IFFI 2023 | Five films screened as part of specially curated section in partnership with UNICEF

(clockwise from top left) Stills from ‘For the Sake of Ava’, ‘Damu’, ‘Singo’, ‘Peacock Lament’, and ‘Gandhi & Co.’
| Photo Credit: pib.gov.in

The ongoing 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has a collection of five notable films presented in collaboration with UNICEF, which are being screened at various festival venues.

The IFFI spokesperson said that the films reflect on the dynamic forces which shape childhood and examine its socio-economic contexts.

“This year, UNICEF and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) have partnered to focus attention of the film industry and audiences on children’s rights,” he said.

The spokesperson said that the partnership draws attention to the portrayal of violence against children, adolescents, and women in films. The partnership is also part of the efforts to bring to focus relevant issues that affect the civil society.

Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships, UNICEF said that the agency is pleased to be a cause partner of NFDC for a second year in IFFI, with a curated package of films that we expect will steer a positive discourse on recognizing child rights in popular films.

She appreciated the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for its leadership in promoting and including exemplary films centered on and about children.

Chowdhury further said that IFFI is an enabling platform for UNICEF to reach filmmakers, people from art and culture, critics, and audiences, broadly on children’s rights, while focusing on making violence socially unacceptable to prevent its dire impact on children and young people.

The films that are showcased at IFFI include Damu, the National Award-winning film directed by Raja Sen; For the Sake of Ava, the debut feature of an Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Seraji; Gandhi & Co., a Gujarati film which is awarded the Golden Lotus Award – Best Children’s Film, National Film Awards, 2023, directed by Manish Saini; Peacock Lament, a Sinhalese film directed by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara; and Singo, a Persian film directed by Alireza Mohammadi Rouzbahany.