PANJIM: Cinema has the power to unite and transform the people with cross cultural artistic expressions, said veteran Hollywood actor Michael Douglas, after receiving the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema, as the curtains fell on the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2023, on Tuesday.
Highlighting that the language of cinema is today more global than ever, the two-time Oscar winning actor said that the film festival is a reminder of magic of movie making and cross cultural artistic expressions, transcending time, language and geographies.
Douglas was accompanied by his spouse, the BAFTA Award winning eminent actress and philanthropist Catherine Zeta Jones and their son and actor, Dylan Douglas to receive the award at the glittering closing ceremony of the 54th IFFI, amid a rousing standing ovation by the audience.
He said, “It’s a tremendous honour to receive this award, a career life achievement. When I heard about the award, my family and I were elated.”
Douglas expressed his admiration for the Indian Cinema, saying RRR, Om Shanti Om and Lunch Box are some of his favourite Indian films. Catherine, who was also felicitated along with her husband, said it was heartwarming to see the generosity and hospitality they received in India.
Earlier in the evening, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sports & Youth Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur in a video message, said the 54th IFFI was a celebration of unity in diversity, embodying the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth, One Family One Future’, bringing together creative minds, filmmakers, cinema lovers, and cultural enthusiasts from across the globe. He noted the 54th IFFI showcased around 250 films, totalling close to 30,000 minutes of viewing, representing 68 international and 17 Indian languages from 78 countries.
Highlighting the efforts towards inclusivity and accessibility made by IFFI, the Minister said that films were specially curated for differently abled film-lovers so that they could enjoy the beauty of cinema at big screens with the help of sign language and audio descriptions. “We made sure to include more than 40 movies directed by women, celebrating their talent”, he added.
He congratulated the efforts of National Film Heritage Mission to restore old classics, the Minister said that over 5,000 films and documentaries of multiple languages in the 4K digital format will be restored ensuring future generations of Bharat can appreciate, enjoy and be inspired by these great works. “A specially curated section of seven films restored under the National Film Heritage Mission were screened at the 54th IFFI to great appreciation of film-lovers,” Thakur remarked.
The Minister also emphasized the dual mission of preserving the old and promoting the new. “The ‘Film Challenge’ under ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ showcased young talents. He revealed that 45 of the 75 Creative Minds have already been offered opportunities to present their ideas to leading companies in the sector.
The NFDC Film Bazaar expanded its horizons, welcoming a diverse international audience and fostering cross-cultural collaborations. The introduction of the ‘VFX & Tech Pavilion’ and a documentary section showcased innovation and non-fiction storytelling,” he said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant thanked everyone for their efforts in ensuring the festival was a success. He said the nine days of the festival was a journey in storytelling and he was sure it would help everyone who attended it.
