The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) will be held in Goa from 20th Nov, 2018 to 28th Nov, 2018. The 49th edition of the fest will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries, which reflects diversity of taste. The “International Competition” section has 15 films out of which 3 are Indian. The “Competition section” itself will represent films produced & co-produced by 22 countries. The Fest’s Kaleidoscope section carries 20 critically acclaimed international films that have been to major film fests & the majority of them being multiple award winners. This is one of the most sought after sections of the fest that showcases the “Best” & the “Top” films of the year. The “World Panorama” section has 67 films, which are specially curated for the fest. This includes 4 World Premieres, 2 International Premieres, 15 Asia Premieres & 60 India Premieres. This year the “World Panorama” section presents 15 films, which are Oscar submissions from their respective countries.
Retrospective Of Ingmar Bergman
On the occasion of the 100th year anniversary of Ingmar Bergman’s birth, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) will showcase the 7 best films of his career. A documentary on Ingmar Bergman titled “Bergman Island” directed by Marie Nyrerod which presents the master behind the camera has also been included in this section. The official opening of this section is scheduled on 21st Nov, 2018 with panel discussion followed by the screening of Wild Strawberries.
The Opening Film: World Premiere Of ‘The Aspern Papers’
The Festival will open with the World Premiere of The Aspern Papers with international star cast. The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grander lost & dreams of Byronic adventures. The delegation constitutes Jonathan Rhys Meyers (lead actor) Golden Globe winner, Joely Richardson (lead actress), Oscar nominated actress Julia Robins (actress), Morgane Polanski (actress & daughter of Roman Polanski), Nicolas Hau (actor) & Julien Landais (director).
Country Focus – Israel
Every year the International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) features a Country of Focus that brings out the cinematic excellence & contributions of that particular Country. In its 49th edition the International Film Festival of India (IFFI 20918), the Country of Focus will be on Israel. 10 films in collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai, has been selected for the country focus package. The opening film for the “Country Focus Section” is The Other Story by Avi Nesher. Important celebrities from Israel including the famous Israeli Actor, Alon Aboutboul, is the special guest from Israel, who has worked in several Hollywood films including, Rambo III, Munich by Steven Spielberg, Body of Lies by Ridley Scott & The Dark Knight Rises to name a few. The Indo-Israeli co-production seminar is slated to be held on 22nd Nov, 2018.
A State focus – Jharkhand
The movies in the Jharkhand Package include Death In The Gunj, Ranchi Diaries, Begum Jaan with others. Jharkhand has been selected as the “State Of Focus” for the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) & the “Jharkhand Day” will be celebrated on 24th Nov, 2018 as part of the fest.
The International Competition Jury
The International Competition jury comprises of John Irvin, Adrian Sitaru, Polish director Robert Glinski, Anna Ferraioli Ravel & Indian member Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
Indian Panorama – 26 Feature & 21 Non Feature Indian Films
Olu directed by Shaji N Karun as the Opening feature film of Indian Panorama Section. Kharvas directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale as the Opening non-feature film of Indian Panorama. 26 feature films & 21 non–feature Indian films are selected by the Indian Panorama Jury to be screened as part of this section out of the 100’s of entries sent by filmmakers from varied parts of the Country. The feature film jury selected the film Olu directed by Shaji N Karun as the opening feature film of the Indian Panorama 2018. The non-feature film jury selected the film Kharvas directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale as the opening non-feature film of the Indian Panorama 2018. The prominent feature films are as follows: Olu (Opening film) Malayalam by Shaji N Karun, Nagarkirtan Bengali by Kaushik Ganguly, Sa Bengali by Arijit Singh, Uma Bengali by Srijit Mukherji, Abyakto Bengali by Arjun Dutta & Uronchondi Bengali by Abhishek Saha. The feature film jury of 13 members was headed by acclaimed film director & screenwriter, Rahul Rawail & the other prominent members included: Major Ravi, filmmaker & actor, Ahathian, director, Ujjwal Chatterjee, director, producer & screenwriter, Imo Singh, director & Utpal Datta, filmmaker & others. The non-feature film jury of 7 members was headed by acclaimed film director & editor, Vinod Ganatra. The jury constituted of the following Members: Uday Shankar Pani, filmmaker, Parvati Menon, director & film educationist, Mandar Talaulikar, filmmaker, Padmaraj Nair, film journalist, Ashok Sharan, actor & producer & Suneel Puranik actor, director & producer.
Sketch On Screen (Animation Film Package)
The sketch on screen (Animation Film Package) is a section which will screen around 3 International feature length films done in collaboration with Indian studios.
Indian Sports Biopics
The Indian spoirts biopics like Gold, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, 1983, MSD: The untold story & Soorma will be screened at the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) as an extension of the “Khelo India Branding”. The “Open Air Screenings” are organized during the fest where a large screen is put up in a vast open area, where these films will be screened.
The ICFT Prize
The ICFT prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal to a film, which reflects the ideals promoted by UNESCO. This year 10 films will be showcased for selection of a film to be presented with this coveted award. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) collaborates with the International Council for Film, Audiovisual Communication (ICFT) Paris, to present a special ICFT prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal to a film, which reflects the ideals promoted by UNESCO. This year 10 films will be showcased for selection of a film to be presented with this coveted award.
Masterclasses & In-Conversation Section
The masterclasses & in-conversation section will feature several renowned celebrities from the film industry including Prasoon Joshi, Dan Wolman, Sreekar Prasad, Anil Kapoor, Sumit Israni, Boney Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Jahnvi Kapoor, David Dhawan, Varun Dhawan, Rohit Dhawan, Jairaj, Kaushik Ganguly, Shaji Karun, Srijit Mukhrjee, Sridhar & Sreeram Raghvan, Anupama Chopra, Rajiv Masand, Bhawana Somaaya, Jason Hafford, Meghna Gulzar, Leena Yadav, Gauri Shinde et al. A retrospective of films of the recipient of the most prestigious film award of the Country, Dadasaheb Phalke Award is showcased during the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018). This year Vinod Khanna received the award posthumously. The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) will be showcasing some of his best films including Achanak, Lekin & Amar Akbar Anthony. Retrospective of the Lifetime Achievement Awardee section recognizes the contribution of our Lifetime Achievement Awardee in the field of Cinema by showcasing some of his/her “Best Films”. This year Dan Wolman from Israel will be honored with Life Time Achievement award.
The “Homages” section pays tribute to the film personalities of our country who has taken refuge in the abode of God. This year homage will be paid to the Late Shashi Kapoor, the Late Sridevi, the Late M. Karunanidhi & the Late Kalpana Lajmi. in the International Homages this year the fest will pay a tribute to Terence Marsh, Milos Forman & Anne V Coates.
A special package for Visually Impaired Children’s special screenings with audio description will be organized for the children who are visually impaired. The fest will showcase the movies Sholay & Hichki under this section. This year there will also be a special presentation of the Tunisian films.
