Anurag Thakur to inaugurate five-day Himalayan Film Festival in Leh on Friday

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur will inaugurate the five-day Himalayan Film Festival at Leh, Ladakh on September 24. The opening ceremony will also witness the participation of the Director of Shershah- Vishnuvardhan and the lead actor of the recently released film, Sidharth Malhotra. Notably, Shershah, which is based on the Param Vir Chakra awardee Capt. Vikram Batra will also be the opening feature film of the Himalayan Film Festival, said the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in an official statement.

The festival, as per the official release, will consist of several segments to enthral the audience as well as the film buffs. A range of popular films will be screened in the course of five days. The Ministry stated that a “package of contemporary National awards and Indian panorama selected films will be showcased at the event. The screenings will be at the Sindhu Sankriti Auditorium, Leh having digital projection facilities.” In addition to that, there would be masterclasses, workshops and in-conversation sessions. 

These classes and workshops will be organised with filmmakers, critics, technicians from the Himalayan region who will be invited to impart knowledge to other film enthusiasts. The official release added, “This will serve as a necessary stimulus to ignite a creative leaning towards filmmaking.” Apart from classes and screening of films, the five-day Himalayan Film Festival would also have a competition of short and documentary films. The awards for the Best Film will be given to Director and Producer as entries have been invited in the ‘Competition Section.’

Food festival, Cultural shows and Music Fest 

Additionally, the Himalayan Film Festival would witness a food festival, cultural shows and music fest. In the food festival, the official release stated that the “cuisine of the different region of Ladakh is unique owing to its distinct geography and weather conditions” and that the festival venue will accommodate the food festival during the period of five days starting on September 24. The cultural shows will be held in collaboration with the Department of culture to showcase the diverse culture of Ladakh. Musicians have been invited from the same region.

IMAGE: PTI