Pondicherry International Film Festival announced (Lead)

Puducherry : A Pondicherry International Film Festival (PIFF), which will showcase over 100 films from more than 25 countries, was announced on Monday.

Streaming platform Pickurflick with the support of Puducherry Tourism has announced that the inaugural edition of the independent film extravaganza will be held from September 26 to 30.

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.