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Anurag Thakur to kick-off 1st Himalayan Film Festival on Sep 24

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 9/24/2021 3:01:29 PM

* Vishnuvardhan, Sidharth Malhotra to attend opening ceremony
* Shershaah – biographical war film, to open 5-day festival
New Delhi, Sep 23 Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur will inaugurate the first Himalayan Film Festival on 24th September, 2021. The festival spanning five days is being held at Leh, Ladakh from 24th to 28th September 2021. The inaugural session of the festival will witness the presence of makers and cast of the super hit movie Shershaah, including Director Shri Vishnuvardhan and the lead actor Shri Sidharth Malhotra. Shershaah is also the opening feature film of the festival. Besides screening of popular award winning films at the Sindhu Sanskriti Auditorium, Leh to enthral the audience and film buffs, the film festival will be organizing a diverse set of workshops and masterclasses wherein filmmakers, critics, technicians from the Himalayan Region have been invited to impart knowledge and skill to the local film enthusiasts. This will serve as a necessary stimulus to ignite a creative leaning towards filmmaking. In the film festival, Short Films and Short Documentaries have also been invited in the ‘Competition Section’. A food festival showcasing the unique cuisines of Ladakh region, a cultural show showcasing the rich cultural varsity of Ladakh and a music fest will be also be held during the ongoing film festival. The Minister will also inaugurate a 5 days exhibition on ‘Freedom Fighters of Himalayan Region’ & ‘Best of Indian Cinema’ with special focus on Himalayan States/ UTs as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mohatsav celebrations at Leh organized by Regional Outreach Bureau, J&K, Ladakh region. A selfie point has been installed at the Exhibition site for the visitors & pamphlets, other material on Azadi Ka Amrit Mohatsav will be distributed among the visitors. Sh. Anurag Thakur will also be participating in a unique interactive session with Ladakh Youth on Friday evening at Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra. Doordarshan is organizing the session with various sections of youth and sports personalities with a theme of “Aspirational Ladakh”. The Minister will be interacting the youths of Ladakh ahead of second anniversary of UT Ladakh in October, to know the aspirations and expectations of the public of the region. Over 70 youths from varied fields and University level students will participate in the Aspirational Ladakh programme. Along with the Minister, AIR Principal Director General NV Reddy, Doordarshan Director, General Mayank Agarwal and UT Secretary,Ravinder Kumar also participating in the event. The film festival is being organised by the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The film festival is being hosted in collaboration with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. The five-day film festival is a part of the celebration of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence. Keeping in view The PM’s call for ‘Jan Bhagidhari’, the film festival will have active participation from the local filmmakers and showcase talent from across the 12 Himalayan states and UTs. The Himalayan region of India attracts filmmakers from all around the globe due to its unique scenic endowment. The unique geography of the region is widely documented along with its indigenous people, traditional skills, and occupations. Film festival in this context presents an opportunity for the local filmmakers to narrate their stories to a wider audience.