South Asian Film Fest from 17 Sep
PTI, PANAJI | 15 September 2010 21:58 IST
Four-day-long South Asian Film Festival (SAFF), with Afghanistan as its focus country, would commence here from September 17.
Annoucing this, Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat said the festival would be held at three auditoriums and would have over 50 movies from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Pakistan, Bhutan and India.
'SAFF 2010' has Afghanistan as a focus country with five films from there to be screened, he said.
Afghanistani movie 'An Apple From Paradise' will be the inaugural film, he added.
A seven-member delegation from Pakistan and Bhutan led by a Member of Parliament will be participating in the festival, said
Rahul Barua, Secretary General, South Asia Foundation, the organizer for the festival.
He said celebrities including Nagesh Kukunoor, Rakesh Mehta, Sumitra Peries, Abdul Faththah, Daoud Wahab, Morshedul Islam, Maheen Zia, Namgay Retty would attend the festival.
Barua said SAFF is one of the few festivals which has been designed for a larger socio-cultural and political objective.
"We are looking at a brighter future in which people from South Asian countries watch each others' films more often," Jitendra Deshprabhu, Vice Chairman, Kala Academy, co-host for the festival, said.
He said opening film of the festival itself reveals the situation in Afghanistan and how they are trying to cope with the terrorism.
"The film shows internal turmoil faced by this country ravaged by terrorism," he added. Goa would be hosting the festival for the third time.
