The 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India will be held this month from November 20 to 28 and will focus its attention on four giants of Indian cinema. Raj Kapoor, Akkineni Nageshwar Rao, Mohammed Rafi and Tapan Sinha will be honoured with a tribute at the festival. The IFFI gala in Goa will celebrate cinematic legends by presenting restored versions of their classic films throughout its nine-day event. The festival’s opening ceremony on November 20 will pay tribute to these icons with a special audio-visual presentation that captures their impactful journeys in cinema.
The film festival will screen Raj Kapoor’s ‘Awaara’ in a digitally restored form that will revive the warmth, humour and empathy Kapoor brought to the common man’s journey. The classic ‘Harmonium’ directed by Tapan Sinha will be screened. ‘Devadasu’ starring Akkineni Nageshwar Roa will also be screened. The classic ‘Hum Dono’ made classic by the songs by Mohammed Rafi will be screened at the festival.
The festival will feature five debut films by Indian directors in Manipuri, Marathi, Kannada, Telegu and Malayalam at the festival. The festival will provide a dynamic platform for film makers and industry professionals to connect, collaborate and showcase their work. These films not only showcase fresh perspectives but also bring unique narratives from regional India to a larger audience. Among the chosen films are ‘Boong’ (Manipuri) directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, ‘Gharat Ganpati’ (Marathi) directed by Navjyot Bandiwadekar, ‘Mikka Bannada Hakki’ (Bird of a Different Feather- Kannada) directed by Manohara K, ‘Razakar’ (Silent Genocide of Hyderabad- Telugu) directed by Yata Satyanarayana and ‘Thanupp’ (The Cold- Malayalam) directed by Ragesh Narayanan, each offering a slice of life from different parts of India. By promoting these debut films, IFFI fosters new talent and reinforces the importance of regional voices in the national film landscape.
A total of 208 films will be showcased at the Film Bazaar. The Film Bazaar offers a dynamic platform for film makers and industry professionals to connect, collaborate and showcase their work. The overall line-up of films include 145 feature films and 23 mid length films and 30 short films. They also include 12 titles of NFDC produced and co-produced and 10 restored classics from the bouquet of NFDC -NFAI. The Film Bazaar has also announced six fiction films which have made it to the official selection for the Work-in-Progress Lab at IFFI this year.
The selected films are Shape of ‘Momos’ by Tribeny Rai (Nepali), ‘Gaangshalik’ (Gaangshalik – River Bird) by Shakteedhar Bir (Bengali), ‘Yerra Mandaram’ (The Red Hibiscus) by Mohan Kumar Valasala (Telugu), ‘Kaatti Ri Raatti’ (Hunters Moon) by Ridham Janve (Gaddi, Nepali), ‘Umal’ by Siddharth Badi (Marathi) and ‘The Good, The Bad, The Hungry’ by Vivek Kumar (Hindi). Following the time-tested model, the Lab will constitute both online and offline sessions this year as well. This mix of different modes of engagement allows the filmmakers and the mentors to brainstorm in real time and figure out ways to achieve the post- production support.
Five out of these six films are debut features from young and emerging filmmakers. These films not only showcase a wealth of diverse narratives but also reflect a rich tapestry of cultural perspectives. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is stepping into its 55 year this month and is making a significant statement by centering its focus on young filmmakers, highlighting their innovative storytelling and fresh visions.
The opening feature film of the film festival will be ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ directed by Randeep Hooda. Further a package of 20 non -feature films will be screened by the Indian Panorama selected from a spectrum of 262 films. The opening film in the non-feature category is ‘Ghar Jaisa Kuch’ a movie in Ladakhi directed by Harsh Sangani.
In the mainstream cinema section, movies as diverse as ‘12th Fail’ in Hindi and ‘Manjummel Boys’ in Malayalam will be screened. In this year’s edition the Best Indian Debut Director Award for the first time will showcase the brilliant works by first-time filmmakers from India. The new initiative is be an important one to recognize and encourage fresh talent in the Indian film industry, providing an opportunity to gain greater access to the global platform.
Australia will be the country of focus at the festival. 7 Australian films offering a diverse blend of genres, from dramas to powerful documentaries, stunning thrillers and comedies will be screened. There will be a sizeable Australian delegation which be presentation the festival. These films reflect Australia’s rich cultural heritage, showcasing stories from both its indigenous communities and modern society. A major attraction will be a cinematography masterclass by Academy award winning cinematographer John Seale known for his work in films like ‘Mad Max’; ‘Fury Road’ and ‘The English Patient’. This session will delve into his artistic journey and offer invaluable technical insights to budding film makers and enthusiasts. These films reflect Australia’s rich cultural heritage, showcasing stories from both its indigenous communities and modern society.
The noted Indian film maker Shekar Kapoor is the Director of the film festival and is expected to use his influence to bring in stars from Bollywood.