I&B Secretary Reviews Arrangements for 18th Int. Film Festival

Bimal Julka

Hyderabad, Sept 13 (INN): Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka, chaired a review meeting, here today to oversee the arrangements to be made in connection with the 18th International Children’s Film Festival to be held from November 14 to 20 at Hyderabad.

Speaking to media persons later, he said that the focus in this festival is to source films which have been either screened or received as entries at around 20 prestigious film festivals across the globe including Cannes, Toronto and Oscar. The 18th edition of the Film Festival has received 848 entries from around 72 countries.

Around 100 foreign delegates would also be participating in the film festival. Arrangements are also being made at the festival to screen films specially for children with special needs, Julka said.

P K Mohanty, Chief Secretary, Government of AP said that around 10 to 12 theatres are short listed for screening films. Imax will be the main festival venue and the opening and closing festival will be held at Lalitha Kala Thoranam. Around 1.50 lakh school children are expected to participate in the festival. CEO of CFSI, M Shravan Kumar said that for the first time in the history of film festival there are 28 entries from South America this time. 20 new countries have also sent their entries this time, he said.

Various committees to oversee Hospitality, Guest relations, Theatres, Transport, Cultural programmes and media relations are being constituted for smooth conduct of festival. Workshops will be organised in this week-long festival on Animation, Script-writing and film appreciation. Cultural programmes will also be organised daily and one or two child prodigies will be invited and will be felicitated daily at Lalitha Kala Thoranam to coincide with film festival.

The Golden Elephant Trophy and other Trophies and cash prizes will be awarded to the Best Films selected in the festival on the last day of the function i.e. on November 20, 2013.

The Children Film Festival was organised first in the year 1995 at Hyderabad as 9th International Children’s Film Festival. After that the Government of India has declared Hyderabad as the permanent venue for holding International Children’s Film Festival to be organised bi-annually from November 14 to 20.