International film festival underway in Shimla

Shimla: In the ongoing three-day international film festival at Shimla, 86 documentaries, short fiction and animation films are being screened. The festival will conclude on Sunday.

New filmmakers, young students and tourists are rushing to the film festival. The screening will take place in Gaiety Theatre. The subtitles will be provided for the movies in multiple Indian languages. In different Indian states and from nearly a dozen countries, the films are being screened in three different theatres of the Historic gaiety Theatre. Apart from India, films from other countries like the US, UK, Belgium, Madrid, and Iran will also be screened.

International filmmakers from different parts of the world have also gathered here. One of the participants from Iran said that it is a learning experience.
"I have come here for a screening of my movie; I have cast an older woman in an Indian cinema. It shows access to women in cinema. During the Covid-19, we were able neither to meet nor to get time for screening. Now, it's good to see them," said an Iranian filmmaker and Director.

The young students and youth working as volunteers here in the film festival find themselves lucky to have interaction with experienced film directors.
"It is very important to learn here and according to the New Education policy, the emphasis is laid on skills and it is very important for the young generation to come here as it develops skills," said a student.

The local filmmakers who had to shift to Mumbai for filmmaking and pursue their careers as they did not have a chance for filmmaking are now happy to see the filmmakers and directors coming here from different parts of the globe.

"It is good that this film festival is drawing attention, it should have been started many years ago but better late than never. This is good that young people are getting to learn and screen their films here," said a local filmmaker.
The foreign tourists coming to the film festival are happy to have an experience of the films in Indian languages.
"Coming here is a very good experience. It is a very good place, it seems the cultural capital of Himachal Pradesh," said a foreign tourist.

"It is hard to find Indian movies for us but here the screening is with English subtitles and we are able to see and understand what is happening in the movie," said another foreign tourist.

The Himalayan Velocity organization and the language art and culture department of the state government of Himachal Pradesh jointly have organized this film festival here. The organizers said the objective of the festival is to bring quality films from different parts of the globe to a single platform to educate new filmmakers in the region. This is the 8th edition of the Annual International Film Festival of Shimla. (ANI)