by intimacy and immediacy. He noted that theatre offers the most authentic portrayal of an actor, while television has evolved from showcasing films to producing exclusive serial content.

Br. Anantaananda Chaitanya, Director, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Mysuru Campus, in his address, described cinema as an amalgamation of all art forms, engaging the human mind’s pattern-recognition abilities and evoking emotional responses that draw audiences towards artistic experiences.

He noted that cinema serves as an expression of the unconscious mind and a form of inquiry, emerging as a synthesis of multiple creative and communicative elements.

Highlighting its dual nature as both visual art and communication, he emphasised that creative practice demands focus and functions as a meditative process.

He also pointed out a distinctive feature of Indian cinema, where the actor’s introduction often fills the entire frame, symbolically resembling the reverence accorded to a temple deity thereby reflecting the deep cultural and emotional connect between cinema and its audience.

The festival featured three categories — Open Category, 60-Hour Challenge and Amrita Category. Over 80 films were received for this short film festival from across India in different languages. The award winners are as follows:

Open Category

Best Film 1st place: S. Sebin (Manushi), Best Film 2nd place: Parag Sawant (Tumba), Best Film 3rd place: Uday Balaji (Wheels), Best Director: S. Sebin, Best Editor: A. Nishar Sharef, Best Cinematographer: Parag Sawant, Best  Screenplay Writer: S. Sebin, Best Performer: Sheela.

60-Hour Challenge

Best Film 1st place: K.K. Karthik (Vyuha), Best Film 2nd place: Arya (Naandi), Best Film 3rd place: Abhinav Sreekanth (Nizhalukal).

Amrita Category

Best Film 1st place: Ankith Bharadwaj (Kavitha), Best Film 2nd place: M.M. Sanjeev (Zain), Best Film 3rd place: Praveen Kumar (Did), Best Director: Ankith Bharadwaj, Best Editor: Ankith Bharadwaj, Best Cinematographer: S Kishan, Best Screenplay Writer: M.M. Sanjeev, Best Performer: Ayush Rajesh.

Br. Anantaananda Chaitanya, Director, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Mysuru Campus; Prof. G. Ravindranath, Principal, Amrita Mysuru; Prof. G. Shekar Babu, Associate Dean, Amrita Mysuru; Dr. Rekha Bhat, Academic Coordinator; Dr. Ramya K. Prasad, Chairperson, Department of Visual Communication (VISCOM) and others were present.