NEW DELHI: A total of 40 films including features, shorts and documentaries will be screened at the very first government-run International Film Festival for Persons with Disabilities (IFFPD) from 1 to 3 December in the capital.

Lov Verma, Secretary in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of the Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry said the festival was being organised to recognise the spirit of the persons with disabilities and will show case films that open the world to their mind space, and sensitise on issue relating to disabilities. 

The films include 10 features, 16 shorts and 14 documentaries and have been selected out of 541 entries received from India and abroad.

The film festival will conclude on 3 December, which is commemorated worldwide every year as International day of Persons with Disabilities. 

IFFPD 2015 will felicitate the Best Director and Best Film in each of the three categories of Films with cash awards with the First and Second Runner Up receiving trophies and citations from the Department.

The awards are:

Best Film (Feature) – (Fiction Feature) – Rs 3 lakh + Trophy + Citation; (Documentary- Feature) – Rs 1 lakh + Trophy + Citation. 

Best Film (Documentary) Rs 2.5 lakh + Trophy + Citation; Best Film (Short) – Rs 1 lakh + Trophy + Citation. 

Best Director (Feature) – Rs 2.5 lakh + Trophy + Citation; Best Director (Documentary) – Rs 1.5 lakh + Trophy + Citation; Best Director (Short) – Rs 1 lakh + Trophy + Citation.

The unique film festival in collaboration with the National Films Development Corporation (NFDC) would also have workshop on film directing and screen writing etc for children.

Until now, the non-governmental Brotherhood has been organising WeCare Film Festivals on Disability around the year in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan.