Unlike in previous years when the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Bambolim, this year’s 56th edition will be inaugurated in front of the Old GMC building, Panjim.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday announced that the opening ceremony will be preceded by a floats parade from the Old Secretariat to the Kala Academy from 3.30 pm onwards. “There will be 26 floats in total — 12 from Goa, 11 by production houses, and three from other States,” he said.
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The opening ceremony returns to the Old GMC after 20 years, the last being in 2005 near the Inox Courtyard. The main inauguration venue and red carpet will be set up in front of the Old GMC, transforming the road into an open-air auditorium for around 2,000–2,500 people.
Sawant dismissed claims linking the venue change to the ongoing FIDE Chess World Cup in Arpora, clarifying that the decision was taken independently.
Meanwhile, Vishal Pai Cacode, former member of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), expressed disappointment that no Goan film features in the official section of IFFI 2025. Criticising the government for neglecting local filmmakers, he said, “While crores are being spent on red carpets and events, Goan cinema continues to struggle for basic support.”
He added that the Goa Film Finance Scheme has become “almost dormant,” with many filmmakers facing bureaucratic hurdles in accessing assistance meant to sustain regional cinema.
