The SAARC Film Festival held in Colombo, has over the last four years gained momentum for promoting some of the best films from the SAARC Region. The SAARC Cultural Centre, in keeping with its mandate of promoting culture in the region through different modes of art, will once again showcase films from the region as cultural expressions at its forthcoming SAARC Film Festival.
The SAARC Film Festival is different from the rest, in that SAARC Member States nominate some of their best films that showcase the culture of the SAARC countries, in the form of film. A reputed panel of adjudicators select the best films, and awards are given as incentive to continue producing good films for the region.
The SAARC Film festival in Colombo, marks an event unique to the region, where through the medium of cinema, the festival has become a forum of people to people interaction, as well as the understanding and savoring of culture through the medium of cinema, where the films from the different SAARC Countries, are not merely a tool of entertainment, but rather one of cultural awareness as well as something that would convey an inherent message indigenous to a particular member country of SAARC and to a particular region of the world. The Film Festival will give all member states an opportunity to screen some of the best films from the region.
It also aim to provide a platform for exchange of ideas and shared points of view from film directors from the Region. Cinema is a form of art, and today with easy accessibility of advanced digital knowledge this medium of cinema has become very powerful. The SAARC Region has produced some films with a standard of excellence. In 2015, the SAARC Film Festival will focus on feature and short films first screened AFTER May 2013, from all Member States, inviting directors of these movies for workshops as well as recognizing the best movie- feature film/Short Film screened within the stipulated time frame.
This year, the SAARC Cultural Centre will also have an open category for SHORT FILMS, from the SAARC Countries, which will be screened on the 29th /30th of May at the same venue. This is organized with the aim of promoting the making of short films in the region. The theme is restricted to “Unity within Diversity’ and the organizers reserve the right to select suitable Short Films to be screened on the given dates. An award of recognition will be given to the Best Short Film with a strong message in keeping with the Theme. Entries for the open category can be sent directly to the SAARC Cultural Centre, together with the required form, and film in screening quality DVD.
