From Shilpa Ranade's animated Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya to Seemaa Desai's directorial debut, Pappu Ki Pugdandi, the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI) has been producing films for over 60 years. Few of these will be screened at their free-of-cost summer film festival for kids, held in Mumbai, Delhi, among other cities.

“We have partnered with NGOs like Salaam Baalak Trust and Action India, which bring over 200 students to the screenings and have invited municipal schools to join in. We are also accepting all kinds of viewing requests from organisations to get as many children as possible on board,“ Dr Shravan Kumar, Festival Director and CEO, CFSI, which has produced national and international award-winning films as well, told Mirror.

Taking the initiative a notch higher this year, the film society has launched a new app for children to learn filmmaking. “Anyone can get on the app. If there are over 25 children or more, we organise workshops at a place convenient to them. CFSI members and students of the Film and Television Institute of India take over teaching duties,“ Shravan adds.

Moreover, a new segment, 'Little Directors', is being added to CFSI's annual calendar, where children can compete with their films. “It was nice to see a packed house at our three-day screening event at Siri Fort auditorium on Friday afternoon. We screen only two films daily from a long list, including ­ Gattu, Krish Trish and Baltiboy, Kaphal, Gauru and Kima's Lode. We hope more kids join us in the journey,“ he says.