Delhi’s Film aficionados & enthusiasts have a reason to celebrate- the 12th Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival starts on the 27th of July to 5th of August. Showcasing an array of Asian, Arab and Indian Cinema, the Festival focuses on ‘Freedom of Creative Thought & Expression’ in its 12th edition. This year 15 World premieres, 8 International premieres, 104 Indian premieres and 13 Asian premieres will be screened at the festival, and a couple of additions to the format of the Festival will have something for every ‘type’ of film junkie- think short films, animation, films inspired by music, and works of incredibly talented film-makers- established and new on the scene.
What’s on our Film Editor Ruchika Chanana’s list? ‘I’m particularly excited about the films in the freedom of creative expression section, which are especially relevant to today’s context of arbitrary censorship in India. Also, the competition films will be a treat to watch, as in India we don’t have so much access to the contemporary voices highlighted in these Asian and Arab films. And the Diva’s section should be fun!’
Stay tuned for LBBD’s coverage of the 12th Osian Cinefan Film Festival. And register soon to attend the festival- there are some fantastic films to choose from!
Your Guide to the 12th Osian Cinefan Film Festival
Freedom of Expression | The section includes a set of five Landmark films from the history of cinema made against prevailing censor ship norms – Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salo, Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh-Thi’s Baise-Moi, Shuji Terayama’s Emperor Tomato Ketchup, the Devika Rani-Himanshu Rai starrer Karma and Jafar Panahi’s This is Not a Film.
Tribute to Mani Kaul | A salute to the multifaceted contribution of Mani Kaul to the world of cinema, music, art and literature and the launch of the annual Mani Kaul Memorial Lecture.
Tribute to Koji Wakamatsu and Masao Adachi | A set of seven films will be shown as a tribute to the illustrious careers of Japanese revolutionary filmmakers Koji Wakamatsu and Masao Adachi.
Jury this Year | The jury includes Marco Mueller; currently the Artistic Director of the Rome Film Festival and teaches Production Design at the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture. He has been the Director of several major film festivals including Rotterdam (1990- 1991), Locarno (1992-2000) & Venice (2004-2011). Muzaffar Ali; Essentially a painter and filmmaker deeply inspired by Sufism, Muzaffar Ali is known the world over for his film Umrao Jaan. James V Hart; His screenplay adaptation of Dracula eventually became Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film Dracula. Hart?also wrote the screenplay to Steven Spielberg’s Hook (with Robin Williams), and served as a producer on both films; among others
Opening Film | Asura {Keiichi Sato, Japan 2012} | Keiichi Sato is the creative force behind animated block buster hits such as Big O (1999), Karas (2007) and Tiger & Bunny (2011). Sato felt it was his duty to send a message to those who found themselves without the will to live following the events of the Tsunami that hit Japan on the 11th of March. He says- “There is a reason you survived. Your purpose is to live!”Asura is produced using Hybrid animation and mimics “watercolors in motion”, the next evolution in traditional animation.
Short Films | The festival will screen 61 short films.
Cinefan’s New ‘7.4’ Section | This section will be dedicated to the themes of Environmental Issues –a precursor of a Summit on Natural and Man-made Heritage. The environmental focus is taken also taken forward by commissioning a new Osian’s Cinefan Award Trophy crafted out of the eco friendly material – terracotta – by eminent artist K. Laxma Goud.
Divas of Indian Cinema – 100 Years of Beauty and Grace | From the Osianama Archive Collection, this will be the first exhibition to kick start the celebrations which will be taken forward at The Osianama – Art & Film Museum later in the year, and culminating with many international travelling exhibitions across the world next year.
Music & Cinema | For the first time, the festival will focus on the link between music and cinema, with its partnership with BlueFrog at the Kila. Performances to watch out for this year- The Ska Vengers, Dev D’s Amit Trivedi and his Band, Karsh Kale and Midival Punditz. Q’s Gandu Circus and the Rockstar musical team with singer Mohit Chauhan in the lead will be performing at the blueFrog on Cinefan Nights. In addition, five films representing contemporary Asian cinema’s burgeoning relationship with youth-driven music cultures will be screened here.
Auction of Film Memorabilia | Being held on the 31st of July at the Imperial Hotel, special highlights of the auction include a focus on the legendary star, the late Shammi Kapoor. His famous scarf from Junglee (1961), the sweater from Andaz (1971), the Shehnai from his last film appearance in Rockstar (2011) and one of his favorite personal Mont Blanc fountain pens will bring back nostalgia and memories of the great entertainer.
Schedule | http://cinefan.osians.com/schedule/
Register Here | http://122.160.69.184/registration/eng/accreditation.aspx
More Information | Have a look at the trailers and find out more about the movies in and out of competition here.
