Pune: The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune made history by launching a film-making course for persons with autism in New Delhi. 

In this 10-day course, 10 young adults with special needs, all of them aspiring film-makers, are learning film-making using smartphones in a carefully designed course. 

This first-ever course by FTII for persons with autism is being conducted at Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in New Delhi. Art Sanctuary, an NGO headed by Shalini Gupta, working with persons with special needs, has conceptualised the course. 

Indian Oil has sponsored the course in its first such association with FTII. 

Course Director Ajmal Jami is a reputed practising professional with over 30 years experience in visual communication with work in a diverse range of technologies and genres including mobile journalism.

Keeping in mind the learning requirements of persons with special needs, the course will be conducted in two phases of five days each, with a break of three weeks between them.