Filmy spectacle for kids kickstarts today
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The stage is set for the young audience to witness their favourite films, right from the all-time classics to international films in the second edition of the International Children's Film Festival of Kerala (ICCFK), which will kick off on Friday.
The festival will be a visual treat to not just children but also movie buffs across the city. Like the first edition of the film festival held the previous year which was a huge success with the participation of more than 5,000 children and featuring over 140 films including 50 foreign films, the second edition is expected to be a bigger event. More than 150 films will be screened under the sections- Best of Indian Children's Films, Classics, Malayalam Feature Films, Malayalam Short Films and Directors in Focus.
The event is being organised by Kerala State Council for Child Welfare in association with the Kerala State Film Development Corporation and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. The six-day long fest will be held across six venues in the city such as Kalabhavan, Sree, Kairali, Nila, Tagore and Nishagandhi auditorium. More than 6,000 children are expected to participate in the film festival. Already 3,000 have registered. The title song of ICFFK is sung by singer Jayalakshmi and directed by R S Vimal.
The fest will mainly focus on children from tribal communities and child care institutions who will be provided with food and accommodation so that they also get a chance to enjoy the films screened. “All arrangements have been made for the children from other districts who will be participating in the event. We are expecting around 1,000 children including those from tribal communities and orphanages to participate in the event. The total number of children who will be accommodated is 1,153,” said Deepak S P, general convenor. He also added that children with special needs will be able to enjoy the festival equally and facilities will be provided.
The festival will include an open forum for children where famous personalities from the film industry will introduce the children to films and the basics of filmmaking. For the first time, children will be given an opportunity to write the script, direct and produce a film. For this, they will be provided with facilities right from the cameras to the other props needed for the films.
The film will be screened on the last day of the festival. Short film entries have been invited under two categories- junior (till the age of 12) and for seniors (age group from 12-18).The jury will comprise of children who will select the winners for the Best Short Film, Best Actor and Best Actress. Another enticing feature about the festival is the screening for the public at Tagore theatre at the last day of the festival. Mollywood stars like Tovino Thomas, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Neeraj Madhav, Parvathy will also be part of the festival.There will be a medical team at all the venues. The safety of the children will be assured by Kerala police and NCC volunteers.