The Chennai International Film Festival was founded in 2003 by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF) film society with the support of the Film Federation of India (FFI), the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFFC), the Government of Tamil Nadu, and a number of other film industry organizations. The main goals of the festival are to contribute to the development of the country’s film industry and to promote friendship and cooperation among peoples of the world through the art of cinema.
The program of the Chennai International Film Festival features over 100 international feature films, introducing local audiences to the best of international cinema. Indian films are screened in two main sections: Tamil Films and Indian Panorama. Each section features 12 films. Competitive and non-competitive screenings take place in several theaters across the city of Chennai.
The CIFF is a competitive film festival. The competition for Tamil feature films was introduced in the festival’s 7th year to encourage Tamil filmmakers and to emphasize the status of the Tamil language in the state of Tamil Nadu. The festival’s jury bestows three awards: Best Tamil Feature Film, Second Best Tamil Feature Film, and Special Jury Award.
The CIFF competition is open only to Tamil language films (all films must be originally filmed in Tamil, dubbed films are not eligible). Besides, at least one of the film directors or producers must be an Indian national. All films should have subtitles in English, otherwise they will be disqualified.
Alongside competitive and non-competitive screenings, the program of the festival features press conferences, opening and closing ceremonies, cultural events, panel discussions, exclusive closed screenings, and other events featuring celebrity guests (actors, filmmakers, producers) from all over the world.
Photo: chennaifilmfest.com
