FSB’s children’s film festival concludes
Final day of the much-awaited Children’s Film Festival was concluded today in Bhubaneswar, India, enthralling young audiences with a delightful array of captivating films and workshops. Organised by the Film Society of Bhubaneswar, the festival provided three days of enchanting cinematic experience at the Odissi Research Centre, XIMB Square, Bhubaneswar.
The third day of the Children’s Film Festival witnessed an atmosphere filled with increased curiosity as children gathered to watch two exciting films and engaged in watching the films they made on day 2 and experienced a book and picture exhibition on stage. Students from the same Bhubaneswar-based schools participated: Loyola (both the English and Odia medium schools) and the KIIT International School, as the idea of the festival is to work with the same group of children over the course of three days, so they would be able to reflect on their overall experience of the festival.
The day began with Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus The Wind Rises (2013). The film encouraged diverse questions from the students (many of whom saw the film for the first time), and the resulting interaction was insightful and encouraging.
“We are thrilled to see the sustained energy among our young audience on the final day of the Children’s Film Festival,” said Mr. Subrat Beura, the Festival Director. “Our selection of films for today’s screenings is thoughtfully curated to engage, entertain, and encourage meaningful discussions among the children.”
Day 3, alongside featuring an impressive lineup of films that were carefully chosen to cater to the unique tastes and interests of the 10-15 age group. The screening of several films that were made during an engaging workshop on Clay Animation (Claymation), which was done on Day 2 where the children were split into several groups led by trained facilitators, helped the students create a stop motion animation film, by creating stories and shooting on their own. Children drew, cut chart papers, took measurements, made designs, and in the end, also shot the film on mobile phones using a stop motion videomaking app. As the films shot were screened on the big screen today, it was a thrilling experience for everyone involved, especially when the children filled the theatre with joy and roar.
The day ended with an Odia film from 2004, ABShe directed by Subas Das. The only film in our curation which was in Odia, and it was received very well by the students, as it raised fundamental questions about pedagogy and the way students are educated Parents, teachers, and guardians are encouraged to bring their children to this film festival next year, where many more interesting films shall be screened, and exciting workshops will be organised.