Block your dates for Pune’s Kirloskar Vasundhara film festival

The 13th edition of Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival (KVIFF) will be held from January 3 to 7, 2019 at Balgandharva Rangmandir and at the Art Gallery, Ghole road. The Vasundhara Sanman (award) will be given to Chaitram Pawar (from Dhule), a renowned person working for the masses, while Madhukar Bachulkar from Kolhapur will receive the ‘green teacher’ award and Rakhi Chavhan from Nagpur will be given the ecojournalist award. At least 55 organisations and 50 colleges are associated with this year’s festival.

In line with this year’s UN theme of ‘Beat plastic pollution’, the 13th KVIFF will focus on the mission ‘No to Plastic, Yes to Earth’. “Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival (KVIFF) is the only environmental festival in India, which combines exclusive national - international film screenings and a number of allied activities,” said Virendra Chitrav, festival director. “This year, prominent cartoonists from Maharashtra will create caricatures on environmental protection and these will be displayed as part of the KVIFF,” said cartoonist Charuhas Pandit.

The highlight of the film festival will be the film ‘Clash of Tigers’, which will hold its India premier at Balgandharva Rangmandir on January 3 at 6pm. As many as 161 films will be screened out of the 1,200 films from 28 countries. Films from nationally and internationally acclaimed festivals such as CMS Vatavaran, Woodpecker, Moving Water Festival, Maharashtra Film Festival will be screened. The festival organisers are hopeful that the at least 10,000 college students would participate. An innovative ‘Eco Bazaar’ will also be set up as part of the festival.

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