Amartya Bhattacharyya

Amartya Bhattacharyya is a filmmaker, writer and artist from eastern India. He was awarded the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) for the Best Cinematography in non-feature film at the 63rd National Film Awards by the president of India for his fantasy documentary 'Benaras-the unexplored attachments'.[1] His second feature film 'Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea' featured as the only Odia film in the Indian Panorama section of 48th International Film Festival of India 2017. He was awarded the State film awards in Best Editing category for Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea at the 29th Odisha State Film Awards, conferred by the Government of Odisha.

Amartya Bhattacharyya
Amartya Bhattacharyya, shooting of 'Capital I'
Born(1987-08-21)21 August 1987
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, Writer
Years active2012–present

Amartya's latest feature film is Adieu Godard, which premiered at the 43rd Moscow International Film Festival 2021. The film is in Odia language and is an Indo-French co-production.[2]

He is an independent film director, a surreal poet, writer, actor, editor, lyricist and a cinematographer. Amartya's artworks are mostly surreal, dark in concept, and psychoanalytic in nature. He himself tags his films as 'Psychodrama'.

Personal life

Amartya Bhattacharyya was born in a Bengali Hindu family on 21 August 1987 in Kolkata. He is a Bachelor's in Technology graduate in Information Technology from Techno India College of Technology in 2009. He also works in a multinational IT company as a Technology Lead. Though born in a Hindu family, he is a non-religious person, who draws inspiration from various religions and ideologies. He is an apolitical person, and a strong critic of his socio-political environment.

Amartya's entry to the world of art was through an artist in Kolkata, Shri Siddhartha Mukherjee, who was the art teacher in his school 'The Modern Academy' where he studied for ten years till the completion of his secondary education. It was under his guidance that Amartya started experimenting with art forms at a very tender age, and developed a habit of challenging the conventions. Amartya also performed on stage for the first time at the age of six. Thereafter, he keenly pursued his interest in acting on stage throughout his school life. He was also a passionate cricketer at 'The Sunil Gavaskar Foundation for Cricket in Bengal'.

Film career

Capital I,[3][4][5][6][7][8] Amartya's debut feature film happens to be the first independent feature film of Odisha. It featured in festivals like the South Asian Alternative Film Festival Paris, International Film Festival of Kerala,[9][10] Bengaluru International Film Festival,[11] etc. It is the first Indian film to be acquired by the Italy-based sales and distribution company ‘The Open Reel’. The film is being broadcast through the Poland-based TV channel ‘Filmbox Arthouse’.

Amartya Bhattacharyya at the shooting of Khyanikaa-The Lost Idea

Amartya's second feature film 'Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea' screened at around 30 international film festivals and across 14 countries. He won the state award for the Best Editing for Khyanikaa at the 29th Odisha State Film awards 2019. After making two feature films 'Capital I' and 'Khyanikaa' in Odia, he made his third feature film 'Runanubandha - The HE without HIM' in his mother tongue Bengali and shot in the city he was born and brought up in - Kolkata. Runanubandha - The HE without HIM, which derived its name from an Indian spiritual context, was a part of festivals like Moscow International Film Festival, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Oakland International Film Festival, Kolkata International Film Festival amongst others.

Before making his debut feature film 'Capital I',[12] Amartya had made few short films. His shots were a part of several international film festivals across the world, and bagged a number of awards in all categories.

Other activities

Apart from films, Amartya is also the author of two books – 'Ekush (21)' and 'Shatarupa' which are compilations of his poems on love, death and the dark sides of human nature. The books were launched at the Kolkata International Book Fair in 2011 and 2012 respectively. His poems have also been published in several compilations and he was a regular writer/poet for a former weekly Bengali magazine named 'Anahoto'.

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Language Role Notes
Director Writer Cinematographer Editor Actor
2023 Whispers of a Storm Odia Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • 25th UK Asian Film Festival, UK.[13]
2021 Adieu Godard Odia Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • 43rd Moscow International Film Festival, Russia.[14][15]
  • 27th Kolkata International Film Festival, India.[16]
  • 26th Split Film Festival, Croatia.[17]
  • San José International Film Awards, Costa Rica.
  • Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, Canada.[18]
2020 Ketu Bengali Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  • Santa Cruz International Film Festival, Argentina.
  • Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, Canada.[19]
  • Ciudad De Mexico International Film Festival, Mexico.
  • Ciudad del Este Independent Film Festival, Paraguay.
2019 Runanubandha - The HE without HIM Bengali Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • Best Editing award at Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival 2019, Canada.
2017 Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea Odia Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • 'Indian Panorama' at 48th International Film Festival of India 2017.[20]
  • Best Editing award at the 29th Odisha State Film Awards 2019.[21]
2014 Capital I Odia Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • The first independent feature film of Odisha.

Non-feature Films

Year Title Language Role Notes
Director Writer Cinematographer Editor Actor
2019 Mercy Of God Silent Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Producer awards at NoHu International Short Film Festival in New Jersey, USA.[22]
2017 Darjeeling - a celebration of solitude Bengali Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • Best Director award (Category - Documentary/National) - Kargil International Film Festival 2017, India.[23]
  • Best Short Film - Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati 2017, USA.
  • Best Cinematography - Sylhet Film Festival 2018, Bangladesh.
2016 Rajasthan- The Fantasy of A Deserted Soul Bengali Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2015 Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo (In Poetic Hues) Bengali Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • Best Film award - Moab International Film Festival, Utah, USA.
  • Best Script award - Sylhet Film Festival 2017, Bangladesh.
  • Short Film Corner - 68th Festival de Cannes.
2015 Benaras-the unexplored attachments Bengali Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  • Silver Lotus for Best Cinematography in non-feature section at 63rd National Film Awards.
  • Best Film (Travel Documentary) at 50th International Tourism Film Festival 2017,[24] Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
  • Best Film at 7th International Short Tourism Film Festival of Amorgos in Greece.
  • Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music and Best Producer/Production team at 9th NoHu International Short Film Festival 2016 New Jersey.
  • Best Film on Tourism at IFFC IV - International Film Festival of Short Films on Culture and Tourism, Jaipur.
2013 Swargadwar-in search of heaven Silent Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2012 Shiuli-in search of my Goddess! English Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2012 Niloye Jokhon (At Home) Bengali Yes Yes No Yes Yes
2012 Boba Mukhosh (Translucence) Bengali Yes Yes No Yes Yes
  • Best Director - White Screen Film Festival.
  • Best Editor - Rolling Frames 2013.

References

  1. "The Telegraph, India, English News Paper". epaper.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  2. "Exclusive! Amartya Bhattacharyya: 'Adieu GODARD' is the most challenging film I've made so far - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. "CAPITAL I | Bengaluru International Film Festival". Bengaluru International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  4. "Attempt of a Unique Kind". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  5. "Capital I". Cinema Schminema. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  6. "'There need not be a story'". Deccan Herald. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  7. "The Independent Critic - "Capital I" a Creative, Intriguing Film Out of India". theindependentcritic.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  8. "Festival du Film d'Asie du Sud Transgressif, 3ème édition". Critiques et news films, BD, musique (in French). Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  9. "IFFK Indian Cinema Now". iffk.in. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  10. "INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF KERALA DEC 04-11, 2015, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM" (PDF). iffk.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  11. "CAPITAL I | Bengaluru International Film Festival". Bengaluru International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  12. "Capital I - The Open Reel". The Open Reel. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  13. "'Whispers of a Storm' set for London premiere". The Times of India. 12 April 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  14. "World premiere of Odia film 'adieu Godard' to be held at Moscow International Film Festival". Odisha News, Odisha Latest news, Odisha Daily - OrissaPOST. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  15. "Exclusive! Amartya Bhattacharyya: 'Adieu GODARD' is the most challenging film I've made so far - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  16. "Amartya Bhattacharyya's Godard tribute film will have its Indian premiere at KIFF - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  17. "Bengali filmmaker's Godard tribute film makes the cut to prestigious Croatian film festival - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  18. chief, Editor in. "Odia Film "Adieu GODARD" set for Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF)". Odisha News Times. Retrieved 5 January 2022. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  19. Correspondent, Our. "Amartya Bhattacharyya's feature Ketu to be premiered at Mosaic in Canada". Cinestaan. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  20. "Indian Panorama selection of Feature and Non Feature films for 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 announced". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  21. "Odisha Film Awards 2017: Ravi Shankar Patnaik to get Jayadev pursakar, Tarang sweeps Tele awards". odishatv.in. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  22. "'Mercy of God' bags six awards". Odisha News, Odisha Latest news, Odisha Daily - OrissaPOST. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  23. "Kargil IFF Awards". www.kargiliff.in. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  24. REGIONZAPAD.CZ. "Karlovy Vary: Grand Prix festivalu Tourfilm 2017 obdržel rakouský spot". www.regionzapad.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 12 October 2017.
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