The ninth edition of the Children’s India International Children’s Film Festival (CIICFF) will be held in Bangalore from January 20-24. Up to 200 films from 44 countries will be screened in five venues.
Festival director N.R. Nanjunde Gowda on Monday announced that the annual event had, for the first time, been recognised officially as CIICFF.
Public screeningsIn a new initiative, the festival will also have public screenings at Boulevard Rangoli on M.G. Road and Madhavan Park in Jayanagar apart from Bal Bhavan, Navrang and Badami House. Films will be screened at Rangoli throughout the day till evening. At Madhavan Park, screenings will begin in the evening.
These include films on wildlife and environment besides short and full-length feature films. One section will be devoted to films made by children from seven countries. The special focus country this year is Denmark.
The event will see a jury from the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People giving away an award. There would also be awards for best film, best director, best child artiste, best animation, best short film, best Indian film and jury’s choice.
Mr. Gowda said that 260 entries had been received from film-makers around the world. Of these, 60 had to be rejected because they were not suitable for children in India.
Monetary constraintsA proposal to hold the festival in several district centres simultaneously had been shelved because of financial constraints in the absence of financial support from the government, said Mr. Gowda. Organisers could not put up hoardings in the city or have screenings at multiplexes either due to paucity of funds, he added.
He said that Children’s India had been holding the festival without a break as a “movement” and the government should support it.
The funds promised last year were not released on the grounds that the festival, unlike the Bangalore International Film Festival, was not being organised by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and Information Department of the government.
The festival will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Bal Bhavan on January 20 followed by the screening of “Mike Says Goodbye” from Netherlands, directed by Maria Peters.
Entry is free for children at all venues. Adults accompanying them can collect free passes at the festival office in My Sugar Building on J.C. Road.
For details, log on to www. childrensindia.org.
