The Bogota XXVI Film Festival Presents the Magic of Indian Films

Thursday, 17 September 2009 00:00

From October 1 to 9, 2009, the Colombian capital will enjoy the 26th edition of the Bogota Film Festival. Special guest will be India, a country acknowledged as the world’s foremost movie producer, with an average of 1,000 films per year. India and Colombia have hBogotaad diplomatic relations for fifty years.

It will be an opportunity for the public to enjoy the charm, music, and poetry of one of the oldest film-making traditions, which has in Shyam Benegal one of its most important directors, about whom a complete retrospective has been planned. For the Festival’s organizers, the selection of films to exhibit was a success as well as a big challenge in the light of the number of films (500) and countries (43) that will participate. These numbers consolidate the Festival as one of seventh art’s most important events at the international level. The first version took place in 1984 when a space was created to divulge and foster national movie production, which was in its very beginnings at the time.

Bogota Film Festival Awards

The Pre-Colombian Gold Circle is the highest award given by the Bogota Film Festival to participants in various categories.

The Pre-Colombian Gold Circle is the highest award given by the Bogota Film Festival to participants in various categories. It is a creation of artist Antonio Grass and represents the autochthonous vessel from the Calima culture, which is similar to the diaphragm and eye of a projector. The Pre-Columbian Icon, designed by Nadín Ospina, is another award.

Other Sections of the Bogota Film Festival

Other sections presented by the Bogota Film Festival are the following:

• Colombian Short Film Grand Prize,
  
• XV Video Festival,
  
• VIII Documentary Prize,
  
• VII Digital Film Sample,
  
• VI Enrique Grau Best Art Documentary,
  
• V Animation Sample,
  
• III Short Film Sample,
  
• II Children’s Sample
  
• III Alexis Prize, a competition among Colombian directors younger than 18 years.
  

Since its creation, the Bogota Film Festival has offered a complete sample of classic and contemporary films for the purpose of bringing various viewpoints and conceptions on film-making closer to film lovers. Under this principle, the turn is now for India and a selection of alternative films produced in Bollywood, the film complex in the city of Bombay.