Int’l children’s film festival begins

Jubilant children in orange T-shirts enlivened the central library compound at Dhaka with shouts and claps Saturday afternoon. They were celebrating the 11th international children’s film festival inauguration.

The programme was run by the children, but there were grownups there too, to offer guidance and advice.

Organised by the young ones and arranged by the Children’s Film Society Bangladesh, the festival is titled ‘Dreams for the future in frames’.

Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurated the week long programme by releasing pigeons and balloons. Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu was special guest and country director of British Council in Bangladesh, Barbara Wickham, was an honourable guest on the occasion.

Chairman of the festival’s advisory council, Mustafa Monwar, presided over the programme. Also present at the festival were children’s film society chairman Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, general secretary of the festival’s advisory council Munira Morshed, advisor of the council Morshedul Islam and director of the festival Abir Ferdaus, attended the programme among others.

The ceremony began with the screening of the film Tesoros by Maria Novaro from Mexico at the Shawkat Osman Hall of the central public library. Some 150 films from 58 countries will be shown at six venues including Sufia Kamal auditorium at the national museum, Alliance Francoise de Dhaka, Goethe Institute, British Council and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The shows will be held at 11:00 am, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm and at 6:00 pm every day, ending on 2 February.

*This report, originally published in the Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Nusrat Nowrin