It's show time folks!

Sitting in the dark confines of a theatre and watching a story laden with drama, pathos, mystery, intrigue and many other myriad emotions, unfold before you is an experience that any cinema lover will swear by.
So, if you are one of those who love getting transported into another world, then Nirzar Film Society's Carlsberg 2nd International Film Festival, held under the directives of the Federation of Film Societies of India, promises to keep you enthralled.If the first edition of the fest wowed Nagpurians with its uniqueness, then the second edition, which kick-starts on February 4 promises to take this uniqueness some notches higher by making the fest bigger, better and different. NT on this cinematic journey...
Novel idea
Over seven days (Feb 4 to Feb 10), the 2nd International Film Festival will be a treat for city film buffs with 22 feature films and short films, film related workshops, visits by famous stars, open fora with celebs and a short film contests being the major attractions. Secretary of Nirzar Film Society and the festival film director Sameer Naphade, says, “In 2009 we made a beginning. This year we hope to capitalise on that and attract more audiences. This is the reason why we've decided to show regional films too.” However, ask Sameer why just Tamil films have been selected this year and he says, “Actually, this year we decided to target one region at a time. With every passing year year we will target more regions. But this time since it’s a slice of Tamil films, you'll see quite a few stars from the South like Trisha, Sangeetha, Namitha, Anuja Iyer and Shivaji Chandrabhushan attending the festival. Also with Nagpur becoming more and more cosmopolitan in nature I am hopeful that this section of films will also get a good response. It is risky, but I know for a fact that people who visit this fest will be genuine lovers of cinema and its craft and these are the very people who I want at the fest!”
Enhance cultural milieu
If the film festival is creating a buzz with its impressive line-up of well-known international, national and regional films, Nagpurians need to thank Collector and chief patron of the fest Pravin Darade for this. Putting his might behind the fest, he says, “The International Film Festival is a good opportunity for the people of Nagpur to watch world class cinema. Apart from this personal enjoyment, festivals such as these enhance the cultural milieu of a city, which is always good for growth. When Nagpurians attend such a fest with enthusiasm, it acts as a catalyst for other similar quality events. In the end, it will be the Nagpurian who benefits! I, for one, will watch as many films as time permits.”
Up close & personal
Film fests are as much about enjoying a diverse set of films as they are about learning about the art of cinema. And at this fest Celeb Canopy and Carlsberg Lounge are places where one can experience both if you register as a member with Nirzar for a fee. While at the Canopy, members can meet stars and interact with them, at the Lounge, which is a reserved area for film stars and artistes, one can have photo-ops with the stars and listen to them as they speak about their filmi experiences. Adds Sameer, “A lay man who often goes by the written word, will now know the director's and the concerned artiste's interpretation of a film and the subject matter first hand.” And sharing this information first hand will be artistes like Anant Mahadevan, Swanand Kirkire, Sourabh Shukla, Shantanu Moitra, Sameera Reddy, Shivaji Chandrabhushan, Trisha, Sangeetha, Namitha and Anuja Iyer. So, get ready to soak in the heady mix of cinema and the craft of filmmaking - it's your one chance to know more about the stars in the spotlight and it’s your turn to get up close and personal with the magic of the silver screen.
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