Austrian film ‘Alma and Oskar’ helmed by Dieter Berner will be the opening film of the 53rd edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI), slated to commence on November 20 in Goa.
Around 280 films crafted from 79 different countries, including 25 feature and 20 non-feature movies will be screened from India alone. The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Spanish film director Carlos Saura while eight of his assorted films will be screened at the festival.
Three hit films of legendary actress Asha Parekh – ‘Teesri Manzil’, ‘Do Badan and Kati Patang’ – will be screened will be screened under the panoramic experience. While Krzysztof Zanussi’s ‘Perfect Number’ is sorted as the closing film.
On Monday, the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L Murugan said, “Five feature and five non-feature films will be screened to promote films from the North-East and marking golden jubilee of Manipuri cinema.”
Along with some timeless classics a book adaptation event will be held wherein publishers will have the platform to sell their book rights to filmmakers. This includes Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning movie ‘Gandhi’, which will be screened in the ‘Divyangjan’.
Special tributes will be given to singer Lata Mangeshkar, singer-composer Bappi Lahiri, Kathak prodigy Pt. Birju Maharaj, actors Ramesh Deo and Maheshwari Amma, singer KK, filmmaker Tarun, Assamese actor Nipon Das and singer Bhupinder Singh. From the international arena, Bob Rafelson, Ivan Reitman, Peter Bogdanovich, Douglas Trumbell and Monica Vitti will be paid the homage.