<p>It’s that time of the year again to wake up one’s inner child and explore the magical world of cinema. The ‘8th International Children’s Film Festival’, organised by Children’s India, started on a good note.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The day began with a colourful walkathon, called the ‘Rainbow Walk’, which saw many children come together to celebrate the theme of ‘Unity in Diversity –– Culture, Ethnicity and Cinema’. <br /><br />The walkathon was almost like a carnival, with the popular cartoon character Chota Bheem joining the kids. Many children came dressed in costumes representing different cultures of the world. <br /><br />They were joined by child artistes like Master Snehith, who says, “To have an entire film festival dedicated to children is really encouraging and I’m looking forward to many of the movies that will be screened.” <br /><br />In the afternoon, the foreign delegates — who have come from Italy, France, Iran, South Korea and China — were welcomed. Children from different countries also graced the inauguration, as part of the children’s jury. Jnanajyothi Auditorium, where the programme was held, was decorated with balloons and packed with children, who were enthusiastically waiting for the event to start. <br /><br />Avinash, a student of St Joseph’s Indian High School, says, “It is only through festivals like this that we get a chance to watch foreign films. I am also very happy to see so many stars from the film industry — especially Puneeth Rajkumar.”<br /><br />Apart from Puneeth, the inauguration was also attended by Saroja Devi, Rajendra Singh Babu, K V Chandrashekhar, S K Bhagawan, Munirathna and Sa Ra Govind, along with many others. <br /><br />Another child artiste, Master Shreyas, performed a beautiful Manipuri dance, which was followed by a small recital by the girls of St Joseph’s Indian High School. <br /><br />“I have never seen so much colour, culture and energy in a children’s film festival. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store this year,” says Antonia Grimaldi, one <br />of the delegates from Giffoni, Italy. <br /><br />Like every year, the festival will focus on specific countries. This time, the focus will be on South Korea and The Netherlands. Some of the highlights in terms of movies are ‘Mom Came Over The Sea’, ‘Taking Chances’, ‘The Secret Letter’ and ‘My Mother, the Mermaid’. <br /><br />“Every year, we try to bring something different for the children. This year, <br />we have 135 films from 25 countries, which are being screened across five cities. People may say that fewer movies are being made for children, but this festival shows that there is a market for such movies,” says N R Nanjunde Gowda, the festival director. <br /><br />The festival is on till January 13. Some of the venues are Bal Bhavan, Orion Mall, Vision Cinemas and Lavanya Theatre. Entry is free for children. For more information call, 41324898. <br /></p>
<p>It’s that time of the year again to wake up one’s inner child and explore the magical world of cinema. The ‘8th International Children’s Film Festival’, organised by Children’s India, started on a good note.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The day began with a colourful walkathon, called the ‘Rainbow Walk’, which saw many children come together to celebrate the theme of ‘Unity in Diversity –– Culture, Ethnicity and Cinema’. <br /><br />The walkathon was almost like a carnival, with the popular cartoon character Chota Bheem joining the kids. Many children came dressed in costumes representing different cultures of the world. <br /><br />They were joined by child artistes like Master Snehith, who says, “To have an entire film festival dedicated to children is really encouraging and I’m looking forward to many of the movies that will be screened.” <br /><br />In the afternoon, the foreign delegates — who have come from Italy, France, Iran, South Korea and China — were welcomed. Children from different countries also graced the inauguration, as part of the children’s jury. Jnanajyothi Auditorium, where the programme was held, was decorated with balloons and packed with children, who were enthusiastically waiting for the event to start. <br /><br />Avinash, a student of St Joseph’s Indian High School, says, “It is only through festivals like this that we get a chance to watch foreign films. I am also very happy to see so many stars from the film industry — especially Puneeth Rajkumar.”<br /><br />Apart from Puneeth, the inauguration was also attended by Saroja Devi, Rajendra Singh Babu, K V Chandrashekhar, S K Bhagawan, Munirathna and Sa Ra Govind, along with many others. <br /><br />Another child artiste, Master Shreyas, performed a beautiful Manipuri dance, which was followed by a small recital by the girls of St Joseph’s Indian High School. <br /><br />“I have never seen so much colour, culture and energy in a children’s film festival. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store this year,” says Antonia Grimaldi, one <br />of the delegates from Giffoni, Italy. <br /><br />Like every year, the festival will focus on specific countries. This time, the focus will be on South Korea and The Netherlands. Some of the highlights in terms of movies are ‘Mom Came Over The Sea’, ‘Taking Chances’, ‘The Secret Letter’ and ‘My Mother, the Mermaid’. <br /><br />“Every year, we try to bring something different for the children. This year, <br />we have 135 films from 25 countries, which are being screened across five cities. People may say that fewer movies are being made for children, but this festival shows that there is a market for such movies,” says N R Nanjunde Gowda, the festival director. <br /><br />The festival is on till January 13. Some of the venues are Bal Bhavan, Orion Mall, Vision Cinemas and Lavanya Theatre. Entry is free for children. For more information call, 41324898. <br /></p>
