Patna: The Bihar Museum was abuzz with excitement on Wednesday as the two-day Children’s Film Festival 2023 got underway, organized by the Bihar Film Development and Finance Corporation Limited under the Department of Art, Culture, and Youth. The event was inaugurated by Jitendra Kumar Rai, the Minister of the Art, Culture, and Youth Department, in the presence of several distinguished guests, including Anjani Kumar Singh, Director General of Bihar Museum, Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, Additional Chief Secretary of the Art, Culture, and Youth Department, and Manish Tiwari, Director of ‘Chidiyakhana’ Film.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Rai highlighted the significance of the Children’s Film Festival. He emphasized that this festival provides children with an opportunity to view high-quality non-feature films that may not be readily available in cinema halls. “Films wield considerable influence, particularly on young minds, and are instrumental in their mental and intellectual development,” he said.
The Minister also announced plans to organize similar events at the divisional and district levels to ensure that the message reaches all children through cinema.
Bihar Museum’s Director General Anjani Kumar Singh shed light on the unique perspective that children bring to filmmaking. Children, he noted, do not require specialized technology to express their thoughts and often create remarkable and distinctive films using their mobile phones. He also underscored the potential for young talent in Bihar to flourish with the introduction of the film promotion policy. The state offers numerous picturesque locations and facilities for film shooting, he said.
Additional Chief Secretary Harjot Kaur Bamhrah explained the festival’s objective of showcasing films centered around themes relevant to teenagers. She also highlighted the state government’s upcoming film policy, which will provide subsidies to films produced or shot within Bihar.
Bamhrah emphasized the need to promote well-made films alongside their production and acknowledged the sizable youth population in Bihar, emphasizing the necessity of producing films on topics that resonate with them. She mentioned the construction of auditoriums in various districts by the Department of Art, Culture, and Youth to facilitate similar Children’s Film Festivals.
The festival’s first day featured screenings of three films, including “Chidiyakhana,” “Up, Up and Up” by Govind Nihalani, and “Major.” A discussion followed the screening of “Chidiyakhana,” with the participation of Additional Chief Secretary Bamhra, film director Manish Tiwari, and film critic and academician from Patna University, Prashant Ranjan. Tiwari engaged with the children, addressing their questions about the films.
The General Manager of the Bihar Film Development and Finance Corporation Limited, Ruby, concluded the inaugural session by expressing gratitude to all the distinguished guests. The day’s events drew the participation of approximately 500 individuals, including students from six schools and Nari Gunjan. The program’s stage management was overseen by Soma Chakraborty. Tomorrow’s festival lineup includes screenings of “Lotus Bloom,” “Jhat Aayi Basant,” and “Cat and Dog.”
