Cinematica Expo 2024: A Glorious Celebration of Art and Technology in Filmmaking

The two-day event witnessed the participation of who’s who of Indian cinema starting from the legendary to the debutant filmmakers who mesmerised the audiences with compelling stories and innovative adaptation of technology to tell those stories. The landmark event which rose incrementally in size and number from its inaugural edition in 2023 saw the synergy of technology, creativity, and cinematic brilliance. The iconic event brought together top industry experts, visionaries, and film enthusiasts and provided a platform for discussions, masterclasses, and recognition of exceptional contributions to the world of cinema.  On the other hand, the Expo also had a captivating exhibition of state-of-the-art filmmaking products and services from marquee national and international brands. The inquisitive delegates and participants dabbled with some of the latest filmmaking equipment including the cameras, lens, light & sound equipment, cranes, AI and VFX tools, editing suites, film making literature, among others.

The Cinematica Expo started on a grand scale with a fire-side chat session involving Ram Gopal Varma and Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The electrifying atmosphere with thousands of enthusiastic film lovers set the tone for the intense and informative discussion. The two directors elaborated on how they broke the rules and boundaries in storytelling. The supercharged crowd responded with hoots and whistles to every point the two directors have made.

In exclusive Clapback sessions, Cinematic Expo brought on to the stage renowned cinematographer Mr. Sudeep Chatterjee of Chak De India, Padmavat fame, interacting with noted cinematographers, including Rasool Yellore, Venkat C Dilip. The deliberations took the enthusiastic and aspiring filmmakers through the nitty-gritty of cinematography. Later, in another house-filled-to-the-brim session, celebrated cinematographer Mr. K.K. Senthil Kumar answered questions shot by veteran cinematographer and moderator Mr. M.V. Raghu. The session enthralled the audience as the Bahubali and RRR cinematographer shared finer details on how these visual epics were crafted and broadly on how visual storytelling has to be achieved.

Cinematica Expo 2^nd edition also saw the participation of renowned writer and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha Mr. Vijayendra Prasad, acclaimed & tech-savvy producer Mr. Suresh Babu. The crowd cheered every single sentence of these celebrated filmmakers and took back home knowledge that should be handy in their journey in the film industry.

Celebrated film director Mr. Indraganti Mohana Krishna shed light for the audience on the theme of ‘Adapting Literature into Screenplays: Challenges and Opportunities’. He emphasised the importance of reading classical literature to make great films. Veteran cinematographer Mr. M.V. Raghu moderated the discussion on the topic ‘The Evolving Eye of Cinematography’ with young and promising cinematographers including Mr. Shivendra Dhasharathi, and Mr. Nagesh Banell.

Mr. Jagdeesh Bommisetti enriched the knowledge of aspiring filmmakers on the topic of ‘Virtual Production: On-Set Scenarios’. The session provided a glimpse into the future of production design with emphasis on virtual production. Renowned screenwriter Mr. Satyanshu Singh took a Masterclass ‘Writing the Right Way’ and equipped the aspiring writers with tools to master the art of screenwriting. A panel discussion moderated by Mr. Sheetal Kiran Peta took the audience through to understand how OTTs are shaping the future of entertainment.

Mr. Ramana Vanka moderated a session on ‘The Power of Visuals: Exploring the World of Film Art Direction’ which was attended by noted art directors Mr. Rajeevan, Mr. A.S. Prakesh, Mr. Nagendra Tangala, Mr. Rajeev Nayar, among others.

On another captivating session moderated by Mr. K. L. Prasad, directors Mr. G. Neelakanta Reddy, Mr. Rom Bhimana and Mr. Uday Gurrala threw light on the art and science of storytelling. The topic for discussion was ‘Timeless Tales in a Tech-Driven World: How Cinema Adapts.’

On the theme ‘Building Cinematic Universes: The Art of Epic Storytelling’, Mr. Sheetal Kiran Peta moderated a session with screenwriter Mr. Venkat Siddareddy and directors Ms. Manasa Sharma, Mr. Shourya and Mr. Aditya Hasan. The Expo also had exclusive masterclasses on the topics of Artificial Intelligence in Filmmaking, 3D Printing, VFX etc.

‘Visual Storytellers’, a souvenir book meticulously curated as a tribute to the maestros of Indian cinematography, was presented to various trailblazing cinematographers, pathbreaking directors and other celebrity artists and technicians cutting across 24 crafts of filmmaking who attended the Cinematica Expo. The book was conceptualised by Mr P. G. Vinda and edited & compiled by Mr. KamalNabh.M while Mr Surendra Chacha did the artwork. The book was published by the Department of Language & Culture, Govt. of Telangana with the support of Telugu Cinematographers Association and Vinda Productions.

The thought-provoking sessions were followed by the scintillating Awards and Recognition ceremony. The much-anticipated Cinematica Awards event is a celebration of excellence across various aspects of filmmaking. Telugu star Nawa Dalapati Sudheer Babu and founder P. G. Vinda gave away the awards to artists and technicians in recognition of their stellar contribution to Indian cinema. Under the Cinematica Lifetime Achievement Awards category, Mr. Ramesh Prasad – Prasad Labs, Mr. Alan Bartley – Head of Design & Engineering, Bartley Lens and Camera, Mr. Kodanda Ramireddy – Director, Mr. M.V. Raghu – Filmmaker and Cinematographer were felicitated for their unparalleled dedication and service to the film industry. The other awards presented on the Cinematica Expo event are as follows:

Honorary Cinematica Excellence Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Industry

Veera Shankar – Director

Cinematica Tech Innovation Awards acknowledging Advancements in Cinema Technology as part of the Make in India Initiative

• Gaurav Gajjar – CEO, RK Cinematics
• Khalid V.M. Shaikh – CEO, Techno Cinema Craft
• M. Shravan Kumar – CEO, Appa Eco Lighting Equipments

Cinematica Excellence Awards honouring Impeccable Contributions to Cinema

• Shivendra Dhasharathi – Cinematographer
• Vivek Sagar – Music Director
• Navin Nooli – Editor
• Avinash Kolla – Art Director
• Firefly Creative Studio Pvt. Ltd – VFX
• Annapurna Studios – Post-Production
• Raghunadh – Sound Designer
• Vivek Anand – Colorist
• Lakshman Penumarthi – Gaffer
• Kannan Ganpat – Mix Engineer

Cinematica Golden Sparkle Awards celebrating Emerging Talents and Exceptional Projects

• Nanda Kishore Emani – Director of 35-Chinna Katha Kaadu, for a successful debut film.
• Ritesh Rana – Director of Mathu Vadalara 2, for a jury-selected achievement.
• Sujith Maddela & Sandeep Maddela – For excellence in screenwriting for KA.
• Naveen Medaram – Producer of 90’s Middle Class Biopic, for a successful OTT show.
• Aditya Haasan – Director of 90’s Middle Class Biopic, for an exceptional OTT project.
• Karthik Sabareesh – Producer of Gaami – Karthik Kult Kreations, for emerging production excellence.
• Nagarjuna Enuganti & Sreenivasulu Enuganti – Managing Partners of Big Pictures, for entrepreneurial contributions.
• Gowra Hari – Music Director of Hanu-Man, for outstanding dedication to film music.

Organised in association with IndiaJoy, Cinematica Expo 2024 became a resounding success with 28,000 attending the event – highest participation number ever for a corporate event in Asia and highest ever participation number for the HICC. The event offered a unique blend of inspiration, education, and celebration to participants from the ecosystem of filmmaking. By fostering interaction among seasoned professionals and aspiring talents, the event reinforced its mission of pushing the boundaries of cinema. As the curtains fell, attendees left with fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a renewed passion for the art of filmmaking.

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