Hyderabad to host children's film fest

New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) 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.'

Copyright  IANS

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