Panaji:The 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is being organized for the first time in a hybrid format with its own 'Over The Top' (OTT) media platform.Masterclasses, In Conversation sessions will be showcased on the OTT platform. The physical screening includes screening of films across all sections and Indian Panaroma.
According to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, live streaming of opening and closing ceremonies on the OTT platform will reach to the delegates across the country. He further said, 119 film screenings will take place in physical format this year, out of which 85 will be premiering in IFFI.
The Chief Guest at the Opening Ceremony of the IFFI will be Indian film actor Sudeep Sanjeev, better known as Sudeep. Other than being an actor, Sudeep is also a director, producer, screenwriter, television presenter and singer. He primarily works in Kannada language films, in addition to his appearances in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will also grace the opening ceremony to be held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium near the city.
The film festival will also celebrate 100 years of the legendary film icon – Bharat Ratna Satyajit Ray. The festival will also witness the World Premiere of ‘Mehrunisa’ mid-fest. The movie stars Farrukh Jaffar and narrates the story of a woman’s lifelong dream. The festival will premier Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg’s ‘Another Round’ as the opening film. This movie is Denmark’s official entry to the Oscars and stars Cannes Best Actor Award winner Mads Mikkelsen. The historical drama ‘Wife of a Spy’ by Kiyoshi Kurosawa will bring the 51st IFFI to a close.
Bangladesh being the ‘Country in Focus’ this year, this section will be Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India Mohammad Imran. Ten films from Bangladesh, including ‘Rupsha Nodir Baanke (Quiet flows the River Rupsa)’, ‘Sincerely Yours, Dhaka!’ will be showcased in this section.
“All the pandemic protocols will be followed in the festival according to the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines”, Mr Sawant said, addressing a press conference in the city on Friday.
'Due to COVID-19, the festival is going to be online this year with e-ticketing, e-scheduling and even the festival daily called ‘Peacock’ will go online this year,' he added.
Registration for physical and virtual formats of IFFI is being done separately this year. The charges are separate for both the formats. The individuals who are interested in both the physical and the OTT platform will have to register separately.(UNI)