India: 57 films to showcase in SCO Film Festival

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is organizing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film Festival from the 27th – 31st of January, 2023, in Mumbai, through the National Film Development Corporation. The SCO Film Festival is being organized to mark India’s Presidency at SCO. Free entry for students.

Briefing the media on the festival, Additional Secretary, Neerja Sekhar said that the Festival aims to build cinematic partnerships and act as a bridge between the cultures of various countries in the SCO. It will also create synergies in the film fraternity of SCO Members by way of collective cinematic experience. She also added that the films being showcased in the SCO Film Festival, all brought by the SCO states, will allow spectators to experience different cultures and the films will be a window for people from the SCO countries to know each other better.

Sekhar informed that the festival will showcase films of the SCO countries in the Competition and Non-Competition screenings. In addition to the film screenings, the festival will have master-classes, in-conversations sessions, country and state pavilions, photo and poster exhibitions, handicrafts stalls, and many more other events.

The festival will open with a world premiere of an Indian film as the SCO Film Festival is being organized during the Presidency of India at the SCO. The Opening Ceremony will be held at Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai on 27^th January, 2023

Film Festival Screenings will take place at two locations in Mumbai, 4 auditoriums at the Film Division Complex at Pedder Road and 1 NFDC Theater at Nehru Planetarium Building at Worli.

The Competition section is for the SCO Member States only and comprises of various prestigious awards like Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Director (Feature Film), Special Jury Award.

The Non-competition section is for allSCO countries, viz. Member States and also Observer States and Dialogue Partners States in the following categories-

1. SCO Country Focus films selected to represent the respective SCO country at the film festival. Thus, enabling exchange among the different countries and acting as a bridge between the cultures of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members.
2. Director Focus films made by a well-known director of the SCO Country, an acclaimed veteran who is well respected in the country for their craft and lineage of cinema, contributing to the heritage of the Country.
3. Children Focus films that educates and entertains the young audience while being easy to understand. Thus developing the interest of young children and nurturing their minds.
4. Short films not exceeding 20 mins in duration that is artistically and cinematically adept and captures the audience’s imagination by applying original ideas.
5. Indian Restored Classic – 5 films are being showcased.

Total 57 Films will be showcased at the SCO Film Festival from SCO countries. In Competition Section, 14 feature films are competing and will be screened and the Non-Competition section will showcase 43 Films.

A total of 14 films have been nominated for the competition section.

• The Marathi film ‘Godavari’ directed by Nikhil Mahajan and Gujarati Film ‘The Last Film Show’ directed by Pan Nalin are nominated from member state of India. 
• The Russian films Mom, I’m Alive! directed by A.Zairov, M.Mamyrbekov and Paralympian directed by Bairakimov Aldiyar are nominated from member state of Kazakhstan.
• The Kyrgyz films Akyrky Koch (The Road to Eden) directed by Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu and Uy satylat (Home for Sale) directed by Taalaibek Kulmendeev are nominated from member state of Kyrgyzstan.
• The Italian and Chinese films B for Busy by Yihui Shao and Chinese films Home Coming directed by Xiaozhi Rao are nominated from member state of China.
• The Russian films Don’t Bury Me Without Ivan directed by Liubov Borisova Sakha and Podelniki (The Riot) directed by Evgeny Grigorev are nominated by the member state of Russia.
• The Uzbek films Ael kismati ( The fate of a woman) directed by D.Masaidov and
• Meros (Legacy) directed by Hilol Nasimov are nominated from member state of Uzbekistan.
• Tajik films Dov (Fortune) directed by Muhyiddin Muzaffar, and Okhirin Saydi Sayod (Hunter’s Final Prey) directed by     Mahmadrabi Ismoilov are nominated from member state of Tajikstan

Indian Films at SCO Film Festival –

Most acclaimed Marathi Film Godavari directed by Nikhil Mahajan and India’s official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language category, Chhello Show, a Gujarati film also known as Last Film Show will be screened in competion section. Along with it, Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham, SS Rajamouli’s period film RRR in SCO country focus. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi in Director Focus, Mridul Toolsidas’s Toolsidas Junior in Children Focus and short film Jugalbandi by Chetan Bhakuni will be showcased. Moreover Five Restored Classics will also be showcased in the festival viz. Shatranj ke khiladi;  (1977, Hindi), Subarnrekha (1965, Bengali), Chandralekha (1948, Tamil), Iru Kodgul (1969, Tamil) & Chidambaram (1985, Malayalam).

The official language of the SCO i.e., Russian and Chinese will also be the official language of the Film Festival. English will also be included as the functional language of the festival as it is being hosted in India. The films to be screened will be required to be dubbed or subtitled in English for the benefit of the jury and local audience.

 ‘Masterclasses’ and ‘In Conversation’ sessions have been curated with eminent filmmakers and actors of the SCO countries attending the festival along with Indian film personalities. There will be sessions with the industry experts tracing the history of animation and also presenting the endless possibilities of ‘creating the shot’ with the help of animation & visual effects. Some sessions are also being kept on changing landscape of film distributions & in theatre language translations with the help of emerging technologies.

The Festival venue of Films Division Complex at Pedder Road Mumbai.  It has been kept free for students.

The JURY for the SCO Film Festival 2023 comprises of the following

INDIA

Rahul Rawail

Filmmaker

Rahul Rawail is an acclaimed Indian film director and editor known for his films like Love Story, Betaab, Arjun, Anjaam, and many others. He has launched many successful actors like Sunny Deol, Amrita Singh, Paresh Rawal, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and John Abraham. He Chaired the Indian Panorama at IFFI in 2017 and 2018 and the Jury for the National Film Awards in 2019, and has been at the helm of many international film festivals. His book ‘Raj Kapoor – The Master At Work’ is considered as a text book for prospective students of cinema.
CHINA

Ning Ying

Film Director

Ning Ying is a globally acclaimed and award-winning Chinese film director often considered a member of China’s Sixth Generation Filmmaker Coterie. She is known for her films like the Beijing Trilogy – consisting of For Fun, On the Beat and I love Beijing that analyzed the massive changes Beijing has undergone in the recent decades. Railroad of Hope (2002) followed the mass migration of cheap labor throughout China and won the Grand Prix du Cinema du Reel and Perpetual Motion (2005) premiered at several international film festivals.

KAZAKHSTAN

Dimash Kudaibergen

Musician

Dinmukhamed ‘Dimash’ Kanatuly Kudaibergen is a world famous and talented musical artist in the genre of pop, classical crossover folk and operatic pop music. Dimash and his music is famous across Eastern Europe and Asia, specifically in Kazakhstan (his homeland), China, and Russia with a fan base in over 120 countries eager to see him perform live. Dimash’s vocal capabilities are attributed to the fact that he has a range of six octaves and additionally, a great connection with the audience.

KYRGYZSTAN

Gulbara Tolomushova

Filmmaker and Film Critic

Gulbara Tolomushova is an award-winning filmmaker and a film critic through her articles and as a jury member at several international film festivals. She is a member of FIPRESCI (The International Federation of Film Critics) and NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema). She is a leading specialist in the Cinematography Department in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Kyrgyzstan and has been awarded with honours in her country and abroad for her effective work in the field of cinema.

Russia

Ivan Kudryavtsev

Film Producer and Journalist

Ivan Kudryavtsev is a famous journalist and producer, Chairman of the Selection Committee of the Moscow International Film Festival and a member of The National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He helms Cinema TV Channel as its Editor-in-Chief and is an expert on Russia’s film market, heading the Experts Council of The Golden Eagle Award – Russia’s main award recognizing film industry professionals. Since 2009, Ivan has been hosting ‘Industria Kino’, a weekly film industry news show on Russia’s major News TV channel Russia 24.

TAJIKISTAN

Mehmedsaid Shohiyon

Film Producer, Actor, Author

Mehmedsaid Shohiyon is a leading actor, producer and author. He has been working in the field of culture and theatre for 30 years and has more than 25 films and numerous publications in the field of cinema, theatre, and productions to his credit with films like Water Boy (2021), Fortune (2022), and Bachai Hobi (2020). He was the first Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Republic of Tajikistan, Chairman of the Committee of Television and Radio Broadcasting, and is currently Director of the state enterprise, Tojikfilm.

Uzbekistan

Matyakub Sadullayevich Matchanov

Actor

Matyakub Sadullayevich Matchanov is a distinguished actor awarded with the honorary title ‘Honored Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan’ (2001), the Order of ‘Friendship (Dustlik) (2012) and the sign ‘For Distinguished Labor’ (2021). He graduated from the State Institute of Art and Culture of Uzbekistan in 1977 and started as a theatre actor playing major roles in productions like Daddy’s Daughter, Holy Sinner, Night Visitor, Delaney Maisara, Satan’s Angels, and went to feature in films like The Awakening and The Youth of Genius.

About SCO

The SCO is a multilateral organization, established on 15 June 2001. The SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), three Observer States (Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia) and fourteen Dialogue Partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, UAE and Turkey)

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