NEW DELHI: A total of over 50 documentary and short feature films from 22 countries will be screened in the Open Frame from 11 to 17 September organised by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT).

The highlight of the programme this year is a panel discussion on ‘Commemorating 50 years of Public Television’ coinciding with 50 years of the advent of Doordarshan in the country, which will be addressed among others by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.

Others who will take part in the discussion on 14 September at India Habitat Centre are filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shyam Benegal, legal luminary Fali S Nariman, and I&B Secretary Raghu Menon.

One full-length feature film, Firaaq, by actor-director Nandita Das will also be screened during the Festival on 13 September.

Apart from films commissioned by the PSBT for Doordarshan and some other Indian films, the countries from which films have been sent include Japan, South Korea, Congo, the Netherlands, United States, China, Palestine, Israel, South Africa, Liberia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Italy and France.

There will be a large number of India or South Asia premieres of the films being screened, some entered by non-resident Indians.

There will be two film appreciation workshops to be conducted by Suresh Chhabria, former director of the National Film Archives of India and currently a faculty member of the Film and Television Institute of India.

There will be one Input presentation and discussion with Abhijit Das Gupta, National Coordinator, INPUT, and Subramaniam V. Raman, Programme Officer, Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata.

Other discussions will be on ‘Sexual Violence as a weapon of war’, ‘Gender, Hijab and Identity’, and a presentation by Akanksha Joshi on ‘Profiles of Courage and Compassion in Gujarat after 5 years.’

Some interesting films include Can you hear me? Israeli and Palestinian women fight for peace by | Lilly Rivlin of he United States, The Sari Soldiers by Julie Bridgham (which is an American-Nepal presentation), Project Kashmir by Senain Kheshgi & Geeta V. Patel (US), Afghanistan unveiled by Brigitte Brault & the Aina Women Filming Group of Afghanistan, No! The Rape Documentary by Aishah Shahidah Simmons (US), and Morality TV and the loving Jehad by Paromita Vohra.