Team Herald
PANJIM: In the absence of glamour, but with a blend of old and new cinema and special focus on digital platforms, the 49th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was thrown open at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium on Tuesday.
For the first time, the inauguration took place without the presence of the Chief Minister however Union Minister of State (Information & Broadcasting) Rajyavardhan Rathore, Governor Mridula Sinha and State Transport Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar were present.
Though CM Manohar Parrikar was absent at the inaugural, a ministry official said that the CM held several meetings to ‘guide us for the event’.
Addressing the gathering, Dhavalikar hailed the State as a popular international tourist destination and ‘full of colours’. “Goa is a State full of colours. IFFI marks the beginning of the tourist season. It not only contributes to different cinema but also friendship and solidarity of the people of the country,” he said.
He took the opportunity to reach out to the international audience claiming that Goa is safe for every person even at late hours. “Security of visitors is of utmost importance. Even during late night you will see people on the streets,” he added.
Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, producer Karan Johan, singer Arijit Singh, filmmakers Omprakash Mehra and Subhash Ghai were among many, including international stars, who attended the inaugural. Filmmaker Dan Wolman was awarded this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Israel has been chosen as the focus country while Jharkhand is the focus state at the extravaganza that will celebrate diversity, showcasing 212 films from over 68 countries.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has stressed on the emergence of digital cinema and platforms such as Netflix, HotStar and other applications and IFFI will talk about all these facets during the next 10 days.
Festival officials also spoke about how the entertainment industry is focusing on social issues with movies such as Padman and Toilet-Ek Prem Katha, which have contributed in bringing about a social change. “This industry is providing revenue and growth as well as job opportunities,” IFFI official said.
