2nd international movie fest of city kicks off

NAGPUR: Movie buffs of Nagpur, the international film festival of city is back in its second edition. The festival began on Friday at Smruti theatre and is going to conclude on February 10. Many movie enthausiasts were seen thronging the cinema hall watch the eclectic collection of movie. The palette this year is loaded with 24 movies from countries like China, Korea and Egypt.
"It is not a glamour festival, it is an intellectual one," said Samir Naphade, secretary of Nirzar Film Society which is organizing the event. "This is a screening of movies from around the world, movies that were unheard of in Nagpur. Such a festival is new to the city and I think it will help movie buffs connect to world cinema. We are showing movies that are different from the usual glamour ones made by the Indian film industry. These thematic movies carry message for the society," he said.
The movies being shown will be in different languages but carry English subtitles. The first movie Three Monkeys was made in Taiwan and was included in 2008 Cannes film festival. Among the enthusiasts who came to watch was Pratap Guruji, a counsellor from the city. "Such festivals have the capacity to empower the audience. The movies shown here make you think. I personally feel people are more motivated by movies than by text. These are the movies that bring about a change in perspective," he said. Guruji is looking forward to watch Egyptian film Destiny'. "I am very much interested in astrology. This is the film for me," he said.
Siddharth and Vrushali Bhatt have already attended an international movie festival in Goa. "We are here to watch Desert Dreams, a South Korean film. This is a good opportunity to make your minds run. Nagpur has a great chance to view the world through these movies. I am also looking forward to watching The Last Emperor. I feel this is a good initiative and people should make use of it," they said.
Padam Wankhede is a graphic designer. He feels that artists like him benefit a lot from such festivals. "I had been to a film fest in Pune. I am looking forward to watching a few movies in this one. Every movie has something new in it. New comers in this field will learn from them. It also lets you compare Indian films with the international ones," he said.
The festival was inaugurated by Leslie Louis, part of band Colonial Twins. This year, a lot of south Indian movies are being shown at the festival too. Bigwigs of the south Indian film industry like actress Khushboo are expected to be present. There is an open forum every day at 5.30 pm to discuss movies and related issues.
"If people come here only to see the celebrities, it will defeat the whole point," said Naphade. "Nirzar Film Society believes that if a person says he is going to see a Madhuri Dixit movie, he isn't a real cinephile. A real cinephile is the one who says he is going to watch a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film."