“Our one goal is to give the world a taste of peace, friendship and understanding through the visual arts, the art of the celebration of life” – Steven Spielberg
Background
Now in its 8th year, the SAARC Film Festival continues to be one of the most successful Programmes in the SAARC Cultural Centre calendar of activities. Since the Inaugural SAARC Film Festival in 2011, the SAARC Member State of Sri Lanka has been host to this diverse celebration of life and the development and display of visual arts through the medium of film.
With every passing year, the SAARC Film Festival has built a reputation as being a very important platform and focal point for the congregation, celebration and enjoyment of some of the best films from the SAARC Region. It has become an event inspiring much interest, respect and regard for the promotion and sharing of the common cultural heritage, norms and traditions of the South Asian Region, through film. Over time it has also gained a reputation for promoting and featuring some of the best films from the SAARC Region. The SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), in keeping with its mandate of promoting culture in the Region through varying types of art, will once again showcase films from South Asia as an expression of its culture at the 8th SAARC Film Festival 2018. A special feature which distinguishes this Festival from others is that the SAARC Member States nominate creations and artistry which display and showcase the cinematic imagination of the SAARC Region, using the medium of Film. A reputed panel of international judges select the best films and recognise the individuals who are at the very core of this creativity as a form of encouragement and respect to continue producing quality, thought provoking and representational films for the Region.
The SAARC Cultural Centre will continue this tradition of bringing wider recognition for South Asian films and in 2018, the SAARC Film Festival will take place in Sri Lanka. It is an event unique to the Region and one that has caused interest and excitement amongst the people of South Asia since 2011. The Centre is committed to developing the concept of “unity within diversity” and innovating through this very dynamic form of cultural exploration and to build it into a truly magnificent and international festival experience. In 2018, the Festival will include a workshop with international experts from the world of film, with additional peripheral events that would enhance the experience of South Asian Cinema even further. The message of tolerance and the power of film will be easily accessible with free entrance to all the events throughout the Festival. Every Member State is given the opportunity to screen and showcase several of their best creations and form a vibrant collage and tapestry of meaningful films from the Region.
The SAARC Film Festival 2018 will focus on films first screened after May 2016, from all Member States, inviting the directors and artists of these films to partake in workshops conducted to encourage and improve future productions.
At the SAARC Film Festival 2018, we explore the world of Film and Cinema indigenous to the SAARC Region, along with the ever-growing enthusiasm and dedication we are privileged to receive from the host country of Sri Lanka.
Film Categories for Nominations
There will be three film categories open for nominations at the SAARC Film Festival 2018:
A. Feature Films – Competitive Nominations
B. Short Films – Competitive Nominations
C. Master Films – Non-Competitive Nominations
Dates and Venue
22nd – 27th May 2018, including the following:
22nd May 2018 – Opening Ceremony
24th May 2018 – Film Workshop
27th May 2018 – SAARC Film Awards Ceremony 2018
Venue: The Cinema Hall, The National Film Corporation, Sri Lanka
SAARC Film Awards 2018
The following Awards will be presented at the end of the SAARC Film Festival, following selection by a panel of jury members from non-SAARC Member States, at the SAARC Film Awards 2018, which will take place on the 27th of May 2018. The decision of the panel will be final.
Registration Form for the Submission of Films
Please contact SAARC Cultural Centre if you require further information.
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