Bhubaneswar: Popular faces from Odia film industry debated on the state of independent cinema in Odisha at the ongoing 9th Indian Film Festival Bhubaneswar (IFFB) that is going on here.

The panel discussion was moderated by Swastik Chaudhary with filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharya, directors Sushant Mani and sushant Mishra as the panellists.

Mishra felt that there was nothing such as independent cinema, but at the same time opined that parallel cinema was something that one should know about.

Bhattacharya, who has made a mark in independent filmmaking with his ventures such as Niloye Jokhon, Boba Mukhosh and Capital I, felt that in a film the sense of aesthetics was much more important than in anything else. "I find a lot of people complaining about lack of funds, resources and equipment. But it is high time that our generation starts experimenting without any inhibitions. In this world of digital technology, the excuse of constraints doesn't stand strong anymore," he said.

"There's almost no platform for a young filmmaker in India apart from online medium. Rarely would you find a theatre screening independent films, or a film without stars. Lately, I have received good support from Bhuba-neswar-based media houses and getting accepted in some good festivals has helped my films earn some promotion," he said. Mani mentioned how the industry limits a director's job to just a managerial task where a director has nothing much to do in terms of creativity.

A number of films were also screened at the festival on Monday.