The 4th Indian Film Festival of Ireland was officially launched on May 21st by Naoise O Muiri, Lord Mayor in the Mansion House. Along with Mr. Debashish Chakravarti, Ambassador of India to Ireland and Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, Mr. Jimmy Deenihan.
The launch celebrates 100 years of Indian Cinema, being one of the oldest film industries in the world, and producing over 1200 films per year. India produces more films than Hollywood each year, pushing the frontiers in terms of content and technology used. Almost 130 films were released from Bollywood alone in 2011. The much loved fathers of cinema, the Lumieres Brothers attribute to the wealth of history of Indian film; with their first public showing of their early works in Mumbai in 1896.
21st century Indian cinema however is breaking ground in both old and modern styles, keeping pace with global cinema. Siraj Zaidi Director of the Indian Film Festival of Ireland, (also Actor, writer and Producer) first brought the wealth of Indian cinema to Ireland in 1989.This annual festival now promotes Ireland as a prime location for filming, whilst also promoting this cinema culture to the Irish audience.
The Festival officially kicks off today, Friday June 7th, at Movies @ Dundrum Cinema with a screening of Meherjaan (2011). The opening of this event also features screenings at Film Base in Temple Bar with A Passage to India (1984). Screenings will also take place at Rua red Art Centre in Tallaght. Screenings will take place throughout all 2 cinemas until the 10th of June.
For more information and screenings, please visit: www.
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Juls Nicholl-Stimpson
Comments
An Indian film festival and not even one Western?