Bhubaneswar: During the valedictory session of the 10th Film Preservation and Restoration Workshop held at Kalabhoomi today, the Odisha Government signed an MoU with the Film Heritage Foundation for the establishment of a state film archive. 

The agreement was signed between Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department, and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director of the Film Heritage Foundation.

Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who attended the programme as the chief guest, said cinema reflects the true essence of society and culture. Preserving films, he noted, will help revive cinematic treasures that are slowly fading from collective memory.

Minister for Co-operation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Pradeep Bal Samanta also addressed the gathering. He said old Odia films serve as a valuable source of inspiration for future generations and emphasised the responsibility to protect and preserve them.

The 10th Film Conservation and Restoration Workshop, organised from November 12, was a collaborative effort between the Film Heritage Foundation, the International Federation of Film Archives, and the Odisha Government’s Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department.

All 59 participants who took part in the workshop were felicitated with certificates and mementos during the ceremony.