Finding your own voice is important in any creative profession: Prasoon Joshi at IFFI 2018

GOA, 22st NOVEMBER 2018: …. The Masterclass titled, ‘Lyrical Imagination Unleashed’ saw Prasoon Joshi evoke the audiences’ emotional side by singing some of his timeless songs … The exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi was inaugurated at the hands of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore … The State Focus section on Jharkhand was also inaugurated The delegation from Israel, as part of the Country Focus on Israel at IFFI 2018, and singer Arijit Singh who is debuting as a director with his film ‘Sa’ at IFFI 2018, walked the red carpet with his wife, Koyel Singh … A panel discussion on Ingmar Bergman – ‘Wild At Heart, Master At Craft’ was held at Maquinez Palace as a mark of tribute to the Swedish filmmaker.

 The second day at IFFI 2018 saw some great action unfold on-screen, but even more interesting events played out off-screen at the multiple venues of the coveted film festival. One of the events to unfold early in the day was the inauguration of the Mahatma Gandhi exhibition at Kala Academy by the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore accompanied by filmmaker Subhash Ghai and actress Poonam Dhillon

Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, while speaking at the occasion said, “Along with entertainment and education, I am promoting films of business as well. We have also taken the opportunity to put an exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi, which is one of the finest exhibitions on the Father of the Nation. It is a very interactive exhibition that has been taken around the country earlier. Now we have brought it to Goa taking the opportunity of 49th IFFI.”

This was followed by the inauguration of the State Focus section on the state of Jharkhand.

At the occassion, Amit Khare, Secretary I&B, Govt of India said, “We have begun with the State focus for the first time and we chose Jharkhand because we want to promote the filmmakers of the state. We believe that they are no less than the others. This not only increases the employment opportunities to the people but also trains them and hones their skills. Through IFFI, we want to tell that India has arrived on world platform. This has been made possible only because of positive intervention of states. Through the section of State Focus we want international artists to know how the artists from smaller cities are a powerhouse of creative talent and that they too can make some amazing films. By keeping Jharkhand as State Focus, we aim to promote culture, language and talent. We will continue to do so every year with different states.”

The delegation from Israel, as a part of Country Focus on Israel at IFFI 2018, walked the red carpet. The red carpet saw more action as the versatile playback singer Arijit Singh, who is debuting as a director with his film Sa at IFFI 2018, walked the red carpet with his wife.

Maquinez Palace, an important venue of IFFI 2018 saw a busy day with a Masterclass and a panel discussion being held in the first half of the day. The masterclass by Prasoon Joshi, titled, ‘Lyrical Imagination Unleashed’ was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the day.

Not that he needs an introduction but for the uninitiated, Prasoon Joshi wears many hats –a lyricist, screenwriter, poet, the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and that of being the CEO of McCann World group India and Chairman (Asia Pacific). While his achievements in the field of advertising have won him and the country accolades in the international circuit, Mr Prasoon Joshi graced the audiences at IFFI 2018 with his presence.

In this session moderated by Mr Sachin Chatte, the National Award winning lyricist Padma Shri Prasoon Joshi spoke at length about the factors that inspire his creative process, the difference and similarities between writing lyrics and poetry, and the need to find one’s true voice / style. The session also saw the singer-songwriter croon to the audiences, thereby setting a very emotional tone for the session.

Mr Joshi spent his formative years in the lap of nature – in places like Almora, Nainital, Tehri and other scenic parts of India. When asked if nature plays a role in inspiring the stellar body of work that has won him laurels internationally, Joshi declined the notion, in his signature poetic fashion saying, “It would be unfair to those creative people who have not grown up in the lap of nature.” Mr Joshi further said, “People have written in confinement too. It is the certain mental preparedness, sensitivity and the ability to express that plays a role. The human mind creates a narrative around the things and the places that we observe and experience. This process is personal and beautiful. Every place has its fragrance that gets imprinted on your subconscious. When writing, all of this influences and reflects in the end product.”

While advising budding poets and lyricists, Mr Joshi said, “It is okay to be confused. The youngsters are restless, partly because of the pressure from the society. That is okay. If you’re definitive about your way, there’s no growth in it. You can’t experience something till you touch it. It is important to explore. Unless it is a truth which is experienced by you, it is not authentic. If you want to write, or in any creative profession, my understanding is that one has to look for an authentic voice. It is a difficult journey but one that to have to take.”

The Masterclass was followed by a Q&A session where Mr Joshi took questions from potential lyricists and creative artistes. While trying to answer a question on how to get past the Writer’s Block, Mr Joshi said, “One should not be alienated from one’s thoughts. There should be a union between the person and his thoughts. Then, the writing happens naturally. Also, one should be sensitive to the myriad experience and feel the subject. And finally, read a lot to have a rich vocabulary which will come handy in expressing with greater efficacy.”

IFFI 2018 had on its schedule a panel discussion on Swedish master craftsman Ingmar Bergman, as part of paying him tribute on his birth centenary. The panel discussion titled, ‘Wild At Heart, Master At Craft’ saw Mr Sunit Tandon moderate the session that featured Ms Jannike Ahlund and Ms Ulrika.

For those unfamiliar with Ingmar Bergman – 10 of his films are listed in the 5th edition of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (edited by Steven Jay Schneider). He is the third best-represented director (behind Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks) and has the greatest number of writing credits on that list of any screenwriter. On the list are the films Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light (1963), Persona (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), Cries and Whispers (1972) and Fanny and Alexander (1982).

IFFI 2018 is celebrating the birth centenary of this master filmmaker by showcasing 7 best films of his career.

While speaking about the effect that Bergman had on him growing up, Sunit Tandon said, “He is one of the few filmmakers who has led to the coining of an adjective. ‘Bergmanesque’ is a word you can look up in the dictionary. It means films of the kind that Bergman made. Bergman has had a huge impact on the world of cinema.”

When asked about where Bergman and his legacy would be placed in today’s times, Ms Jannike Ahlund said, “The social issues that Bergman touched upon in his films are timeless. We will always be interested in the lack of human relationships, the lack of communication which seemed to be his overall theme. Most of his films age very well, with the exception of some of his early works.”

The panel discussion was followed by the screening of Ingmar Bergman’s film, Wild Strawberries.

The 49th International Film Festival of India begins on Tuesday, 20 November 2018 and ends on Wednesday, 28 November, 2018, in Panaji, Goa.

DIP OBSERVES LINGUISTIC HARMONY DAY WITH POETRY RECITAL

Panaji, November 22, 2018 … The Department of Information and Publicity observed Linguistic Harmony Day as part of the week long activities to observe the ‘Quami Ekta Week’ (National Integration Week) which is being observed all over India  from November 19-25. The Department held a poetry recital on theme of National Integration.

At the onset, Information Officer, Shri Prakash Naik administered the National Integration Pledge to the staff members. Shri Naik said that such events in the Department help bring forth the hidden talents of the staff and gives them a platform to perform.

 Information Officer, Shri John Aguiar briefed the staff about the significance of the observance and stressed on the importance of national unity. He later recited two poems on the theme from his Konkani poetry book ‘Pavlam’.  

The other staff who recited poems were Janhhavi Savaikar, Shri. Shyam Gaonkar, Govind Gaonkar, Shri. Nikhil Prajakte, and  Shri. Dhananjay Kerkar, among others. 

Shri. Manohar Degvekar gave a short talk on the importance of Yoga in one’s everyday life.

E WASTE COLLECTION DRIVE IN PANAJI

Panaji: November 22, 2018 … The Goa College of Home Science, Panaji (GCHS) in association with Karo Sambhav and the Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera is organizing an E-waste Collection Drive on November 23, 2018 from 9 am to 5 pm and on November 24 and 25, 2018  from 9 am to 1 pm.

Donors can dispose of their E-waste ranging from computer equipment, mobiles, printers, TV’s, music systems, fridges, AC’s, microwaves, geysers or any other electronic items, and all kinds of batteries at the GCHS’s premises (opposite Campal Fire Brigade) or request for a pick-up in case of larger quantities. Tube lights, bulbs, toners and cartridges will not be accepted.

The proceeds of this drive will be used for the Nature Club activities of the College and other Environmental related issues. For more information contact  Larissa (9763551279) or Sushant (8806668630).

APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FOR NOMINATION OF THE STATE AWARDS FOR THE PERSON WITH DISABILITIES

Panaji: November 21, 2018 … The Directorate of Social Welfare, Panaji has invited applications in the prescribed application form from Employers, NGOs and Persons with Disabilities for the following categories State Awards. Best Employes (One), Best NGO (One) and Best Employees with Disabilities (three).

One award in each of the category of Disabilities such as Visual Disabled, Speech and Hearing Impaired, Physical Disabled will be given for the best employee with Disabilities.

Each award consists of cash amount of Rs.25,000, Citation Certificate Shrifal (Coconut) and Shawl.

Prescribed application forms are available at the counter of Directorate of Social Welfare, Panaji and District Welfare office, Directorate of Social Welfare, M.S.A. Complex, Margao Salcete, free of cost. Application in prescribed format dully filled in all respect and accompanied with Xerox copies of the documents attested by Gazetted Officer should reach Directorate of Social Welfare on or before December 5, 2018.

State awards will be presented on December 19, 2018 by the hands of Chief Minister on the occasion of Goa Liberation Day.

Film Facilitation Office (FFO) Web portal launched

Panaji ::: November 21, 2018 … In an endeavor to further reach out to the filming fraternity across the globe, the Minister of State (I/C) for Information and Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore launched the The Film Facilitation Office (FFO) web portal at the inaugural ceremony of the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Taleigao. The Film Facilitation Office (FFO) set up by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting under the operational aegis of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), has been working towards easing filming in India and promoting the country as a preferred shooting destination.
The FFO portal has been designed and developed with a view to be a single point for all filming related information in the country, leading to greater ease of navigation, and thereby easing filming in the country.

MoU BETWEEN GWMC AND SINTEF, NORWAY SIGNED

Panaji: November 21, 2018 … Shri Sudhir Mahajan, Secretary Urban Development Govt. of Goa inaugurated one day International Conference on Environment Friendly Handling and Recovery of Construction and Demolition Waste in Goa organized by Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) in collaboration with SINTFF, CPUD and FS Academy of Applied Development (IAAD) at a function in Taj Vivanta Panaji yesterday.

On the occasion MoU between GWMC and SINTEF, Norway was also signed.

Ms. Ann Ollestad, Consul General, Mumbai, Shri K M Soni, Additional Director General, Central Public Works Department, Dr. Christian J. Engelsen, Scientist, SINTEF, Norway, Dr. Gaurav Bhatiani, IL and FS Academy of Applied Development, Shri Sanjit Rodrigues, Managing Director, Goa Waste Management Corporation, Smt. Sharmila Montera, Member Secretary Pollution Control Board Govt. of Goa were present on the occasion.

Shri  Mahajan, while addressing the gathering lauded the initiative taken by Goa Waste Management Corporation and central. Handling Construction and Demolition (CND) waste has always remained a challenge since it contains various wastes he said. He further put forth his suggestions towards the segregation of wastes. He said the signing of this MoU will definitely help bring some technical solution how waste can be managed.

Ms. Ann Ollestad, while speaking on the occasion said that signing a deal and moving forward is very important, She said that if we bring modern technology to recycling then India has bright future. She further hoped that others will use this MoU as example to follow and said that awareness about this among the people in Goa is extremely important to make this a success.

Shri K M Soni, speaking on the occasion briefed about the establishment of Central Public Works Department (CPWD).CND waste is not  waste  it is a kind of resource and to convert waste into resource everyone needs to get involved in it he added. He further said that this initiative is also a part of Swatch Bharat.

Shri Sanjit Rodrigues, Managing Director, Goa Waste Management Corporation,welcomed the gathering, Dr. Gaurav Bhatiani, IL and FS Academy of Applied Development proposed the vote of thanks and Shri Richord Dias compered the function.

49TH IFFI INAUGURATED

Panaji: November 20, 2018 … The 49th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) was inaugurated by Goa Governor Dr. Mridula Sinha and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Retd.) AVSM at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Taleigao, Plateau, today, in the distinguished presence of PWD Minister, Shri Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar and others.

Superstar Akshay Kumar and well known bollywood director Shri Karan Johar graced the function.

While speaking on the occasion, Shri Dhavalikar said Goa is perfect destination to host IFFI. IFFI provides a common platform for cinematographers of world he said. Shri. Dhavalikar thanked the Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Manohar Parrikar, who he said is the man behind this landmark event, and who has brought about several important film related infrastructural changes and State of Art theatres in Goa, all of these projects which were realized under Shri Parrikar’s leadership.

Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Shri. Vinay Tendulkar, Chief Secretary, Shri Dharmendra Sharma IAS, Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Dr Pramod Sawant, Minister for Tourism, Shri Manohar Ajgaonkar, Vice-Chairperson of Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), Shri Rajendra Talak were among those were present at the event.

Earlier, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, Shri Amit Khare, IAS, welcomed the gathering. In his address, Shri Khare said that this industry apart from being a social messenger and a medium of entertainment is providing revenue and growth and employment.

Israeli film maker Shri Dan Wolman received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The jury for the International Competition comprising of John Irvin, Adrian Sitaru, Polish Director Robert Glinski, Anna Ferraioli Ravel and Indian member Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra were felicitated on the occasion.

Israel is the Country of Focus for this year’s IFFI while the State in Focus is Jharkhand. The opening was followed by the premiere of the movie ‘The Aspern Papers’ directed by Julien Landais.  The director and cast of the film were felicitated at the inaugural.

Performances by Sonu Sood, Shilpa Rao, among others were the highlights of the IFFI opening ceremony.  Singing sensation Arijit Singh also wooed the audiences in Goa with his soulful voice.

Actress Mandira Bedi and Amit Sadh compered the function.

As part of IFFI, a special package for visually impaired children, special screening with audio description will be organized for the children. The festival will showcase the movies ‘Sholay’ and ‘Hichki’ under this section. This year, there will be a special presentation of Tunisian films.

YUVA’s 2nd All Goa Drawing Competition

Panaji :: 20th November ::: YUVA is organizing its 2nd All Goa Drawing Competition on 2nd December, 2018 from 9am to 12 noon, on the occasion of Children’s Day in Shree Mahalaxmi Temple, Panaji to imbibe environmental values through artistic activities.

The competition is free and pre-registration is must. Reporting time is 9am-9:30am. Drawing sheet will be provided. Painting material has to be brought by participants. The groups for the competition are as follows:

Groups Standard Topics
Group A Upto 4th Standard Open Topic
Group B 5-7th Standard Space / Underwater
Group C 8-10th Standard Goan / Indian Historical Site
Open Group No Age/Education Limit Swachh Bharat / Skill India /

Unity is Strength

 

For registration, contact Akhil 9545622528 / Raghuvir  9420595013.

It is a real honour for me to be in India to present my film at this prestigious festival: Julien Landais at IFFI 2018

GOA, 20th NOVEMBER 2018:… The director of the opening film of IFFI 2018 – The Aspern Papers – was speaking at a press conference held by IFFI … The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost and dreams of Byronic adventures … The screening of the opening film will also be its World Premiere at IFFI 2018
As cine lovers await with bated breath for the official opening of the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the international star cast and crew of the opening film of the festival – ‘The Aspern papers’ –made their presence felt at the press conference held this evening by IFFI.
From among the cast and crew of the film, Mr. Julien Landais (Director) was present with his actors Mr. Nicolas Hau, MsBarbara Meier and MsLois Robbins.
While addressing the media at the press conference, the Festival Director said, “We are thoroughly delighted to have the cast and crew of The Aspern Papers among us. And what better way to start the 49th edition of IFFI than with a World Premiere! A premiere which speaks for itself, a premiere which will showcase the nuances of cinema, filmmaking, acting, creativity and the way forward. The film kickstarts our whole journey for eight days and it should be a journey which all of us will love to remember. It is a great honour and a privilege to have you here. I thank the cast and crew of The Aspern Papersfor coming to India, coming to Goa, coming to IFFI, and for giving us a great brand value in the international community. Namaskar, welcome to India”
Julien Landais, the Director of The Aspern Papers, said, “It is a real honour for me to be in India to present my film at this prestigious festival. My film is an adaptation of a famous novella by Henry James, which is set in Venice in the late 19th century. I felt like it was the right subject for my first feature and fit in the incredible actors to embody these special characters. So I’m very happy to be here with my team.”
One of the actors of the film, Lois Robbins was also present at the press conference. She said, “I just want to say how thrilled I am to be here. It is my first time in India. It is a beautiful country;Goa is fantastic and thank you so much for having us all. Shooting The Aspern Papers was an experience I don’t think I will ever have again as an actor for so many reasons. Firstly, it was an extraordinary cast led by an exceptional director who had a beautiful vision for the film. Just the costumes alone, from the Dolce and Gabbana couture archives, were some of the most beautiful things I will ever wear in my life. It was quite exceptional to work with Jonathan (Rhys-Myers), Poppy (Delevingne), Nicolas (Hau), Barbara (Meier) and Morgane Polanski.”
Narrating her experience while shooting the film, Lois further said, “It was a lot of fun on the very first day of the shooting of the film. It was very hot in Venice. And I had on a very heavy cape, a hat and gloves and we were shooting in a gondola. For every take, I had to take my gloves on and off. The costume people couldn’t come inside the gondola with me. So for every take, Jonathan would get into the gondola and adjust the gloves and the cape for me. And I was swooning. He is quite handsome. That might have been my favourite day of shooting.”
The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost and dreams of Byronic adventures. The film is an adaptation of a famous novella by Henry James based on the letters Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote to Mary Shelley’s stepsister Claire Clairmont. The film stars Golden Globe winner Mr.Jonathan Rhys Meyers (lead actor), Golden Globe-nominated actress Ms.Joely Richardson (lead actress), her mother – six time Oscar nominee and Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, Ms. Julia Robins (actress), Ms.Morgane Polanski (actress ) – daughter of Roman Polanski, and Mr. Nicolas Hau(actor).
Synopsis of The Aspern Papers:
Set in Venice in the late 19th century, it tells the story of an American editor determined to get his hands on the letters his icon, the Romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern, wrote to his beautiful lover and muse, Juliana Bordereau. Juliana lives in a Venetian palazzo with her niece Miss Tina, who she seems to control and Morton tries to manipulate. But when the ambitious adventurer trifles with Miss Tina’s affections she learns to see through his scheme.
The film was shot where Henry James actually wrote it – on original locations in Venice. James Ivory, an old India hand and a recent Academy Award winner is one of the Executive Producers of the film.
The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open with the World Premiere of ‘The Aspern Papers’ with international star cast.
The 49th International Film Festival of India begins on Tuesday, 20 November 2018 and ends on Wednesday, 28 November 2018, in Panaji, Goa.

49th edition of IFFI to open tomorrow with the gala opening ceremony

Goa, 19th November 2018: The 49th edition of the International Film Festival of India will open tomorrow with the gala opening ceremony that will showcase the theme of New India through a variety of genres of cinema. This would entail a 90-minute power-packed programme incorporating elements and narratives of the rich and diverse kaleidoscope of the Indian film heritage and industry.

The colourful opening ceremony will showcase the themes of history, action and romance. Audiences will get to watch an array of on-stage scintillating performances by mainstream Bollywood artists – with Sonu Sood doing an action packed set, Shilpa Rao doing a romantic bit and dancers opening the ceremony with a mesmerising act.

The ceremony will be graced by Governor of Goa, Smt. Mridula Sinha; Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore; PWD Minister Shri Sudin Madhav Dhavalikar; and Chairperson, Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, Shri Prasoon Joshi.

Apart from this, a host of celebrities will walk the red carpet, giving added colour to the ceremony. Amongst the big personalities, we will have Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Julien Landais, Hrishita Bhatt, Madhur Bhandarkar, Subhash Ghai, Arijit Singh, Ramesh Sippy and Chin Han.

The ceremony is being held at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Goa, from 4.30 pm onwards. The opening ceremony will go live on DD National at 4.30pm, and will also be streamed LIVE on the YouTube channel of PIB youtube.com/pibindia

The show will witness the launch of the Film Facilitation Office, an initiative by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Glimpses of the festival opening film “The Aspern Papers”, which tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost and dreams of Byronic adventureswill be screened for the audience and the Director of the Film, Julien Landaiswill address the audience on the occasion.

Chairman, International CompetitionJury and Polish Director Robert Glinski will also share his thoughts. Other jury members, namely Adrian Sitaru, Anna Ferraioli Ravel, Tom Fitz Patrick and Indian member Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra will also be present.

What to Expect from IFFI 2018

26 feature and 21 non – feature Indian films are selected by the Indian Panorama Jury to be screened as part of this section out of the hundreds of entries sent by filmmakers from various parts of the country. The feature film jury selected the film OLU directed by Shaji N Karun as the opening feature film of Indian Panorama 2018. The Non-Feature film Jury selected the film Kharvas directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale as the Opening non-feature film of Indian Panorama 2018.

This edition of the festival will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries which reflects diversity of taste. International Competition section has 15 films out of which 3 are Indian. Competition section itself represents films produced and co-produced by 22 countries.

In its 49th edition of IFFI, the Country of Focus will be Israel. Ten films in collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai, have been selected for the country focus package. The opening film for the Country Focus Section is ‘The Other Story’ by Avi Nesher.

A State focus section has been proposed for the 49th IFFI, 2018. This section will focus on the films of one of the Indian States, thus shedding light on the art and culture of that particular state. Jharkhand has been selected as the State of Focus for 49th IFFI 2018 and Jharkhand Day will be celebrated on 24th November,2018 as part of the festival. Movies in the Jharkhand Package include Death in the Gunj, Ranchi Diaries, Begum Jaan with others.

Sketch on Screen (Animation Film Package) is a section which has been proposed for the 49th IFFI, 2018. This section will screen around 3 International Feature Length Films done in collaboration with Indian studios.

Open Air Screenings are organized during the festival where a large screen is put up in a vast open area. This year as an extension of the Khelo India Branding, Indian Sports Biopics will be screened at the 49th IFFI.Films .Included in the section are Gold, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, 1983, MSD: The untold story and Soorma.

Masterclasses and 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 and Sreeram Raghvan, Anupama Chopra, Rajiv masand, Bhawana Somaaya, Jason Hafford, Meghna Gulzar, Leena Yadav, Gauri Shinde.

‘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 Late Sh. Shashi Kapoor, Late Smt. Sridevi, Late Sh. M.Karunanidhi and Late Ms. Kalpana Lajmi. In the International Homages this year we will pay tribute to Terence Marsh, Milos Forman, and Anne V Coates.

A Special Package for Visually Impaired Children will be organised with special screenings with audio description. The festival will showcase the movies ‘Sholay’ and ‘Hichki’ under this section. This year there will be a special presentation of Tunisian films.