Iran walks away with top honours

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, NOV. 20. Once again it was an Iranian film which bagged top honours at the 12th International Children's Film Festival, with the film `Children of Petroleum' winning the Golden Elephant for the best feature film.

The film's director, Mr. Ebrahim Forouzesh, received the award, including a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, from the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, at a colourful function on the concluding day of the week-long festival here on Tuesday. Over 160 films were screened during the festival at various venues.

At the last children's film festival also an Iranian film `The Cart' got the Golden Elephant. Films from Iran won four other awards from among the 11 prizes adjudged by the International jury, the Asian Panorama jury, the International critics jury and the Child jury.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, in his address pointed out that creativity alone should not be the criterion in making children's movies, as ethical and social responsibility was a must. He said the Government would see to it that select theatres screened children's films at least once a month.

Mr. Naidu once again reiterated that the next film festival would be staged at the new complex, which would have state-of- art facilities. The Government would act as a facilitator and remover of obstacles faced by makers of children movies.

He also announced that noted producer, Dr. D. Ramanaidu, had agreed to make two children's films soon. The Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Ramesh Bais, said the festival provided a platform for intermingling of different cultures across the globe. He lauded the gesture of the State Government in allotting land for th children's film complex and for organising it on a grand scale.

The chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), Ms. Sai Paranjpye, said her organisation had became a part of the city now and that the film festival was a ``spectacular'' one both for children and adults. However, the true success of the festival could be gauged only by thousands of children who came to watch the films.

The Home Minister, Mr. T. Devender Goud, urged film makers to take advantage of the incentives announced by the State Government to produce children's films. The Secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Mr. Pawan Chopra, also spoke

Later, the juries, headed by Messrs D.V.S. Raju for the International jury, Dr. Seshandra Sharma for the Asian Panorama, Dr. John Dayal for the International critics jury and Ms. Alisha Chaudhary for the Child Jury, introduced their members and announced the awards.

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