The 2nd edition of the annual Cinematica Expo concluded on 17th November, 2024 after an eventful two days at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), Hyderabad, Telangana. The prestigious event was held in association with and as part of IndiaJoy and was supported by the Government of Telangana, Telangana VFX, Animation and Gaming Association (TVAGA) and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India. The gala event was presented by Sony and was powered by Zeiss.
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.
ARTICLES
On 16th November, Cinematica Expo 2024 was kickstarted with a formal inauguration by the legendary filmmaker Mr. Ram Gopal Varma and fiery director Mr Sandeep Raddy Vanga. The Secretary, MeitY, Govt. of India Mr. S. Krishnan, Special Chief Secretary, IT and Industries & Commerce, Govt. of Telangana Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Acclaimed cinematographer Mr K. K. Senthil Kumar and the Cinematica Expo founder and noted cinematographer Mr. P. G. Vinda were also present at the inaugural.
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 2nd 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.
Celebrities on Cinematica Expo Edition 2
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.
‘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.
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.
AWARDS
Cinematica Life Time Achievement Awards
Cinematica Lifetime Achievement Award For The Dedication & Service to the Cinema Industry.
Ramesh Prasad - Prasad labs
Alan Bartley - Head of Design & Engineering Bartley Lens and Camera
Kodanda Ramireddy - Director
M.V. Raghu - Filmmaker and Cinematographer
Honorary Cinematica Excellence Award
Honorary Cinematica Excellence For The Dedication & Service to the Cinema Industry.
Veera Shankar - Director
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award
Nanda Kishore Emani - Director - 35-Chinna Katha Kaadu
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for an Outstanding and Dedicated Contribution to the Successful Debut film
Ritesh Rana - Director - Mathu Vadalara 2
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for an Outstanding and Dedicated Contribution to the Successful Jury-Selected Film
Sujith Maddela & Sandeep Maddela - Directors - KA
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for an Outstanding and Dedicated Contribution to the Successful Jury-Selected Film
Naveen Medaram - Producer - 90's Middle Class Biopic
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for an Outstanding and Dedicated Contribution to the Successful OTT Show
Aditya Haasan - Director - 90's Middle Class Biopic
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for an Outstanding and Dedicated Contribution to the Successful OTT Showrunner
Karthik Sabareesh - Producer - Karthik Kult Kreations - Gaami
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for Emerging Production Company in the Film Industry for The Film
Nagarjuna Enuganti & Sreenivasulu Enuganti - Managing Partners - Big Pictures
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for Emerging Young Entrepreneur in the Film Industry
Gowra Hari - Music Director - Hanu-man
Cinematica Golden Sparkle Award for an Outstanding and Dedicated Contribution to the Successful Film
Cinematica Tech Innovation Award
Cinematica Tech Innovation Award in the field of Cinema Industry as part of Make in India Innovation.
Gaurav Gajjar - CEO - RK Cinematics
Khalid V.M Shaikh - CEO - Techno Cinema Craft
M. Shravan Kumar - CEO - APPA Eco Lighting Equipment
Cinematica Excellence Awards
Cinematica Excellence Award For An Impeccable Contribution to the Cinema Industry
Nag Ashwin - Director
Shivendra Dhasharathi - Cinematographer
Vivek Sagar - Music
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
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.
INTERVIEWS
An Interview with Cinematographer and Entrepreneur P.G Vinda
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