Osian’s-Cinefan, whi-ch brings to audiences the finest films from India, rest of Asia and the Arab countries, is here with a two-day film festival on June 13 and 14. This year the festival is in its 10th year and it will focus mainly on Arab and Asian movies.

The grand finale of the event will witness the celebration of 10 years of Cinefan with a tribute to one of the best loved actors of Indian cinema, Shammi Kapoor.

Some of the best films will be screened at the festival. The entry is free on a first come first seated basis. Last year, Mumbai witnessed a one-day premiere of this event, a first ever, amidst a lot of fervor and excitement.

While films are the ultimate stress busters and the most reliable source of entertainment, film festivals also provide a platform to argue, agree, learn, challenge and ignite one’s imagination.

This year, as part of this event, a two-day long programme will be held at the Godrej Theatre where a panel of intellectuals and artists will analyse and debate the recent rise in levels of cultural intolerance towards artistic creations all over the world.

Three exhibitions from the Osian’s Arts & Film Archive Collection will be showcased at the NCPA. Such a theme and collection have so far never been exhibited in India.

The special focus for this year’s festival is the relationship between writing and cinema and this will be further explored through the Antiquarian ‘The Shakespeare Gallery’ engravings from the Boydell Gallery and the Original Artworks for Vintage Hindi Novel Covers (1950-70s). The third exhibition is a tribute to Shammi Kapoor. Entry is free for all exhibitions.

Latika Padgaonkar, the joint festival director, says, “Osian’s-Cinefan is both fun and serious business. Viewing good cinema is part of the total experience. Then there are the exhibitions, the discussions and the homage to an icon.”