The 11th edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY) opened in the national capital with the premiere of the acclaimed Italian film "The Tiger's Nest" starring Sunny Pawar of "Lion" fame.
The three-day festival will feature over 150 films, that include feature films, animation, short films, and documentaries, created by professional filmmakers, children, and students from more than 40 countries.
Ambassador of the European Union, Herve Delphin inaugurated the annual gala on Tuesday at the Siri Fort Auditorium where he was accompanied by festival chairman Santanu Mishra and festival director Jitendra Mishra.
Organised in partnership with the European Union (Delegation of the European Union to India), SIFFCY will conclude on Thursday. The annual festival is also being held over 100 locations across India in a hybrid mode.
Cinema is a universal language, Delphin said at the event.
“Europe and India stand as two incredible hubs of cinematographic creativity and culture! The European Union is happy to partner with SIFFCY again this year with films from over 15 EU countries. Starting from Delhi this show will go around cities in India with top movies for youth that will leave a trail of Smiles in its wake,” added the ambassador of the European Union.
Pawar, who stars in Brando Quilici's film "The Tiger’s Nest", said he was excited to be part of the festival.
"Films made for children and made by children make SIFFCY a unique international festival. I am hopeful that more films and content will be created especially for children across the world. This is much needed," the young actor said.
According to a press release, Poland is the country of honour, whereas Italy is the country of focus in SIFFCY 2025. A curated selection of some of the finest Polish and Italian films for the young audience is going to be presented during the festival.
"Lampo" from Poland, "Doubles Match" from Taiwan, "Bigman" from The Netherlands, "Winners" from Germany, "Soaring Wings" from India, "Greetings from Mars" from Germany, "7600" from Iran, "A Butterfly’s Heart" from Lithuania will also be screened.
Ambassador of Finland to India, Kimmo Lahdevirta; Ambassador of Lithuania to India, Diana Mickeviciene; Ambassador of Georgia to India, Vakhtang Jaoshvili; Ambassador of Ukraine to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk; director, Polish Institute, New Delhi, Małgorzata Wejsis – Golebiak; and director, Italian Cultural Centre, Andrea Anastasio were among the guests of honour at the gala's inauguration.
Santanu Mishra, SIFFCY chairman, producer of "I am Kalam" and co-founder of Smile Foundation, said good cinema can play a crucial role in "shaping the young minds".
"We are excited to present the India premiere of the internationally celebrated cinematic masterpiece The Tiger’s Nest, directed by the brilliant Brando Quilici, at our festival this year. There’s much more in store for the Indian audience throughout the week-long event," added Jitendra Mishra, SIFFCY festival director.
Various creative workshops and panel discussions will be held alongside screening of curated films during the festival.
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