Date:20/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/20/stories/2006032005600200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Festival of international documentaries

Staff Reporter

Plan to take the festival to Pondicherry and Coimbatore Panithirai is being associated with perhaps the most well known names among India's current documentary makers

CHENNAI: The month-old film society Panithirai is being associated with perhaps the most well known names among India's current documentary makers.

Its first event, a ten-day festival of international documentaries here, is being graced by the likes of Anand Patwardhan and Rakesh Sharma.

Panithirai was formed by writer and aspiring filmmaker Valarmathi, who pooled his resources with a few friends to present the festival. The documentaries being screened are from his personal collection. Mr Valarmathi said that they plan to take the festival to Pondicherry and Coimbatore.

The festival is in association with Don Bosco Institute of Communication Arts (DBICA), Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu, University of Madras (Department of Tamil Literature) and Alliance Francaise of Madras.

On March 20, the screenings will be inaugurated by Rohini and B. Lenin at University of Madras, Marina Campus, 10 a.m.

Following is the schedule for the rest of the week:

March 21 - Alliance Francaise of Chennai - Inaugurated by Jaya Shankar

March 22 - DBICA - Navroze Contractor, Sanjay Kak and Lelle Suresh

March 23 - DBICA - Rakesh Sharma

March 24 - DBICA - Anand Patwardhan

March 25 - DBICA - Jaya Shankar, Anjali Monteiro and Thilagavathi

All screenings begin at 10 a.m. except for March 25, which begins at 9 a.m.