Mithibai Film Society (MFS), established in the year 2016, is a closed group of film enthusiasts, who either like film viewing or/and making. This society encourages like-minded people to come together to discuss and ideate about films. The Film Society of Mithibai stands for celebrating the freedom of expression through motion pictures.

Aim:

• To promote artistic film-viewing 
• To impart understanding of films
• To impart the art of film appreciation and film-making
  
  

Celebrity Talk
On 21st September, 2019 the Mithibai Film Society organized another interactive session in the college. Mr. Sanjay Chhel a renowned Writer-director and lyricist was invited for the event. Mr. Chhel discussed  many aspects of the film industry, particularly acting and script writing. Most importantly, he shared a lot of technical information about the industry and gave the students a lot of online and offline references for different roles in the industry. He was deeply appreciated by the teachers and students alike. Overall, the event was educational and entertaining for all those who were present.

On 2nd August 2019, Mithibai Film Society organised an interactive session with Mr. Mihir Bhuta. Mr. Bhuta  is a well known Gujarati producer, Film Director and Writer. Vice principal Dr. Anjali Patkar, Student Convener Dr. Mahesh Bhagwat, Convenor of Mithibai Film Society Ms. Sanobar Hussaini along with teachers and students, graced the occasion.
The program commenced at about 1:00 PM in JJH with the felicitation of the guest by Vice Principal Dr. Anjali Patkar. Following this was a chat with Mr. Bhuta. Mr. Bhuta very candidly shared his experiences of the film industry. With utmost honesty and amusing sense of humor, he spoke about his early college days at Mithibai College... his journey from a writer to a huge commercial film director. He also spoke about his role in the Censorship Board and the current trend in cinema industry. His talk was not only informative and entertaining but also very inspiring.The young students, particularly those wanting to enter the film industry found the session very enriching and insightful.
The event concluded at about 2.30 PM. All in all it was a marvelous day for the students of Mithibai especially those of Film Society.

SCREENING OF THE MARATHI MOVIE, ‘TI SADHYA KAY KARTE’ IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ACTOR ABHINAY BERDE
On 11 December, 2017, the Mithibai Film Society had organised a screening of the Marathi movie, ‘Ti Sadhya Kay Karte’ starring Abhinay Berde, an alumni of our own renowned institution. The members of Film Society were thrilled to find among themselves a star who has been a former student of the college. Abhinay Berde responded in his easy going manner about the highs and lows that constitute the struggle when one sets out to realise one's dreams. The movie was quite Relatable to all students. As it softly harped about the ever changing dynamics in the lives of the youth resulting in the creation of bittersweet memories that are impossible to part with.

PHILOSOPHIZING THE ART OF FILM MAKING
Digant J. Surti
SYBMM
digantjsurti@gmail.com

An Art is a philosophy in itself, it gives you greater meaning of life. Students of Mithibai got a chance to know the philosophy behind the art of film making on 5th January 2018, Friday. Mithibai’s Film Society organized an Interactive seminar on the Art of Film Making. Guest speaker was Mr. Kartikey Sehgal who is an independent film maker and author, who has also learnt music.
Prof. Zinat Aboli (Co-Ordinator of Mass Media Department) introduced Mr. Sehgal and Dr. Sanobar Hussaini (Convener of Mithibai’s Film Society) felicitated him with bouquet. Mr. Sehgal started the seminar with an explanation of definition of poetry, “summarizing is the challenge of it” he said. He talked about Rabindranath Tagore and about his small poem on plentiful tree, which Mr. Sehgal explained in philosophical terms. He said, “If you practise any art, it is an exercise of your mind.”
He explained the philosophy of passion and art of film making by giving examples of some renowned film makers around the world like Christopher Doyle, Kim Ki-Duk, Woody Allen. He then told us their stories with a context of Focus in life and following Passion.
“Be the master of your mind and don’t delay when you want to learn something new.” He said. Many students asked him career related questions and film industry related queries. People were satisfied with his responses and get to know lot of new things about the art of film making.
He concluded the seminar by singing a song. Students came to know many things about the philosophy involved in the area of cinema. They enjoyed sir’s witty sense of humour and learnt in fun. Mithibai Film Society felt honour to invite such a knowledgeable person like Mr. Kartikey Sehgal.

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF FILMS WITH GANGA MUKHI
Digant Surti
SYBMM
digantjsurti@gmail.com

On 19th of December 2017, Mithibai’s Film Society organized an event at Seminar Hall. Guest lecturer was Ganga Mukhi Ma’am from Children’s Film Academy. She taught students about practical aspects of film making and also explained the language of films.
Day started with an explanation about basic camera shots, angels and movements. When students became aware, they gave an activity to make a short story on the theme of ‘Play’ and write down all the camera shots, angels, movements in the scene’s description. Later on the same theme they showed a film which was made by previous batch of the International Program on Film Making. “Shots are the alphabets of the film making.” She said while explaining types of shots.
She also explained students about the importance of pre-planning during the film making process. Storyboarding, Fixing Location, Writing Scripts, etc. “Don’t write the script and then think about the location, first think about the available locations and make script accordingly”, she added. Ganga Mukhi ma’am also showed the essential part of film making that is composing frames. Composition is one of the most important aspect and through that only one can tell a film. They showed a film which was shot on a telephoto lens and camera was still, the film was on a theme – ‘Spaces and stories which they tell.’ Students gave positive feedbacks.
Ganga Mukhi ma’am and her colleague K. Rajesh concluded the seminar with brief explanation about the International Program on Film Making which is in association with CFA. For more information go to www.childrensfilmacademy.in. Students were eager to take part. It was indeed an unforgettable seminar conducted by Mithibai’s Film Society. Ganga ma’am taught a lot important stuff in a fun way.

Everyone has a story!
On 29th September 2017, Mithibai College's Film Society organized an interactive session on story making and practical aspects on film making. Session was conducted by a film maker Parlav Chaudhary who has worked nationally and internationally on many films.

Parlav Sir started the introductory  session with idea generation for films and told everyone to speak something on any idea they had in their minds. He analysed each idea from young minds  and explained the minute difference between plot, idea and story. 

Later,  he explained how important is a story than any other post production work in film making. He mentioned that money can buy equipments and other technical aspects, making it easier but the most important thing, is effective pre-production.

He gave some suggestions to our stories and advised us that whenever we make our first film, we should not spend money. "Always use resources around you.

Every story is different and every Film is based on story. Story is the most essential element and without it,  the set, Cinematography, editing and other technical aspects are worthless.

If we want to make great films than start with writing a great story. Make your story a best seller and film will automatically become beautiful.

Digant J. Surti
SYBMM(2017-18)

'SESSION WITH CASTING DIRECTOR Mr. Taran Bajaj'
Mithibai's Film Society organised a technical session with a renowned and experienced casting director Mr. Taran Bajaj.
About the casting director,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taran_Bajaj
Venue: Seminar Hall
Date: 15th September 2017
Mr.Taran Bajaj interacted with the students of the film society and gave insights in the areas of managing casting actors for a specific role, because every role is crucial, be it a 10 second act.
The interaction with the casting director was fruitful and he even arranged interviews and auditions for some of the shortlisted film society students of Mithibai college for an upcoming project.

'The bridges that hearts build'-15th Sept 2017
There is a thing called circumstantial evidence. But is there a thing called circumstantial friendship? Apparently the movie 'Mr and Mrs Iyer' answers for us.

Aparna Sen's directorial venture with Konkana Sen Sharna essaying the role of a conservative Tamil Brahmin and Rahul Bose, that of a Muslim wildlife photographer was widely acclaimed when it was premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2002.

The movie takes on the theme of communal strife,  balancing it with lyrical nuances and heart stirring cinematography.  Sen assumes the role of a funambulist by capturing the harrowing realities and counterbalancing it with the flawed fluttering of the human heart.

In both the protagonists, Meenakshi and Raja, the onlookers can perceive reminiscences of themselves. Deep rooted prejudice that deter us from realising our true emotions from the former.  While the latter bears reflections for those who silently struggle and suffer.

When this two hour movie was screened at the Mithibai Film Society Meet on 15 September 2017, it held a strong takeaway message for the students :
When time gets tough
As it sometimes will,
Your act of compassion can save someone's day
In moments like these
While your hearts beat fervently
Just don't look away.
- Adiba Fatima (FYBCOM A, 2017-18)

A FESTIVAL OF SHORTS – CELEBRATING GLORY OF CINEMADigant J. Surti
digantjsurti@gmail.com
MUMBAI, 7th August 2017.

Mithibai College’s Film Society in association with Cinema Of The World, organized the “Festival of Shorts” on 07 August 2017 in Seminar Hall at 10:30 AM. The chief guest for the program was Mr. Atul Srivastava, a veteran actor and comedian. Also was present Mr. Adhiraj Bose, director of the short film “INT. Café - Night” featuring Naseeruddin Shah. The program began with the welcoming of the guests by Vice Principal Prof. Michael Vaz.
;Following is the list of short movies which were screened during the session:
1.Misappropriation - A Hellfire Short Film Festival round 10 winner by Ana Maria Ferri (Valencia, Spain).
2.I’ve just had a dream- Irene is eight years old and she has just had a horrible dream. A Spanish film by Javier Navarro.
3.Interior Café Night- A film set inside a café exploring different time-lines by Adhiraj Bose.
4.Once upon a dream- A romantic comedy with a touch of thrill. A French film by Anthony Nion.
5.Living Idle- A symbolic short film that reflects actions have consequences by Artbyramana. A winner of 31 International awards.
6.Lovesick- Does love in life define who you really are? A German short film.
7.Section 42- A Neo- Noir short film about “Section.42” of the Indian criminal procedure code, which affects negatively on society under certain circumstances. A film by Nirmal S.
8.Sormeh- A Iranian short film set during the Iran's 1979 revolution.
Highlight of the program was the interaction of the guests with the students. Mr. Adhiraj Bose shared his experiences of film making with students who were all very eager to listen to him. He told them how he could execute his ideas on the big screen and what went into the making of his film “INT. Café - Night”.
Later, Mr. Atul Srivastava gave insight into the skills which are essential in acting. He explained that how an actor can bring life to character by imitating not just the dialect and other nuances but also by relating to his deep feelings and desires. He also spoke about his iconic ‘Munnabhai MBBS scene’ where he had to play a patient in a fake hospital.
The program ended with the giving away of certificates of appreciation to  the guests. The response of the students was overwhelming. The over crowded auditorium was testimony to the fact that good cinema is always an interesting and learning experience.

Screenplay WorkshopFilm Society of Mithibai College organized a workshop on 21 December 2016 on “Screenplay Writing”. It was conducted by Mr. Parlav Choudhary, alumnus of New York Film Academy. Mr. Choudhary, who is also associated with Hollywood and Bollywood production houses, spoke on the different stages involved in screenplay writing  wherein a single “Log line” is developed into a detailed script. By involving the students into an interesting discussion, he threw light on terms like “Treatment”, “Plot” and “Three Act Structure”, which are commonly used in writing a screenplay. He further elaborated his point by showing his own film and script in which he highlighted the nuances of  good writing. 

Basics of Film Making
Film Society of Mithibai College organized a workshop on 13th December, 2016 on ‘Basics of Film Making’. It was conducted by Ms. Ganga Mukhi from FTII Pune who is currently associated with Children Film Academy, Paris. Ms Ganga spoke on the power of cinema and how it shares a symbiotic relation with the real world. Through her presentation, she threw light on the fact that a powerful cinema is an organic mix of script, sound, camera angles and editing where each ingredient contributes equally.

INTRODUCTION TO FILM EDITING
The session was conducted by Mr. Satyanshu Singh (Screenwriter for ‘The Puppet’, ‘Udaan’) on 9th of December 2016. This was his second session where in the first half, he gave a little recap of what was taught in the last session. In this lecture, he spoke on the topic of film editing, the functions of a film editor, challenges faced, importance of film editing and the tools used in film editing. The students were shown clips and scenes from different films such as Vertigo and Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock, and taught to observe the number of cuts in a sequence of a film, and analyse how the speed of cuts in each of the scene sets a tone for suspense, anticipation or terror, accordingly.
They were explained on how an editor and director works on different parts of the film and how their different sensibilities contribute to the ‘Product’ differently. 
The second half of the session- ‘Role of Sound in a Film’ included process of recording different sounds during a scene, such as the sounds of footsteps, ambience sounds of the surroundings and how they were incorporated into the scene by balancing the different tones. The role of Foley sounds, how they are produced and how they affect the scene greatly, were discussed.
The students got to learn about the technical aspects of filmmaking and could see the same scene of a film in a different light. Due to this session, out film viewing experience and appreciation of cinema has greatly increased. It was a very informative session with a lot of interaction between the Mithibai Film Society members and the speaker with many questions/ doubts being cleared.

Film Festival on Women’s Safety and Empowerment organized by U.S. Consulate 
Film festival on women’s safety and empowerment organized by U.S. Consulate and hosted by R.D National College on 30th September, 2016 was an enriching experience. Many films were screened on the subject of women empowerment which can further help in bringing alive various ideas for the contest, or otherwise. There were also panel discussions by prominent well known film makers and actors that taught about real cinema that needs to be appreciated and the hard work required to reach that level. Lastly, for all the film makers who have the ideas but a low budget, the festival was a success.

SJ Studio Visit
The department of Mass Media and Film Society organised a field trip for students to SJ Studios. Two workshops were held by FACE academy in the studio premises. Backed by the dynamic filmmaking landscape of S.J. Studios, the Film Academy of Cinematic Excellence is an internationally competent film school that places emphasis on the holistic training of film students in the various fields of cinema. The students participated in the Story Boarding and Script Writing workshops. They unleashed the hidden artists in them and polished their story writing skills. They had two creative assignments, one where they had to creatively draw and explain their personalities in the form of a story board and the other, where they had to write a script for a 30 second advertisement. Not only did the students enjoy their experience but also took back a lot of knowledge and practical first-hand knowledge from experts.
Seminar organized by MAMI
The department of Mass Media and Film Society organised a seminar for students in association with MAMI - Mumbai Academy of Moving Images. This seminar was to enlighten and encourage the students to participate in the Mumbai Film festival.
Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is a not-for-profit trust. Their main objective was to organise an annual International Film Festival which the film industry and the country could be proud of. MAMI has been organising the festival for the last 16 years and aims to foster a climate of good cinema. MAMI engages people from all walks of life across the city and country that enjoy, appreciate and love good cinema. It is Mumbai’s only film festival that is entirely created and run by film professionals and a group of members from corporate India. Appreciation of good cinema can only come through with exposure to the best films the world has to offer. Being media and film students, the children are always willing to explore the various aspects of cinema.
Encouraging their interest, this seminar made them aware about how they can contribute to the film industry. The importance of Mumbai film festival was highlighted and they were also offered an opportunity to work as interns for the festival.

Film making workshop organized by US Consulate
The workshop conducted by the U.S Consulate General provided a great learning experience regarding how to go with the production plan further for film making. Ms. Ajita Suchitra Veera focused very well on basic technicalities of shooting which is beneficial for budding film makers. Moreover, it was a platform to interact with people engaged in different work of fields, collaborate with them in order to give an idea a practical shape.

Mithibai Film Society’s First Workshop on Visual Design

Mr. Satyanshu Singh, a national award winning film maker conducted a three hour workshop on 10th August, 2016 on the topic, "Motion Picture Storytelling - An Introduction to the Visual Language of Cinema.
Using the opening scene of a french film called "Blue" he explained the concepts of 'Centre of Interest' and 'Image Size'. He also made students’ understand the concepts behind the colours and contrast used in cinema and the how camera angles and movements help a filmmaker in telling the story. Lastly, he explained the aesthetic appeal of balance and depth used in various shots. 
He concluded the workshop by showing the clip from "Blue" again, helping the students in understanding the application of all the concepts learned in the workshop.

Sr. No.	Activity	Periodicity
1.	Film screening and discussion	Twice every month
2.	Special Talks	Once in a semester
3.	Workshop	Once in a semester
4.	Film making competition and screening	Once in an academic year

Note: Activities by the society will be arranged, keeping in mind the lecture time of its members. But if any activity time clashes with the regular lecture time, the committee recommends marking the members ‘Present’ for the lecture. The members will be from various departments so this is likely to happen. 

Mithiwood Film Festival is the annual International Inter-collegiate Film Festival of SVKM’s Mithibai College. Organized by the students of Mithibai College, this annual festival is an advantageous platform for budding talents to reveal their directorial prowess, artistic and composition skills, and to get a push towards doing what they love, i.e., films. Mithiwood has grown exponentially in just the two years it has been organized with a reach in 88+ countries and 29 states of India, a viewership of more than 2 lakh, collaboration with 35+ celebrities, and more than 1500 entries for its events, making it the largest Film Festival in India and the fastest growing Film Festival in the world organized by students

Dr. Sanobar Hussaini
Convener
Film Society Committee

Ms. Jayasree Ravi
Member
Film Society Committee

Ms. Divya Chenna
Member
Film Society Committee

Ms. Muzna Shaikh
Member
Film Society Committee

Mr. Freddy Singaraj
Member
Film Society Committee

Mr. Sachchidanand Singh
Member
Film Society Committee

Ms. Ujjwala Kurkute
Member
Film Society Committee