The Hindu Business Line : Controversy over film selection for children’s film fest

Hyderabad, Nov. 15 The Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) has clarified that the selection of films for the ongoing film festivals was done by an independent panel of eminent personalities.

Reacting to the criticism by Mr Dasari Narayana Rao, veteran film director and Union Minister of State for Coal, on the South being discriminated against, Ms Nafeeza Ali Sodhi, Chairperson of CFSI, said this was not just a festival.

“It is a film competition of international repute. The panel had picked less than half of the 300 entries received,” she said.

Everybody could make films. But that was not enough, she added. Some members of the panel, including Mr Narender Singh, Ajay Karthik, Mr Sagar and Mr Ramdas Naidu, also spoke on the selection process.

Permanent facility

Referring to the allegation that the CFSI failed to build a permanent venue for festivals at Hyderabad, Ms Sodhi said it was up to the State and Central Governments to sit together and finalise the issue.

“We have been given land but funds are not made available. We have got commitments from the Planning Commission that the facility would get funds once the issue is resolved between the State and Central Governments,” she said.

She pegged the cost at Rs 16 crore.

Delegates

The number of delegates has gone up on day two. But what’s missing is the regular delegation from Iran. Ms Wang Xiu, who produced the Chinese film Honeymoon, was among the few foreign delegates who attended the screenings on Thursday.

Unlike last year, the organisers chose to allow as many school children as they could. The children were busy swapping the four screens among themselves.

The representation from the mainline Telugu industry was almost nil, with most of the film personalities staying away from the festival.

Animation film

Animation and gaming company DQ Entertainment Ltd’s 3D animation film Donkey Ollie – Shipwrecked will have a special screening at the 15th International Children’s Film Festival here.

The film will be screened at Prasads IMAX for delegates and for public viewing at the Indira Priyadarshini Auditorium.

The film won the Best Animation Film award at ‘Redemptive Film Festival 2007’.

More Stories on : Cinema | Children & Parenting | Andhra Pradesh

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