PANAJI: Odisha Information and Public Relations Minister Prafulla Samal today expressed the need to create a strong exhibition sector in the state and wanted the central government, banks and the National Film Development Corporation to come forward to help in this direction.

Samal said everything would be done by the state government to promote Odiya cinema in the state.

Samal was speaking after inaugurating the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Odiya cinema at the ongoing International Film Festival of India. The first Odiya film was produced by Mohan Sunder Dev Goswami in 1934. 

Festival Director noted that around 35 films are produced annually in Odiya. He expressed the hope that as in case of cinema from south India, the native population will come forward to support Odiya films.

Veteran actress Gloria Mahapatra, noted Director Neerad Mahapatra, A. K. Bir, and Prashant Nand were felicitated on the occasion.

Apart from the opening film ‘Adi Mimamsa’, five films will be screened in this section.