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Film festival begins today

Special Correspondent

220 films to be screened at 8 venues

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The 11th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) will begin here on Friday evening.

As many as 220 films will be screened at eight venues in the city at the week-long festival. After the inaugural ceremony at the Nisagandhi auditorium, the French film `Sounds of Sand' directed by Belgium filmmaker and actress Marion Hansel will be screened.

Asian, Latin American, African Egyptian, Iranian, French, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Argentinian films will be screened at the festival.

As many as 14 films have been included in the competition section. Other than `Drishtanthan' directed by M.P. Sukumaran Nair and the Tamil film `Aadum Koothu' by T.V. Chandran, three films from Iran, two from Mexico and one film each from Indonesia, Turkey, Argentina, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Japan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be screened in the competition section. Noted Chilean director and actor Patricio Guzman is the chairman of the five-member jury comprising Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, South African filmmaker Darrel Roodt, English actor Julie Christie and South Indian actor Revathy.

Malayalam cine artistes who made invaluable contributions to the industry since the formation of the State, including producers, directors, scenarists, artistes and technicians will jointly inaugurate the festival. The Chalachithra Academy will honour them at the inaugural function. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi will be the chief guest. A cultural programme directed by Nataraja Krishnamoorthy will be presented at the inaugural function.

Setting the festival mood, the academy organised a road show on Thursday evening. Veteran producer Shobana Parameswaran Nair hoisted the festival flag in the presence of members of the film fraternity before the Nisagandhi auditorium, which has been named after the late music director G. Devarajan.

A bullock cart decked up with film posters announcing the beginning of the festival, in the traditional manner, was also flagged off by Mr. Nair. The academy will screen films at the Sri Chitra Poor Home, Central Jail and Juvenile Home as part of the festival.

Films would be screened at Kairali, Gorkhy Bhavanam, Kala Bhavan, Kripa, Sree and New theatres.

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