From Cannes To Pune

Inaugurated on Tuesday evening at NFAI by Luc Didon,director,Alliance Francaise de Pune,and Prashant Pathrabe,director,NFAI,the festival will screen films that were previously chosen by the Cannes Film Festival. Curated by film curator Meenakshi Shedde,most of the films slated for the festival are by young film-makers. “The films are not mainstream films. They are what people here call ‘art’ films. They are innovative and risky in terms of commercial success,but then this is the kind of cinema that is celebrated and appreciated in Cannes,” says Didon.

This festival was first held in Mumbai in January. The positive response led to the decision to host it across India. “We have 17 Alliance Francaise centres in India. Pune is the third city where the festival is being held,” Didon says.

The films specially chosen by Shedde include Tetris by Anirban Datta,Salaam Bombay! by Mira Nair (September 14),Khoj by Tridib Poddar,Piravi by Shaji N Karun (September 15),Printed Rainbow by Gitanjali Rao,Dosar by Rituparno Ghosh (September 16),and Chinese Whispers by Raka Dutta,Marana Simhasanam by Murali Nair and Neecha Nagar by Chetan Anand (September 17). “With these films,we are targetting an audience that is looking for cultural diversity and that appreciates different,exotic cinema,” says Didon. “These films will appeal to a young audience interested in quality cinema. It is NFAI’s constant endeavour to organise such events that reach out to cinema lovers,” adds Parthabe.

The inauguration of the festival was followed by the screening of A Very Very Silent Film by Manish Jha and Bollywood – The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. “Mehra specially made the documentary for the Cannes Film Festival 2011. “Bollywood films are so successful globally. This documentary is a look at what Bollywood really is. It’s excellent for an international audience. Even Indian viewers will appreciate it as there are many excerpts from well-known Bollywood films,” Didon adds.