21st IFFK-A glittering start -Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)

  

 The 21st International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) kicked off to a glittering start here on Friday.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated  the 21^st edition of International Film Festival of Kerala 2016 at Nishagandhi auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram.Minister  for Cultural Affairs A.K. Balan presided over the function . Finance Minister Thomas Isac , Life time achievement award winner Jiri Menzei, Jury chairperson  Michel Khleifi, ,Guest of honour Amol Palekar, Shashi Tharoor, MP, Academy Chairman Kamal ,Vice-Chairperson Bina Paul, Mayor V.K. Prasanth,Secretary for cultural Affairs Rani George , Academy Secretary Mahesh Panju  and persons connected with film industry were present. In the inaugural address the Chief Minister said” The Government of Kerala is committed to the Film Industry both as a medium of entertainment as well as an art form that communicates and educates. A healthy film Industry contributes greatly to the Economy of the State too. The Film Industry provides livelihood for thousands of people and the more films that are made the more job opportunities it creates. Films have become a means of attracting people to visit the State and in that way it gives a boost to tourism”. He presented the lifetime achievement award to  the eminent Czech director Jiri Menzel. The award carries a purse of Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a plaque. The 21st edition of the festival, will feature 188 films from 62 countries. In all, 13,000 delegates haveregistered.  The films will be shown on 13 screens, including the Nishagandhi auditorium which can seat 2,500 people. The opening film Parting –Raftan an Iranian-Afganistan film , story of immigrant couple Fereshteh and Nabi and their plight, directed byNavid Mahmoudi was screened.

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