The first Kochi international film festival, featuring several renowned movies from across the world, will be held from December 16 to 23.
Kochi Gateway Entertainment and Management Society, chaired by the chief minister, the tourism department and the Kochi corporation, are jointly organising the fest.
Addressing a press conference on Friday as a preliminary to the fest, district collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth said that with 120 internationally famous and acclaimed films, the festival would be a unique treat for cinema-lovers in the city.
“Films screened at renowned festivals like Rotterdam, Santans, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, Venice, St. Sebastian, Hong Kong, Rome, will be exhibited at the Kochi festival. For the inaugural function, noted Iranian film maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf and his family will be the chief guests,” the district collector said.
Films will be screened at major theatres in the city and there will be open-air screenings at Durbar Hall ground. The festival will have a special theme — Celebrating Hundred Years of Indian Cinema.
As a curtain raiser, a stage show will be organised on December 2 at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium, in which film personalities from South India will participate.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the event.