The seventh edition of International Film Festival began through an inauguration ceremony and film screening at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium of Central Public Library in the capital on Saturday.
Organsied by Children Film Society, the festival features films from 35 countries across the world. With the theme Dreams of Tomorrow in Frames, the week-long festival will screen over 150 children’s films in 12 venues in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Rangpur.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the festival as the chief guest and cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor was present as the special guest. Internationally acclaimed mime artiste Partha Pratim Majumdar was also present as the guest of honour. The session was chaired by chairman of the festival advisory council Mustafa Monwar in presence of president of the society Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, festival director Morshedul Islam and coordinator of the festival Munira Morshed Chowdhury.
The speakers at the inauguration ceremony informed that besides film screening, the festival will also feature workshops, seminars, child delegates’ meeting with eminent personalities and award giving ceremony. In Dhaka, four films will be screened everyday at each of the venues—Shawkat Osman Hall, Daffodil International University, Russian Center for Science and Culture and Alliance Francaise de Dhaka. The films will be screened under five different categories—Contemporary World Cinema, World Classics Suitable for Children, Competitive Section, Flash Back: Selected Films from Previous Festivals and Bangladesh Panorama.
The inauguration ceremony was followed by screening of local film Golok Dhadha, made by child directors of the society. The film portrays how a young man gets stranded in a remote island after a plane crash. However, finding no food, water, shelter and company, the desperate man attempting to cross the sea by swimming, finally drowns.
Four foreign children films—Macropolis, I Spy with My Little Eye, Arconada and Mother I Love You, were also screened on the opening day. Directed by Joel Simon, US animation film Macropolis depicts the struggle of two living toys that are lost in a big city. German film I Spy with My Little Eye, directed by Alexander Nebel, shows the irritation of a little boy who yearns for his mother’s company but she does not spend much time with him. Spanish film Arconada, directed by Asien Unbieta, on the other hand, shows a child’s frantic passion to become a goalkeeper. Touching Latvian film I Love You Mother, directed by Janis Nords depicts how a little boy learns to play saxophone to impress his mother.
Earlier, a colourful procession was organsied travelled though different roads of Shanbag area. The procession became lively with cordial participation of numerous rejoicing children holding colourful placards in hand.
-With New Age input
