Tura: Dominic Sangma, one of the most prominent filmmakers from Meghalaya and an internationally acclaimed Garo director was reportedly from representing Meghalaya at the Cannes Film Festival.
It is not exactly known why he was dropped but the report has caused a stir in the region and the film society.
Society of A’chik Film & Entertainment (SAFE) in Tura, Meghalaya following the incident said that it was a disappointed over the exclusion of Dominic Sangma, from the Cannes Film Festival 2023.
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SAFE also wrote a letter to the Director of Information & Public Relations in this regard.
The letter stated that Dominic Sangma being excluded from the Cannes is a great loss for the Garo community and the film industry in Meghalaya.
The letter added that Sangma has already brought numerous awards, laurels, and fame to the state at the international cinema, and his exclusion from this prestigious event is a great loss for the Garo community and the State film industry. “Mr Sangma has years of experience as a filmmaker and has made significant contributions to the cinema industry”, it added.
He has brought about attention to Garo Hills and Meghalaya as a whole, through his artistry, read the letter
“In other states, deserving candidates are given the opportunity to represent their community and showcase their work at such prestigious events. It is disappointing to know that deserving filmmakers like Sangma are being left out”, SAFE said.
SAFE further urged the DIPR Director to take immediate and necessary action adding that such “mistakes” should not be repeated in future.
It may be mentioned that Dominic Sangma is a prominent filmmaker and is known for his first film called MA•AMA in 2018.
He is a graduate of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute.
He also worked for National Film and Development Corporation Ltd before opening his own production company called ANNA FILMS.
In 2010, his short film, ‘Karyukai Inc. made the rounds in international film circuits like- Munich, Kosovo and Venice.
In 2014, his short film, ‘Rong-kuchak’ won the National Award for ‘Best Student Film’ and went on to be screened at various film festivals, both nationally and internationally. Ma-ama became the first Garo film to win multiple film festival awards at the international level, including the 65th National Award.
His latest work, ‘Rapture’ travelled to the coveted Cannes under the La Fabrique section.
Both these two films became the first indigenous films from Meghalaya to be co-produced by international producers.
Dominic Sangma has also been the recipient of various international film festival awards and has been invited to numerous events across the world to showcase his work.