IFFI 2017 opening ceremony: SRK inaugurates the festival; Shahid Kapoor talks about Padmavati
The 48th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2017) has a star-studded line-up for the event, which will be inaugurated by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, while Salman Khan will be present at the closing ceremony.
File image of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.
Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor will also be present at the inauguration, which will be held on 20 November at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim, near Panaji, the capital of the western Indian state of India.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar among others, would be present at the event.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the event, while Canadian director Atom Egoyan will receive Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here are some updates from the opening ceremony:
And #ShahrukhKhan put the stage on fire along with #RajkumarRao & #RadhikaApte at #IFFI2017 opening ceremony @CanadainIndia pic.twitter.com/cflaiFsXbj
— Maahi Kaur/Filmmaker (@MaahiKaur01) November 20, 2017
And #ShahrukhKhan put the stage on fire along with #RajkumarRao & #RadhikaApte at #IFFI2017 opening ceremony @CanadainIndia pic.twitter.com/cflaiFsXbj — Maahi Kaur/Filmmaker (@MaahiKaur01) November 20, 2017
#IFFI2017 LIVE: We invite filmmakers from the world over, to this world of stories: Union Minister @smritiirani on the goal of @IFFIGoa https://t.co/2QVLe1I9A5
— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 20, 2017
The dancers depicting the various cultures of India, are owning the stage at the #IFFI2017 Opening Ceremony! pic.twitter.com/C1eHTvbzJr — IFFI 2017 (@IFFIGoa) November 20, 2017
The mega film festival has begun! Chief Minister of Goa @manoharparrikar welcomes all guests and dignitaries at #IFFI2017 #IFFI2017onDD pic.twitter.com/Q2Bo2Q7c2y
— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) November 20, 2017
Actor @shahidkapoor at the inaugural ceremony of #IFFI2017 talking on future of cinema. pic.twitter.com/nRArxepaRc — MIB India (@MIB_India) November 20, 2017
Stunning actors and Hosts for the evening @RajkummarRao & @radhika_apte caught candid on camera backstage at the Inaugural of #IFFI2017 pic.twitter.com/7tGGCrAAxd
— IFFI 2017 (@IFFIGoa) November 20, 2017
#IFFI2017 pic.twitter.com/1ADPqL9y5E — SRIDEVI BONEY KAPOOR (@SrideviBKapoor) November 20, 2017
The dancers depicting the various cultures of India, are owning the stage at the #IFFI2017 Opening Ceremony! pic.twitter.com/C1eHTvbzJr
— IFFI 2017 (@IFFIGoa) November 20, 2017
*** The Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) and Goa government's Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) are jointly organising the festival, which will be held at two venues Kala Academy and Macquiniz Palace. The organisers said 195 films from across 82 countries would be screened, including 10 world premiers, 10 Asian and international premiers and over 64 Indian premiers will be presented during the festival. Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's new film Beyond The Clouds will open the IFFI. The event would conclude on November 28 with the world premiere of Indo-Argentinian co-production Thinking of Him, directed by Pablo Cesar.
"The closing ceremony will be graced by noted actor Salman Khan. This in addition to a galaxy of noted industry professionals, international guests, dignitaries and film celebrities who will attend the festival," the organisers said in a release. Noted actress Sridevi will inaugurate the Indian Panorama section of the festival on 21 November. On the same day, IFFI 2017 Country Focus on Canada will be celebrated with a grand red carpet opening and amidst the presence of noted Canadian actors and celebrities. The segment has been organised in association with the government of Canada in collaboration with Telefilm Canada, curated by the Toronto International Film Festival. In the international competition section of IFFI 2017, which carries a cumulative cash prize of over Rs 1 crore, 15 finest films of the year will be showcased.
The international competition jury will be headed by renowned filmmaker-poet Muzaffar Ali. The other jury members are director Maxine Williamson from Australia, actor-director Tzahi Grad from Isreal, Russian cinematographer Vladislav Opelyants, director and production designer Roger Christian from the United Kingdom. "This edition of the festival will also be presenting films from a record number of women filmmakers in addition to a carefully curated section of restored classics from across the globe, which include the recently completed restorations of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' and Tarkovsky s 'Sacrifice', among some other notable films," the organisers said.
The IFFI 2017 will also present a specially curated section celebrating the most loved spy in films — James Bond. The segment will showcase nine films featuring various leading actors, who have essayed the iconic character. Additionally, the festival will present four movies from young filmmakers.
*** Shah Rukh Khan's inaugural address
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan spoke at the inauguration ceremony of the 48th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The actor took to the stage amidst applause and gave a passionate speech about cinema and its impact.
"Tonight, it feels absolutely wonderful to be surrounded by storytellers of the world, at the birth-place of stories, that is India. I think over the years, in the last thirty years, I have learnt one thing that films are a symbol of love, and filmmaking is about loving. I truly believe films are made with the collaboration of hundreds of people coming together, working relentlessly for an idea they believe in, they love and want to share it with the world. This idea becomes the film that we all watch and sometimes we feel very happy watching it, sometimes we dance along with the film, at other times we get angry, disturbed or agitated, and that exactly is the magic of storytelling," said Shah Rukh according to an Indian Express report.
The King of Romance @iamsrk making the audience fall in love with him with his charming smile at the inaugural of #IFFI2017 pic.twitter.com/OPt6KAcrGX — IFFI 2017 (@IFFIGoa) November 20, 2017
He went on to conclude that story-telling and listening should be a 'familial experience' and that it should make our relationships stronger (especially in the face of dissent) instead of tearing us apart.
With inputs from PTI
