The 18th edition of The Golden Elephant, the film festival organised by the Children's Film Society India, has an admirable line-up of world cinema, stimulating workshops and other surprises in store
Between November 14-21 at Hyderabad this year, over two lakh children and adults will be treated to a world of cinema which explores narratives on abandoned horses, gravity-defying shoes and lies that sometimes spiral out of control.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 18th edition of The Golden Elephant, the film festival organised by the Children’s Film Society India, promises to treat its audience to a cinematic fare never seen before. Over a week, more than 150 feature films, shorts and animation films from 26 countries will be screened at The Golden Elephant.
Shravan Kumar, festival director, says, “We have tried our best to source world cinema of excellent quality and repute for the festival this year. No film is moralistic, no content tries to preach or talk down to kids. It is high time we entertained children instead of being pedantic. All the films we have curated this year have been chosen to do rounds of some of the best film festivals in the world.”
This year, at the Golden Elephant, films by children directors will compete for the first time in the festival. Animation as a category has been introduced at the festival for the first time, too. “The cultural divide is out and a fair representation is in — children directors from all across the country will compete at The Golden Elephant this year,” adds Kumar.
The festival also focuses on children with special needs, and has curated films that concentrate on the issue. “It is high time our films reflect this reality. In addition to screening films of kids who have special needs, we will also hold workshops to discuss issues of children working in the media and their rights.
They are monitored by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, but that, certainly is not enough because the working relationship in the industry is becoming complex by the day.”
Visit cfsindia.org foru00a0more detailsu00a0
Watch out for:
A Horse on the Balcony (Austria)
Mika finds a horse on the balcony, and finds himself in an adventure involving an Indian princess, a hapless gambler and the horse.
Mother I love You (Latvia)
The film is a story of a 12-year-old boy, the son of a single mother, who finds himself in a moral dilemma after a lie spirals out of control.
Kauwboy (Netherlands)
Jojo is a 10-year-old who lives in a troubled home with a moody father and a mother who is barely around. Then, she finds a friend in a baby jackdaw.
Taina — An Amazon Legend (Brazil)
Taina is a five-year-old orphan Indian girl. All she wants is to become a warrior and find out the truth about her origins.
Alfie the Little Werewolf (Netherlands)
On his seventh birthday, Alfie changes into a werewolf. The next morning, he wakes up as himself. What happens next?u00a0