The 12th Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) began in New Delhi, focusing on inclusion and diversity. Manmeet Kaur Nanda of DEPwD stressed reasonable accommodation for disabled persons as a constitutional obligation.
The 12th edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) commenced in the national capital on Wednesday, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, filmmakers, educators and young audiences to celebrate cinema that promotes inclusion, diversity and social awareness.
Championing Disability Rights and Inclusion
Addressing the gathering, Manmeet Kaur Nanda, IAS, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), highlighted the lived realities and everyday challenges faced by persons with disabilities in India, according to a press note. Drawing on landmark jurisprudence, including the Supreme Court's 2021 judgment in Vikash Kumar vs UPSC, she emphasised that reasonable accommodation is a constitutional obligation, requiring positive measures to ensure equal participation, whether in classrooms or cultural spaces. She cautioned that denial of accommodations, such as extra time for children with dyslexia or admission to children with autism, amounts to practicality but to discrimination.
Festival's Vision for a Compassionate World
Echoing this vision, Santanu Mishra, Chairman, SIFFCY, and Co-founder, Smile Foundation, said, "Childhood is a decisive phase where values and perspectives take root. Through SIFFCY, we use cinema as a gentle yet powerful medium to nurture empathy, resilience, and social awareness among children and youth. Stories that celebrate diversity and inclusion can leave lasting impressions and help shape more compassionate worldviews."
Expanding on the festival's global outlook, Jitendra Mishra, Festival Director, SIFFCY, and President, CIFEJ 2025-27, said, "SIFFCY brings together stories from across cultures that reflect the realities and aspirations of young people worldwide. Through carefully curated films and meaningful dialogue, the festival offers young audiences a shared cultural space to explore diversity, creativity, and global perspectives."
SIFFCY 2026: Highlights and Global Collaboration
The 12th edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), an initiative of Smile Foundation, is being held from 28 January to 3 February 2026, celebrating Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility through cinema for young audiences. The festival is being organised in partnership with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and the Delegation of the European Union to India. SIFFCY 2026 opened with the Polish-Czech co-production Grandpa, Let's Go! The festival is bringing more than 100 films from 20 European member states. A delegation of five filmmakers and festival directors from Poland is also participating in SIFFCY with the support of the Polish Institute in New Delhi. (ANI)
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