Smile Foundation Presents 10th Edition Of SIFFCY

EE News Desk Apr 01, 2024

The 10th edition of the annual Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY) is being hosted by Smile Foundation in collaboration with the European Union (Delegation of the European Union in India). SIFFCY, now in its 10th year, has curated a diverse selection of films from India and abroad, which will be presented in a hybrid format. The main festivities, including the opening and award ceremonies, will take place at the PHD House in New Delhi from 9 to 11 April, 2024. Additionally, SIFFCY will be simultaneously held at 50 different locations across India, establishing itself as the most extensive film festival in the country.

The spotlight for SIFFCY 2024 will shine on the European Union and its member countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland. The festival will feature various categories, including International Competition (Feature and Shorts), 70MM Smile showcasing World Panorama Feature and non-feature films, and the Yellow Carpet segment honouring diverse Indian Regional Cinema in languages such as Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Rajasthani, Karbi, Garhwali, Nepali, and more. Films created by children will be showcased in the Take One category, while Extra Smiles will present highlights from previous editions and classic films from SIFFCY.

The special showcases for this year's SIFFCY include 10 films created by students of BATA University, Czech Republic, to be presented by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in India. Additionally, eight classic animations from the 1990s, preserved in 35mm format and curated by TV Studio Animated Films, Poland, will be showcased by renowned film personality Jerzy Moszkowicz, in collaboration with the Polish Institute New Delhi. Furthermore, eight award-winning films from Germany will be presented by SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival. The festival will also feature numerous films made by children from over 30 different countries, covering themes such as environment, family values, inclusion, disability, friendship, art, culture, war, and peace, catering to young film enthusiasts.

Santanu Mishra, Chairman of SIFFCY & Co-founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said, “I believe that good cinema is one of the most powerful media to depict reality and to emulate values. Good cinema has the power to stimulate discussion and contemplation in young minds about personal, emotional, societal and moral duties, thereby enabling them to become better and stronger individuals. With a platform like SIFFCY, we want to contribute towards bringing positive societal change that begins with the young minds.”

Jitendra Mishra, Festival Director, SIFFCY said, “As we celebrate the 10th anniversary edition of the festival, this year we are trying to reach out to a larger young audience in multiple locations across the country and spread extra smiles. We are going to screen 150 films from 40 countries, besides hosting ten different types of film-related interactive sessions and capacity-building workshops for children and youth free of cost.”