Ricky Kej launches 2017 RoundGlass Samsara Festival

Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej on Monday launched the RoundGlass Samsara Festival, a three-day international environmental film festival being hosted in Bengaluru.

The inaugural event of 2017 RoundGlass Samsara Festival, a global heralding of conscious action through art, appreciation and dialogue, was attended by numerous dignitaries, including reputed Swedish filmmaker Frederic Ollerstam, also a jury member for the festival; and Grammy-nominee Lonnie Park from the US.

Speaking at the launch, Ricky Kej said, "It is with great pleasure I present to you the RoundGlass Samsara International Film Festival 2017. Along with our amazing curator, Srinivasa Santanam and his team, we have brought to you 90 exceptional films. These films have been chosen from over 4000 entries we received from more than 105 countries. Art is a powerful way to showcase our world, and its issues; the environment, and the campaign to preserve it. [sic]"

"Film is a fantastic medium to convey a message and make a lasting impression on the viewer. Being a musician, I understand the power that art has to influence one who understands the message. Being a lifelong conservationist, I feel the need to communicate to the audience – especially through various artistic media – how urgent the change in lifestyle is needed. I hope you enjoy these films and they provide a wholesome learning experience while also offering you entertainment," he added. 

Swedish film director Frederic Ollerstam said,"We received fantastic submissions for the film festival on the theme of environment from around the world. It was a challenge choosing just 90 films that would be screened over three days. Each film has been chosen carefully to engage as well as create an impact on our consciousness, so we can all work together towards a balanced world."

National Institute of Advanced Studies will be screening environmental films from 11 am to 6 pm, Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy will screen films from 10 am to 8 pm. 

Section-wise films being screened is as below:

Feature films including documentaries: 14

Short animations: 15

Short Fictions including documentaries: 14

Indian Panorama non-competition: 16

World Cinema non-competition: 31