The 53rd International Film Festival of India was inaugurated in Goa on 20th November 2022.
France is the “Country in Focus” this year.
What is a Film festival? What happens here?
How do we see a film? We can either go to a theater or get the print of the film and play it on a home theater. We can also see it on one of the online platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, etc.
Another way to see films is when they are aired on TV.
But there are many films that we cannot see through any of these channels.
A film festival brings together cinema of all kinds – documentaries, short films, children’s cinema, and feature films (full-length films are called feature films).
But it is also a place for film makers to meet potential buyers for their films, for films to reach international audience.
The other thing that happens at a film festival is an opportunity to learn from the masters. There is an interaction between senior and young film makers, actors, etc. This provides an opportunity to learn.
A film festival also has a jury. The jury watches the films submitted and gives out the awards at the film festival. Every festival has its own awards.
So, the film festival is both a creative and commercial event.
Children’s Cinema
6 children’s films will be screened in collaboration with UNICEF. These are:
Capernaum – This film is described as ‘a poignant story of damaged childhood’.
Nani Teri Morni – a film based on the real-life story of a national bravery award winner of India.
Sumi – is another film from India, based on the dream of a child who wants to get a bicycle to travel to school.
Two friends – is a Bengali feature film that covers the journey of 2 eight-year-olds.
Ud ja Nanhe Dil – This children’s film premiered at the Toronto Film festival in 2022. It is a film about friendship and children.
Dhanak – a Hindi story of a brother and sister who must navigate the Thar alone for a journey.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony usually includes a lot of cultural performances. IFFI released this highlights video.
Awards announced so far
Two awards have been announced so far.
Spanish director, Mr. Carlos Saura honoured with Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.
He could not be present to receive the award in person because he was not well. His daughter Anna Saura collected the award on his behalf.
Actor-Producer Chiranjeevi was awarded Indian Film Personality of the Year Award for 2022
All images from PIB or the official event website.