The 53rd edition of IFFI, the International Film Festival of India, is all set to open to a colourful opening ceremony at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigão, Goa.
This edition of the festival presents to film delegates a potpourri of 280 films, inviting them to immerse themselves in the lives, aspirations and struggles of people from a total of 79 countries.
Seven films by Goans will be shown for the first time during the festival and a master class has been organised for Goan filmmakers from November 23 to 26 as part of an initiative of the Government of Goa.
This was disclosed by Swetika Sachan, CEO of Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) at a curtain raiser press conference to the event on Thursday.
“The seven feature films shortlisted were from amongst the ten films received,” added Swetika. “Opening screenings will be held at Joggers Park in Altinho, Ravindra Bhavan in Margao and Miramar beach,” she disclosed.
“IFFI, for the first time, will see the premier of Indian and World films and films from the OTT platforms will be premiered too during the festival,” disclosed Ravinder Bhakar, Managing Director of NFDC.
Carlos Saura of Spain will be receiving the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award and the Indian Panorama section will consist of 339 feature films in 23 different languages,” said Bhakar.
The organisers of IFFI have decided to award the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Asha Parekh and five Manipur films are to be screened during the festival to celebrate 50 years of Manipuri cinema, he said.
“Also, IFFI is set to show Indian classics restored by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC),” Bhakar informed.
Nadav Lapid from Israel will chair the international jury for this edition of the festival and he will be assisted by Jinko Gotoh of USA, Pascale Chavance of France and Javier Angulo of Spain.
“183 films will be screened during the festival and for the first time 30 per cent of the films are of women filmmakers,” disclosed Bhakar. “The country focus this year is France and that is why there will be eight select films from the country that will be screened during the festival,” he said.
“Due to demand in the past, four horror films will be screened this time along with animated films for children,” added Bhakar. IFFI is going forward with the setting up of a film bazaar, a screenwriters' lab and a centre where production partners could meet and chalk out plans for the future.
“A smartphone filmmaking course for children with autism and other disabilities has been planned during the festival” he said.
Nearly 5,000 delegates have registered for the festival to be held from November 20 to Nov 28. The German film Fixation will be part of the mid-fest film.
Documentary-based films will also be screened in collaboration with UNICEF. Workshops on acting and filmmaking for differently-abled persons are some of the other activities planned.