International Film Festival of India
The
44th International Film Festival of India is organized by the
IFFI Secretariat under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, Directorate of Film Festivals in collaboration with the
Government of Goa and the Indian Film Industry. The festival brings cinema from
around the world to the country and presents a boutique of contemporary and
classic cinema from India to the world, through a variety of film screeningprogrammes,
academic sessions and cultural exchange programmes.
It
is based on the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the
whole world is one family). The festival will feature the best of world cinema
touching upon nuances of emerging trends in the world of cinema. Around
160 foreign films are to be showcased in this edition, under various
categories. This cultural exchange of sensibilities and perspectives, take
Indian cinematic sensibilities across borders. Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland,
along with luminaries from Indian cinema including actor Rekha and
legendary singer Asha Bhosle are participating in the festival.
The 2013 IFFI pays tributes to ground-breaking filmmakers Manoj Kumar, Buddhadeb Dasgupta and
S. Shankar. Three films of the Masters’ choice will be screened for cinema
fans.
Highlights
Directorate
of Film Festivals had received entries of around 650 foreign films for
screening during the IFFI 2013. However, a total of 260 films from 70 countries
have been selected to participate in the mega film event. The jury for
feature films, headed by renowned filmmaker and Editor Shri B. Lenin,
selected 25 films out of total 210 eligible entries. The Non- Feature films
jury chaired by well-known director Shri Raja Sen, picked
15 films out of 130 eligible entries. In the feature films category, 6 films
are in Malayalam, 5 in Bengali, 5 in Hindi, 3 in Marathi and 2 in English. One
film each has been selected in Konkani, Kannada, Mising, Oriya and Tamil.
In the non-feature films category, 5 films are in Hindi, 3 in Malayalam, 3 in
English, 2 in Marathi, 2 in Kashmiri and 1 in Kudukh. Legendary actor Manoj Kumar
will officially flag off Indian Panorama 2013 during the inaugural ceremony.
The opening ceremony will be followed by an impressive cultural programme and
screening of the opening film at the Kala Academy auditorium, Goa. Acclaimed
Hollywood Actress Ms Michelle Yeoh would be the Chief Guest for the
closing ceremony of the Festival.
Awards
15
films from around the world will vie for the coveted Peacock Awards at the 44th IFFI.
The Indian Cinema Centenary Award will be bestowed on the film with artistic
merit and technical excellence. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed
on renowned Czech filmmaker, theatre director, actor and scenarist JiriMenzel.
Special award was introduced in the series of initiatives undertaken to
commemorate the 100 years of Indian Cinema. The Centenary award is given every
year to an outstanding Indian film personality under the banner of “A Film
Icon” for a person’s contribution to Indian Cinema at IFFI. Veteran Bollywood actress WaheedaRehman will
receive first Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the year
2013. The award reiterated the rich legacy of Indian Cinema where
eminent personalities had contributed to its growth through different stages of
its evolution. The award is the second in the series instituted by the
Government to commemorate the centenary celebrations.
Country
Focus- Japan
Country
Focus for IFFI 2013 is Japan. The 44th IFFI will showcase
Japanese films in the country focus section. The titles include a
combination of Animation and Fiction feature films. Renowned Czech filmmaker,
theatre director, actor and scenarist Jiri Menzel’s film ‘The
Don Juans’ will open the Festival. The festival features a speciallycurated section
on films from the eight states of North-East India. Indian Panorama category
comprises of 25 feature films and 15 non-feature films from contemporary Indian
cinema.
First
Timers
The
44th edition of IFFI is unique on several accounts. For the first time two
International Film personalities, Ms. Susan Sarandon and acclaimed Iranian
Filmmaker Mr. Majid Majidi will share the stage at the opening
ceremony. This aspect reiterates the growing importance of India. The 44th
edition also provides the platform to screen films on Nobel Prize winners,
namely, “Mandela, A long Walk to Freedom” and “Lech Walesa”. The Life Time
Achievement Award is being conferred to the legendary Czech Film Director, Mr. Jiri Menzel whose
films have been acknowledged as the Czech New Wave Cinema. A film on India’s
great freedom struggle leader Basha Khan would be screened at the
Festival. A film produced and directed by an Afghan Director would also be
screened.
Historical
Perspective
The
first edition of IFFI was organized by the Films Division, with the patronage
of the first Prime Minister of India and was held in Mumbai from 24 January to
1 February 1952. The Festival was subsequently taken to Madras, Delhi and
Calcutta. In all it had about 40 features and 100 short films. In Delhi, IFFI
was inaugurated by Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 21
February 1952. Since its beginnings in 1952 the IFFI has been the biggest event
of its type in India. Subsequent IFFI’s were held in New Delhi. From the 3rd
edition in January 1965, IFFI’s became competitive. In 1975 the Filmotsav was
introduce and was later merged in IFFI’s. In 2004 the IFFI was moved to Goa.
Since then the IFFI has been an annual event and of competitive nature.
The
IFFI aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to
project the excellence of the film art; contributing to the understanding and
appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their
social and cultural ethos; and promoting friendship and cooperation among
people of the world. The IFFI’s founding principles centre on discovery,
promotion and support of filmmaking of all genres – thus bringing together the
diversity of the forms, aesthetics and contents. The Festival is an assembly of
people and nations where the world’s greatest film artistes hold hands with
emerging talents on an equal footing. It is also a forum for film professionals
to communicate face to face with film lovers around the world. IFFI aims to nurture,
encourage and inspire Indian cinema and introduce it to the world outside as
well as the many audiences that coexist in this vast and diverse country. With
rapid technology changes, the importance of this festival will only grow as it
will bring viewers and filmmakers together and expose them to emerging
technologies and the challenge of the emerging new media. New interactions are
envisaged; new strategies would be formulated so that with each edition of the
IFFI, the viewing experience is enhanced, enlarged and enriched.
Directorate
of Film Festivals organizes the Film Festivals at home and abroad. The
Directorate of Film Festivals was set up under the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting in 1973 with the prime objective of promoting good cinema. This is
undertaken by organizing a range of activities under many broad categories. The
main categories are The International Film Festival of India, The National Film
awards and the Dada Saheb PhalkeAwards, Cultural exchange pogramme and
organizing screening of Indian films through the mission abroad, the selection
of Indian panorama, participation in international film festivals abroad,
special film expositions on behalf of Government of India and print collection
and documentations. These activities provide a unique platform for exchange of
ideas, culture and experiences between India and other countries in field of
cinema.
The
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), set up under the Cinematographer
Act, 1952, certifies film for public exhibitions in India. It consists of a
Chairperson and twenty- five other non-official members. The board has its
headquarters at Mumbai and nine regional offices. The regional offices are
assisted in examination of films by advisory panels consisting of persons from
different walks of life. Smt. Leela Samson, a well known personality,
took over as Chairperson of CBFC on 01-04-2011.
The
Films Division was constituted in January 1948 by rechristening the
erstwhile Information Films of India and the Indian News Parade set up in 1943,
primarily for war coverage. The Cinematography Act of 1918 wasIndianised in
1952 which made the screening of documentary films compulsory through out the
country. Since 1949, Films Division has been releasing a documentary or
news-based or an animation film every single Friday for the theatres
spread across the country, in 15 national languages.
The
aim and objective of the Film Shows focuses on national perspectives
(to provide largest publicity platforms to the Plans, Policies, Programmes and
Projects of the Government envisaged for the development of the masses), to
educate and motivate people in the implementation of national programmes and
to project the image of the land and the heritage of the country to Indian and
foreign audiences. These film shows are one of the essentials of Films
Division.
The
Film Division of India is undertaking the Digitization and Web
Casting of films. Over a period of 60 years, Films Division has became a
treasure trove of national history with a collection of more than 8100 films
including archival footage, News Reel, New Magazine Documentary, Animation and
Short films. Since the filmic materials are fragile and ephemeral, they start
decomposing if not stored under ideal condition. Thus, a plan scheme called
“Web casting and Digitization of Films Division Films” was envisaged for
protection and storing of filmic materials. Films are kept in duly digitalized
formats through Telecine Machine after which they will be stored on
High Definition Tapes on DG Beta, which are latest technique in the world.
Thereafter, Films Division has classified three broad groups, viz. Most
precious and precious films are being transferred on High Definition tapes and
normal films are being transferred on DG Beta. After Telecine transfer
and restoration, films are being authored in DVDs/VCDs for regular use.
The National Film
Archive of India is a rich repository of Indian films. The
importance of preserving cinema as an art and historical document has been
recognized all over the world. The task of preserving cinema in all its varied
expressions and forms is best entrusted to the national organization having
adequate resources, a permanent set-up and the confidence of film industry. The
National Film Archive of India was established as an independent media unit
under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1964. The aim of
National Film Archive of India is to trace, acquire and preserve the heritage
of national cinema for posterity and to build up a representative collection of
World Cinema. The major functions of this organization are to classify and
document data related to film, undertake and encourage research on cinema,
their publication and distribution. It also acts as a centre for dissemination
of film culture in the country and to ensure the cultural presence of Indian
Cinema abroad.
The
National Films Development Corporation Limited (NFDC), incorporated
in 1975, (100 per cent owned by GOI body) was formed by the Government of India
with the primary objective of planning and promoting an organized, efficient
and integrated development of Indian Film Industry. In recognition of the need
for a body that could facilitate the growth of Indian film industry, the
Government of India merged the Film Finance Corporation (FFC) and Indian
Picture Export Corporation (IMPEC) in NFDC. The NFDC has so far funded/produced
over 200 films. These films, in various Indian languages, have been widely
acclaimed and have won many national and international awards.
Opening
and Closing Ceremony
Czech
comedy ‘The Don Juans’ directed by Czech film director, actor, and
screenwriter Jiri Menzel will open the 44th International Film
Festival of India. The movie revolves around a small town opera company which
decides to put on Mozart’s Don Giovanni, amid love and disillusion, music and
passion and a narrative that combines comedy with drama. The ceremony will
be closed with ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’, which is a biographical film
about anti-apartheid revolutionary and former South African President Nelson
Mandela’s life based on the 1994 book ‘Long Walk to Freedom’. Starring Idris Elba
and Naomie Harris, it chronicles Nelson Mandela's life journey from
his childhood in a rural village to his inauguration as the first
democratically elected president of South Africa
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