British Deputy High Commissioner Bruce Bucknell today said he was happy with the UK being chosen as the focus country for the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) which kicks off from November 10.
"I am happy that this festival is being used to celebrate India's connections with Britain. I am happy the focus country is UK this time.
"Basically, it is a celebration of your culture which had been first creatively showcased in the Durga Puja pandals over a month back and the subsequent Red Road Durga puja Carnival and the wonderful hospitality extended during the Under-17 FIFA World Cup," Bucknell said at the KIFF curtain raiser press meet.
He said Kolkata's creativity will be on show yet again at the third event in two months -- the upcoming KIFF -- after the Durga Puja carnival and U-17 World Cup "to make it a triple whammy."
On the recently concluded U-17 world Cup, Buckneil said, "May be you had supported Brazil but that does not matter. Brazil is the second most favourite nation in the football world after all. But the England team was touched by the hospitality and warmth of the people of the city, the top class facilities and never felt uncomfortable."
At the KIFF, the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Rachel Dwyer, a professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London.
There will also be a retrospective of six films by prominent British director Michael Winterbottom.
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