Jail inmates get taste of reel world
Tribune News Service
Shimla, October 12
The three-day long International Film Festival of Shimla was inaugurated by VS Kundu, Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana, and former director general of the film division, here today.
“When you watch a film, you learn and understand things that impact the life of people and the message stays in their mind for a long time,” said Kindu in his inaugural address. A booklet was also released on the occasion.
He said when cinema was made, a sense of responsibility was a must. “Cinema, being a vast medium, has a bigger influence on the masses, film makers should have a level of responsibility and must have sensitivity in handling the messages they deliver to society,” he said.
Around 80 international and nationally acclaimed films from 28 countries will be screened during the festival. Festival director Pushp Raj Thakur said, “Cinema is a brilliant way of expressing various cultures and societies. It is a proud moment to host the fourth edition of the film festival at Gaiety Theatre, which is the Mecca of many artistes, who have excelled in cinema as well.”
For the first time in the history of Indian film festivals, a special screening of films is being organised for inmates of Model Central Jail, Kanda. The inauguration of the screening was done by jail superintendent Sameer Kumar Thakur, who released the booklet in the jail.
This was for the first time that the IFFS had two venues and the idea behind the second venue at the jail was to bridge the gap of the inside world and the outside through cinema and nurture the creativity of the prisoners. By promoting such activities and involving jail inmates, the IFFS intended to motivate prisoners, who were struggling to find their place in the world, said Thakur. There was also a master class by award winning filmmaker Jennifer Alphonsse from Hyderabad.
