IFFI 50: Students enjoyed the films free

Besides journalists and invitees, one more category of delegates enjoyed IFFI free of cost: students. And rightly so. Students of Film and Mass Communication from recognised institutions of India could apply and attend IFFI 2019, free of cost. This was a move that aimed to foster and nurture the love for movies and cinema among the youth of the nation. The film industry in India is an extensive one and it covers not just Bollywood, but also the talent filled industries from different states of India that include films in vernacular languages.

All one needed was to be a student of any Film or Mass Communication Institute that is recognised by either the government or a University. A letter from the head of the institute or a bona-fide certificate from the same was required, to establish credentials. Of course, since many of the films screened have content suitable for adults only, even if foreign films are not subjected to censorship, the applicant had to 18 or more years old

Registered Student Delegates received the same benefits as the regular delegates, such as Access to Workshops & Master-Classes, Access to Film Screenings, Free WiFi, Delegate Kit and Online Ticket Booking, which allowed a person to watch three movies a day. Students had, naturally, to bear the costs of travel and stay, entirely.