SICA AGM 2025!

SICA Holds Packed Annual General Body Meeting, Unveils Major App Upgrades and Honours Cinematographer Shiva GRN

Chennai, August 10:

The Southern India Cinematographers’ Association (SICA) held its Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) on Sunday at Prasad Lab Theatre, Chennai, drawing a full house of members for a day of updates, announcements, and recognitions.

The session began with SICA President A. Karthik Raaja extending a warm welcome to the gathering, lauding the active participation of members in association events, and giving special mention to the enthusiasm shown by newly joined members.

General Secretary Ilavarasu then took the stage to deliver his annual address, outlining the year’s progress and the initiatives taken by the association. The proceedings were compered by Executive Committee Member Naga Saravanan, who kept the event moving in smooth order.

Treasurer Sakthi Saravanan presented the audit report and financial statements, followed by an explanation from the association’s auditor Koushik  on the distribution of funds across various accounts to ensure transparency and effective utilisation.

The highlight of the meeting was the detailed presentation on the new SICA Mobile App by Executive Committee Member Moses Justin, credited as the architect of the app’s design and content. He showcased the app’s core features, including a comprehensive Knowledge Series on the SICA website, a dynamic Discussion Forum, personalised shooting diaries for members, a robust member database, and a dedicated Employment Empowerment section featuring both “Job Provider” and “Job Seeker” functions. The app also houses an extensive archive of SICA workshops, training sessions, and equipment demonstration videos.

Moes Justin noted strong interest from members, which sparked a lively Q&A session. He also outlined Phase 2 of the app’s development, which will see its reach expanded to a broader community, with a focus on job empowerment and a full-scale service provider directory. However, he emphasised that optimal utilisation by current members remained the immediate priority.

A PowerPoint presentation highlighted newly added features:

Members’ Project Update for sharing completed projects with posters, with examples from members’ own lists.

My Movie My Experience, a platform for members to post personal filmmaking experiences with images, demonstrated with Mr. Karthick Raj’s behind-the-scenes photograph.

Job Provider Update, enabling job seekers to apply directly to listings tailored to provider requirements.

Enhanced member profiles for improved visibility.

Upgraded Discussion Forum tools, including image uploads, tagging, link sharing, and notifications.

In one example, a post by Mr. M.S. Prabhu on “Deep Focus” was shown to illustrate how long-form content exceeding the forum’s character limit should be converted into an image for better readability. Another key update was the integration of SICA–FEFSI Card Numbers into each member’s dashboard for streamlined verification.

Justin also explained the SICA Dashboard System, which consolidates member management with the app’s functionalities, and introduced the Vendor Management System to connect members with reliable vendors and service providers.

Treasurer Sakthi Saravanan added that plans are underway to build a comprehensive database of camera, lighting, and grip vendors, which would open the app to cinema-related public use, creating a sustainable revenue stream for the association.

The AGM also featured a proud moment for SICA, as Cinematographer Shiva GRN was honoured for winning the International Award for Best Cinematography at the France NICE Festival for the Tamil feature film Rasavathi.

SICA General Secretary Ilavarasu stated their governing body is committed to resolve any kind of issue in order for the upliftment of members.

Key observations on other state working atmosphere and its challenges were discussed and he said all will be dealt with care having SICA’s long standing traditional history.

The meeting concluded with an interactive session where members provided constructive feedback and suggestions for future improvements, ending on a note of optimism for SICA’s upcoming projects and initiatives.

Drafted by

CJ Rajkumar

Author / Cinematographer