Shah Rukh Khan lends glitz to film festival at Margao

At a function teeming with ‘sarkari’ representatives occupying the best seats as usual, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni said she hoped the International Film Festival of India, Goa would become a truly international event- an international people’s festival.

Lifetime Achievement

French film maker Bertrand Tavernier was conferred the lifetime achievement award by Soni at the function.

Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan headed the international jury for this year’s festival .

 Dan Wolman from Israel, Lawrence Kardish from the USA, Lee Yong Kwan from the Busan Film Festival and Tahmineh Milani from Iran are the other members of the jury.

The Francisco Manso and Joao Correa Portuguese film ‘The Consul of Bordeaux’ which was  selected to open the festival because of Goa’s Portuguese connection brought in the cast and crew members of the film to the festival. 

Fiftieth Anniversary

The film, based on the real-life story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes who is credited with having saved the lives of thousands of Jews from the Nazis, is slated for a number of shows later in the festival as well.  This is the 50th anniversary of Goa’s Liberation from Portuguese rule.

Protestors supporting the demand for a change in film festival dates which clash with the St Francis Xavier feast in Old Goa also made their presence felt on the sidelines of the opening venue with black flags.

The government said a change in dates is being considered for next year.