Curtains went up on the 17 edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) at Nishagandhi Auditorium here on Friday with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy lighting a lamp to signal the start of the weeklong celluloid fiesta.
Mr. Chandy was accompanied in lighting the lamp by Australian filmmaker and chairman of the international jury Paul Cox, and others. The screening of films, which got off to a start with 11 movies from the World Cinema category being screened in four theatres in the city earlier in the day, was launched formally after the inaugural function with the opening movie of the fete, The Ring . Alfred Hitchcock’s silent masterpiece was presented to a packed audience at Nishagandhi complete with the regalia that marked the movie’s premiere in the Roosevelt Theatre of Los Angeles way back in 1927, including a live orchestra scoring the background music.