Asian and Arab film fest opens in Mumbai

Mumbai, June 13 (IANS) The two-day premiere of the 10th Osian's-Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema got off Friday that will showcase 14 movies, selected from 160 entries, and a collection of seven short films.

Being held at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) complex in South Mumbai, the entry is free on a first come first seated basis.

The movies being shown today include Pascale Ferran's 'Lady Chatterley' (France), 'Alexis Tan's 'Blood Brothers' (Taiwan-China-Hongkong), Aturo Ripstein's 'Principio y Fin' (Mexico), Hou Hsiao-Hsien's 'Flight of the Red Balloon'(Taiwan-France), Woo Ming Jin's 'The Elephant and the Sea' (Malaysia), Zhao Liang's 'Crime and Punishment' (China), Mai Masri's '33 Days' (Lebanon) and seven short movies from different Asian countries.

Also, Mani Shankar will premiere his action thriller 'Mukhbir'.

'I am delighted that 'Mukhbir' is being premiered at the Osian, which is committed to bringing to audiences the finest films from India, Asia and the Arab countries.

Bollywood's exuberant star of the 1960s, Shammi Kapoor, who heralded a youthful era to Hindi movies, will be felicitated June 15. Earlier in the day, one of his hit, Shakti Samanta's 'Kashmir Ki Kali', will be screened at the NCPA's Tata Theatre.

A seminar on 'Ban the Book, Flaunt the Film' is also being organised Saturday as a part of the festival. Noted writers Nayantara Sahgal, Bharat Kumar Raut, Hussain Zaidi, Rahul Dholakia and Flavia Agnes will take part in it. It will be moderated by Aruna Vasudev.

Apart from screening best of movies made with Asian and Arab crews, an exhibition of vintage photographic stills and lobby cards featuring Shammi Kapoor is also being held at the Pirama Gallery, near the NCPA.

The exhibition also includes display of a few Shakespear aquatints from Boydell Gallery at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery under the title of Shakespear Engravings alongside Vintage Novel Covers, featuring original art works for pulp Hindi novel covers

All these exhibits are collections from the Osian's Art & Film Archive.

The model of the 'Osianama' Osian's flagship cultural complex to be opened in Mumbai next year, will also be unveiled Saturday.

The main festival will start July 10 in Delhi.