TECHNICAL AWARDS
Best Screenwriting
Best Motion Picture Photography
Best Editing
Best Sound Design

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 20, 2009

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Get in touch with us at info@aifilmfest.com

For more details visit the official festival website:
http://www.aifilmfest.com

~ 3 days, over 100 films and ‘reels’ of fun & festivity, the

1st Ahmedabad International Film Festival is here!! ~

~ Official Deadline for competitive categories is 20th May, 2009~

Ahmedabad, Thursday, April 23, 2009: The first edition of the Ahmedabad International Film Festival 2009, today announced the call for entries for Independent Feature Films, Fictional/ Live Action Short Films and Documentary Films. Submission forms are available online at the official Festival website www.aifilmfest.com. The Festival, organized by FulMarxx Integrated Filmed Entertainment Company in collaboration with Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) and Tampere Film Festival, Finland, will be held on June 26-28 2009.

For the first time, Ahmedabad will play host to a never before experience of a unique film festival where 100+ independent films will be showcased. The festival will provide a platform for all those who can transform their creativity and vision into cinema. Also, in the backdrop of a rich cultural heritage of Gujarat, the festival provides an interactive platform for exchange and enriching of ideas

Speaking on the occasion Shiladitya Bora, Founder CEO, FulMarxx Integrated Filmed Entertainment Company, said “We are overwhelmed to be officially associated with Berlin International Film Festival and are humbled by their strong belief in Ahmedabad International Film Festival in its very first year. The vision is to facilitate dialogue between cultures and nations through cinema, making the Ahmedabad International Film Festival a melting pot of global ideas and ideologies, at the same time providing a platform to showcase India and international talent in storytelling. The Competition Section is a huge opportunity for upcoming filmmakers to showcase their work to a global audience. We urge filmmakers and writers to enter their works as early as possible this year so that we can keep up with the incredible response we’ve been so fortunate to experience.”

The festival, is not only just about remarkable films, it’s a wholesome package of sheer entertainment and fun. The festival schedule this year is packed with a special focus on children’s films and the revival of the Gujarati Film Industry. The festival will also assist in raising awareness on the AIDS issue with a special category under we care HIV+. Guests, jury members and film folks will have ample time to relax and soak into the unique culture of Ahmedabad with a specially designed Heritage Walk and the launch of a coffee table book on Ahmedabad. 

For more information please be in touch with Ahmedabad International Film Festival announcements and news updates on www.aifilmfest.com

There is little doubt about the fact that Ahmedabad is a global city, flaunting great connectivity with the rest of the world, world-class infrastructure and a government that is much friendly to foreign investments. On a lighter vein, you could say that at any given point in time half of the city is either preparing to go to another country or at least planning a vacation there. 

Every global city in the world has its own version of a film festival. Be it New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Frankfurt, Shanghai or Adelaide. Films tell stories. And stories from across the globe initiate discussions and debates and allow for a different perspective for harmonious existence. We have been asking whether Ahmedabad is ready for an international film festival. We, have the answers. 

Besides being a centre for commerce, Ahmedabad has ample cultural events with its classical music concerts, rock gigs, dance and theatre performances. The city has produced some well-known writers, artists, critics, journalists and filmmakers. In fact, in the recent past the city witnessed several film festivals that were received in good taste. Sufficient audience walked out of auditoriums and we were glad to observe that most of them were eager for a platform for discussion.

The good thing about Ahmedabad is also that there are several institutes of learning that provide for creative expression and training. Many of their students and alumni members are associated with the process of filmmaking. What could be better news for them than an opportunity to switch off their Internet modems and watch Fellini on the big screen? 

We Indians are deeply rooted in the institute of Hindi cinema. We love the escapist cinema with all the song sequences and melodrama. We make it, we watch it and we’re proud of it. For such a vast population of film lovers it is amusing how very few of us have acquired a taste for world cinema. The problem is that we treat world cinema as the ‘other’. Almost like class or caste difference, we think this kind of cinema is meant for the super intelligent or the kurta clad artsy. Let us tell you, you have been fooled for so many years and deprived of a very different kind of cinema going experience, where different languages, cultures and people come together on a wide screen.