Chennai film festival gets bigger, better

CHENNAI: Here is good news for film-lovers as more than 160 films from 57 countries are coming to the city as part of the 10th Chennai International Film Festival which is scheduled to be held from December 13 to 20.
The festival, organised by Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation with the support of the state government, will have the best of world cinema made in the past 12 months.Films like Amour (Michael Haneka), Pieta (Kim-Ki-Duk) and Le Grand Soir (Gustave de Kervern) will be screened. A retrospective of veteran French director Claude Chabrol and a two-film tribute to Greek filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis is being organised.
Woodlands, Sathyam, Casino, and Rani Seethai Hall will be the main theatre for the screenings. "The government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for this year's festival. It's very promising compared to the Rs 25 lakh in 2011," said Thangaraj. Director Suhasini Maniratnam announced that Amitabh Bachchan will participate in the closing ceremony. Registrations begin on December 4.