MUMBAI: The Golden Jubilee Film Festival organised by the Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) was inaugurated in New Delhi by minister of information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs P R Dasmunsi.
Dasmunsi announced that the amount of grant to CFSI will be raised three-fold in next year’s budget.
What’s more, from next year onwards, kids will not be required to pay any charges for watching any films from CSFI.
The minister assured that the government will lend full support to the childrens’ cause and urged the CFSI to encourage production of films on rural children and the under privileged ones.
In his inaugural address, Dasmunsi highlighted the importance of good stories, adequate finances and good producers for producing meaningful and entertaining films from children’s point of view.
During 2005-06, CFSI reached out to 24.37 lakh children by arranging 5689 film shows all over the country.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in her address said that making films for children with a socially relevant message is not an easy task and entertainment has to be mixed with education for meaningful cinema for the children. “The Government has taken various steps to increase children’s awareness about their own rights so as to check their exploitation in any form. Children’s films should be directed at bringing them together and inculcating in them the scientific approach of mind. Staying firm in one’s roots and knowing more about our country and culture for living harmoniously with people from various parts of the country should be the focus of CFSI supported films,” she said.
CFSI chairperson Nafisa Ali delineated the activities and role of CFSI. She announced that CFSI is considering to institute a national award for the best children’s film from next year. “Finance is the major hindrance in supporting children films as more and more focus is going towards commercial cinema,” she said. Ali also urged the government to provide more support and commitment in order to come out with good quality cinema for kids.
During the five-day Golden Jubilee Film Festival, seven classic films, 10 most popular films and 12 films in various regional languages will be screened. A section on digital films is also included to highlight the advance technology in film making. The event was organised to commemorate the completion of 50 years of CFSI.
