Shimla festival to showcase 36 films

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 6

As many as 36 films will be screened during a two-day-long International Film Festival in Shimla starting September 9.

According to a release, the film festival will be organised by Himalayan Velocity in collaboration with the state Art, Language and Culture Department. The festival will screen short fiction, animation and feature films. “Women of Silk Road” directed by Iranian documentary filmmaker Yassamin Maleknasr will be the inaugural film in the international category. .

“From the tradition, I keep the ember but not the ashes” is an environmental film from Portugal directed by Joao Couto C which talks about old tradition of environment-friendly construction. “Phulsiri” is a short fiction directed by Ngima Gelu lama from Nepal. Its narrative is based on Nepal earthquake.

In Indian category, national award winner documentary film “Zikr us parvarish ka” produced by the Sangeet Natak Academy and directed by Nirmal Chander will be screened. It is based on biography of great gazal singer Begam Akhtar.

Documentary film “Krishna’s waiting room” directed by Kavita Behl and Nandan Saxena that brings out the plight of Hindu widows living in Banaras ghats will also be screened. Another documentary film “SOZ-the Ballad of Maladies” directed by Tushar Madhav and Sarvanik Kaur on Kashmir conflicts will also be screened. Other entrants are “Saavat”, a Marathi short film directed by Swapnil Rajshekhar and Kavita Churi that revolves around child marriage and her education, national award winning film “Panchaki” directed by Sanjeev Rattan from Himachal and “The monsoon” and “The limit” —two short fictions from the State Institute of Film and Television, Rohtak.