File picture of teenagers shooting a film

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 22: The city is witnessing a short film revolution.

Wielding an inexpensive camera phone or a high-end DSLR camera, student filmmakers are telling their stories to the world with the Internet giving them the launch pad.

“The Internet is our market and a DSLR camera, our accessory. We rely primarily on netizens for feedback and not money or other resources,” said Pratik Mohapatra, an engineering graduate of Institute of Technical Education and Research.

The 22-year-old, along with his friend Suman Saurav Mohanty, recently launched Virtual Showreel – a fully functional broadcasting crew consisting of photographers, cinematographers, editors, anchors and coordinators. The independent unit has taken upon itself the job of recording campus activities, especially fests, and uploading them on social networking sites.

“Posting our films on video-hosting websites such as YouTube or Facebook have opened up a window of opportunity and helps us bond with the professionals. It may as well get us sponsors for our future ventures,” said Pratik, who has made a five-minute documentary on the Delhi gang rape incident.

Apart from the online medium, a host of national and international film festivals has also encouraged the burgeoning breed of filmmakers. A case in point is Kala Hara, a short film on environment by a group of KIIT University’s current and former students that has been shortlisted for the prestigious CMS VATAVARAN 2013 Environment and Wildlife Film Festival.

“There are many other competitions, including the Bring Your Own Film Festival in Puri, where one can send short films in the amateur or student category. Institutes such as TISS-Mumbai also offer scholarships and fellowships to budding filmmakers to realise their ambitions. If one is creative and passionate about films, money is not a constraint,” said Farakh Abbas, 21, a founding member of KIIT’s theatre group, Kash, who is now on a Young India Fellowship in New Delhi.

With an explosion of short movies online, film buffs can indulge their passion without having to devote too much time to it.

“People can watch any number of short films while travelling, taking a break between classes or just sipping their morning tea. Public acceptance is very important,” said Devvrat Mishra, a second-year mechanical engineering student of KIIT University, who has made two short films — A Tale of Two Brothers and With Love, Rose.

But how do these youngsters compete with seasoned filmmakers who are more experienced and better funded?

“Competing with professionals is the last thing on our mind at the moment. What matters is how much exposure you can gain,” said Vishal Aditya Sahoo, a Class XI student of Sai International School, who, along with brother Vikram Aditya, recently won the Dadasaheb Phalke award for best student documentary in June this year.