International film festival on RTI begins Wednesday

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) In an attempt to hightlight issues
related to common man, world's first international film
festival on Right to Information (RTI) begins here Wednesday.

The five-day long event, which is being organised by a
collaboration of civil society organisations, will showcase
films from countries like Bulgaria, Zambia, Bangladesh, North
Korea, Switzerland, South Africa and India.

The festival, which runs from October 7 to 11, will be
inaugurated by Wajahat Habibullah, Chief Information
Commissioner of India.

The screening committee of the festival includes
Habibullah, Magsaysay award-winner Arvind Kejriwal and Medha
Patkar among others.
"Films have been a major part of RTI movement and I think
the festival is an encouraging development. It will encourage
filmmakers to make good films on the topic and help create
awareness among people," RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, who is
a part of the festival's screening committee, told PTI.

Manish Sisodia of NGO Kabir, which is one of the
organisers, said, "There are many films on Right to
Information but unfortunately they do not reach to the masses.
We hope that a unique film festival like that will create
awareness about RTI because films are an effective medium of
communication."

Apart from film screenings, the festival will also
organise discussions on the role of RTI and how it has
empowered the common man. PTI