Ramesh Hansdah, convener of All-India Santhali Films Association at Sonari, Jamshedpur, on Friday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Aug. 6: Be it a doyen like Satyajit Ray or even a GeNext Imtiaz Ali, a good filmmaker is not just a person looking to capture his or her vision with a viewfinder, but is also an ace technician.

This was brought home to regional filmmakers today at a three-day workshop designed to hone their technical skills.

About 25 individuals, including seven professional filmmakers are participating in the Santhali and regional filmmaking workshop organised by All-India Santhali Films Association (AISFA).

Held at the Tribal Cultural Centre in Sonari, the idea germinated out of a Santhali and regional film festival organised by AISFA in May, where it was found that the directors needed to brush up on their technical skills.

Participants will be given tips on editing, scriptwriting and direction, along with a film appreciation session.

Arun Dutta, a faculty member from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Calcutta, will teach editing while Prabal Mahato, a New Delhi-based documentary filmmaker will teach direction.

The workshop will also help filmmakers to execute projects on a low budget without compromising on quality in a session by well-known Santhali filmmaker Dashrath Hansda.

“The market for regional films is good, but lack of technical expertise holds filmmakers back. The workshop will give them an overall technical know-how,” said Ramesh Hansdah, AISFA convener.

“A three-day workshop is not enough, but it is welcome. As regional filmmakers, we want to improve the quality of our films to reach a bigger market,” said Bubun Mardi, a director of Santhali films.