SiGNS Film Festival from October 21

KOCHI: Commemorating 50 years of film society movement in the State, the ninth edition of the SiGNS Film Festival for digital videos, which features national level competition for documentaries and short fiction films, will be held in the city from October 21 to 25.

“Movies screened in this year’s edition of the festival will focus on Cinema Experimentation or Cinema Experimenta and Cinema of Resistance. The festival will also have forums holding discussions on political interference in the functioning of film societies and institutes,” said renowned filmmaker C S Venkiteswaran, who is also artistic director of the festival.

The five-day film festival, being organised by he Federation of Film Societies of India, Kerala Region, in association with the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), will be held at the Town Hall.

“SiGNS has emerged as a parallel movement in cinema, creating a social impact, which prompted us to associate with the festival,” said KBF secretary Riyas Komu.  The best short fiction and documentary movies screened under the competition section will be honoured with the prestigious John Abraham National Awards, which was instituted in 1999 by the Kerala Region of the Federation of Film Societies of India, in memory of renowned Malayali filmmaker John Abraham.

The competition was extended to the national level in 2005, and the festival was renamed SiGNS - with focus on documentaries and short films in the video format.

The John Abraham National Award for best documentary and short film comprises a cash prize of Rs 50,000, certificate of merit and memento. The award for the best movie in the Cinema of Resistance and Cinema Experimenta categories is cash prize of Rs 25,000.

The organisers have invited entries for short fiction films and documentaries. For more details, visit www.signsfestival.com.

  The 8th edition of the SiGNS Film Festival held in May last year had a special segment on video art called ‘Artists’ Cinema,’ curated by Riyas Komu. In that segment, 21 international works of ‘video art’, including films by Peter Fishli, David Weiss and Bill Viola, were screened.

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