Pondicherry International Film Festival to screen over 100 films from 25 countries; special focus on French cinema, art and culture

Puducherry: A Pondicherry International Film Festival (PIFF), which will showcase over 100 films from more than 25 countries, was announced on 16 July. [caption id=“attachment_4753001” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Actor Adil Hussain joins Indie cinema platform Pickurflick as mentor and brand ambassador. Indo-Asian News Service[/caption] Streaming platform Pickurflick with the support of Puducherry Tourism has announced that the inaugural edition of the independent film extravaganza will be held from 26 to 30 September . France is the partner country for the festival and there will be a special focus on French cinema, art and culture. Actor Adil Hussain is closely associated with Pickurflick as a mentor and brand ambassador. “Pondicherry brings light into my heart. I had been in Pondicherry since 1995. It played one of the most important roles for me to help grow as a person and an actor. I’m so very delighted that the first Pondicherry International Film Festival is taking place there,” Adil said in a statement. Besides film screenings, the five-day film festival will also conduct art, culture exhibition, food festival and music concerts to celebrate art, entertainment and travel in Puducherry, which was a French colony. The mega festival will also promote Puducherry as a tourist destination. “PIFF will highlight the relevance of not only filmmakers but also film-goers who want to engage differently, and in new ways, with the medium. It is our fervent hope that the film festival will propel an exciting, full-fledged movement in the years ahead,” said Saibal Chatterjee, festival director, PIFF 2018. PIFF 2018 will have a special section on independent Tamil cinema and will also focus on indie regional cinema.