ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL IN DOHA; FREE ENTRY

Arora, sponsors and Pravasi officials during the announcement

ENTRY to this year’s Asian Film Festival, organised by Pravasi, will be free. The seven-film festival takes place at Doha Cinema from March 21 to 27.
This was announced yesterday by Pravasi officials in the presence of diplomats, sponsors and cinema officials.
The Doha Bank Asian Film Festival 2008 features classic films from India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey (guest), Hong Kong, Iran and Iraq.
The festival will open on March 21 with an Iranian film, Ten, directed by Abbas Kiarostami. The Crying Ladies, a Philippine comedy drama directed by Mark Meily, will be shown on March 22.
Day 3 will see the screening of Kannada film Nai Neralu, directed by Girish Kasaravalli. 
The Time of the Heart/Kalbyn Zamani, a Turkish film directed by Ali Ozgenturk, is to be shown on the fourth day. On the following day, a Sri Lankan film Aganthukaya, directed by Vasantha Obaysekara, is to be screened.
Day 6 will see the screening of In The Mood of Love, by Wong Kar Wai, to be followed on the final day by the Iraqi masterpiece, Crossing the Dust, by Shawkat Amin Korki.
This will be the 14th film festival organised by Pravasi in conjunction with Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution Company and the Indian embassy.
Each day, the film starts at 8.30pm. On the first day, the function starts with a formal inauguration ceremony, where award-winning Indian director Girish Kasaravalli will be the chief guest.
Indian Ambassador to Qatar George Joseph is the chief patron of the organising committee. Philippine Ambassador Isaias Begonia and R Seetharaman, CEO of Doha Bank, are patrons.
Doha Bank is the festival’s title sponsor, while SRK Group and Specialised Aluminium and Steel Company (SASCO) are the co-sponsors. It is also supported by Gulf Times, Jet Airways, Grand Mercure Hotel, Varthamanam and many other corporates.
The festival will be a good opportunity for students of quality cinema to enjoy it, said P Shemsudeen, of Pravasi.
H C Arora, charge d’affaires at the Indian embassy, complimented Pravasi, saying that it was important to understand each other’s cultures.
He said the festival was a step in the right direction as India always believed that the whole world was just one world. “Films are a good way to remove ignorance.”