Stage set for 53rd IFFI, 770 films to be screened
PANAJI: Renowned Spanish film director Carlos Saura will be honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which kicks off on November 20 in a full-fledged format, two years after running on “hybrid” mode owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. A statement issued by National Film Development Corporation director Ravinder Bhakar on Friday said this year’s edition, the 53rd, will also honour the winner of the 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Asha Parekh, with the screening of three of her films.
France will be featured in the ‘Country Focus’ segment at the festival, Bhakar said. A collection of eight contemporary films from France have been selected to represent the diversity and potential of French cinema, he added.
“This was decided as a means to reciprocate the honour France had bestowed upon India by making India the country focus at the Cannes Film Festival,” he said. Union I&B minister Anurag Thakur’s office tweeted on Thursday: “India was chosen as ‘Country of Honour’ at Marche du Film earlier this year. France has been selected as the ‘Country of Focus’ at #IFFI53 this year.”
IFFI, founded in 1952, is among Asia’s most prominent film festivals. It is conducted every year by the Union ministry of information and broadcasting in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa.
Saura joins a list of select film luminaries who have been bestowed with the award, the most recent being acclaimed Hollywood director Martin Scorcese who was awarded in 2021.
Spanish presence in the festival is not limited to just Saura. According to officials familiar with the matter, seven contemporary Spanish films will also be showcased at the festival.
“During the eight-day festival, more than 770 films are expected to be screened, including 183 in the ‘International’ section and more than 550 in the much acclaimed ‘Indian Panorama’.