NFR Kochi Festival Kicks Off

Kochi: The four-month-long international film festival named Neo Film Republic (NFR) Kochi Festival has commenced at the Neo Film School campus. The festival will conclude on October 6.

At the event held at Neo Film School, Respected Mayor M Anil Kumar officially announced the festival and Honourable MP Hibi Eden unveiled the logo. The ceremony was presided over by festival chairman and film director Sibi Malayil. Festival Director Dr. Jain Joseph, Festival Executive Director Leo Thaddeus, and actress and cultural activist Cuckoo Parameswaran also spoke at the event.

This international festival will feature competitions for the NFR Awards in the categories of short films, documentaries, and animations. Additionally, there will be a Pitch Room for pitching scripts, a film investors meet, and a three-day film summit, among numerous other activities. The inaugural season, to be held in Kochi, will see the participation of both national and international talents. One of the main attractions of the festival is the platform it provides to find producers in the short film and documentary sectors and to showcase it as proper business models.

Around 200 volunteers from various colleges and organisations across Kerala are preparing for the festival. Over 100 renowned personalities from global stages will participate as jury members, conclave panelists, and class instructors. A committee of 50 members from various fields is leading the festival.

Dr. Jain Joseph said that the NFR Kochi Festival is being organised with the aim of providing international perspectives and operational frameworks for newcomers in filmmaking, thereby exploring new opportunities in the cinema industry. He added that the festival will benefit students, women, entrepreneurs, artists from all fields, and senior citizens.