Curtains went up on the 17 edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) at Nishagandhi Auditorium here on Friday with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy lighting a lamp to signal the start of the weeklong celluloid fiesta.
Mr. Chandy was accompanied in lighting the lamp by Australian filmmaker and chairman of the international jury Paul Cox, actor Mohanlal, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, Minister for Cinema K.B. Ganesh Kumar, Mayor K. Chandrika, K. Muraleedharan and V. Sivankutty, MLAs, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) chairman and director Priyadarshan, Kerala State Film Development Corporation chairman Sabu Cherian, IFFK artistic director Beena Paul Venugopal, filmmaker Shaji N. Karun, KSCA vice-chairman Gandhimathi Balan, directors Sibi Malayil and Lenin Rajendran, and a host of other dignitaries.
Later, Mr. Tharoor released the Festival Book by handing over a copy to Ms. Chandrika. The daily bulletin for the festival was released by Mr. Muraleedharan by handing over a copy of the first day’s edition to Mr. Sivankutty. Ms. Venugopal introduced the jury.
The screening of films, which got off to a start with 11 movies from the World Cinema category being screened in four theatres in the city earlier in the day, was launched formally after the inaugural function with the opening movie of the festival, The Ring. Alfred Hitchcock’s silent masterpiece was presented to a packed audience at Nishagandhi complete with the regalia that marked the movie’s premier in the Roosevelt Theatre of Los Angeles way back in 1927, including a live orchestra, flown in from London, scoring the background music.
The festival, which will continue till December 14, will screen 198 movies from 54 countries.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/curtains-up-on-celluloid-fiesta/article4175194.ece
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