10th International Children’s Film Fest from Nov 22

MANGALURU: The best of children’s films from across the world will be screened in this port city for five days starting November 22 as part of the 10th International Children’s Film Festival of the Children’s India. Children’s India is a non-profit organisation committed to promotion of films for children, founded in 2005 by award winning film maker N R Nanjunde Gowda.About 200 films produced in 35 countries will be screened in nine theatres and three multiplexes in the city.
Nanjunde Gowda told reporters here that films will be screened between 9am and 3pm. While the festival will be inaugurated here, the valedictory will be held in Udupi on November 26. Objective of organising the festival is to create awareness on environmental and social issues among children, parents and people, he said. The festival is being organised in association with the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and Nehru 125th celebration committee.
Rajendra Singh Babu, president of the academy who inaugurated office of film festival committee here said about 35,000 children are expected to watch the films. About 50 well known persons in cinema and art sectors from India and abroad will participate in the festival. Seminars, workshops and interactions on cinema have been organized during the festival that includes interaction with children. Nine committees have been constituted for organising the festival.
Best children’s films from Korea, China, Japan and Iran will also be screened. There is a need to make Mangaluru as a permanent destination for organising children’s film festivals, he said. Echoing this view, Nanjunde Gowda said the scope to hold such festival in Bengaluru is limited as it is saturated for organising festivals. Mangaluru with its greenery and especially with Dr Shivarama Karantha Pilikula Nisargadhama is best suited to attract children.
Since its inception, Children’s India has organised International Children’s Film Festival in 14 cities across the state and the films chosen as part of the festival have reached about two million children. The festival was also organised in Toronto in 2008, Chicago in 2010 and Singapore in 2011. The ninth festival was organised in Bengaluru in January 2015. About 200 films from 44 countries had been screened in the last edition of this prestigious event, he added.