Centenary Film Festival to be launched from 25th April to commemorate 100 years of Indian Cinema

I&B Minister to inaugurate “Indian Cinema 100 (Celebrating a Century: An Audio Visual Voyage)” Exhibition

Unique screening of Silent film "Throw of Dice' with LIVE musical orchestra by Maestro Nishat Khan at the Inaugural Function

To commemorate the “100 years of Indian Cinema,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is organizing a six day Centenary Film Festival to celebrate Indian Cinema in all its glory. The Festival will commence on April 25th, with the inauguration of the exhibition “Indian Cinema 100 (Celebrating a Century: An Audio Visual Voyage)” by the Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Sh. Manish Tewari. The highlight of the inaugural programme of the festival will be the screening of the silent film "Throw of Dice' with LIVE musical orchestra by maestro Nishat Khan. A Play on the life and times of Dadasaheb Phalke by Aamir Raza Hussain would mark the end of the festival on 30th April. In an effort to bring the festival to the doorstep of film lovers in the capital, the festival is being celebrated at the Siri Fort auditorium as well as other venues such as Jamia Milia University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and India Habitat Center.

The six day extravaganza will include screenings of some classics as well as contemporary Indian films by master directors such as Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and their ilk. The festival will also pay tribute to some of the finest actors of popular Indian cinema who are no longer in our midst. These include special screenings on films starring Balraj Sahni, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, among others. The films being screened represent a sprinkling of various flavours of Indian cinema from major film producing regions of the country. Eminent film makers and actors have been invited to interact with the audiences over the course of the six day festival.

A key highlight of the festival includes a special “Satyajit Ray Retrospective” and display the artwork of the iconic personality. Films Division documentaries which have captured on celluloid post Independent India in all its myriad perspectives, will showcase some gems out of its rich archive, such as news reels documentaries, shorts, features and animation films on diverse subjects. Another key highlight of the festival is the “Cut-Uncut,”a three day workshop conceived and being executed by members of the CBFC (Censor Board). This event will showcase the growth and evolution of censorship in Indian cinema, through workshops and insightful panel discussions.

The Centenary celebrations would culminate in the National Film Award ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan on 3rd May. The awards including the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award will be conferred by the Hon’ble President of India.