In a rare gesture for the people of Croatia, Asian Academy of Film & Television organised on the completion of ten years of its independence, a two day festival of films from that country. Inaugurating the festival, the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia Dr. Zoran Andric said taht the movies are indeed teh modern art form and the cultural heritage of a nation. The Ambassador said that he is greatly impressed with the Indian movies and the works of great masters like Satyajit Ray. Dr. Zoran Andric invited Indian film makers to come to his country of unmatched natural beauty where the sea, mountains and plains come together in a unique way, to do their work. In his welcome address Prof. Sandeep Marwah mentioned that Croatian films have indeed carved a niche in the international cinema. The well known film-critic I.M. Sahai informed the students that being of great educational value, International Film Festivals invariably attract large number of students of cinema. Mr. U. Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Federation of Film Societies of India said exposure to world cinema is absolutely necessary for the film makers. Old Oak Blues directed by Branko Schmidt, Russian Meat Starring Barbara Nola, I wish I were a Shark directed by Eqnijen Svilicic and selected documentaries like Ships & People, The Fourth Shift and The Counter were among ten films screened during the two day festival. |
