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Himalayan Film Festival to be inaugurated on Friday in Ladakh

By PTI

New Delhi, Sep 22: The Union Territory of Ladakh will host the first-ever Himalayan Film Festival which will be inaugurated by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday.

The minister will kick-off the festival which will be held in Leh district for five days from September 24-28, a statement by the ministry said.

The opening ceremony will be attended by Vishnuvardhan, the director of Hindi film Shershah, and actor Siddharth Malhotra.

"The festival will comprise of various segments to enthrall the audience, including screening of popular films at the Sindhu Sankriti Auditorium, Leh. Workshops and master classes will be organised wherein filmmakers, critics and technicians from the Himalayan region will be invited to impart knowledge and skill to local film enthusiasts. This will serve as a necessary stimulus to ignite a creative leaning towards filmmaking," the statement said.

The festival will also have documentary and short-film competitions, a food festival, music fest, cultural shows in collaboration with the Department of Culture to showcase the rich cultural variety of Ladakh, the ministry said.

"The Himalayan region of India attracts filmmakers from all around the globe due to its scenic endowment. The unique geography of the region is widely documented along with its indigenous people, traditional skills, and occupations. The film festival in this context presents an opportunity for local filmmakers to narrate their stories to a wider audience," it said.

In the last two decades, the independent film industry in the region has taken shape, with filmmakers producing films in local language, it said, adding that the same period has also seen rapid electrification in the region which is a prerequisite for the development of the audio-visual sector.

"With these developments, a popular film produced in India reaches Ladakh but stories from Ladakh still remain untold, especially from the perspective of local filmmakers. Film workshops, master classes, and in-conversation sessions in this context will impart necessary skills and networking opportunities to budding as well as established filmmakers," it said.

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