Shimla, Aug 8
The 10th Edition of the International Film Festival of Shimla is set to take place from August 16th to 18th, 2024, at the historic Gaiety Theater in the scenic hill station of Shimla. According to Pushp Raj Thakur, Festival Director, this year’s festival will feature the Marathi film *Tendulkar* as its inaugural screening. An exciting new initiative called ‘BACHPAN’ will also be introduced.
The film *Tendulkar* stars the renowned Indian actress Seema Biswas, who will attend the opening ceremony and engage with the audience. Biswas, a National Award winner, first gained acclaim for her role as Phoolan Devi in Shekhar Kapur’s *Bandit Queen* (1994), which earned her the National Award for Best Actress. She was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000 and the Best Actress Genie Award in 2006 for her performance as Shakuntala in Deepa Mehta’s *Water* (2005).
The ‘BACHPAN’ initiative will transform the Gaiety Theatre into a vibrant center for young audiences over the three-day event. The festival has curated a special program featuring a diverse range of films, including shorts, documentaries, animations, and features from various genres and cultures. This initiative aims to entertain, educate, and inspire children, broadening their understanding and appreciation of cinema.
This year’s festival will include participation from filmmakers across 27 countries and 20 Indian states. International contributors hail from nations such as France, Iran, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Germany, Nepal, Greece, the United States, Portugal, Sweden, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Malaysia, Tunisia, Africa, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and China. Indian states represented include Telangana, Delhi, Assam, Kerala, Maharashtra, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Meghalaya, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
The festival will feature competitions in International, National, and State categories, along with curated sessions focusing on various issues, themes, and filmmakers’ works. Additionally, the program will include film screenings, seminars, and workshops with experts from film institutes, critics, and industry professionals. Sixty independent directors whose films are being screened will also be part of this three-day celebration.
Since its inception in 2015, IFFS has successfully promoted a dynamic range of documentaries, short films, feature films, animations, music videos, and web series.
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