The cutout of Logo of the Children's Film Festival 2004 at Rajendra Vidyalaya. Picture by Uma Shankar Dubey

Jamshedpur, Dec. 1: The buzz of kids? chatter drowned every other sound in the Rajendra Vidyalaya auditorium. They clapped and cheered at the end of Raghuvir Kulkarni?s Lagi Shart, the inaugural film of the 7th Children?s Film Festival, which began here today. It was a tale of two friends, who placed a bet.

The festival was inaugurated by East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar Burnwal at the Rajendra Vidyalaya Auditorium. Mumbai-based documentary film-maker Sanskar Desai and P.R. Halder, a Children?s Film Society official, were also present at the function.

A lot depends on the response to the festival as it could pave the way for the city to host the National Children?s Film Festival next year.

With the district administration?s attempts to reach out to more than 30,000 rural students this year, the festival, which opened to a full house today, is sure to draw crowds.

The 14-day fiesta is being organised by the Children?s Film Society of India and the East Singhbhum district administration in association with Celluloid Chapter, a local film club.

Addressing the gathering, Sanskar Desai said children?s films were a medium of entertainment and education, not just meant for children, but for teenagers as well. ?The Children?s Film Society makes at least five films a year. But these are hardly screened at the theatres due to lack of promoters. Children should watch these movies at festivals,? he added.

Desai, who also held a two-day workshop on filmmaking and film appreciation in the city, said it had the potential to churn out successful professionals.

?Filmmaking can?t be covered in a two-day crash course. But I came across many children who can take it up as a profession with proper guidance and training,? said Desai.

Deputy commissioner Burnwal said schools and the block education offices would be used to screen the films so that children outside the city can also watch them. ?We ordered all schools to screen films on their premises to enable students from Class I to Class IX to watch them and learn from them,? he said.

Burnwal said the city would bid for the next National Children?s Film Festival. ?We have written to the government and requested the Children?s Film Society of India to allow us to host the National Children?s Film Festival in our city,? he said.

Apart from the theatres, SDSM School for Excellence will also screen Sunil Advani?s Ek Ajooba and Kabhi Paas Kabhi Fail on the second day of the festival.