54th IFFI, Goa: Michael Douglas to get Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award

Michael Douglas has acted in over 50 Hollywood films, including Fatal Attraction (1987), The War of the Roses (1989), Basic Instinct (1992), Falling Down (1993), The American President (1995) and Ant-Man (2015). (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

The 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that gets underway on November 20 will showcase more than 270 films at four venues in Goa. Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas will be honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award which was instituted at the 30th IFFI in 1999. The Indian Panorama will showcase 25 feature and 20 non-feature films. Aattam (Malayalam) will be the opening feature film and Andro Dreams (Manipuri) will be the opening non-feature film of the Indian Panorama.

The 54th IFFI received 600 entries for the Creative Minds of Tomorrow section and 32 entries in 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms for Best Web Series Award. Other than films, the film festival will also have over 20 ‘Masterclasses’ and ‘In Conversation’ sessions with eminent filmmakers, cinematographers, and actors.

International section: The international section of the 54th IFFI will have 198 films, 18 more than the 53rd IFFI, including 13 world premieres, 18 international premieres, 62 Asia premieres and 89 India premieres. Catching Dust (UK) will be the opening film; About Dry Grasses (France) will be the Mid-fest Film and The Featherweight (USA) will be the closing film.
This year, IFFI received a record number of 2,926 entries from 105 countries, which is three times more international submissions than last year.

International competition section: 15 feature films (12 international + 3 Indian) have been shortlisted to compete for the coveted Best Film Award, a Golden Peacock and Rs 40 lakh as prize money.

Best Feature Film Debut Director: Five international + 2 Indian films will compete in this section for the coveted Silver Peacock, INR 10 lakhs as cash prize and a certificate.

Cinema of the World: This section will comprise 103 films through entries, a significant leap from previous year’s 77 films.

Animation Section: This section has been expanded to curate international and Indian animation films, including Poland’s official Oscar entry The Peasants (Dir: Dk Welchman, Hugh Welchman). It will also include Indian animation films.

The Restored Classics Section includes:

• Vidyapati (1937) Bengali, Director: Debaki Bose

• Shyamchi Aai (1953), Marathi, Director: P.K. Atre

• Patala Bhairavi (1951), Telugu, Director: K.V. Reddy

• Guide (1965), Hindi, Director: Vijay Anand

• Haqeeqat (1964), Hindi, Director: Chetan Anand

• Chorus (1974) Bengali, Director: Mrinal Sen

• Bees Saal Baad (1962), Hindi, Director: Biren Nag

• There will be three international restored films including The Exorcist Extended Director’s cut from Venice and Sergei Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.

UNESCO Films: Films that reflect the ideals of UNESCO include 7 international + 3 Indian films.

IFFI Kaleidoscope: Nineteen award-winning films from various prestigious international film festivals this year, have been assorted in the IFFI Kaleidoscope and 300 international film projects will be curated and showcased this year in the 17th edition of the Film Bazaar for production, distribution or sales.

Accessible Films

For the visually impaired: Films with Embedded Audio Descriptions – Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Shershaah

For the hearing impaired: Films with Embedded Sign Language - '83 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Multiple language dubbing: Many Indian Panorama films will be available to be watched along with dubbing in the preferred language, using Smartphone and earphones. IFFI has partnered with Cinedubs App for this and will be available for free.

Virtual IFFI: Masterclasses, In Conversation sessions, panel discussions and the opening /closing ceremony of the 54th edition of IFFI will be accessible online through Book My Show App. Registration will be kept nominal.

Indian Panorama

Feature films of the Indian Panorama are:

1. Aaraariraaro (Kannada): Director: Sandeep Kumar V

2. Aattam (Malayalam): Director: Anand Ekarshi

3. Ardhangini (Bengali): Director: Kaushik Ganguly

4. Deep Fridge (Bengali): Director: Arjun Datta

5. Dhai Aakhar (Hindi): : Director: Praveen Arora

6. Iratta (Malayalam): Director: Rohit MG Krishnan

7. Kaadhal Enbathu Pothu Udamai (Tamil): Director: Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan

8. Kaathal (Malayalam): Director: Jeo Baby

9. Kantara (Kannada): Director: Rishab Shetty

10. Malikappuram (Malayalam): Director: Vishnu Sasi Shankar

11. Mandali (Hindi): Director: rakesh Chaturvedi Om

12. Mirbeen (Karbi): Director: Bridal Gupta

13. Neela Nira Sooriyan (Tamil): Director: Samyukta Vijayan

14. Nna Thaan Case Kodu (Malayalam): Director: Ratheesh Balakrishna Poduval

15. Pookkaalam (Malayalam): Director: Ganeshraj

16. Rabindra Kabya Rahasya (Bengali): Director: Sayantan Ghost

17. Sanaa (Hindi): Director: Sudhanshu Sara

18. The Vaccine War (Hindi): Director: Vivek Agnihotri

19. Vadh (Hindi): Director: Jaspal Singh Sandhu

20. Viduthalai Part 1 (Tamil): Director: Vetri Maaran

The Mainstream section of Indian feature films includes:

1. 2018-Everyone Is A Hero (Malayalam): Director: Jude Anthony Joseph

2. Gulmohar (Hindi): Director: Rahul V Chittelia

3. Ponniyin Selvan Part – 2 (Tamil): Director: Mani Ratnam

4. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (Hindi): Director: Apoorv Singh Karki

5. The Kerala Story (Hindi): Director: Sudipto Sen

Non-feature films of the Indian Panorama are:

1. 1947: Brexit India (English): Director: Sanjivan Lal

2. Andro Dreams (Manipuri): Director: Longjam Meena Devi

3. Baasan (Hindi): Director: Jeetank Singh Gurjar

4. Back to the Future (English): Director: MS Bisht

5. Baruar Xongxar (Assamese): Director: Utpal Borpujari

6. Behrupiya – The Impersonator (Hindi): Director: Bhasker Vishwanathan

7. Bhangaar (Marathi): Director: Sumira Roy

8. Nansei Nilam (Changing Landscape) (Tamil): Director: Pravin Selvam

9. Chupi Roh (Dogri): Director: Disha Bhardwaj

10. Giddh (The Scavenger) (Hindi): Director: Manish Saini

11. Kathabor (Assamese): Director: Kesha Jyoti Das

12. Lachit (The Warrior) (Assamese): Director: Parthasarthi Mahatnta

13. Last Meet (Manipuri): Director: Waribam Dorendra Singh

14. Life In Loom (Hindi, Tamil, Assamese, Bengali, English): Director: Edward Ranson

15. Mau: The Spirit Dreams Of Cheraw (Mizo): Director: Shilpika Bordoloi

16. Pradakshina (Marathi): Director: Prathamesh Mahale

17. Sadabahar (Konkani): Director: Suyash Kamat

18. Sri Rudram (Malayalam): Director: Ananda Jyothi

19. The Sea & Seven Villages (Oriya): Director: Himanshu Sekhar Khatua

20. Utsavmurti (Marathi): Director: Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi

International Jury: Shekhar Kapur will head the International Jury that includes Catherine Dussart, Helene Leake, Jerome Paillard, and Jose Luis Alcaine (he was the first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as key lighting in the 1970s).

Jury for feature films: Dr TS Nagabharana is the chairperson of the 12-member jury that includes Anna Bose, Rama Vij, Kamlesh Mishra, Kiran Ganti, Dr Itirani Samanta, Romi Meitei, Vinay Pande, A Karthik Raja, KP Vyasan, Milind Lele, Pradip Kurbah, and Sanjay Jadhav.

Jury for the non-feature films: Headed by Arvind Sinha, the jury of Indian Panorama non-feature film section comprises Dip Bhuyan, Bobby Wahengbam, Paushali Ganguly, Kamlesh Udasi, Varun Kurtkoti and Arvind Pandey.

IFFI 2023 Venues:

1. Entertainment Society of Goa, Campal, Panaji

2. Inox Panjim, Near Panjim Municipal Market

3. Inox Porvorim, Mall de Goa, Edapally-Panvel Highway

4. Z Square Samrat Ashok

Nostalgia: The first IFFI held in 1961

• President’s Award for the Best Feature Film went to Anuradha (Hindi) which was produced and directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The award included President’s Gold medal, a cash prize of Rs 20,000 to the producer and Rs 5,000 to the director.

• Kangra & Kulu (English), directed by NS Thapa, was declared the best documentary.

• Best children’s film award went to Phool aur Kaliyan (Hindi), directed by Ram Gabale.

• Mughal-e-Azam won the President’s Silver Medal for the best film in Hindi while Kanoon (produced and directed by BR Chopra) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (produced by Raj Kapoor) were awarded Certificate of Merit.