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Failing Focus
With a
general decline in interest for children's films, the International Children's
Film Festival has become more of a formality, rues India Today Associate
Editor Amarnath
K. Menon.
On
the face of it, Nanu is like any other village lad, leading a nondescript,
humdrum life. But a streak of curiosity for the great outdoors eventually
sets this son of a barber apart. On one of many departures from his makeshift
classroom—where donkeys stray in occasionally—he comes across
a demon residing in a decripit wall. Slowly and surely, the bond between
the old, bearded figure and the schoolboy grows and little Nanu learns
the art of surviving in the forests.
Arresting enough for a children's audience, yet Bhago Bhoot, the inaugural
film of the 12 th International Children's Film Festival in Hyderabad,
has done little to set the tone for the week-long event. This despite
the fact that the film was directed by Children's Film Society of India
(CFSI) President Sai Paranjpye herself. Although there were 209 entries
from 41 countries, only 74 films---19 feature and 55 short films---made
it to the international competition category and the race for the coveted
Golden Elephant. Worse, there were barely 20 foreign delegates, counting
even those from Iran which has a rich tradition of children filmmakers.
With such a lukewarm response, it was difficult to allay fears about the
waning appeal of children's films in the movie world.
Few established directors are keen on making such films these days. "
Experimenting with concepts that appeal to the youth is the best way to
stay young," argues veteran Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, whose film Little
John figures among the films at the festival. Produced by Meda Dreams
Limited, Chennai, Little John is a light entertainer in which Hollywood
actor Bently Mitchum ( John Macknezie ) comes in search of folklore and
miracles to the temples of south India. John falls in love, turns into
a midget, and what follows is a tale of magic and miracles. Rao, puts
his skills to use, attracts the audience but confesses he did not make
the film aiming at children.
It is this lack of focus that is posing a threat to children's films.
"Several films and television serials made on children hardly reflect
the child's viewpoint and more often than not have children aping the
elders," says festival director P.K. Nair. Many children's filmmakers
in the country are producing their usual pot-pourri films in the name
of children's films to claim subsidies. In fact, Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has upped the prize money for the best children's
film to Rs 15 lakh just to woo more entries.
The festival's international jury chairman, D.V.S.Raju, suggests that
more mini-theatres should be opened to exclusively screen children's films.
But it's easier said than done. The CFSI is still to raise a multi-facility
complex though Hyderabad was made the permanent host of the international
children's film festival more than four years ago and the Andhra Pradesh
Government set aside 10 acres for it close to Film Nagar in the city.
But locals did not miss the opportunity to kick up a row. Their grouse:
there was no Telugu film among the Indian entries. "The only Telugu
film received was about a child but not a children's film," said
Paranjpye but could convince few.
In an effort to promote the production of children's films, the CFSI is
now circulating the 300-odd films in its library to theatres that organise
exclusive shows for children. But the reponse has been encouraging only
in Pune and Kerala so far. As many as 750 children, including 250 from
outside Hyderabad, were special invitees to this year's festival and some
among them were on the children's jury. "We are also making the entry
films available in video cassettes so that children throughout the country
can get to see them quickly," explains Paranjpye, admitting that
more needs to be done.
The festival paid a tribute to veteran director V. Shantaram who launched
the International Children's Film festival in Mumbai in 1978. His was
among the 162 films screened during the festival in the hope that interest
in the children's segment would be rekindled. A series of seminars and
workshops, including a three-day session on the Rights of the Child hosted
by UNICEF, was also held. But it's a long way still before the ICFF can
gain the recognition it aspires in the international circuit.
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