One of Asia`s premier film schools, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is a member of CILCET (International Liaison Centre of Schools of Cinema and Television)-an organization of the world`s leading schools of film and television. Dr. Mohan Agashe, the well-known film and theatre actor, is the director of the Institute.

The Film department of FTII provides technical training in all aspects of filmmaking. For the academic year starting February 1996, students were admitted to the two-year diploma courses for film editing, motion picture photography, audiography, production management, and art direction. Among the 111 students in the Film department in 1996, there were also students from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Every year, the FTII invites nationally and internationally renowned makers as guest lecturers. During 1996, Hungarian filmmaker Istvaan Gaal, German film maker Helma Sanders Brahms, and Polish film maker Krzystof Zanussi conducted workshops with the students. In addition, a large number of lndian experts outside of the faculty were invited to address the students. Many of the new generation of the Indian filmmakers are an alumni of FTII, for example, Adoor Goplakrishnan, Mani Kaul, and Kumar Sahani. Ritwik Ghatak taught at the Institute. Mehboob Khan is the Dean of Film Wing.

The Television wing of the Institute mainly caters for the training needs of production and technical staff of Doordarshan. Short-term TV orientation courses are conducted for the Indian Information Service (IIS) officers and the students of the film department. During the year 1995-96, the TV wing has trained 21 Doordarshan programme officers in two TV Orientation Workshops. Two Trainers` Training Programs were held for 32 video executives and cameramen from Doordarshan. A Television News Production Techniques Course was held from July 15 to September 21, 1996, and 59 Doordarshan personnel and 10 IIS probationary officers from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication were trained. Samar Nakhate heads the Television Wing.

FTII enters short films by students in various international short film festivals to give exposure to their work. During 1996, diploma films were sent for selection previews in the following International Film Festivals: 6th Madrid Experimental Cinema week, 42nd Oberhausen Short Film Festival, 35th International Critics Week at Cannes International Film Festival, 4th International Short Film Festival (Vila de Condo-Portugal), British Short Film Festival, 6th International Students Film Festival (Tel Aviv, Israel), Palm Springs International Short Film Festival California, 29th Rencontres International Henri Langlois, 14th Cinema Giovanni Turin, and 9th Clermont Ferrand Film Festival, France.

`The Rebel` by Ms Rajashree received the best short fiction film award in the 43rd National Film Awards for 1995. In the 8th Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival in France, FTII diploma film `Phobhabai` directed by Ms. Batual Malik was shown in the competition section. In the 6th Madrid Experimental Cinema week held from April 16 to 23, 1996, two films, `A Stranger` by Rajendra Varman and `Wishful Thinking` by Amarendra Dash were shown in the information section, and `Still Life` by Subhandro Chowdhary was shown in the Competition at the festival. In the 42nd Oberhausen Short Film Festival, the diploma film `In Short` directed by Kuntal Bhogilal was screened in the competition section. Two diploma films, `The Rebel` by Ms Rajashree and `A Brief Journey` by Ms Kavita Joshi were shown in the 6th International Student Film Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel. `A Brief journey` was also selected for the competition section of the 20th Rencontres International Henri Langlois, in France. Both `The Rebel` and `A Brief Journey` were also included in the Indian Panorama.