Siliguri: To give afficionados a wide choice of highly-acclaimed international films, the Siliguri International Film Festival 2008 was inaugurated today organised by Siliguri Cine Society in association with department of Information and cultural affairs, Government of West Bengal and Dinabandhu Manch advisory committee.
Inaugurated by eminent film Director, Gautam Ghose here at Dinabandhu Manch this evening, the week-long festival will comprise 18 films of 12 different countries.
This was for the first time in North Bengal that a film of Vietnam was enlisted for the festival, the President of Siliguri cine society, Dr. Shyamaprasad Bhattacharya said.
While suggesting a film making school be set up in Siliguri, Ghose in his address lauded the beauty of Dooars region in Jalpaiguri which also manifested the true mosaic of India with the peaceful co-exitence of people of different linguistic groups and different cultural heritage.
The mayor of Siliguri Municipal corporation, professor Bikash Ghose said that the corporation would seriously consider the proposal for setting up a film making school and arranging land for the purpose would not be a problem.
The two films selected to be screened for the children during the festival were Color of Paradise and Children of Heavn both from Iran, the organisors said.
Besides Ghosh, noted actress Indrani Halder and film expert Sharmila Singh Flora.