The 6th edition of the South Asian Film Festival (SAFF) to be held in Panaji, Goa, from September 15 to 18, will pay tribute to Bangladeshi director Tareque Masud, who died in road accident, and late Bollywood veteran Shammi Kapoor.
Four films from Bangladesh will be screened at the Festival — “Meherjaan” by Rubaiyat Hossain, “Abujh Bou” by Nargis Akhter, “Doob Shatar” by Nurul Alam Atiq and “Goheen-e Shobdo” by Khalid Mahmood Mithu.
Bangladeshi directors Morshedul Islam and Rubaiyat Hossain and leading producer Faridur Reza Sagar are expected to join the Festival, Rahul Barua, secretary general of South Asia Foundation, which organises the event, told The Daily Star.
Two films made on Rabindranath Tagore’s works will be screened at the Festival — “Kashmakash” by Bollywood showman Subhash Ghai, a Hindi adaptation of “Noukadubi”, and “Abujh Bou”.
The four-day festival, to be inaugurated by Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat, will screen more than 50 films from all eight SAARC countries.
Films, in five categories, will be screened at the festival including classics, short films, documentaries, mainstream cinema and a premiere.
The Festival will feature films from all eras, including classics of South Asian Cinema’s Golden Era to latest mainstream movies and also of young, upcoming directors and established award-winning directors.
It will also feature some films with “heart wrenching” stories from the participating countries, said Barua.
Bhutan is the Focus Country of this year’s festival and a large delegation from the Bhutanese Film Industry and members of the Motion Pictures Association of Bhutan (MPAB) will represent the country.
Barua said every effort will be made to initiate and deepen discussions with filmmakers and viewers to enhance mutual co-operation among all the South Asian countries through the medium of cinema for creating larger opportunities.
In addition to screening of films, a series of side-events have been planned with an aim to promote cinema and traditional Goan arts and crafts.
Veteran film personalities will conduct workshops on scriptwriting, direction and various aspects of filmmaking and challenges facing South Asian cinema.
A Seminar will also be held on South Asian Cinema and global impact on the industry.
-With The Daily Star input
