Section for green films at Iffi from next year

Panaji: Director of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (Iffi) Ravindra Bhakkar, on Sunday, announced that a special section on environment and climate change will be introduced at the film festival from next year.
Earlier in the day, members of the international jury at the Iffi had suggested that the festival should consider having a special segment on environment and climate change from the next edition. Jury member Sudipto Sen advocated for the section.
“At the next Iffi, we will curate a special section on environment,” Bhakkar announced even as a beach clean-up drive is being held on the final day of the festival at Miramar beach, around 2km away from the Iffi’s main venue.
Stating that the festival this year has been organised very well, Sen, a writer and director, said, “To ensure that the best films come to the festival, a year round process is required in the form of appointing a permanent programmer. Iffi was a holistic 360 degree film festival this year. The kind of diversity, colour and presentation of India as a country were all very good. I can surely say that Iffi is at par with many international film festivals. Iffi has matured as a festival.”
Nadav Lapid, Israeli director, writer and chairperson of the international competition jury this year, said that as each film festival is unique and different in its own way, it’s difficult to compare them.
Javier Angulo Barturen, documentary filmmaker from France, and a jury member, said he was happy to see the crowded auditoriums at Iffi and to see a lot of people discussing cinema. He said more people should go to big screens to watch films.
Fifteen films are competing for the coveted Golden Peacock in international competition at Iffi.