New Delhi: In an important development, the Director of Smile Foundation’s International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) has been unanimously elected the President of CIFEJ General Assembly 2020-2022. Smile Foundation being the pioneers for promoting good cinema this is a proud moment where India’s premiere film festival for children and youth, SIFFCY, is highlighted at a global level.
CIFEJ hosted an online election for the President and the other Members of the CIFEJ Board of Directors in which more than 50 active members from 40 different countries voted. Mr. Jitendra Mishra, Director of Smile Foundation’s International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) bagged a historic unopposed presidential win with 100% votes.
Founded in 1955 under the auspices of UNESCO, CIFEJ is one of the oldest global networks of audio-visual media professionals working for children and young people. CIFEJ aims to promote the production of films and audio-visual media for children and young people, films that are culturally diverse, artistic, educational, informative, and entertaining. CIFEJ was established in Brussels, Belgium in 1955 and after five years of operations moved to Paris where its head office was active for 30 years. Between 1990 and 2007, the head office was located in Montreal, Canada. For the last ten years, its headquarters has been in Iran. At present, Mr. Mohsen Chiniforoushan, Former General and Managing Director of Kanoon, Iran, is the Secretary-General of CIFEJ.
Commenting on Mr. Mishra’s win, Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder, and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said, “It is an absolute privilege for Smile Foundation and our team at SIFFCY to receive such an honor. We are focused on bringing creative and educational content, staying true to SIFFCY’s founding principal. To showcase the best stories from the world, SIFFCY has quickly grown into a unique platform, gaining international acclaim. Jitendra’s election is global recognition of our commitment to increase access to children’s cinema in India. This win will help strengthen our resolve to work harder to bring high quality content to national and international audiences.”
Mr. Jitendra Mishra, Festival Director, SIFFCY said, “This is a clear reflection of the trust and respect that all CIFEJ members have towards the work we have been doing at SIFFCY and Smile Foundation. If we put ourselves to it, we can bring change on a global scale and achieve our goals. I am grateful to the management of Smile Foundation for creating this opportunity.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, more and more children are choosing online education. While it has helped fill the last-mile gap in the delivery of education, screen fatigue and social isolation have taken a toll on children’s mental health, a fact highlighted in a recent study conducted by Smile Foundation across its Mission Education centres. SIFFCY is a platform dedicated to celebrating togetherness and collaboration among children and youth.
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