Imphal, Jan. 31: Children of Manipur will have a rare chance of watching good children's films made by renowned filmmakers around the world during a children film festival inaugurated at the auditorium of Manipur Film Development Corporation here today.

The festival, an annual event, is organised by the corporation and Children's Film Society of India. This is the fourth such film festival held in Imphal.

During the festival, children will have the opportunity to see Eleanor Lindo's Touching Wild Horses (US), Thomas Borch's Sunshine Barry and Disco Worms (Denmark), Gautam Benegal's The Prince and The Crown of Stone (West Bengal), Romulus Whitetaker's Dost Magamachch (Tamil Nadu), Mukhesh Sharma's Anokha Aspatal (Hindi) and Shashank Shankar's Rhino (Assam).

The productions include animation films.

Manipur's renowned filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma's Paari opened the film festival. Sharma's film conveys the message of importance of saving wildlife to the children. The festival evoked an overwhelming response, with more than 600 children turning up along with their school teachers and parents on the first day.

For instance, R.K. Supriya Devi, a private school teacher, brought 74 of her students to attend the opening programme and watch Sharma's Paari.

"There are no theatres in Manipur where children can watch children films. The festival is a rare opportunity for them. I believe they will have a good time and experience," Supriya Devi said.

After the Imphal festival, the corporation will take the films to Kakching in Thoubal district and Moirang in Bishnupur district. The Imphal festival will conclude on February 2.

Only Manipuri video films are shown in the Manipur theatres after rebel outfit Revolutionary Peoples Front banned Hindi movies in the state more than a decade ago. English movies, too, slowly faded away from Manipur screens.