Hyderabad, Nov 11 : Bollywood child actor Darsheel Safary who played the dyslexic child in the 2007 film Taare Zameen Par will inaugurate the 18th International Children’s Film Festival of India slated to showcase the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) at Hyderabad on November 14th.
I&B Secretary Bimal Julka told a news conference here that Saloni Daini of comedy realty show ‘Chote Miyan’ will anchor the valedictory event on November 20. ‘It will be a feast of 196 films with 550 national and international delegates from across 48 countries’. He said that the focus of the 18th festival is 15 films from Czechoslovakia and also a workshop on child rights and also rights of child artistes. ‘We are hopeful of participation by a host of child artistes, child Directors and also children film makers ‘he added. The workshop is expected to throw up guidelines to film industry on child rights.
Earlier Chief Secretary Dr P K Mohanty said all arrangements have been made for 100 percent security for the children participating in the week-long festival, besides provision of clean and hygienic accommodation, buses and also food for all of them. “We will also host cultural programs every evening to entertain the children delegates and also showcase the composite culture and rich heritage of the state including its tribal traditions”, he said.
Mohanty said that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will inaugurate and the Union I&B Minister Manish Tewari will be the Guest of Honor while the heart throb of the youth and Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and popular director and lyricist Gulzar will chief guests of the festival at Lali Kalatoranam on November 14 and Governor E S L Narasimhan will be the Chief Guest at the valedictory function on November 20. He said in all, around 150,000 children from across the State will get the opportunity to see the 285 animation films, 26 films chosen from Cannes festival besides 123 films in the little director’s category that will be screened in festival.
He said the festival was a collaborative effort of the CFSI, Government of Andhra Pradesh and the I&B ministry. The State Government was spending Rs 3.25 crore for the successful conduct of the festival. INN