By: Vijay Kumar Verma, Editor-ICN Group
SHIMLA: The 5th International Film Festival was formally inaugurated by V. S. Kundu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Haryana and formerly Director General of Films Division at Shimla last evening. Speaking on the occasion he said that films work as a canvas for the film producers to paint their ideas. He said that it is the passion of film makers to showcase inner emotions of the characters to convey the message. He told that over 400 films had been received for the awards out of which 76 films had been selected and were being screened during this festival.
Earlier, welcoming the distinguished guests, Festival Director Pushp Raj Thakur told that the 5th International Film festival being organized in Shimla was a big event to bring award winning films for the people of the state. He said that this was the first International Film festival in northern India that was commenced in 2014. National Award winning and Oscar award winning films are also being screened at the festival which include 8 films from Himachal Pradesh.
Kamlesh Mishra, Director of a film “Madhubani- a Station of Colors” explained the efforts that went behind showcasing efforts of a Railway official to bring Madhubani Railway station, labeled as the worst among 400 stations of Samastipur region, from rock bottom category in cleanliness, to achieve the top slot. He told how another railway station had been taken up by them to showcase the efforts behind converting Madhubani railway station as the best through the cleanliness drive.
Dilip Sood, Director of an emotional film “Pencil 4B” told the efforts in bringing about inner feelings of an autistic girl for the beau of her sister. A soul searching effort indeed.
He said that communicating a story, an idea or an emotion is a work of art. It may not need dialogue, music or language. It is an effort to emote a viewer to think beyond the screen.
Among the international films, “Are You a Volleyball “ brings about the emotions of Arabian asylum seekers who are prevented from entering the mainland by the English speaking border soldiers and how a deaf and mute boy becomes the catalyst of communication between the two group separated by a fence.
Pushp Raj informed that the Shimlaites will get a chance to see a number of Oscar and International films during the festival that concludes on 6th October.
