Chandigarh Film Festival to open with 'Junoon' tomorrow

Chandigarh, Jan 31 (UNI) Movie lovers in the City Beautiful are in for a treat as the Chandigarh Film Festival is all set to be inaugrated tomorrow with the screening of renowned director Shyam Benegal's 'Junoon'.

Besides film buffs, intellectuals, students and academicians will also have a lot to look forward to during the four-day-long fiesta.

Interactive sessions on careers in entertainment, production design, rendezvous with renowned directors like Shyam Benegal and M S Sathyu, quiz competitions, book releases followed by a grand finale will be the highlights of the jamboree besides the screening of different national and international movies.

While the inaugural screening of 'Junoon' would be held at Bhargava Auditorium, film actress and renowned dancer Hema Malini will perform 'Durga the Ballet' at Leisure valley as part of the inaugural ceremony.

Under the Film Conclave by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) an interactive session with Mr Benegal, a session on production design by Mr Sathyu and an interactive session on 'Careers in Entertainment' by Rahul Merchant, General Manager, p9 Integrated Entertainment and Marketing Corporation would be held at Chandigarh Museum and Art Gallery on February 2.

An informal interaction with film director Madhur Bhadarkar, who has been highlighting the areas of social concern through his movies, rendezvous with debut directors like Ashok Sharan and Kamal Nathani would also be organised.

During the festival, documentaries including 'War and Peace', 'In the name of Friends' and 'A Time to Rise' all directed by Anand Patwardhan, Short Films like 'Mud Cake' by Dr Gaurav, 'Kali Salwar' and 'Dolly' by Mr Kabir Singh would also be screened and two unreleased feature films,'The Hope' directed by Kamal Nathani and 'Ek Kranti' directed by Ashok Sharan would also be screened.

The Festival will conclude with a Grand Finale in the presence of Film Actor Sohail Khan at Fun Republic on February 4.

Chandigarh Film Festival 2008 is being organised by the UT Administration in association with UT Tourism, STEPS, Children's Film Society of India, NFDC, Confederation of Indian Industries, Alliance Francoise, Fun Republic, Kiran Cinema and Chandigarh Film Society.

UNI PS JN RL RS0837