Hyd to host 18th Intl Children’s Film Fest

Hyderabad: The 18th International Children’s Film Festival (ICFF) to be scheduled from November 14 to 20, 2013 will be held in Hyderabad. The State government would host the 18th ICFF of 2013 after 1995 and Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public Gardens has been selected as the venue for inaugural and valedictory ceremonies of the festival.

Addressing the newsmen, Chief Secretary P K Mohanty said on Friday that more than 1.5 lakh children were expected to participate in the festival and around 100 delegates from various countries would attend it. He said that ninth ICFF was held in 1995 in Hyderabad and the government planned to hold the 18th ICFF in a grand way.

Referring to the entries of the children films so far, he said that the ICFF officials have received 856 entries from over 72 countries including Chile, Senegal, Malaysia, Austria and Ghana. He informed that Government of India declared Hyderabad as the permanent venue for holding international film festival biennial from November 14 to 20. He said that the ICFF selected Prasad Imax Theatre as the main theatre for screening of the films to the children, foreign and media delegates. “Another 10 to 12 theatres would be selected to screen international children films for the benefit of the other non-delegate children and public.” On constituting various committees to hold the festival, he said that the committees like hospitality, guest relations, theatre, transport, cultural and media relations were being formed.

“Several week-long workshops on children films, animation and script-writing will be organised from November 15 to 19, 2013,” he said, adding that daily cultural programs with one or two child prodigies would also be held during the occasion. Child prodigies will be felicitated daily during the festival at Lalitha Kala Thoranam and an open forum would be organised by Children’s Film Festival of India.

Saying that golden elephant trophy, cash prizes and other trophies would be awarded, he informed that a golden elephant trophy and Rs 2 lakh cash prize would be presented to the best feature film and silver elephant trophy and Rs 1 lakh cash prize would be given for the runner up best feature film.

Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Bimal Julka said that many countries have been showing interest to participate in the 18th ICFF and the selected best children feature film would be screened at Lalitha Kala Thoranam after the closing ceremony.