The 20th International Children’s Film Festival began on a noisy and raucous note on Wednesday evening in Hyderabad at the Shilpakala Vedika auditorium.
Child delegates drawn from all parts of the country cheered and hollered as film actor Mukesh Khanna and Cinematography Minister T. Srinivas Yadav released colourful balloons in the forecourt of the auditorium.
“This year it is an even bigger affair than last time as we are screening movies in all the districts of the State in 43 cinema halls. More films, more entries, more theatres are the surest signs that the film festival is on a firm footing,” said Commissioner of Information and Public Relations Naveen Mittal.
Workshops too
Nearly 317 films from 55 countries will be screened as part of the seven-day festival. In the city, there are 13 locations where the movies will be shown.
Workshops for script writing, story telling, film making are being conducted in different venues of the city.
“The film festival is not just for seeing good movies but also networking and getting to know the country. It is also an opportunity to learn about the art and craft techniques of the country,” said child artiste Zaira Waseem, who has acted in Dangal and Secret Superstar .
“It is a matter of pride for the State to be hosting this festival. Movies are a powerful medium of information and instruction I hope the festival is used by the children to learn about showcasing information,” said the Cinematography Minister in his welcome address during the inaugural.
Broad representation
The event began with a dance drama called Bharatiyam choreographed by Raghav Raj Bhat that had 300 children from 14 schools dancing to an eclectic blend of folk rhythms.
“We received 1409 entries from 109 countries for this festival. We chose 300-odd films for screenings. Though we received a large number of entries from Nordic countries we chose movies to ensure a broad representation from across the world,” CEO of Children’s Film Society of India Shravan Kumar said.
A market
“I want this film festival to be not just a showcase for children’s movies but also a market where buyers come to search for good output. We are on course to reaching that goal. We are having animation, documentaries, biographies and a whole range of offerings for young cinephiles. This year, the last screening would be a movie called Kachrapur which has been directed by a child and it marks a break from the tradition of screening the award-winning movie,” said Mr. Kumar.
