Short Film News (SFN)- With eight films from Iran, the 12th Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival (OCFF) kicked off in New Delhi by the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Beside Iran, 175 films from 38 participating countries of Asia and the Arab world, are participating in the festival.

The opening ceremony presented to the viewers a befitting tribute to the superstar who we’ve lost just a week back. A montage of some of the best scenes and snippets of some of the best songs that Superstar Rajesh Khanna has gifted to the world of cinema was offered yet again, in an unforgettable manner.

OSIAN’s this year is dedicated to Freedom of Creative Thought and Expression, and has environmental awareness as its scaffolding. The festival was inaugurated to a packed Siri Fort One auditorium with the lighting of the lamp by Neville Tuli, Chairman – OSIAN’s, and Indu Shrikent, Festival Director.

Indu Shrikent’s speech consisted of a brief outline of what the festival would entail this year. An eclectic array of stimulating films from around the East would be shown to the audience. Shrikent paid her tributes to renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and famous Indian filmmaker Mani Kaul.

The Aruna Vasudev Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Samir Farid, one of the most prolific and significant film critics of the Arab world.

The jury for the Asian and Arab competition consists of Marco Mueller, Artistic Director of the Rome Film Festival; eminent filmmaker Muzaffar Ali; Iranian filmmaker Ali Mosaffa; Egyptian director Magdi Ahmed Ali; and American filmmaker James V Hart. The section includes twelve films from Asian and Arab cinema.

The Indian jury is headed by Iranian filmmaker Hamid Dabashi, Indian director and film critic Khalid Mohammed, renowned actor Lillete Dubey, Ms Annemarie Jacir from Jordan, Afghan-born filmmaker Atiq Rahimi, and Dutch documentary filmmaker Sonia Herman Dolz. There are nine films in the competition.

Also Panah Panahi from Iran is a jury member of Shorts competition.

The Festival is organized in association with the Government of the NCT of Delhi and more info is available at festival’s website: http://cinefan.osians.com