A short film titled Deception, made by Afnan Manzoor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology, won the top prize at a national film festival on Thursday, as student filmmakers from institutions in several Indian states presented their work in Awantipora.
The festival, organised by the university’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, screened 27 short films and documentaries. Of those, 22 were shortlisted for competition among school, college and university students.
Compulsion, from Amar Singh College, won second prize, while Bindiya, from the Central University of Haryana, took third. Lemonade, another production by the IUST journalism department, received a special jury mention.
The awards highlighted student filmmaking as universities seek to expand opportunities for creative expression beyond conventional academic instruction.
Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, the IUST vice chancellor and chief guest, said traditional education systems often stifled students’ inherent creativity. Universities, he said, were developing environments that encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship while promoting the ethical use of technology and media.
The festival brought together participants from institutions including the University of Kashmir’s Media Education Research Centre, the Central University of Punjab, Government College for Women on M.A. Road in Srinagar, Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh, and colleges and schools in Jammu and Kashmir.
Five additional films produced by the IUST journalism department were also screened.
Dr. Rabia Noor, head of the department, said media education needed to extend beyond classrooms and textbooks. The festival was designed to give emerging filmmakers a platform to present their work and learn from experienced practitioners, she said.The competition jury included Prof. Shahid Rasool, dean of academic affairs at the Central University of Kashmir; Bollywood actor-director Mir Sarwar; and Danish Renzu, a filmmaker and founder of Renzu Films.
After the screenings, the jury members participated in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Haifaa Mohammad Ahsan, an assistant professor at IUST.
The event also featured the release of a special edition of Times Echo, the university’s news magazine. Titled IUST@2047: Special Edition on Institutional Development Plans, it brings together departmental and institutional plans outlining the university’s development goals towards India’s 2047 vision.
Prof. Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, IUST’s dean of academic affairs, and Dr. Afroz Ahmad Bisati, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, attended as guests of honour, alongside other university officials.
For the student filmmakers, the festival provided a public stage for their work, bringing stories developed in classrooms and campus studios before a national jury and an audience of peers.
