Thiruvananthapuram: 150 films, 6,000 delegates for children’s film fest

Thiruvananthapuram: When the International Children’s Film Festival of Kerala (ICFFK 2019) kick-starts on May 10, it will be more than just a regular film festival.

The event is being organised in association with Chalachithra Academy, Kerala State Film Development Corporation and Balasahithya Institute. About 150 movies are going to be screened at five theatres in city: Tagore Theatre, Kairali, Nila, Sree and Kalabhavan Theatre. Over 6,000 delegates are expected to attend the festival.

Along with feature films, short films made by children have also been included. Preference would be given to works done by children for children.

Deepak. S.P, general secretary of Kerala State Council for Child Welfare, said although entertainment was an inevitable factor, the fundamental objective of the festival was to give society a message regarding children’s perception and how to acknowledge and encourage their talents. “At a time when children are mistreated, it is necessary to uphold moral values and ethics,” he added.

About the significance of the festival, Deepak said that among the calls they received in their office, about 66 per cent pertained to domestic abuse from parents.

Meanwhile, the council has made special arrangement for children from tribal areas of Wayanad, differently-abled children and inmates of child care homes attending the film fest.

Accommodation and food for the children would be provided by the council. The idea is to provide an opportunity to the children to interact with their counterparts coming from other parts of the state.

Apart from the film shows, there will be special cultural programmes highlighting the rich tribal culture of the state.