Report by Aarya Krishnan
Leh, Sep 25: Ladakh is hosting the first-ever Himalayan Film Festival at the Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra in Leh, the joint capital and largest town of the union territory of Ladakh in India. The 5-day film festival is being hosted by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and was inaugurated by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.The festival will take place from 24- 28 September as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
Films from 12 Himalayan states and Union Territories will be screened during the festival.
“Shershaah”, a film based on the life of late Captain Vikram Batra – martyr in the Indo-Pak Kargil War, was screened as the opening film of the festival in the presence of the movie’s cast and crew. “Shepherdess of Glacier” is planned to be the concluding film screening at the event. The festival is being held to showcase the wonders and beauties of Ladakh and to encourage more directors to use Ladakh as a stage for their movies. In the ongoing film festival, short films and short documentaries are also going to be showcased.
A food festival showcasing the exclusive cuisines of Ladakh region, a cultural show showcasing the lush educational campus of Ladakh, and a music festival will also be held during the ongoing film festival. The ‘Himalayan Film Festival’ visualizes committing a Himalayan Film Organization to encourage filmmaking in the Himalayan parts of India and showcasing the brilliance of the Himalayas.