SiGNS film festival begins in Kochi

KOCHI: Many new generation directors in Malayalam are coming with up quality movies based on diverse and interesting subjects, said Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The renowned film maker was inaugurating the 11th edition of SiGNS Short- Documentary Film Festival organized by the Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI) in association with the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Chavara Cultural Centre and Ernakulam Press Club at Ernakulam Town Hall on Tuesday.
The film societies have played a great role in nurturing the new directors and creating awareness among common man about cinema, said Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He observed that technology has been playing a very significant role in film making. “Digital technology has brought vast changes in the film industry and now everyone can make a movie thanks to the technology,” he said.
The five-day festival is a tribute to Gauri Lankesh, renowned journalist who was shot dead by fascist forces in Bangalore recently. Houses with Small Windows, directed by Kurdish origin director Bulent Ozturk and Arin, directed by another Kurdish origin director Mizgin Mujde Arslan, were screened as the opening movies.
The short and documentary films of Indian directors will be exhibited in both competitive and non-competitive categories. Acclaimed film historian and curator Amrit Gangar will deliver the John Abraham Memorial lecture on Wednesday. Veteran director P T Kunhumuhammed will deliver the K R Mohanan memorial talk on Friday. The festival will be concluded on Saturday.