Kolkata: The Film Federation of India (FFI) and Sikkim Film Cooperative Society Ltd (SFCSL), in association with the Sikkim government, are organising the second chapter of the Global International Film Festival. The three-day-long festival will begin in Gangtok on February 28 and will be the first international film festival of its kind in Sikkim.
According to FFI president Firdausul Hasan, this carries forward the initiative to take international film festivals to tier 2 and 3 cities across India and promote those places as shooting destinations.
“We had a good response in the first edition in Siliguri. Many attended the festival. The Sikkim government approached us. Incidentally, Sikkim is coming up with a film policy and want to have a film industry of their own,” Hasan said.
Apart from screening of 20 feature and 20 non-feature movies at Manan Kendra Screen I and II, the festival will also host workshops/seminar by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) as well as a fashion show. Azerbaijan will be the focus of this festival. “Cinema has the power to influence the masses. Keeping this in mind, the film section of the Information & Public Relations (I&PR) department is taking steps to evolve and engage in the industry,” said Namrata Thapa, secretary (IPR) of the Sikkim government.
Acclaimed cinematographer Vinod Pradhan will be conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award, while the festival’s inauguration will take place with ‘Every 68 Minutes’. “Dignitaries like Randhir Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Padmini Kolhapure, Kamlesh Pandey, Rahul Rawail, Ashoke Viswanathan, Rituparna Sengupta, Arindam Sil, Payel Sarkar and Gargi Roychowdhury are expected to attend the event,” Hasan added.