Mother Teresa Film Festival at Patna

August 23, 2011: Patna, the capital town of India’s Bihar sate, will host the Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF) from Sep 2-5, marking the close of the birth centenary celebrations of the “saint of the gutters.”
The films based on Blessed Teresa of Kolkata will be screened at more than seven locations throughout the city in a joint initiative by SIGNIS and AASRA, a local voluntary organization.
“The film festival is placed in the larger context of the close of the birth centenary Year of Mother Teresa and is a citizen’s initiative to celebrate Mother Teresa,” said Frank Krishner, festival Director and AASRA Charitable Trust Managing Trustee.
“It’s about bringing the message of Mother Teresa to the young people who may have never heard about her. So the idea was to let everybody join hands and use available resources to help people access the films,” he said.
The films include features, animation and short documentaries from Italy, USA, India, France and other places. The Government College of Arts and Crafts, Patna Women’s College, Holy Family Hospital, and six other schools will screen the films to over 10,000 potential viewers.
Christopher Bachmann, secretary of Young Men’s Christian Association, Patna, hoped the festival and the life of Mother Teresa would inspire youngsters to be more considerate and caring.
MTIFF 2011 is being held for the first time in Patna and has a special relevance as Mother Teresa received her medical training in 1948 in the city to equip herself to serve the poor and destitute.
The festival has travelled to about 50 destinations in India from Kolkata. It has been showcased in countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.