Brad Pitt's 'Moneyball' kickstarts Mumbai Film Festival

Based on a true story, the film narrates the struggles of a failed baseball player turned general manager of a team, who fights against the tide to use scientific methods to evaluate players.

Inaugurated by veteran filmmakers Yash Chopra, Ramesh Sippy and actress Dia Mirza last evening, the 8-day festival has an eclectic mix of Indian and world cinema with a collection of over 200 films.

Organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) and Reliance Entertainment, the week long festival will showcase films like George Clooney's directorial venture 'Ides of March', Lars von Trier's depression drama 'Melancholia', Rachel Weisz starrer 'The Whistleblower' and Martin Scorsese's documentary 'George Harrison: Living In the Material World' - a significant portion of which deals with the Beatle's India connection and how he was influenced by the Eastern philosophy.

The film festival will pay tribute to legends like actor Shammi Kapoor, filmmaker Mani Kaul and celebrated artist M F Hussain, who passed away recently.

However, controversy continues to trouble the legendary painter even after his death and the festival witnessed it on its opening day with a group, Hindu Jagriti Samiti, protesting the screening of Hussain's documentary 'Through The Eyes of A Painter'.

Noted poet-lyricist Gulzar will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.

The festival will also screen the best of 'Cannes Critics Week' and the films that have won National Film Awards spanning the last 50 years.

It will also host a special section '4me Rendezvous', in collaboration with Unifrance, Embassy of France in India and Consulate General of France in Mumbai, besides holding a Indo-German script development workshop. The section will screen the best of New French Cinema.

Another highlight includes a special screening by the Busan International Film Festival director, Lee Yong Kwan, who will showcase latest Asian Films from Busan.

The jury for the international competition section includes Academy Award nominee director Hugh Hudson (Jury President, International competition), Roger Spottiswoode, acclaimed Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski and young Korean director Na Hong-Jin.

Indian filmmaker Basu Chatterjee will be the chairman of the 'Harmony Celebrate Age Jury'. Harmony Celebrate Age aims to encourage filmmakers to look beyond the stereotypes of old age and to look at the positive side of ageing.

The jury for the 'Dimensions' section of the festival includes young directors such as Kiran Rao, who will be the president of the panel comprising Vikramaditya Motwane, Nishikant Kamat, Onir and actress Renuka Shahane.

'Dimensions Mumbai' is a short film competition open to Mumbaikars below the age of 25 years. The festival has also set its sight on promoting the business of films with the Mumbai film mart.