Cuttack, Feb. 6: A package of 24 documentary, short and animation films by eminent filmmakers will be screened at Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute (BPFTI) here from Friday.

The three-day festival is being held after nearly 13 years at BPFTI. The Films Division, government of India, in collaboration with BPFTI is organising the non-competitive film festival — Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) In Odisha. All 24 films have already been screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).

The Little Terrorist (2005) by Ashvin Kumar will be the first film to be screened at the festival.

“We are looking forward to the MIFF Odisha Film Festival as it was held way back in 2000 at BPFTI. The film festival will help students come up with innovative ideas to produce documentaries,” said BPFTI principal S.K. Das.

Das said MIFF in Odisha is a festival of award-winning films from the Mumbai International Film Festival, which began in the 90s and was called Bombay International Film Festival.

Documentaries, short and animation films from Bangladesh, Romania, the UK, Australia and Bulgaria will also be screened. The duration of these films ranges from three to 80 minutes.

“Being a student of cinematography, the film festival will help me observe what really goes behind documentary film-making,” said Braja Sundar Rout, a third-year student.

“This time, we have laid stress on animation films, which have not got adequate scope in our country,” said Films Division branch manager Sumaya Mukherjee.

Mukherjee said there were plans to screen rare documentaries, including one based on Rabindranath Tagore by Satyajit Ray.

“We are also planning to screen documentaries by students of BPFTI and other local artists at MIFF Odisha,” Mukherjee said.