The 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kicked off in Goa on Sunday with the participation of filmmakers and cinema lovers from across the globe. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, MoS I&B L. Murugan, MoS Tourism Shripad Naik, Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other dignitaries were present at the event. The festival, which has been organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), will conclude on November 28.
Actors Ajay Devgn, Suniel Shetty, Manoj Bajpayee, Paresh Rawal, and RRR writer-SS Rajamouli's father, V Vijayendra Prasad were felicitated on the occasion for their contributions to the film industry. The opening ceremony was held at the Syama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium in Taleigao.
Speaking on the occasion, Anurag said that the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging time, yet India has put up its best show in two fields — cinema and sports. “It has been our vision that we embrace new platforms such as OTTs and make them an inclusive part of the festival. This is such a destination that no place can replace Goa (as IFFI host). We don't have dearth of talent, infrastructure, shooting sites etc. Hence, we need to trust ourselves and make India the hub of filmmaking.”
The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon veteran director Carlos Saura, who along with Luis Bunuel and Pedro Almodovar is considered to be one of Spain's most renowned filmmakers. The award was received by his daughter Anna Saura Ramon, while Carlos Saura thanked the IFFI organisers virtually.
The nine-day festival, featuring 280 films from 79 countries, opened with the Austrian film Alma and Oskar, directed by Dieter Berner, while Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi's Perfect Number will be the closing film. France is the spotlight country this year and eight French films will be screened under the ‘Country Focus’ package.
As many as 25 feature films and 19 non-feature films from India will be showcased in the ‘Indian Panorama’ section, while 183 films will be a part of the international section in total. Sources said that there will also be a masterclass in screenwriting by V Vijayendra Prasad and on editing by A Sreekar Prasad, while Anupam Kher will conduct a masterclass in acting.