5th Smile International Film Festival to focus on cinema from Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic

Films from Sweden, Germany and the Czech Republic will take centre stage at the upcoming edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY). Organised by Delhi-based NGO Smile Foundation, the festival that opens on December 9 at Siri Fort Auditorium here will feature 150 titles from 50 countries in over 30 languages.

"Bringing good cinema to children is more important than ever before. With internet penetration and easy technology access, online videos – both good and bad — are increasingly the most consumed medium by children these days. "Film festivals like ours bring them select, age-appropriate content from all over the world. This exposes them to good content and helps them differentiate it from all that's not right for them," said Santanu Mishra, Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation & Chairman, SIFFCY.

The week-long festival that will see internationally recognised artistes promoting and sharing their love of cinema and the process of filmmaking, organisers said, is also expected to see participation by over 20,000 children and youth. "SIFFCY 2019 is going to be an absolute feast for everyone, irrespective of their age, as the event would alchemize and produce an ideal combination of varied genres and niches including family, passion, kinship, self-assurance and others.

"A major part of the festivals and corresponding panel discussions will focus on climate change, environment and cleanliness," said Jitendra Mishra, Festival Director, SIFFCY. Supporting various allegiances, the event would represent collaborations with the leading film festivals of Europes - BUFF Malmö, Sweden, Schlingel IFF, Germany and Junior Fest, Czech Republic. The festival will celebrate its partnership with all three countries by dedicating a day in their honour.

The festival will also host the European Children Film Association award that gives "special attention to quality films for a young audience and shines a spotlight on European children's films". SIFFCY 2019 will come to a close on on December 15.

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