Finance
The 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will kick off on Sunday in Goa.
The nine-day gala, which will feature 280 films from 79 countries and many other activities, will begin with the Austrian film ‘Alma and Oskar,’ directed by Dieter Berner, and will end with Krzysztof Zanussi’s ‘Perfect Number.’
France is the ‘Spotlight’ country, with eight films screening as part of the ‘Country Focus’ package.
On Sunday, the opening ceremony will take place at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao, Goa.
The Gala Red Carpet Opening Ceremony will start at 4:00 p.m., followed by the opening ceremony from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
IFFI is seeing an increase in delegates this year, with over 6000 registrations, in addition to invitees, as standards improve year after year.
This eight-day event is organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and will conclude on November 28.
According to ESG Chief Executive Officer Swetika Sachan, IAS, the festival’s goal is to “gather cinephiles and cinema production houses from all over the world to celebrate cinema.”
Sachan said that their endeavour is to create “the best environment for cinemas during IFFI, for which every measure has been taken”.
“We already have around 6,000 delegates and many invitees are invited by NFDC. Participation in big numbers definitely will give bigger success (to the event),” she said.
Another draw, she says, is the second edition of the Ministry of Broadcasting and Information’s ’75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ initiative. The number of filmmakers honored is symbolic of India’s 75th year of independence.
According to Sachan, ‘Film Bazaar’ will feature some of the best films and filmmakers in various sections.
“In this festival, we have Film Bazaar, which will help budding filmmakers and others. Anybody who intends to produce a movie or has good script etc, can get the producers here. Film Bazaar caters to that kind of audience who are professionals in film making. They can find producers, and persons producing their film and content,” Sachan said.
Pavilions will appear at IFFI for the first time, in line with major international markets such as the Marche du Cannes. This year, there will be 42 Pavilions in total. They will house film offices from various state governments, participating countries, industry players, and ministry media units. This will also be the first time that many restored classics will be available at ‘The Viewing Room,’ where the rights to these films can be purchased and used at film festivals around the world.
She stated that the IFFI’s ‘tech park’ will allow many people to learn about new technology. “Interested people will get the opportunity to learn about various best practices and technologies used in today’s era of films,” she said.
ESG is investing about Rs 17 crore in IFFI, while NFDC is investing Rs 40 crore to make it a big event.
She stated that the immediate effect of the festival is increased tourism, which is one of the benefits to Goa for hosting IFFI. “Those who attend IFFI enjoy touring the state and learning about the culture and rich heritage of Goa, as well as the hospitality we extend to all.” They make purchases. “This is great for tourism,” she said.
She stated that IFFI has also aided Goa in the film industry, as many filmmakers prefer to film in this coastal state.
Sachan stated that, in addition to screenings of international and Indian films, there will be numerous discussion sections that will provide opportunities to talk to celebrities.
It promises to be an exciting week, with 23 ‘Masterclasses’ and ‘In Conversation’ sessions with eminent filmmakers and actors. V. Vijayendra Prasad will teach screenwriting, A. Sreekar Prasad will teach editing, and Anupam Kher will teach acting.
Oscar Academy experts will teach an ACES masterclass, while Mark Osborne and Christian Jezdic will teach an animation masterclass. Asha Parekh, Prasoon Joshi, Aanand L. Rai, R. Balki, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui will moderate the ‘In-conversation’ sessions, among others.
“Over 100 celebrities will come to offer master classes. This also includes Oscar winners,” she said.
“We have Goan film section. Seven non-feature films will be screened in the festival,” Sachan said.
The ‘Indian Panorama’ will begin with Prithvi Konanur’s Kannada film Hadinelentu, while Divya Cowasji’s ‘The Show Must Go On’ will kick off the non-feature film section.
Special screenings will be held for Pan Nalin’s ‘Chello Show – The Last Film Show,’ India’s official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language category, and Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘India Lockdown.’
Carlos Saura, the Spanish film director, will receive the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.
As part of the Asha Parekh retrospective, three films by this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke awardee – ‘Teesri Manzil,’ ‘Do Badan,’ and ‘Kati Patang’ – will be screened.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Manipuri cinema, Manipur State Film Development Society has curated a special package of five feature and five non-feature films is being screened under Indian Panorama.
The ‘Indian Panorama’ will feature 25 feature films and 19 non-feature films from India, while international programming will include 183 films.
L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, stated that “preparations for the IFFI were done along the lines of the Cannes film festival.”
Source:OCN
