The biggest film festival in India is here and Goa will witness the 55th International Film Festival of India with new films making it to the big screen. Giving equal weightage to Goan films, this year, the Goan Section will be opened on November 21. The Entertainment Society of Goa has special section of films produced by Goan film directors and producers in feature and non-feature category. This year, ESG received total of 25 entries in both the sections out of which 14 films are selected by jury members.
The selected films are selected in two categories, Goan Director’s cut and Goan Producers. Four films including ‘Kharvan’, directed by Nitya Navelkar, ‘Hanging by a thread’ directed by Akshay Parvatkar, ‘Guntata Hriday He’ directed by Sainath Uskaikar and ‘Mai’ directed by Saujas Shetye are part of the Goan Director’s cut while ten films are part of Goan Producers.
Goan Producers films include ‘Prarabdh- directed by Jay Amonkar, ‘Kalkhi Vaat’ directed by Shirish Rane, ‘Memoirs of the Mangifera’ directed by Himanshu Singh, ‘Aiz maka falea tuka’ directed by Sreejith Karnavar, ‘Adeus’ directed by Nehal Chari and Aaditya Swaroop, ‘Aasro- the story of Shram Dham’ directed by Sainath Uskaikar, ‘A silent sacrifice: The untold story of Goa Liberation’ directed by Nikhil Dixit, ‘Jeevan Yogi: Ravindra Kelekar’ directed by Dilip Borkar, ‘Ek Cup Cha…!’ directed by Kishor Arjun and ‘Famously found @15!’ directed by Savio De Noronha.
Kishor Arjun’s debut short film, ‘Ek Cup Cha..!’ is a simple, black-and-white story about how a cup of tea, leads a homemaker woman to rediscover herself As a writer and producer, this is Kishor’s fourth Konkani short film while as a writer and director, this is his first short film. “As a Goan filmmaker, I feel very inspired to attend IFFI. I can understand how the world is thinking on various subjects, and issues and how they are talking about it with the help of the visuals. IFFI is the real showcase of the world for me,” says Kishor, whose film will screen as the opening film for the Goan Section on November 21 at 6.30 pm at Inox Screen-4, Panjim.
Another film sharing the same screen at Inox will be ‘Kharvan’, produced and directed by Nitya Navelkar. ‘Kharvan’ was created to document the rich heritage of Goa, focusing on its Khazans and the wildlife that thrives within them. This film follows the search for the elusive smooth coated otter, a bio-indicator species that has made the Khazan its home. The narrative unfolds through a blend of live-action and animation, inviting viewers into this fascinating world. This film was Nitya’s graduation project at the National Institute of Design, Madhya Pradesh.
“This is my first film screening at IFFI and I'm grateful to ESG and IFFI for this opportunity. I'm extremely grateful to my mentors and my team who worked tirelessly and poured their heart into making this film. Through this film, I've experimented a bit with storytelling through using a blend of animation and live action. I'm very excited for the screening and am eager to know what the viewers feel about the story,” says Nitya.
‘Jeevan Yogi: Ravindra Kelekar’ written, produced and directed by Dilip Borkar is a documentary on Konkani’s first Jnanpith award winner Ravindra Kelekar. In his birth centenary year, Dilip was keen on reviving his legacy. The film will be screened on November 25 at 11 am at Inox Screen 4, Panjim. "I was expecting the documentary to be selected for the Indian Panorama section. As this year is the birth anniversary of Ravindra Kelekar and Kelekar is a great Goan, the film will get a screening for Goa. This is a good thing for Goans because IFFI should care about great Goans. I am happy,” says Dilip.
The documentary, ‘Famously Found @ 15’ is the story of former football India Captain, Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee, Brahamanand Sankhwalkar, which was produced by Doordarshan Goa as a part of a series of ‘Stories & Documentaries’. The documentary is directed by Savio de Noronha and produced by Uday Shridhar Kamat. The film will be screened on November 25 at 5.45 pm at Inox screen 4, Panjim.
Savio says, “This is like tasting success when you score a magnificent goal. I have an experience of covering IFFI for Doordarshan. The selection and now screening is not only a proud moment, but a great moment. For me, it is both professionally and personally satisfying, because I love my work, but working on something that I love most, that is sports, gives me immense satisfaction. This satisfaction and glory would not have come without the support of my team.”
Another short documentary ‘Mai’ is based on a simple woman, Kanchan Anand Kurtarkar, as her grandson decided to film her. Produced and directed by Saujas Shetye, this is his first film at the festival. The film will be screened on November 25 at 5.45 pm at Inox screen 4, Panjim. “It's a short documentary that I shot about my maternal grandmother, her life. I love just chatting with her, sitting down and watching her interact with other people. I started recording this just for a project. Now, I'm still processing that it's actually being screened and my grandmother's face will be on 6 x 3 feet posters. I am looking forward to bringing her to walk the red carpet before the screening of the film," says the Chicalim-based Saujas.
Dealing with a social issue that many Goans are currently facing, 'Adeus' directed by Nehal Chari and Aaditya Swaroop is a thought provoking film on the outsider-insider dilemma. "Aaditya, originally from Bihar, studied in Goa and had his own experience as an outsider in the city. This shared interest in the dynamic between locals and migrants sparked the idea for the film. At its core, 'Adeus' is about perspectives. No matter where we come from, everyone has their own struggles," informs Nehal.
He adds, "It feels incredibly rewarding to showcase our very own film at the 55th IFFI. I’m truly fortunate to have a producer like Sachin Surlikar, and such an amazing cast and crew—especially Saiesh Pai Panandikar. I've been attending IFFI for the past five years. Goa is thriving with a vibrant film culture, and this year, we’re proud to have 14 films featured in the Goan section—a true testament to the talent emerging from our state." The film screening will be on November 25 at 11 am at Inox Screen 3.