I&B MINISTER TO INAUGURATE 1ST HIMALAYAN FILM FEST ON FRIDAY
NEW DELHI: Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur will inaugurate the first Himalayan Film Festival in Ladakh on Friday.
“The Himalayan region of India attracts filmmakers from all around the globe due to its unique scenic endowment. The unique geography of the region is widely documented along with its indigenous people, traditional skills, and occupations. Film festival in this context presents an opportunity for local filmmakers to narrate their stories to a wider audience,” the Centre said in a statement on Wednesday.
Thakur will kick-off the fiveday festival, to will be held in Leh district from September 24-28.
The festival envisions institutionalising a Himalayan film fraternity which will have productive repercussions for filmmaking in the Himalayan parts of India, the statement added.
According to the Centre, makers and cast of the Bollywood movie Shershah, including director Vishnuvardhan and lead actor Siddharth Malhotra, will attend the opening ceremony of the festival.
The festival will also include the screening of a “package of contemporary national awards and Indian panorama selected films”. A host of workshops will also be organised wherein filmmakers, critics, technicians from the Himalayan region will be invited to impart knowledge and skill to local film enthusiasts. “This will serve as a necessary stimulus to ignite a creative leaning towards filmmaking,” the statement said.
Short films and documentaries have also been invited for the competition section, with awards, including for best film, director, producer, cinematography and editor, up for grabs.