New Delhi, Feb 22 (ANI): Union Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma will inaugurate the first Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) Film Festival here this evening.

Ambassador of Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran , Syed Mehdin Nabizadeh , current Chairman of IOR-ARC, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Asha Swarup and Director of the opening film, Stephen Michael Johnson will be present of the occasion.

The inaugural event will be followed by a screening of the Australian film Yolngu Boy.

The nine-day IOR-ARC film festival is being held in partnership with the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Ten films are being screened at the festival from IOR-ARC member countries, viz. Australia, Bangladesh, Iran, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and India.

The directors of the films from Australia, Mauritius and Bangladesh are expected to be present at the time of inauguration of the film festival.

The directors of the films from Kenya and Tanzania are expected to be present on the concluding day on March 1.

India had offered to host this festival at the Seventh Council of Ministers Meeting of IOR-ARC held in March 2007.

IOR-ARC is a regional cooperation initiative established in Mauritius in March 1997 with the aim of promoting economic and technical cooperation, including expansion of trade and investment and comprises 18 members: Australia, India, Kenya, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Yemen, Bangladesh, Iran, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.

There are five dialogue partners of IOR-ARC - France, Japan, UK, Egypt and China. (Seychelles withdrew from IOR-ARC in 2003). (ANI)