LIGHTS, ACTION, CAMERA… IFFI 2024

IFFI is about films. In a departure from previous years, IFFI this year kicked off not with the inaugural ceremony but with the prior screening of the opening film — “Better Man” by Michael Gracey. The Australian film is a musical biography of British pop legend Robbie Williams and the Australian Gracey is known for being a visual effects artist and filmmaker, also known for his American musical biography “The Greatest Showman” (2017). The “Better Man” was screened in all the Inox audis before the evening’s inaugural ceremony took off at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Stadium at the Bambolim plateau. The inaugural ceremony featured three Bollywood song-and-dance extravaganzas and among the highlights was a tribute to Indian cinema – a musical show presented by Sunny Kaushal and Sanya Malhotra.
Since IFFI is a national festival to balance it off was a focus on Manushi Chillar dancing to the songs of regional cinema in Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil. Ishaan Khattar evoked fantastic nostalgia dancing to retro numbers.
Australia is the country of focus this 55th IFFI and so there was the Jannawi Dance Clan, an Australian dance group, doing a cultural program. The grand finale was a cinematic symphony by Sanya Malhotra and Sunny Kaushal.
The international competition jury this year comprises of Fran Borgia, Jill Bilcock, Elizabeth Karlsen, Anthony Chen and the chairman of the jury is veteran Indian filmmaker-director Ashutosh Gowarkar (maker of film “Lagaan”).
The Indian Panorama section was launched in November 21. IFFI 2024 also features 14 Konkani films and documentaries including “Kharvan,” “Ek Cup Chya”, “Aiz Mhaka Falia Tuka,” “Hanging by A Thread” and “Memories of the Magnifera” which is a tribute to an iconic 200-year-old mango tree growing on Divar island.
Films are being screened not only at the four INOX auditoriums but also in multiplex audis at Porvorim, Margoa, Vasco and Ponda and several evening screenings are being facilitated at Miramar beach, Candolim and Anjuna beaches for the benefit of members of the public unable to participate in IFFI as delegates.