Wednesday 07th of November 2007
Thailand's first computer graphics animated film 'Khan Kluay',
about relationship between elephants and human beings, will
kick-start India's 15th International Children's Film Festival
in Hyderabad Nov 14.
The six-day event begins with the Children's Day and promises
fun and frolic for the kids by offering a bouquet of 119 films.
'We start the children film festival on Nov 14 because it
was initiated by (first prime minister) Jawaharlal Nehru (whose
birth anniversary falls that day),' Nafisa Ali, chairperson
of the Children Film Society, India (CFSI), told IANS here
Wednesday.
The total budget for the festival is Rs.15 million.
'We have allocated Rs.7.5 million for the festival and an
equal amount is coming from the Andhra Pradesh government.
However, in 11th Five-Year Plan we have asked for a budget
of Rs.15 million for the International Children's Film Fest,'
she said.
'Next year we are also going to have a National Award for
children's films. We feel that awarding and rewarding is very
important,' added Ali.
The biannual festival has six sections - International Competition,
Asian Panorama, The Children's World, Special Screenings,
Creative Workshops and Special Events for Children.
A total of 40 films will compete for the top awards in the
international competition. There are 26 films in the non-competitive
Children's World section and 20 in the special screenings.
The main venue of the festival will be the IMAX theatre and
in addition films will also be screened at five other theatres
- Sudha, Ravindra, Aaradhana, Sairanga and Hari Kala Bhavan.
While Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy,
Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi
and Union Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju are
expected to attend the inauguration ceremony, Bollywood actor
Aamir Khan will participate in the closing ceremony.
Commenting on the future of children's films, Ali said: 'Right
now we are getting Rs.23 million to produce films for children
but we have requested for a budget of Rs.110 million for production.
NRI communities abroad are crying for India specific films.
'We have eight TV channels for children and most of them
show foreign films or animated movies dubbed in our languages.
We should have our own programmes showing our own culture,
history, tradition and ethos.' |
