Jorhat, July 25: Taking a cue from Kerala, the Assam Film Society based here is planning to set up film societies in rural areas of Upper Assam.

The film societies will hopefully be able to achieve the twin objectives of making people appreciate and view quality movies and also sow moral values.

The general secretary of the organisation, Jayanta Madhav Dutta, said though Assamese movies won awards and critical appreciation far and wide, at home they received a lukewarm response.

"There are so many good movies made in the Northeast like Adajya...but they do not meet with box office success like masala Hindi movies. There is a need to change the mindset of the masses so that they like films which are categorised as art films and are considered boring," Dutta said.

He added that the Kerala Film Society had successfully set up small film societies in rural areas and they, too, would try to emulate this example.

"Usually film festivals are urban-centric. People from villages seldom come out to see these films and get to see good movies made here or abroad and even in Bollywood. It is necessary to take the movies to villages so that they reach a wider audience," Dutta said.

Film societies in villages could coordinate with the Assam Film Society and access good movies to be shown there.

"What is needed is a movement in this direction so that good movies made by regional filmmakers, though containing powerful messages, bomb at the box office because they lack liberal doses of songs, dances, actions and titillation," he further said.

It is hoped that appreciation of good films would wean away the youths from hero worship of grey characters in today's movies.

"It is said that watching gory scenes and crimes attract unformed minds to such acts. Though not proved, if this is true, then what we are doing will also help build a better society," Dutta said.

In order to create mindsets which would enjoy watching these movies as much as mainstream ones, the film society has plans to hold film appreciation courses in rural areas.

The Assam Film Society had recently held a three-day film appreciation course at JB College.

The society has plans to set up 100 rural film societies in Upper Assam and hold film festivals there on regular basis.

Established in 2007, the Assam Film Society holds film fests here annually in collaboration with the IFFI.