53rd IFFI to screen the best of international cinema
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is one of the biggest cinema events in the world due to its footprint. And for its 53rd edition, which will be held in Goa from November 20, the effort to get the best titles was more than ever before. Actor-producer and Central Board of Film Certification member Vani Tripathi Tikoo and filmmaker Bobby Bedi formed a steering committee that went to great lengths to bring the best films to IFFI.
Tikoo says, “For a film festival, the selection of international cinema is really important. India is the biggest producer of films globally and our international collaborations need to be underlined. We have a responsibility to celebrate global cinema in India. After all, we cannot be myopic, and just continue to talk about the films we make. Our honourable Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur ji, created a vision at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and I was fortunate to be a part of that team.”
This year not only marks the 75th year of India’s independence, but also 75 years of the Cannes Film Festival. So, the focus country will be France at IFFI this time. Tikoo, along with Bedi, visited various film festivals organised in Toronto (Canada) and Venice (Italy), and watched at least five films a day, and 700 in all, to handpick the best for
India is the biggest producer of films globally and our international collaborations need to be underlined. VANI TRIPATHI TIKOO, Central Board of Film Certification member
IFFI. An Austrian film, Alma & Oskar will open the festival. “I feel conversations are important. Under the leadership of our government and Anurag ji, a steering committee with members like me was sent to watch the films. We have greats like Mark Osborne (American director), who is leaving his family on Thanksgiving and coming all the way to India on my invitation for a much-talked-about class on animation,” Tikoo tells us. The masterclasses will range from acting and animation to VR/AR.
Another important aspect of a film festival is cinema literacy and making young minds think, she
says. “How do you create conversations around cinema? Do good masterclasses and sessions for every student of cinema to learn from,” Tikoo ends.