day extravaganza, the 4th annual Asian Film Festival-2011 kicked off Wednesday night with the screening of a Philippine feature film “Fidel.” The festival, to last till Feb. 28, has been organized by the Asian Consulates General Club (ACGC) of 13 Asian countries with 14 envoys including Saudi Arabia. The festival is featuring documentaries and feature films. On the opening and following day films will be screened at Brunei Consulate General's premises. The focus will later shift to the Sri Lankan consulate which will screen films and documentaries for six continuous days. Brunei consulate will again screen films from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and Brunei during the last five days of the festival. Different feature films and documentaries from member countries, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand, of the Asian Consulates General Club (ACGC) and Saudi Arabia is a way to promote and to know the richness of each other's culture and heritage. Ezzedin Tago, Philippine Consul General and new coordinator of the ACGC in Jeddah, welcomed the guests at the festival's opening on Wednesday. “Fidel”, featured on the opening night, tells the story of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who gets into trouble from his employer. Enraged over what happened, Fidel kills the employer and lands himself on the death row. But reporters learned about Fidel's past – a boy next door type who grew up with a loving family, a profile that doesn't fit the picture of a killer. However, Fidel insists that he killed his employer on purpose. The last night of the 13-day festival, will have a food festival, Tago said. “I think food and films usually say a lot about cultures and social psyche of nation and peoples. Films could be considered “cultural mirrors ” and a valuable reflection of contemporary attitude, values, philosophies and lifestyles. I think it's a good opportunity for us to learn about other cultures. Even national foods also reflect our respective cultures and histories,” said Tago in his inauguration speech.
