Tag: IFFI

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Madhuri Dixit Honoured at the 54th IFFI

The Chief Minister said that the cinema is not merely entertainment but it is an art that has the power to transform our lives…reports Asian Lite News

The 54th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kicked off on Monday at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao-Goa.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Minister for State of Information and Broadcasting L Murugan and others were present on the occassion.

‘Special recognition for contribution to Indian cinema’ award was bestowed to Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit.

Anurag Singh Thakur said that our movies are more than just entertainment. “They are a significant part of how we live,” he said.

He said that this year IFFI received a record number of 2,926 entries from 105 countries, which is three times more than the international submissions than last year. “This shows the success IFFI has received,” he said.

He said that the ‘International section’ of the 54th IFFI will have 198 films, 18 more than the 53rd IFFI.

“It will have 13 World Premiers, 18 International Premiers, 62 Asia Premiers and 89 India Premiers,” he said.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that Cinema is a universal language that unites hearts.

“It is the power to evoke the multitude of emotions, inspire minds and challenges,” Sawant said.

He said that the cinema is a mirror to society which reflects our dreams and struggles and aspirations. “It is a catalyst for change,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the cinema is not merely entertainment but it is an art that has the power to transform our lives.

“It can ignite our imagination and foster deeper understanding of the worlds around us,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that his government intends to make Goa a film hub and hence have decided to set up film city, a process of which has been started.

This year’s Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award will be received by Michael Douglas, a Hollywood Actor & Producer.

More than 270 films will be showcased during the festival at four venues — INOX Panjim, Maquinez Palace, INOX Porvorim and Z Square Samrat Ashok.

‘Indian Panorama’ section will showcase 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India. The Opening Film in the feature section is a Malayalam film ‘Aattam’, and in the non-feature section is ‘Andro Dreams’ from Manipur.

The Best Web Series (OTT) Award has been introduced this year aiming at acknowledging, encouraging and honouring the flourishing content and its creators of OTT platforms.

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Karan Johar Reflects on Cinema’s Evolution at IFFI Opening Ceremony

IIFa rocks

Veteran stars Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan also starred in Karan Johar’s directorial…reports Asian Lite News

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who arrived at the opening ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, shared how the cinema, storyline, characters and politics have evolved with time.

He said that from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ to ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, it’s been like a journey, “I have been here for the past 25 years and I am glad there is an evolution. I think from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ to ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, it has been like a journey. From one love story in 1998 to another in 2023. The characters have evolved, the journey has evolved, politics have evolved, the communication about family, love and gender equality has evolved I hope so and I am glad that the film received so much love.”

‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ was released on July 28, 2023. The film emerged as a hit at the box office. It crossed Rs 150 crore mark in India.

The film revolves around Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer), a Punjabi businessman, and Rani Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt), a Bengali journalist, who fall in love despite their differences and family objections. They decide to live with each other’s families for three months before getting married.

Veteran stars Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan also starred in Karan Johar’s directorial.

On the film’s success, Karan penned an emotional note on Instagram. He wrote, “Prior to the release of this film, I felt that at any point of time I would need an IV drip and was near collapse!! The question I asked myself was – is it the long 7 year gap? Or the anxiety built over the last 3 years. Or the fact that we live in an ambiguous box office time. Whatever the real reason is – I was a bonafide mess! But the Friday, 28th of July, I felt nothing but gratitude, validation and sheer joy. This film is truly a product of team energy & love.”

He expressed gratitude to the writers, dress designers and musicians of the film and wrote, “I want to first express my deepest gratitude to the writing forces of this film – Shashank Khaitan & Sumit Roy, who guided me through the narrative journey of our film. Special mention to Ishita Moitra, who brought so much humour, introspection and cinema drama to the screenplay and crackling dialogues. This entire writing process would not have been possible without the creative governance & brilliance of Somen Mishra.”

“To my best friend and the couture maverick, Manish Malhotra and to the supremely talented Eka Lakhani for matching the sari to Gucci with equal elan! Manush Nandan – for painting every frame so so beautifully. The maestro editor, Nitin Baid for keeping me in check! The aesthetic force and the best hug in town – Amrita. To Sohel & Debu Da, for taking us to the finish line with sheer expertise. To my absolute favourite Pritam da and his entire team – for creating and weaving musical magic that enhanced every scene of the film. To Amitabh Bhattacharya for his genius mind!!” he added.

Coming back to IFFI, the guest list for the event also includes Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, among others. (ANI)

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Tehran bars Iranian filmmaker from attending India film festival

Dormishian is the latest member of Iran’s film community to be sanctioned by the Iranian regime for expressing anti-government views…reports Asian Lite News

Iranian filmmaker Reza Dormishian has been barred by Tehran from travelling to the International Film Festival of India in Goa, where ‘A Minor’, a film he produced was due to play in competition, reports ‘Variety’.

Dormishian is the latest member of Iran’s film community to be sanctioned by the Iranian regime for expressing anti-government views. He had been invited by IFFI to accompany the film that was directed by Dariush Mehrjui. The Iranian authorities did not grant him a permit to leave Iran. The film played on Thursday and Friday this past week.

‘A Minor’ tells a story of a woman who is torn between her free-thinking daughter, who wants to study music, and her more conservative husband.

When Dormishian went to the airport, his passport was confiscated. “He was referred to a court of law for prosecution,” sources close to the filmmaker informed ‘Variety’. It is not clear if Dormishian was arrested or what charges he must answer.

The actions against Dormishian are, however, understood to be directly connected to his social media commentary about the Iranian government over the last few weeks. “Throughout the nationwide protests in Iran, Dormishian shared various posts on his Instagram account to show support for the significant developments,” ‘Variety’ reporting, quoting sources close to the director-producer.

Iran is in turmoil following the death in September of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody. She had been arrested in Tehran because she allegedly breached the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

IFFI off to a dazzling start in Goa

Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Thakur said that the Covid pandemic was a challenging time, yet India has put up its best show in two fields — cinema and sports…reports Asian Lite News

The 53rd edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kicked off here on Sunday with the participation of filmmakers and cinema lovers from across the globe.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, MoS I&B L. Murugan, MoS Tourism Shripad Naik, Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Actors Ajay Devgn, Suniel Shetty, Manoj Bajpayee, Paresh Rawal and ‘RRR’ writer V. Vijayendra Prasad were felicitated on the occasion for their contributions to the film industry.

The opening ceremony was held at the Syama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium in Taleigao.

The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon veteran director Carlos Saura, who along with Luis Bunuel and Pedro Almodovar is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. The award was received by his daughter Anna Saura Ramon, while Carlos Saura thanked the IFFI organisers virtually.

Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Thakur said that the Covid pandemic was a challenging time, yet India has put up its best show in two fields — cinema and sports.

“It has been our vision that we embrace new platforms such as OTTs and make them inclusive part of the festival,” he said.

Thakur also urged people to send suggestions to make the next IFFI even better.

“This is such a destination that no place can replace Goa (as IFFI host),” he said.

“We don’t have dearth of talent, infrastructure, shooting sites etc. Hence, we need to trust ourselves and make India the hub of filmmaking,” Thakur added.

The nine-day festival featuring 280 films from 79 countries opened with the Austrian film ‘Alma and Oskar’, directed by Dieter Berner, while Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi’s ‘Perfect Number’ will be the closing film.

France is the ‘Spotlight’ country this year and eight films will be screened under the ‘Country Focus’ package.

As many as 25 feature films and 19 non-feature films from India will be showcased in the ‘Indian Panorama’ section, while 183 films will be a part of the international section.

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in collaboration with Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) is organising the nine-day event, which will conclude on November 28.

The second edition of ’75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’, an initiative by the Ministry of Broadcasting and Information, is another attraction this year.

With 23 ‘Masterclasses’ and ‘In Conversation’ sessions with eminent filmmakers and actors, it promises to be an exciting week ahead.

There will be a masterclass in screenwriting by V. Vijayendra Prasad, on editing by A. Sreekar Prasad while Anupam Kher will conduct a masterclass in acting.

The ‘In-conversation’ sessions will feature Asha Parekh, Prasoon Joshi, Aanand L. Rai, R. Balki and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, among others.

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