India announces holding BRICS film festival in New Delhi next month

Indian authorities on Wednesday said the first BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) film festival will start from next month.

The five-day festival in run up to the BRICS summit in October is scheduled to take place at the Siri Fort auditorium in New Delhi from Sept. 2 to 6.

"The BRICS film festival is an initiative announced by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Russia during the last BRICS summit," senior Indian minister Venkaiah Naidu told a press conference.

"The festival would provide opportunity for cultural exchange between the member countries through cinema, culture and cuisine."

According to Naidu, the main focus of the festival was to celebrate excellence of cinema in the member countries by rewarding filmmakers, actors, producer and directors.

Twenty films will be screened during the festival being organised by the directorate of film festivals of India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Each member country will nominate its four films for the event that would also double up as a competition.

Naidu said besides feature films, documentaries and films made by students will also be showcased to encourage young film-makers.

"One member from each country would form the jury panel that would judge the films," Naidu said.

The opening ceremony of the festival will be attended by senior ministers from all the member nations, besides eminent film personalities.

The festival will open with an Indian film and close with a Chinese film as China will host the next film festival, Naidu said.

The last BRICS summit was held in the Russian city of Ufa in July 2015.

BRICS is an association of five countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Enditem