Move to challenge Disney Pixar with original Indian content

Disney and Pixar have monopolised children’s movies. Instead, we are trying to create original Indian content to spread the rich heritage of storytelling that exists in our culture,” said Dr Shravan Kumar, CEO of Children Film Society India (CFSI) and ICFFI Director at the launch of the 19th International Children’s Film Festival (ICFFI) at IMAX Media Centre on Friday.

“1,200 films from 80 countries will be screened during the week-long festival,” he informed. “19 entries from Telugu have been received and six of them have been selected for screening,” he added.

The festival has come with a focus on movies made by children. “There is a competition section for little directors’ category in which films made by kids will be selected. 37 entries from seven nations made by children have come for the festival,” said the CEO and hoped that the festival would give opportunity to view films from various countries and leave good memories to carry back home.

The films will be screened at different theatres across Hyderabad that includes Prasads IMAX, Cinepolis, Hari Hara Kala Bhavan, Shilpakalavedika and others. The inaugural film scheduled for screening is titled ‘Happy Mother’s Day’. Other films that will be screened include, ‘Cycle Donga – the bicycle thief’, a short film ‘Winner’ and another film, ‘Aatma – the soul’ that is based on protection of temples.

Addressing newsmen at the launch, chairperson of CFSI Mukesh Khanna said, “Children’s films in India are not at the same position as it is in the West. We are still shying away from children’s films because producers are thinking that they will not sell.” He added that children tend to watch saas-bahu serials with their parents because there are not enough Indian films that are child-friendly.

Signifying the importance of movies as family entertainers, he said, “A film is incomplete till it reaches the audience. There is no good or bad film as is generally perceived, but a film should get rewards. Since 1956, the Children Film Society India (CFSI) has made 250 films and most of the films have taken part in festivals and received accolades.”

Telangana Government Officer on Special Duty for the festival, Kishen Rao said the State Government has made all arrangements for the successful conduct of the festival and announced that public screening of the movies will be at Ravindra Bharati and at Shilpa Kala Vedika.