Oscar films come to city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All the theatres, owned by the Kerala State Film Development  Corporation will be renovated soon, said K B Ganesh Kumar, Minister for Forests and Cinema. “My Department will take it as a prestigious project,” he said while inaugurating the First Oscar Film Festival, being organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) here on Friday.  He said that Kalabhavan theatre at Vazhuthacaud would be developed into a  multi-screen releasing station.A home theatre will be set up at the KSCA headquarters at Sasthamangalam for the public to view films from its library, said the Minister. He also revealed that the KSCA had not paid income tax last year and this  unusual act is not something that make him proud as a social worker.‘The Artist’, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, that bagged five Oscars was the inaugural film in the week-long festival. Eight films which were nominated and won the 84th Academy Awards will be screened.The Minister told that ‘Nine lakh will be spent for the festival, including the rent of the theatre. He did not forget to shower his praise on the theatre for its state-of-the-art facilities.There will be three shows every day till March 29 and the complete fest can viewed by paying Rs 200. Daily pass for Rs 50 can also be bought from the theatre.Minister released the festival book by handing over to Soorya  Krishnamoorthy in the presence of M Renjith, the festival convener and  KSCA executive committee member Gandhimathi Balan.