The 52nd IFFI is to be held in Goa. Major OTT players are also invited to participate. Legendary Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Hungarian film director Istvan Szabo will be honored with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, announced Friday.
The 52nd edition of the prestigious festival will be held in Goa from November 20 to November 28.
Istvan Szabo is one of the most critically acclaimed Hungarian film directors of the past few decades known for masterpieces like Mephisto (1981) and Father (1966).
Martin Scorsese is one of the significant figures of the New Hollywood era, making films such as Goodfellas (1990), Raging Bull (1980) and The Departed (2006), widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential directors in film history.
Collaboration with major OTT platforms:
During the announcements, Thakur also informed that for the first time, major Over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5, and Voot would participate at the Film Festival through exclusive Masterclasses, content launches and previews, curated film package screenings, and various other on-ground and virtual events.
Anurag Thakur remarked, “India is a land of storytellers; our tales have captured the imagination of the world. India’s wide variety of stories rightly makes us the ‘Content Subcontinent’.
The minister also said that watching movies on OTT is on the rise, and IFFI is embracing new technology and providing a platform for industry artists to interact with OTT players.
What will OTT platforms organize?
Netflix will organize a 3-day virtual Masterclass by the Paris based renowned school of image and arts, Gobelins – School L’image.
Netflix will also organize the India premiere of ‘The Power of the Dog’ by Jane Campion. It has also proposed to organize a Special Screening of film ‘Dhamaka’, including an introduction of the movie by the critical talent of the film, Kartik Aaryan.
The preview of Episode 1 of ‘Aranyak’, an upcoming crime thriller series starring Raveena Tandon and Ashutosh Rana, will also be organized.
SonyLiv has proposed a Masterclass by Scam-1992 screenplay writers – Sumit Purohit and Saurav Dey, moderated by Indranil Chakraborty, Business Head studio Next.
Zee5 has specially curated Breakpoint – the popular Paes & Bhupathi series by Nitesh Tiwari &Ashwini Iyer for IFFI.
Recognizing 75 Creative Minds for marking the 75th year of India’s Independence:
In a significant announcement, Thakur said that young budding talent from across India would be provided with a platform by IFFI to connect with mainstream cinema filmmakers and the industry.
A total of 75 creative minds under 35 will be invited to interact with industry leaders and attend Masterclasses at the festival.
Participants will be selected through competition for young filmmakers from around the country. The competition aims to provide a platform for 75 young filmmakers, actors, singers, scriptwriters, and others to showcase their talent at a globally recognized event.
The last date to submit applications online is October 30, 2021. Detailed guidelines, along with the application forms, are available on www.dff.gov.in.
The Jury for the International Competition for 52nd IFFI comprises of:
- Ms Rakhshān Banietemad (67yrs) | Iran | Filmmaker- Jury Chairperson
- Mr Stephen Woolley (65yrs) | UK | Film Producer, Director
- Mr Ciro Guerra (40 yrs) | Columbia | Filmmaker
- Mr Vimukthi Jayasundara (44yrs) | Sri Lanka | Filmmaker
- Mr Nila Madhab Panda (47 yrs) | India | Filmmaker
BRICS Film Festival
Anurag Thakur also announced that, in the first, films from five BRICS nations would be showcased through the BRICS Film Festival alongside IFFI. The five countries – Brazil, Russia, South Africa, China and India are also the Focus Countries of the 52nd IFFI.
The minister announced that ‘The King of all the World’ (El Rey de Todo El Mundo), directed by Carlos Saura, will be the Opening Film, which will also be the film’s international premiere.
Around 30 films have been shortlisted for screening from prominent International Film Festivals in the Festival Kaleidoscope and World Panorama Section.
The 52nd IFFI will pay Shri Dilip Kumar, Ms Sumitra Bhave, Shri Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Shri Sanchari Vijay, Smt. Surekha Sikri, Mr. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Mr. Bertrand Tavenier, Mr. Christopher Plummer and Mr. Jean-Claude Carrière.
Retrospective
The Retrospective section in the 52nd IFFI will feature renowned Hungarian filmmaker Mr Bela Tarr. His films have won accolades at Berlin, Cannes and Locarno Film Festival. He is an auteur filmmaker who has created his visual style.
A retrospective of Russian filmmaker and stage director Mr Andrei Konchalovsky will also be shown.
His films have won numerous accolades, including the Cannes Grand Prix Spécial du Jury, a FIPRESCI Award, two Silver Lions, three Golden Eagle Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
The retrospective will also comprise Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Shri Rajinikanth.
The festival will pay a Special Tribute to Sir Sean Connery, the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on the big screen.
