Press Release No. EBB-06-2020

Asian Consuls General Club’s Asian Film Festival 2020 kicks off under the leadership of Jeddah PCG as the Club’s Coordinator

JEDDAH, 9 February – The Asian Film Festival 2020 kicked off on Thursday, 6 February, with the screening of the critically-acclaimed Indian film “Andhadhun” at the Indian Consulate General in Jeddah.

The Festival is a project of the Asian Consuls General Club (ACGC), a grouping of thirteen (13) Asian countries in Jeddah with the aim of promoting greater awareness and understanding of their cultures among Saudi and other foreign audiences. Post is the current Coordinator of the Club, which includes Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as members.

Consul General Edgar B. Badajos said that the Asian Film Festival is a way of promoting the rich and unique culture of the 13 countries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the medium that is both popular and entertaining—the film. “As Coordinator, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah aims to strengthen the cultural initiatives of the Club and further intensify its efforts in promoting greater people-to-people exchanges and cultural understanding between Saudi Arabia and the member countries,” he added.

During the opening, Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal said that the Asian Film Festival is a unique platform for cultural exchange between Saudi Arabia and Asian countries. “Since its first inauguration in 2008, the Asian Film Festival has been a window to the diversity and beauty of Asian culture through cinema. Through initiatives such as the film festival, the Asian Consuls General Club (ACGC) aims to enrich the vision of mutual understanding and cultural awareness for a more vibrant society,” Consul Dingal added.

“Andhadhun,” the Indian film featured during the opening of the festival is a comedy crime thriller film which centers on Akash, a piano player pretending to be visually-impaired, who unwittingly becomes entangled in a number of problems after witnessing the murder of a former film actor.

The Festival will run from February to March this year and will feature films from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Pakistan, and the Philippines. ***END***

Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal joins members of the Asian Consuls General
Club in formally opening the Asian Film Festival at the Indian Consulate.

Jeddah PCG Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal delivering the opening
remarks during the opening ceremonies of the Asian Film Festival.