Pakistan's Fauzia Minallah and China's Hou Keming among jury for children's festival in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: An 18-member adult jury has been constituted with film personalities from various countries to judge films in different categories in the 18th International Children's Film Festival, India to be organised in Hyderabad from November 14 -20, 2013.
Among the jury is Pakistan's Fauzia Minallah, an artist, author and peace activist. Fauzia's passion for art and books is an outcome of her activism for heritage, conservation, environmental and social matters.Through children literature she raises issues of peace, tolerance and justice. Her involvement with children is through a platform that she has provided to them in the shape of Funkor Child Art Centre, carrying out art and book reading workshops for 'children in crisis'. Animation is an effective tool she uses for her work with children or for political satire. She is the winner of national and international awards for her contribution in children literature and animations, according to the Children's Film Society, India (CFSI).
China's Professor Hou Keming, a film academic, producer and director is also among the jury. As a producer and director Hou has made more than 20 feature films, including 'Running on Karma', 'Spring Subway', and 'When Ruoma Was Seventeen'. Jury member for the China Huabiao Film Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards, Hou has also been on the jury for children's film festivals in Cairo, Tokyo Kinder and Cinekid-International.
Three personalities from Hyderabad have also been included in the jury. They are P Suneel Kumar Reddy, N Gopalakrishna and M Veda Kumar. P Suneel Kumar Reddy is a mechanical engineer by qualification, journalist by profession and a film maker by passion. After publishing a newspaper and a magazine for seven years he migrated into the bigger media of cinema. He has made seven films in Telugu and one film in Malayalam. N Gopala Krishna produced and directed Lakshmanarekha, Swarganiki Nichanalu, Baiekapuram, Maro, Sethakatha, and Chinnari. M Veda Kumar is the chairman of Children's Film Society, AP.
Among the jury from India is also Sanjna Kapoor who has been heading Prithvi Theatre since 1990. Recently she initiated the India Theatre Forum, an all-India network of theatre practitioners. Junoon is her platform to take her innovations for theatre to audiences beyond Prithvi.
The other jury members are:Honey Irani, India, Layaly Badr, Cairo, Egypt, Vibeke Muasya, Denmark, Siddiq Barmak, Afghanistan, Lotta Geffenblad, Sweden, Stefan Jager, Switzerland, Ben Hopkins, Berlin, Jiri Barta, Prague Czech Republic, Sannette Naeye, The Netherlands, Rowena Martinez Ulayan, Turkey, Stephanie Ruckoldt, Bogota, and Bobbeeta Sharma, India.