Brasilia (Brazil), May 18 (IANS): Brazil has paid tribute to the Indian film industry on its centenary by releasing two postage stamps designed by an Indian graphic designer at a commemorative festival here.
The $2 billion (Rs.120 billion) Indian cinema completed 100 years in 2013.
Made by Kochi-based graphic designer Satya Raj, the stamps were jointly released by Indian Ambassador Ashok Tomar and curators and directors of the festival - Anand Jyothi and Carina Bini Palackapilly - when the festival officially opened in the capital city of Brasilia early this month, said a statement.
Cultural director of the Brazilian Postal Service Romulo Salvino, and cultural secretary Sueli Navaho and Brazilian and Indian officials attended the ceremony.
Jyothi said the first ever edition of the festival marking 100 years of Indian cinema to be held in South America will later move to important Brazilian cities such as Rio De Janeiro, Reife (northern Brazil) and Porte Alegre (southern Brazil) after the World Cup - June 12-July 13.
The festival, with focus on parallel art movies, is organised by Tantri Arte, a production house run by film curator couple Jyothi, a Malayali and his Brazilian wife Carina Bini, in collaboration with Brazilian cultural ministry.
The couple has been working as a cultural link between Brazil and India for over 15 years, and the film festival was one of their major initiatives that received recognition of both the governments.
Jyothi said the films were being well received by the Brazilian cinema connoisseurs and critics with Adoor Gopalakrishnan's award-winning “Katha Purushan” winning special accolades.
The couple organised the Indian film festivals in five Brazilian cities during 2011 and 2012. For their 2012 efforts, which saw the screening of 35 Indian films during a month, they won official recognition as the Best Foreign Film Festival.
The fest was curated to bring together top contemporary Indian cinema in different languages made by such maestros as Adoor, Girish Kasravalli, Shyam Benegal, and Anand Gandhi among others, Jyothi said.