India guest country at Zurich film fest

For its tenth edition, the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) has welcomed India as its New World View section guest. The fest will screen ten new feature and documentary films by emerging Indian filmmakers and a short film block.

Away from the country's "mass cinema tradition" known as Bollywood, the fest will instead focus on the young, independent scene where productions are approaching new themes with fresh narrative styles.

"In doing so, ZFF highlights a country with a tradition spanning more than 100 years of cinematic history and a production output - between 800 and 1,000 films annually," read a statement on the official ZFF website.

"The movement from mainstream to independent cinema is unmistakable. This development is incredibly exciting," the fest's co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, said in a statement.

M.K. Lokesh, Indian ambassador to Switzerland, is delighted by the festival's choice.

"Over the years, the Indian film industry has achieved a very high level of technical standards and directional skills. In the Indo-Swiss context, the Indian cinema, by capturing the natural beauty of Switzerland in many films, contributed to Swiss popularity among Indian tourists.

"It is befitting that the Zurich Film Festival is showcasing India as the guest country this year," Lokesh said.

The film extravaganza will be held Sep 24-Oct 5.