Lifetime honour for Shashi Kapoor

The festival, organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) and scheduled to be held from October 29 to November 5, will have a high-profile jury this year, which includes legendary Hollywood screenwriter Paul Schrader and acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

The prize money on offer, incidentally, is quite high even by international standards, with the winner in the International Competition of First Feature Films of Directors category to get $100,000 (Rs, 50,00,000) and the Golden Gateway India trophy. There will also be a Silver Gateway India trophy and a cash prize of about $50,000 (Rs 25,00,000) for the next prize called the Jury Grand Prize. MAMI is also introducing a $20,000 Audience Choice Award, for which films from all sections, except retrospectives and tributes, will be eligible.

The festival, which has been taken over by Reliance Big Entertainment from this edition, will have five major sections, including an international competition for the first feature film of directors, world cinema, Indian showcase, Dimensions Mumbai and Retrospectives.

It will also organise an exhibition to commemorate and celebrate 60 years of Dev Anand’s Navketan Films.