MUMBAI: Worldkids Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of ‘entertainment with a purpose’, has launched the Kotak Worldkids International Film Festival that will showcase the best of international and national award winning animation, documentaries, shorts and feature films at the week long festival.

The festival is being held in association with Kotak Mahindra Bank, Godrej Interio, BPL Mobile, AIAI, Ryan International School, Adlabs, P9 Integrated and with support from Department of Culture – Government Of Maharashtra, Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) and Times Foundation. 

Adlabs, Wadala will screen and host Mumbai’s first-of-its kind children’s film festival targeted at 8-18 year olds. World Kids Foundation will be promoting the festival while P9-Cinema Activation will be marketing the event. 

Some of the multi-award winning films, which will be showcased during the festival are Red like the Sky –Italy, Hayat-Iran, Heda Hoda- India, Magnifico – Phillipines, An Inconvenient Truth – USA, Charkh- Iran, Summer with the Ghosts – Canada, Pinky & Million Pug – Germany, Halo – India, Malli – India, Bonkers – Holland and Benji – USA. 

Festival director, Manju Singh said, “Our endeavor is to engage the children of India with positive media images and inspire them into thinking and learning while having a good time Entertainment with a Purpose is the Foundations mantra. 

Kotak Worldkids International Film Festival aims to introduce the present generation to different cultures and languages and thus establish the universality of human values and experiences. 

WKIFF, Chairman, Advisory Board, Vijay Kalantri stated, “Kotak Worlkids International Film Festival will provide a platform for young and talented directors to reach a wider audience at the festival, thus hoping to encourage the wider film fraternity into dabbling more in the production of films for children.”

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., Group Brand Head, Rahul Sinha said, “We feel honored to partner this first-of-its-kind initiative. The idea of hosting this exclusive international film festival for children was first mooted with the Worldkids Foundation and I am delighted that this has come to fruition. It will be our endeavor to provide healthy and wholesome entertainment to children, help them enhance their knowledge, develop their character, broaden their perspective and help shape them into useful citizens of modern India.” 

Worldkids International Film Festival is projected to become an annual event that will travel across India and establish itself as an International Film Festival of repute. Worldkids will establish the Worldkids Children’s Film Awards that will honour and felicitate those that have made meaningful contribution to the genre of children’s entertainment. Worldkids will also create the ‘Worldkids Clubs’ with children as members who can avail of exciting offers to watch films produced/distributed by Worldkids or showcased at Worldkids International Film Festival.