New Delhi: In a big move, the government of India has announced that OTT platforms will participate in the International Film Festival of India this year. This is for the first time that OTT platforms such as Zee5, Netflix, Amazon Prime and others will be able to participate in the mega show. The announcement was made by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday.

Apart from this, Anurag Thakur also announced that Hema Malini and Prasoon Joshi will be honoured with the ‘Indian Film Personality of the Year’ award at the event. “Contributions of Hema Malini and Prasoon Joshi to the field of Indian cinema spread over decades & their body of work has enthralled audiences across generations. They are Indian cinematic icons who are admired & respected the world over,” the minister said.

The International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 28 in Goa. Reportedly, 75 young aspiring filmmakers will receive masterclasses from industry experts. Apart from this, around 30 films have been shortlisted for screening at the Festival.

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