As the city gets ready for the 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), various puppets from around the world will bring out the spirit of the festival in the 32-second signature film with the theme ‘shadow puppetry' for this year's festival.
This is in tune with the logo of the festival which is an appropriation from Tholpavakoothu, a traditional shadow puppet play of Kerala.
The film is being created by the Blue Berries animation team of SHOW Total Visual Media Solutions, Kudapanakunnu. Director Bijoy Balachandran told The Hindu that it is a blend of 2D, 3D, and ‘shot visuals' with a unique concept based on shadow puppet play.
The signature film will feature puppets from different cultures as the protagonists of a huge procession representing the coming together of various films from around the world.
The film is a journey through the history of visual language featuring various cultures which have evolved in different parts of the world. “It is a salute and a tribute to the culture called cinema,” he said. As many as 10 artists are involved in the 25-day project which is in the final stages of its making. Various kinds of software have been used to bring the effects of colour, shadow, and translucency in the film. Puppets from countries participating in the international film festival have been specially selected to be featured in the film, he added.
The film's music is by ‘Fly Council,' a Thiruvananthapuram-based music band.
According to band member Jobin Joseph, instruments such as Doli and Veena have been used in the sound track to give the tune a traditional touch.
