Team Herald
PANJIM: Bollywood Actor Shahrukh Khan will inaugurate the 48th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) today, while Salman Khan will do the honours at the closing ceremony.
The Festival will open with the much-talked about new feature, “Beyond the Clouds” from acclaimed filmmaker Majid Majidi and presented by Namah Pictures and Zee Studios and close with the World premiere of the Indo Argentinian Co-production “Thinking of Film” directed by Pablo Cesar.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani will also be present for the inaugural function which will be attended by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar besides Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor.
In one of the most important highlight of the event, actor Amitabh Bachchan will be given the Indian Film personality of the year award, while the Lifetime Achievement award will be awarded to celebrated Canadian director Atom Egoyan. Read Edit pg 8>>
The Directorate of Film Festival and Goa government’s Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) have jointly organised the nine-day long event which will be held across two venues – Kala Academy and Marquinez Palace.
The organisers said the festival would screen 195 films from across 82 countries, including ten World Premiers, Ten Asian and International Premiers and over 64 Indian Premiers.
“The closing ceremony will be graced by noted actor Salman Khan, this in addition to a galaxy of noted industry professionals, international guests, dignitaries and film celebrities,” the organisers have said.
Renowned actress Sridevi will inaugurate Indian Panorama section of the festival on November 21. The same day will also see the IFFI 2017 Country Focus on Canada being celebrated with a grand red carpet opening and amidst the presence of noted Canadian actors and celebrities.
The Country Focus Canada has been organised in association with the Government of Canada and in collaboration with Telefilm Canada, curated by the Toronto International Film Festival.
The organisers said that the International Competition section of IFFI 2017, which carries a cumulative cash prize of over Rs 1 crore, will showcase 15 of the finest films of this year, competing for the Golden and Silver Peacock awards.
The International Competition jury will be headed by renowned filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who is joined by his fellow jury members Festival director Maxine Williamson from Australia, Actor-Director Tzahi Grad from Israel, Russian Cinematographer Vladislav Opelyants, Director and Production Designer Roger Christian from the United Kingdom.
“This edition of the Festival will also be presenting films from a record number of women filmmakers in addition to a carefully curated section of Restored classics from across the globe, which includes the recently completed restorations of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and Tarkovsky’s Sacrifice among some other notable films,” the organisers said.
Among many other firsts at the Festival, IFFI 2017 will present a specially curated section celebrating the most loved spy in films, James Bond.
The section will showcase films featuring the various leading actors who have essayed the iconic character, through a package of nine films.
Additionally the Festival will present four films from young filmmakers of the Biennale College as a first of its kind collaboration with the Venice International Film Festival.
