It was with an Austrian film ‘‘Alma and Oskar’’ directed by Dieter Berner that 53rd International Film Festival of India 2022 got off to a good start. It is a film about one of the greatest expressionist artists of the 20th century Oskar Kokoschka who dominated the world of painting in Austria during 1900s. In the history of IFFI, it was for the first time that an Austrian film was chosen as the opening film. Apart from the director Dieter Berner, the film’s produ...

(Courtesy of Berlin International Film Festival)     Filipino auteur Lav Diaz may not be a household name, but among the film festival circuit he is held in high regard. This was clear at the first two press screenings at Berlinale 2018 that were so packed they turned away quite a few journalists. His rock opera "Ang panahon ng halimaw" (Season of the Devil) clocks in at almost four hours, but hardly feels that long, although those who left mid-screening m...

by Siraj Syed June through December is film festival season in India. G5A flagged it off, running though June and July, followed by Jagran in September. October is for MAMI and November for IFFI. The year will end with the Third Eye Asian Film Festival. Of course, these are in addition to many smaller festivals, organised by Consular missions and cultural organisations. IFFI stands for the International Film Festival of India, the only state-sponsored event, held annually in Goa. Some years ...