11-day film fest begins in Goa today

A still from Life of Pi, which will be screened in the festival.

Eleven days of celluloid extravaganza and film fiesta unspools at the sun-kissed shores of Panaji in Goa on Tuesday, as the 43rd edition of the Indian cinema’s calendar event — International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2012, gets underway with the screening of the much-awaited Ang Lee work - Life of Pi.

According to Information & Broadcasting Secretary Uday Kumar Varma, IFFI 2012 will see a rich bouquet of films from some of the most celebrated film directors bring showcased in the year when the Indian Cinema celebrates its 100 years.

To commemorate the century, the Centre, Varma said, has instituted a special, Centenary Award, which will be bestowed on a work that has “brought about paradigm change in the making of cinema through aesthetic, technical or technological innovation.”

Besides Indian Panorama,  consisting of 20 feature and 19 non-feature films, the festival, which feature some of best creative works in cinema from across the globe, will also boasts of “unsual films in the competition section showcasing around 15 films from over ten countries.

Likewise, according to Varma, the Cinema of the World section would offer a veritable feast of over 53 films drawn from as many as 42 nations, including the much accoladed French film Amour, which won the Palme D’or at Cannes this year. Also vying for cinephiles attention will be a slew of 11 Turkish films besides 9 films on the mystic traditions of Asia titled “Soul of India.”

In keeping with its traditionm the festival will also see homages to international directors like Claude Miller, Angelo Theopoulos, Tony Scott as also Indian icons like Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Yash Copra.

The fest, which will be inaugurated by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, will feature foreign retrospectives, tributes, country focus, Indian retrospectives, tributes, animation and 3D films. The magical world of movies will be draw to a close on November 30, with the screening of The Reluctant Fundamentalist directed by Mira Nair, an adaptation of Pakistani author’s Mohsin Hamid’s celebrated novel.