International Film Festival

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) (sometimes referred to as the (India International Film Festival) is a ten-to-eleven day film festival organized by the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting .The festival is held in PANAJI,GOA  IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.

                                                                       In the year 2007 I got a golden opportunity to visit this film festival. ACTOR SHAHRUKH KHAN was invited to inaugurate the cultural extravaganza.

THE festival is divided into the following categories—competition (feature films by directors from Asia, Africa and Latin America); cinema of the world; retrospectives, tributes, focus; Indian panorama; mainstream Indian cinema. An effort was also being made. To promote and sell Indian films through FILM BAZAAR. Since 1952, India has hosted 36 International Film Festivals, both competitive and non-competitive. These festivals became annual events from 1975 onwards. This festival is recognized  by the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF). The FIAPF (the French acronym for the International Federation of Film Producers Associations) was created in 1977. It is an organization composed with 31 member associations from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries. FIAPF is also in charge of supervising international film festivals, including some of the world's most important ones. The festival—being held for the third time in Goa, after moving out of New Delhi -- "aims at providing a common platform for the cinematography’s of the world to project the excellence of the film art".

 

Its goal also includes "contributing to the understanding and appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos", and "promoting friendship and co-operation among peoples of the world".

The opening film with which the film festival commenced was- 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days / 4 luni,3 Saptamani 2 Zile   a ROMANIAN FILM directed by CRISTIAN MUNGIU

A SPECIAL SCREENING OF RITUPARNO GHOSH’S   THE LAST LEAR was also done starring Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta

The film chosen as the closing film was FADOS  a Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura.

So all together it had been a mesmerizing experience on my part. I also got an opportunity to interact with leading theatre personalities like Nasseruddin shah and Farooq sheikh. I am looking forward to more such experiences and opportunities.

                                                                                                                          DEBARSHI Ghosh

 BAMS-1^ST YR  
University of Allahabad