12th Kolkata Film Festival inaugurated tonight

Kolkata, Nov 10: 12th Kolkata Film Festival, one of the most prominent cultural events in the country, got off to a very colourful start here this evening with the screening of award winning Danish Film "Adam's Apples".

West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi formally inaugurated the eight-day-long extravaganza by lighting the lamp in presence of a host of dignitaries.

Prominent among them were Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, city Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, noted film maker Mrinal Sen, world renowned Chilean Director Miguel Liting and maker of Opening film "Adam's Apples" Anders Thomas Jensen from Denmark besides noted actor Soumitra Chatterjee, also the Chairman of the Festival Committee.

The annual festival, to be continued till November 17, will screen a record number of 225 world class movies from 53 countries around the globe under 12 different categories in eight simultaneous venues across the city.

Hailing the long and very rich cultural tradition of the city, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi said the festival had already become one of the most popular events in the country's cultural map, not only because of the large number of films being shown here, but because of the quality of movies being shown here every year both in competitive and non-competitive sections.

Giving the detailed format of the festival events, the Chief Minister said of the total 225 films, European countries had the largest representation with maximum 130 movies coming from 28 countries, followed by 56 films from 14 Asian countries, 18 films from five Latin American countries, 13 films from three North American countries, three films from two African nations and five films from one Oceania country.

He said besides Mr Liting, about 90 other renowned film personalities from around the world were attending the festival and taking part in several film related seminars and workshops to be held simultaneously with the festival during the week.

Also speaking on the occasion, Mr Chatterjee said the entire festival had been divided into 12 different categories like the International Cinema, Great Masters, Look Back in Wonder, Discovery, All Time Great Films, Celluloid Diamonds, Celluloid Pearls, Special Tributes, Homage, Indian Select and Childrens'Films.

Moreover, centenary tributes would be paid to great film makers like Roberto Rossellini and Luchino Visconti of Italy, Shohei Imamura of Japan and Ingmar Bergman of Sweeden.

Separate package had also been made for 14 selected Chinese films and for paying tributes to the 75th year of new theatres, Mr Chatterjee informed.

However, earlier when the Chief Minister's attention was drawn towards the holding of the ''37th International Film Festival of India'' in Goa from November 23, Mr Bhattacherjee minced no words in criticising the Central policy in this regard.

Reiterating his strong opposition in declaring Goa as the permanent venue for the annual International Film Festival, the Chief Minister blamed the Centre for allegedly turning the film festival in Goa as a ''Tourism festival''.

But, he said, this did not deter the city from holding the ''country's most prestigious film festival'' without any Central assistance even as its annual budget ran into more than Rs one crore.

'' We are even planning to hold a mini-international film festival in Siliguri and Burdwan besides in Barasat later this month to meet the long standing demand from large cine buffs in districts, '' the Chief Minister said.

UNI