Film buffs to enjoy wide palate as IFFK begins tomorrow

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 7 (UNI) The eleventh International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), beginning here tomorrow, will be a week-long treat for film buffs with over 220 films from around the world.

Belgian Director and actress Marion Hansel's French film 'Sounds of Sand' will be the inaugural film and the doyens of Malayalam film industry during the first decade of 'Keralapiravi' (state formation) will inaugurate the IFFK-2006 fest.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Das Munshi will be the Chief Guest.

Celebrated directors P Bhaskaran, A Vincent, K S Sethumadhavan, Sasikumar, K T Mohammed, P Ramdas, Director and script writer M T Vasudevan Nair along with various other personalities from the Malayalam film fraternity will light the traditional lamp, marking the start of the week-long festival.

Around 30 Malayalam film personalities of yesteryears will be honoured at the inaugural ceremony, which would be attended by around 5,000 delegates from India and abroad.

Fourteen films from Asia, Africa and Latin America would compete for the prestigious ''Suvarna Chakoram' (Golden Pheasant) Award.

The films include 'The Violin' (Mexico), 'Angel's fall' (Turkey), 'Four Women Barefoot' (Argentina), 'Road Under the Skies' (Uzbekistan), 'Kiss me not on the Eyes' (Lebanon), 'Whispering of the Gods' (Japan), 'Fireworks Wednesday' and 'The Gaze (Iran).

Indian films in the section will be 'Drishtantham' (The Vision) by M P Sukumaran Nair in Malayalam and 'Aadum Koothu' (Dance of Life) in Tamil by T V Chandran.

The World Cinema section has 42 films from Asian, African, Latin American and European countries.

Girish Kasaravalli's 'Naayi Neralu' (In the Shadow of the Dog), Rituparno Ghosh's 'Dosar' (The Companion), Chitra Palekar's 'Maati Maay' (Grave Keeper's Tale) were among the seven films that would be screened in the Indian Cinema Section.

In the Malayalam cinema new section, Harikumar's 'Paranju Theeratha Visheshangal' (Narrations ever Untold) and Jayaraj's 'Adbhudam' (Wonder) were among the eight films that would be screened.

Another attraction of the IFFK 2006, is the Iranian package comprising films that depict the emotional turbulence of families, current social issues and the French comedies.

'Gaav' (TheC ow), 'Aab', 'Baad', 'Khaak' (Water, Wind&Dust), 'Naan va Koutcheh' (The Bread&Alley), 'Davandeh' (The Runner), 'Shazdeh Ehtejab' (Prince Ehtejab), 'Tabiate Bijan' (Still Life) are included in the Iranian package.

'Les Bronzes' (French Fried Vacation), 'La Chevre' (The Goat), 'Le Pere Noel est une ordure' (Santa Claus is a Louse), 'Les Visiteurs' (The Visitors), 'Gazon Maudit' (French Twist) 'Mission Cleopatra'(Asterix&Obelix), 'Liberte-Oleron' (Freedom-Oleron) are the French comedies.

Seven South African films, including 'Sarafina' by Darrell James Roodt and Katinka Hyen's 'Paljas' will be sreened.

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