Sikkim fest to woo investors in Northeast film sector

GANGTOK: Sikkim is gearing up to host a three-day film festival. Titled 'Global Cinema Festival', the gala will be held here from February 28 to March 1. It is an effort to reach out to maximum local cinema lovers in the country with Hindi language films. The festival will be supported by the Government of Sikkim in collaboration with Sikkim Film Cooperative Society Limited. The 'Global Cinema Festival' is an initiative of the Film Federation of India (FFI) for taking popular cinema to the small cities where there aren't enough movie theatres and were no film festivals of national or international standing have gone before.

FFI president Firdausul Hasan said: "Last year we did the film festival in Siliguri and this year we are organising it in Sikkim. Many producers and filmmakers will attend. The idea behind this is to take the filmmakers to various places in Sikkim, for them to understand the landscapes, discuss film policies and encourage people to invest in things like miniplexes, to promote films in the Northeast."

Talking about the event, Rahul Banerjee, member, Sikkim Film Cooperative Society, said: "The kind of beautiful landscapes and natural resources we have in Sikkim is amazing. I would request filmmakers like Karan Johar and others to shoot at least 10 percent of their films in Sikkim to start with, if they plan to shoot abroad, like in Switzerland. We will ensure they have a good experience and they come back to shoot many more films."

During the course of the festival, FFI together with Media and Entertainment Skill Council (MESC) and Peerless Skill Academy, will organise a special media and entertainment-related drive. In addition, there will be Master Classes and other local cultural events.

Veteran actor Randhir Kapoor, director Rahul Rawail and cinematographer Binod Pradhan are expected to attend the festival. Pradhan will be honoured with 'Outstanding Achievement Award' for his significant contribution to Indian cinema. (IANS)

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