The 17th International Children’s Film Festival opened in Hyderabad on November 14, and will go till November 20.
Some 150 films from 40 countries will be shown in the course of the week.
Award categories:
International ( 15 films)
India (10 films)
Shorts (24 films)
Child Directors (11 films).
There are three new competitive sections:
Competition Shorts
Competition India
Competition Little Directors.
Festival focus: China
Chinese films to be screened: six Chinese films will be shown
INDIA Section: Among the films that will be screened in the Indian Competition section are Stanley Ka Dabba, I am Kalam, Chillar Party, Dekh Indian Circus (directed by Mangesh Hadawale) and Vihir.
World Premiere: The Lotus Pond (Hyderabad)
New Introduction: Age-wise programming has been introduced for the first time.
The age groups are — (1) 6 to 9 (2)10 to 12 and (3)13 to 16.
The lyrics for the signature tune of the festival have been written by Gulzar and the music is composed by Vishal Bharadwaj.
Catch the screening of following films: Recommended
Gattu
Director: Rajan Khosa/India
The film that opened the festival on November 14 is produced by the Children’s Film Society of India. Gattu is story on a kite called ‘Kali’ that rules the skies. No one knows who flies Kali. No one can defeat Kali; an illiterate street urchin takes up the challenge.
The Lotus Pond
Director: PG Vinda and Nitin Kumar Allagadda/India
The Lotus Pond made by Hyderabad filmmakers will have its world premiere at the festival. It is the story of two boys who set out on a journey to the mythical Lotus Pond after they hear about it in school.
Lu Cao Di (Mongolian Ping Pong)
Director: Ning Hao/China
When young Bilike finds what he does not know is an ordinary ping-pong ball, he and his friends embark on a journey to find out what the mysterious object is!
Kidnappet (Lost in Africa)
Director: Vibeke Muasya/Denmark, Kenya
Simon, an adopted boy and soccer enthusiast, travels with his Danish mother to his country of origin, Kenya. Soon after arriving, Simon loses his beloved soccer ball. Attempting to find it, he gets lost in the biggest city-slum in Africa.
Niao Chao (Bird’s Nest)
Director: Ning Jingwu/China
A young boy living in a village in south-western China wants to join his father who went to work in Beijing as a labourer on the famous Olympic stadium known as the Bird’s Nest.
Lep! (Eep!)
Director: Ellen Smit/Netherlands
Warre spends much time watching birds in the beautiful countryside. One day a little creature falls from the sky. Warre takes the creature home and shows it to his wife Tine, who wants a baby. Tine decides to keep the creature and calls it ‘Birdie’.
Alafzar (Meadow)
Director: Mohammadali Talebi/Iran
Ali and Nargis bravely leave their childhood behind when their family falls into difficult times.
Bestevenner (Rafiki)
Director: Christian Lo/Norway
Julie, Mette and Naisha are best girl friends, who have snowball fights with the boys, race down steep hills on a sledge and are looking forward to Christmas. One day Naisha suddenly disappears.
Vorstadtkrokodile 2 (The Crocodiles Strike Back)
Director: Christian Ditter/Germany
Summer vacation would be perfect for ‘The Crocodiles’, but for the strange incidents in the factory where Ollie and Maria’s parents work. The parents may lose their jobs, even their home. That would spell the end of The Crocodiles.
Les Contes De La Nuit (Tales of the Night)
Director : Michel Ocelot/France
Every evening, a girl, a boy, and an old technician get together in a small movie theatre. Although the theatre no longer seems to be operating, it is full of wonders.
Gadkiy Utyonok (The Ugly Duckling)
Director: Garri Bardin/Russian Federation
A rooster finds a strange egg just outside the coop fence. It hatches a fledgling that belongs to no known species of chicken, duck or goose in the coop. All the poultry in the yard think it is ugly.
Het Geheim (The Magicians)
Director: Joram L rsen/Netherlands
Eight-year-old Ben Stikker is fascinated by the magic show of master illusionist Hans Smid and is determined to discover the secret behind the ‘disappearing trick’ while doing a performance, Ben’s friend and assistant, Sylvie, vanishes in magic trick !