Nitte International Film Festival begins in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: The Nitte Institute of Communication, Nitte (Deemed to be University), in Mangalore, commenced the fourth edition of the Nitte International Film Festival (NIFF) on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at Bharath Cinemas, Bharath Mall.
The festival was inaugurated by Premendra Mazumder, Vice President of the Federation of Film Societies of India and General Secretary of the International Federation of Film Critics - India, who served as the Chief Guest. Prof. Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty, Pro-Chancellor of Nitte (Deemed to be University), graced the event as the Guest of Honour. Other notable dignitaries present were Prof. Raviraj, Head of NICO and Festival Director of NIFF, and Anupama Ratheesh, Student Coordinator of NIFF.
During his address, Premendra Mazumder emphasized the unique nature of NIFF, where students venture beyond the campus to host the festival, providing better exposure. He also highlighted the opportunity it creates for the public to enjoy films and interact with filmmakers. Mazumder commended the thoughtful curation of the film festival based on the audience's interests. He assured the necessary support and guidance for NIFF from the Film Societies of India, International Federation of Film Critics, and Federation of Film Societies of India.
The Guest of Honour, Prof. Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty, expressed pride in Mangalore as an educational and banking hub, renowned for its diverse culture and tradition. He acknowledged the contributions made by local artists like Aishwarya Rai, Sunil Shetty, and Pooja Hegde in the field of cinema. Prof. Shetty emphasized the role of filmmakers in portraying the world as a small community and fostering love and compassion through their movies. He applauded the organizers for bringing communities together through the medium of films.
Running from June 8 to June 11, 2023, the four-day film festival aims to showcase the best of world cinema and provides a platform for filmmakers, critics, and cinema enthusiasts to attend film screenings and engage in discussions on current artistic developments in the industry. The festival began with the screening of the film "Hadinelentu" by Prithvi Konannur. Throughout the festival, a total of 100 films from various countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, France, and Senegal will be shown in different languages, including Tulu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Tamil, German, and French. The films are being screened across three cinema halls, namely Screen 3, 4, and 5. Around 40 filmmakers from across the country are expected to be present during NIFF. This year, Germany has been chosen as the 'Country of Focus' for the festival.
A special section of the film festival includes a photo exhibition by Ashwathanarayana, an Archivist and Chronicler of the Kannada film industry. The exhibition, arranged in the lobby, showcases snapshots that portray the journey of the sandalwood industry.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
