6 must-watch films at International Children’s Film Festival in Hyderabad

The 20th International Children’s Film Festival held from 8 –14 November in Hyderabad, Telangana has some interesting features for young audiences to explore. The festival had its opening ceremony yesterday at the Shilpakala Vedika auditorium.

Actor Mukesh Khanna, the current chairperson of the Children’s Film Society India, and the state's cinematography minister T Srinivas Yadav were chief guests at the event. The ceremony was also attended by actresses Zaira Wasim, of Dangal (2017) and Secret Superstar (2017) fame, and Poonam Kaur.

The festival opened with Hindi film School Chalega, directed by Ameet Prajapati. which tells the story of a lost boy on a train. The cast of the film include, child actors Karan Dave and Svar Kamble who were seen in Nimmo and Chef, respectively, Satish Kaushik, and Hemangii Kavi. The film is produced by the Children's Film Society India (CFSI).

Here are some films from the competition live action feature.

At Eye Level (Auf Augenhöhe)

Germany’s At Eye Level/Auf Augenhöhe (2016) is about an 11-year-old boy who meets his long-lost father and finds that he’s a dwarf. Directed by Joachim Dollhopf and Evi Goldbrunner, the coming-of-age film targets pre-teens and tackles the difficult relationships between a father and a son.

Chidiya

This simple Hindi film, directed by Mehran Amrohi, came highly recommended from NFDC’s Film Bazaar last year. Chidiya follows young children living in a chawl but dreaming big. Actor Vinay Pathak plays a kind uncle, while child artistes Svar Kamble, Ayush Pathak and Hetal Gada form the lead cast.

Let Me Join You (Eibusu Yaohanbiyu)

Let Me Join You, directed by Maipaksana Haorongbam, is a heart-warming film for all age groups and has won the National Award for Best Manipuri film. The story revolves around Khelemba, a differently abled boy, who loves football and dreams of representing his school.

Mr Frog (Meester Kikker)

This sweet film from The Netherlands, directed by Anna van der Heide, tells the delightful story of a group of school children who discover their teacher is actually a frog. His students, especially young Sita, help keep his secret. The film is based on the best-selling book, Mr Frog, by Paul van Loon.

Wendy

Another German film, Wendy, directed by Dagmar Seume, narrates the special relationship between a horse and a child. Little Wendy (Jule Hermann) has her life changed when she meets Dixie, a horse.

Other Indian films like Poorna (2017), Village Rockstars (2017), Beelay’s Diary (2017) and Half Ticket (2016) are also in the line-up of the festival.

International Children’s Film Festival has an Asian Panorama competition section showcasing children's films from around Asia with an aim to promote skilled Asian filmmakers making films for children.

There is also a Little Directors' competition section that hopes to insipire youngsters, especially children and young people, to take up filmmaking and bring their own point of view on the big screen.

The festival will end on Children’s Day, 14 November.