The Goa State Film Festival 2025, celebrating the 10th, 11th, and 12th editions simultaneously, comes to a close today after four days of cinematic extravaganza that began on August 14. Organised by the Department of Information and Publicity in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), the festival featured screenings at Maquinez Palace and Inox, Panaji, attracting cinephiles, filmmakers, and industry professionals from across the state.
The grand closing ceremony will take place this evening at 3:30 PM at Kala Academy, Panjim, attended by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Siolim MLA & ESG Vice Chairperson Delilah M. Lobo. The event will honour filmmakers and actors whose work has shone across three editions of the festival.
Three editions in one
In a first-of-its-kind format, the festival merged three editions:
10th Edition: Films released between Jan 2018 – Dec 2019
11th Edition: Films released between Jan 2020 – Dec 2021
12th Edition: Films released between Jan 2022 – Dec 2023
This inclusive approach allowed the festival to showcase a rich mix of Konkani and Marathi feature films, non-feature films, and regional short films. Attendees engaged in interactive sessions, Q&A panels with directors and cast members, masterclasses, In-Conversation sessions, workshops, and market interactions, providing a vibrant platform for Goan filmmakers to network, learn, and present their craft.
Celebrating talent and technical excellence
The festival awarded excellence across categories:
Feature Films (Konkani & Marathi): Best Film winners received INR 5 lakh and INR 3 lakh respectively. Other awards included Best Direction, Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Roles, Best Child Artiste, Best Story, Best Screenplay, Best Dialogues, Best Lyrics, Best Music, Best Playback Singer (male & female), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Audiography, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design, with prizes ranging from INR 25,000 to INR 50,000.
Non-Feature Films: Awards of INR 1 lakh each for Best Fiction and Best Non-Fiction films, along with technical category recognitions.
Short Film Competition: Held prior to the festival, participants had 48 hours to produce films on assigned topics. Prizes included Best Film (INR 25,000 & INR 20,000), Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Editor, and Best Actor/Actress, each with INR 15,000.