IFFI Goa 2017, X: Big names, big awards

Two days before the curtain opens on the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has issued a release listing the highlights of the annual festival.

Here’s lowdown: 195 films from over 82 countries will be shown, of which there will be 10 World Premierès, 10 Asian and International premierès and over 64 Indian premierès as part of the Official programme.

It was also announced that while noted actor Shahrukh Khan will grace the opening ceremony of the festival as a special guest, the closing ceremony will be graced by noted actor Salman Khan. 21st of November will also see the opening of the Indian Panaroma section, with the section being inaugurated by renowned actress Sridevi. 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 that has been organised in association with the government of Canada with the collaboration of Telefilm Canada, is curated by the Toronto International Film Festival,

The International Competition section of IFFI 2017, which carries a cumulative cash prize of over Rs. 1 Crore (Rupees Ten Million) 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 (over 30) 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.

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 9 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. Speaking about the same, Venice International Film Festival Director, Alberto Barbera said “I am particularly grateful to IFFI for the collaboration that gives the Venice Film Festival the opportunity to present four films produced in the frame of the Biennale College Cinema, a projects we are greatly proud of for the results obtained in supporting young filmmakers from all over the world. I am sure that the audience of the prestigious IFFI will appreciate the quality of these micro-budget films, and combined efforts of our two institutions to offer them a larger visibility. I wish that we will be able to continue our collaboration, which is based on shared feelings of love for good cinema and passion for young talented film directors.”

The 2017 edition of the Festival will also host a Mixed Reality Sidebar, featuring Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality activities, in addition to a series of Master Classes and Panel Discussions, featuring film-makers Atom Egoyam, Shekhar Kapur, Nitesh Tiwari and Farah Khan, as well as Oscar winning sound designer, Craig Mann.

IFFI 2017 will bestow the coveted Indian film personality of the year award on acclaimed actor Amitabh Bachchan and the Lifetime Achievement award to celebrated Canadian director Atom Egoyan. Atom Egoyan, original name Atom Yeghoyan (born July 19, 1960, to Armenian parents, in Cairo, Egypt), is an Egyptian-born Canadian writer and film director, who is known for his nuanced character studies of people in unconventional circumstances.