A six-day Basic Course in Smartphone Filmmaking was inaugurated on April 5 at Eliezer Joldan Memorial (EJM) College, Leh. The programme is being organised by the Ladakh Skill Development Mission in collaboration with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, with the aim of equipping participants with practical skills in contemporary mobile filmmaking.

Administrative Secretary, Higher Education and Technical Education & Skill Development Department, UT Ladakh, Bhanu Prabha, graced the inaugural session as the Chief Guest.

Addressing the participants, Bhanu Prabha highlighted the growing importance of digital storytelling in today’s communication landscape. She noted that smartphone filmmaking has democratised the art of cinema by enabling young creators to express their ideas and creativity with minimal resources. She encouraged participants to make the best use of the opportunity and explore the vast potential of visual communication.

The course is being conducted under the guidance of Ajmal Jami, Course Director from FTII Pune, who brings extensive experience in visual communication and media education. In his address, he spoke about the transformative power of storytelling through mobile devices and motivated participants to focus on creativity, observation and narrative strength.

Earlier, Principal of EJM College Leh, Stanzin Yangdol, expressed gratitude to the organising institutions for bringing such a valuable skill-based programme to the region. She underlined the importance of such initiatives in nurturing local talent.

A total of 37 participants are attending the training programme, including 23 students from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism and 14 students from the Graphic Designing course.

During the six-day programme, participants will receive hands-on training and practical exposure in key aspects of smartphone filmmaking, including scripting, shooting techniques, editing and storytelling.

The programme commenced with great enthusiasm and marks a promising beginning to a week of creative learning and skill development.