The stage is set for Rain, the first Rinff International Nature Film Festival, being organised by the Birds Club International under the Jayaraj Foundation, at Munnar.
Padmasree awardee Jadav Molai Payeng will inaugurate the festival at 10 a.m. on Friday.
The inaugural film at the three-day festival will be Yasuni Man (America) directed by Ryan Patric Killackey, who will attend the festival.
Screenings will be held at the halls of Pampa and Periyar at the Old Munnar resort.
Filmmaker Jayaraj told The Hindu that Munnar, a biographically sensitive area on the Western Ghats, was the right place for hosting the festival.
Competition films
The Lord Eagle from Russia, directed by Eduard Novikav; Suparna from Sri Lanka, directed by Sajeewa Priyal; Sinjar from India (Sandeep Pampally); and River Road from China (Li Ruijun) will be among the competition films. A special screening of Angu Doore Oru Desathu (Malayalam), directed by Joshy George, will be held.
In competition category (short fiction), H2O (Sri Lanka) directed by Fathima Shanaz, The Fish (Malayalam) directed by Sreelan A.G., Mazhamukile (Malayalam) directed by Manuprasad, Hornbill (Malayalam) directed by Mahesh Sooryan, and Macoconi — The roots of our chil dren (Mozambique) directed by Fabioi Ribeiro will be screened.
Documentaries
In documentary section, competition films include Yasuni Man (America) directed by Ryan Killackey, Bejam beithe- The Never Ending Song (France) directed by Caroline Porietti, Cyprien Ponson, A Lifeline (Japan) directed by Hidekuni Imaz, Kananan- The Spirit of Silent Valley (Malayalam) directed by Suresh Elamaon, Antoe’s ark (Canada) directed by Matthieu Rytz, Spirit of Nature - Kummatti (India) directed by Rameshkumar, and Pallam - An Arc of Life (India) directed by Jayesh Padichal.
There are 13 short films/docus in the youth category and 11 in the school category.