Children's film festival off to colourful start

Hyderabad, Nov 14 (IANS) The 16th International Children's Film Festival began here Saturday evening with a glittering inaugural ceremony.

The festival opened with colourful performance by artists including children at Lalitha Kala Thoranam at Public Gardens in the heart of the city.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, Andhra Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and other personalities lighted the traditional lamp to formally open the festival.

Over eighty films from 20 countries will be screened during the week-long festival.

The films to be screened at eight theatres in the city include 15 films in the international competition, 18 in the Asian Panorama, 36 in Children's World, 16 films made by children for UNICEF, and a package of German shorts.

The Festival, a biennial event, is being organised by the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh State Film, Theatre and Television Development Corporation.

Andhra Pradesh Information Minister J. Geetha Reddy said Hyderabad was proud to be the permanent venue for the festival.

CFSI Chairperson Nandita Das, filmmakers Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj, actors Venkatesh, Ileana, Ashish Vidyarthi and child actor Darsheel Safary added glitter to the event.

The festival began with the screening of 'Mozart in China', a film from Austria.

Around 15 films made by children from India and overseas will be shown in a special package put together by UNICEF to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.