THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The final day of ICFFK saw children wanting to go back in time and relive the past week. The festival was truly a celebration of cinema with young minds bonding over the same. "We felt like a family working together. Becoming a family in a weak is no small feat. This makes it more special," said Priya S, one of the child comperers. With ICFFK 2019, the Kerala State Council of Child Welfare was able to bring together children from different districts, tribal communities and orphanages and give them an opportunity they had never experienced before. It was a platform for children to showcase their talents like script writing, direction, acting, singing and dancing.
The second edition of ICFFK has come to an end after the week-long movie screenings and interactive sessions for the children. It was a first-time experience for Ananthakrishna, Atul Krishna, Krishnanunni, Pranav and Aaron, a group of kids who met and befriended at the fest. "I loved 'Avatar' for the shooting scenes and stunts" said little Aaron. The group of friends hail from Thiruvananthapuram and are aged 8-10.
The students of THAMP Theatre Academy had a wonderful time at the film festival. "Being theatre enthusiasts, we loved the vibe and energy. All the movies screened were touching and entertaining," said a 12-year-old. Adwaith, a 10-year-old said, "I loved the festival last year. I was only able to be part of it for a few days this year. I can't wait for it next year." "They've screened a lot of old classics this time which is good for children to learn about old movies. They usually watch what they see on television. I feel ICFFK was a good platform for them to explore old films and understand the significance of the same", said Jayakumar P, a parent of a 10-year-old. ICFFK 2019 has helped children grow and understand better.
It was the second time for Ganga S who opined she liked the first edition better. "I think last year's ICFFK was better in terms of timeliness of announcements and open forums," she said. She had come with her friends from Thamp Theatre Academy for Media and Performance at Peroorkada. Her friends Shreya Sanal and Niveditha M N liked 'Guppy' the most. "It was a very emotional movie" said Niveditha.
"Movies specially made for children should be screened here" said Vijayalakshmi, grandmother of two, who came to attend the fest.
Movies like 'Nonsense which contains violence and protests is not something that children should see. A few people from Switzerland who had come for the fest were astonished about it and said films containing violence were never shown for children in their country" said Vijayalakshmi, who liked the Chinese film 'Running like Wind' screened in the morning. She also said that the production of films for children is less in India as compared to other countries.