A round of applause for a friendly witch

More than 2,000 children have visited the festival each day for the morning session.

LAHORE:

Hundreds of children sat glued to their seats watching Guddu, Spycat, Captain Chico, Bunty and zombies come to life on the screen on the fifth day of the Lahore International Children’s Film Festival at Alhamra Arts Council on Friday.

More than 15 short films were screened at the morning session on Friday. Greater attendance than usual was observed at some of the shows. The festival organisers had difficulty trying to let more children in the hall.

Nearly seven short films were screened from 9am to 10am. British film Grufffalo’s Child, Spanish film Under the Pillow and Guddu ki Guddi were among the films shown. Animated films from Canada, Belgium, India and Spain were also screened.

Two Pakistani short films in the under-18 category, The Infection and The Infection - Rise of the Zombie King were screened next. The audience broke into applause on learning that the brain behind both films was a 13-year-old director.

Room on the Broom, a 26-minute British short film, was screened at the end of the second show. It is about a witch who finds herself in situations where she has to help various creatures in trouble. The film received an enthusiastic response. The young audience cheered for the witch helping creatures using her broomstick.



More than 500 children poured into Hall 2 for the second show. More than 2,000 have attended each of the morning shows, throughout the week.

On Friday, students from 12 schools, Lahore American School, The Bloomfield Hall, the Roshni Association and The City School branches and the Beaconshouse School System, arrived for the morning shows.  Students from the Lahore College of Home Economics nursery also attended a show.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2013.