PANJIM: The 52nd edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) came to an end on Sunday with a Japanese film Ring Wandering, featuring country’s hidden war torn past being brought into focus, bagging the Golden Peacock.
Director Masakazu Kaneko received the Golden Peacock while producer Takashi Shiotsuki received a certificate. The Best Director Award was won by Czech Director Václav Kadrnka for his movie Saving One Who Is Dead. Kadrnka received the Silver Peacock.
Indian actor Jitendra Bhikulal Joshi won the Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male), for portraying late Marathi actor and filmmaker Nishikant Kamat in Godavari. The Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Female) to Angela Molina, the grande dame of Spanish cinema. Molina receives the award for her lead role in Director Simon Franco’s eponymous film Charlotte, in which she depicts the surreal role of the yesteryear actress.
Two films, the IFFI 52 Indian Panorama Feature film Godavari by Director Nikhil Mahajan, and the Portuguese film The First Fallen / Os Primeiros Soldados by Rodrigo de Oliveira, have been honoured with the Silver Peacock for Special Jury Award. T
Director Mari Alessandrini’s Zahorí, bagged the IFFI 52 Award for Best Debut Feature Film of a Director. Spanish film The Wealth of the World/La Riqueza del Mundo by debut Director and Actor Simon Farriol has received Special Mention from the Jury in the Debut Feature Film Competition Category.
In the BRICS festival, the Best Film Award was shared by Barakat, a movie from South Africa and The Sun Above Me Never Sets from Russia. The Best Director Award was won by Lucia Murad for Anna. Best Actor Award (Female) went to Lara Bolding. Best Actor Male Dhanush. The Jury Special Mention Award was bagged by Yanhan from China and the UNESCO Award by LINGUI The Sacred Bonds.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Sports Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, senior government officials, Prasoon Joshi, who was awarded Indian Film Personality of the Year, Madhuri Dixit, Manoj Bajpayee to name a few.
The minister termed India as the world's largest filmmaker.
He said, “We need to do more, we want to make India a powerhouse of content creation, by scaling up regional festivals.”
The Chief Minister reiterated the fact that there were several Goans who made their mark in the film industry like the Mangheshkars and Remo Fernandes.
He said, “The government intended to open a film city and a film school soon.”