CATECHETICAL SHORTFILM COMPETITION – 2024 concluded with awarding the prize winners on Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 4:00 PM. Twenty youth coming from Tirupattur and Chennai regions, attended the program, which is sponsored by Arulvakku, Trichy. The venue for the program was Deepagam Hall at The Citadel. The chief guests were Rev. Fr. John Christy, (Director-INM Youth Ministry) and Fr. Ernest Rosario (Director-DBICA).

Deepagam – the Don Bosco Catechetical Center of Salesian Chennai Province (INM) had organized impromptu Biblical Short-film Festival at Kilpauk, Chennai on June 8, 2024. Four short-films from Tirupattur and Bagalore (Tirupattur region), Paruthipattu-Assumption Church and Basin Bridge (Chennai region) were selected for evaluation. Tirupattur (theme: “Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth”) bagged first prize, while Paruthipattu parish (theme: “Parable of Prodigal Son”) got second, and Basin Bridge (theme: “Ten Commandments”) received third prize.

The shortfilm producers were a team of college students, youth community from parish, and a family. They shared their unique experiences in producing the shortfilms in a matter of four-days; a producer narrated how he developed the film concept with the dream he had and virtue of perseverance in completing the production in one-month time. The participants introduced the Film characters to the Deepagam team and the guests of the day.

Fr. John Christy in his catechetical instruction highlighted four purposes of biblical exhortations to instruct, admonish, guide and correct the faithful (Moral Guidance, Strengthening Faith, Unity and Humility, Inspiration and Motivation - 2Timothy 4:2). The chief guest Fr. Earnest Rosario took the gathering to the time of genesis; he said, “Light was God’s first creation”. Many people, who are slave to cinemas don’t know that film is all about light and shadows; he reminded that Deepagam is into ministry of light for four decades enlightening faith among the young and Salesian collaborators. Fr. Earnest introduced Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival (DBGYFF) and invited the participants to take part in it.

The movie catechetical program lasted an hour or so. Prizes and certificates of participation was distributed to the youth present for the day. Fr. Jesudoss, (Director-Deepagam) welcomed the guests and introduced the program; as catechetical effort, this initiative is movie catechesis in which, youth can take active part in serving the Gospel to both Christians and non-Christians.