Thirteenth Kolkata Film Festival in the city during Nov 10-17

Kolkata, Nov 3 (UNI) The 13th Kolkata Film festival will begin here on November 10 with entrys from 56 countries focussing on contemporary and socially relevant cinemas.

Briefing mediapersons on the eight-day long festival, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said in all 247 films would be screened of which 173 would be international feature films.

The Chief Minister said Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi would inaugurate the festival adding the films would be shown in 11 venues across the city.

Mr Bhattacharjee said the total cost of the festival was estimated at Rs one crore 20 lakhs of which the state government would fund Rs 70 lakhs and Rs 50 lakhs would come from sponshorships.

He said a film market would also be set up during the festival to promote Bengali and other regional films of the country and a 'Short Film Festival' would be held at Bangla Academy during the period.

A photo exhibition paying homage to Ingmer Bergman, Michaelangelo Antonioni and Bismillah Khan would also be organised, he added.

Mr Bhattacharjee said the film festival would be 'extended' to Bardhaman and Siliguri during November 20-25 and in Barasat during November 24-26.

UNI