12th Osian’s- Cinefan Opens on 27 July 2012, showcases World Cinema

12th Osian’s- Cinefan Opens on 27 July 2012, showcases World Cinema
Launches New Festival Symbol on ‘World Turtle Day’

Mumbai, 23 May 2012,: Osian’s announced that the 12th Osian’s- Cinefan Film Festival will take place from 27th July to 5th August 2012. Dedicated to bringing the finest films from India, Asia and the Arab world, the 12th edition of the Osian’s-Cinefan Festival will showcase an exciting and bold program of over 200 films from more than 50 countries representing the best of Asian, Arab and Indian Cinema. The conceptual framework of ‘Freedom of Creative Thought & Expression’ is the focus of this year’s festival. The venue for the Flim Festival would be the Siri Fort Complex and the new Kila Complex which includes the forthcoming Osianama – Art & Film Museum and Blue Frog, New Delhi. As since its inception, the Festival is being organized in collaboration with the Government of NCT of Delhi. Along with Competition Sections, First Features, Animation and Short Films will also be given special platforms. Cinefan’s new ‘7.4’ section on films dedicated to the themes of Environmental Issues – will be a precursor of a Summit on Natural and Man-made Heritage, which by 2013 will translate into a new film festival dedicated to this subject. With this new focus on environment, Osian’s-Cinefan proudly announces that in its 12th year it has chosen the Turtle as its future symbol for the festival. These ancient yet contemporary creatures represent longevity and wisdom. Also, the turtle is the spiritual vehicle (vahana) for one of India’s great rivers – the Yamuna. It also holds a sacred place in Indian mythology as Lord Vishnu’s first incarnate form was the turtle (Kurma avatar) which plunged into the ocean to help churn out the nectar of immortality (amrit). And, finally the turtle represents the struggle for survival in face of an increasingly hostile environment. It is essential and clear that all of us today place contemporary ecological thoughts uppermost in all we do and prioritize. On ‘World Turtle Day’ (23rd May) Osian’s salutes all the organizations and individuals across the globe that are so valiantly fighting to conserve the turtle and many other rare species against all kinds of depredations and attacks. The environmental focus is taken also taken forward by commissioning a new Osian’s – Cinefan Award Trophy crafted out of the eco friendly material – terracotta – by eminent artist K. Laxma Goud. His depictions since the early 1970s depicting the human-animal-nature continuum represent some of the finest examples of modern Indian art.