Three films were screened in the Bengali Panorama section of the 21st Kolkata International Film Festival, which concluded today.
Asked about the small number, KIFF Short and Documentary Screening Committee Chairman Arindam Sil said, "I am sure more films will make it to the section next year."
Since there is a mandate that films screened in one festival cannot be premiered elsewhere beforehand, Bengali film directors who got the cut in IFFI Indian Panorama could not send their entries to KIFF, Sil, a actor-executive producer-director said.
Nandita Roy and Shibo Prasad Mukhopadhyay, considered the most successful duo of directors in Bengali cinema in present times, sent their short film 'Joyee' to Bengali Panorama which was screened on the concluding day.
The film, which starred Rituparna Sengupta and Devlina Kumar, was about the triumph of women in everyday life.
"We are happy to screen our film in the Panorama section in the film festival in Kolkata, which is our place and to reach out to the festival audience in our city. We are hopeful of coming back again," Shibo Prasad said.
Young director Pranabes Chandra was enthusiastic about being selected to the Bengali Panorama with his 'Char Diker Galpo' - a string of four short stories.
"I am happy that my film has been selected at the festival. We tend to compromise a lot in our lives and the film is based on that. Happy with the audience feedback," Chandra said.
'Char Diker Galpo' stars 'Ichhe' actor Samadarshi, Anindya Banerjee, veteran Biswajit Chakraborty among others.
'Bhalo Meye Kharap Meye' was the third entry in Bengali Panorama and deals with how the society is more judgemental about women.
Directed by Tamal Dasgupta 'Bhalo Meye Kharap Meye' stars singer-actor Silajit Majumder among others.
The KIFF, held from November 14-21, featured 149 movies from 61 countries in 15 categories across 12 locations in the city.
