Golden Jubilee celebrations of IFFI kicks off in Goa today

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India’s biggest cinematic event International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open in Goa today. The Opening ceremony of the 50th edition of IFFI will begin at 3:30 PM at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Panjim.

The Governor of Goa Satyapal Malik, Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Shripad Naik will grace the occasion. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other state officials will be representing the host state.

AIR correspondent reports that Asia’s biggest film festival, IFFI is geared up to woo audiences and critics alike in its Golden Jubilee edition in Goa. A virtual who’s who of the Indian film industry, as well as world cinema’s greatest, are all set to walk the red carpet tonight. Superstars Rajnikant and Amitabh Bachhan are special invitees.

During the opening ceremony, Rajinikanth will be conferred with the Special Icon of Golden Jubilee award. Amitabh Bachchan’s seven to eight films, including “Sholay”, will be screened throughout the festival.

A seven-minute film on former defence minister and Goa chief minister late Manohar Parrikar will also be screened at the inauguration.

Celebrated French actor Isabelle Huppert will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In its golden jubilee year, the festival will also screen 50 films by 50 female filmmakers to acknowledge the contribution of women in cinema.

The 50th edition IFFI will have a special section on Goa under which seven local films would be screened. As many as 12 films, made in different languages about 50 years ago, will also be screened. In a first, the movie gala will screen films with audio deion for the visually impaired.

The opening ceremony will witness the versatile Shankar Mahadevan performing with his troupe! The ceremony’s Theme of ‘Fusion Music’  will be a blend of various forms of national and international music this evening.

A prize-winning stamp commemorating the 50th edition of the festival will also be released today by the Governor. 76 countries are participating in IFFI 2019. 8 state pavilions have been set up. Around 300 movies are to be screened at IFFI this time. For everyone in Goa, this is the place to be tonight.

The festival’s main venues like INOX Theatre, Maquinez Palace and Kala Academy are all decked up.  An art exhibition will also be open for all visitors at the Panjim promenade beside the venue.

Almost ten thousand delegates have registered for the festival. In fact, registrations are still open! More films, more Masterclasses are lined up for them.

The Entertainment Society of Goa has also organized free auto rickshaw shuttles and buses to ferry the delegates from one venue to another.

A helpline has also been set up in case they need any assistance. This edition of the festival promises to be one of the most exciting for the delegates.