Kolkata film fest pulls urban youth via flash mobs

To reach out to the urban youth, the 21st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) organizers held a series of flash mobs in a couple of malls across the city on Monday. This is the first time that this festival is promoting itself through flash mobs to draw crowds to the theatres.

At least 50 dancers participated in the twin events across the two malls, City Centre 1 and Acropilis, to attract youth and to invite them to experience world cinema at the film fest beginning on November 14. They danced to popular Bollywood numbers as the crowd cheered them on.

Filmmaker and actor Arindam Sil and actor Abir Chatterjee — of Byomkesh fame — also joined in the festive atmosphere and encouraged the audience to participate in the film festival and join in Monday’s celebration of cinema.

As many as 149 films by 137 directors from 61 countries will be screened across 12 venues at the KIFF, to be inaugurated here on November 14 by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan. The festival authorities have introduced many new sections in this edition of the festival and there are new awards to draw film makers as well.