The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India, IFFI 2023, was hosted in Goa from November 20 to November 28, 2023.
- A total of 2926 entries were received from 105 countries, three times more international submissions than last year.
- During the nine-day festival, more than 270 films were screened across 4 venues of the festival. 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres, 62 Asia Premieres and 89 India Premieres were shown during the festival.
Organized by:
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India through National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), jointly with the State Government of Goa through its Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), organized the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2023.
Indian Panorama 2023:
» 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India were showcased in the ‘Indian Panorama’.
Opening feature film of Indian Panorama 2023: Malayalam film Aattam, Directed by Mr Anand Ekarshi
Opening non-feature film of Indian Panorama 2023: Manipuri film Andro Dreams, Directed by Ms. Longjam Meena Devi
- The Indian Panorama was introduced in 1978 as part of the IFFI umbrella to promote Indian Films along with India’s rich culture and heritage with the help of cinematic art.
- Since its inception, the Indian Panorama has been completely devoted to showcasing the best Indian films of the year.
Opening Film at 54th IFFI:
British film Catching Dust, directed by Stuart Gatt
Mid-fest Film at 54th IFFI:
About Dry Grasses, the Turkish film directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Closing Film at 54th IFFI:
American film The Featherweight, director- Robert Kolodny
Inauguration and Closing Ceremony of 54th IFFI:
Inaugural Ceremony:
» Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur inaugurated the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji, Goa on 20 November 2023. The Minister also inaugurated the Film Bazaar on the sidelines of IFFI 54.
Incentive for Foreign Film production announced:
» Union Minister announced an increase in the incentive for foreign film production in India from 30% to 40% of the expenditure incurred, with a raised limit from Rs 2.5 Crore to Rs 30 Crore, exceeding 3.5 million US Dollars; and an additional 5% percent bonus for Significant Indian Content (SIC).
Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema:
» In a glorious tribute to the legendary actress, Madhuri Dixit, the 54th International Film Festival of India honoured her with ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ Award during the inaugural function.
- The ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ Award stands as a testament to Madhuri Dixit’s exceptional achievements and her enduring impact on Indian cinema.
Closing Ceremony:
» Himachal Pradesh Police Orchestra ‘Harmony of the Pines’ performed at the closing ceremony of International Film Festival of India 2023 in Goa on 28 November 2023.
- ‘Harmony of the Pines’ Himachal Pradesh Police Orchestra is a remarkable musical ensemble that originated in 1996 with a humble beginning of only seven members.
List of Award Winners of the 54th International Film Festival of India:
Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award at IFFI 54:
Legendary Hollywood actor and producer, Michael Douglas
About Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award:
The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted in the 30th IFFI in 1999, is presented to individuals whose exceptional contributions have significantly enriched and elevated the world of cinema.
- The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award has previously honored luminaries such as Bernardo Bertolucci (IFFI 30), Carlos Saura (IFFI 53), Martin Scorsese (IFFI 52), Dilip Kumar (IFFI 38), Krzysztof Zanussi (IFFI 43), and Wong Kar-wai (IFFI 45), among other major film personalities.
Golden Peacock Award:
Golden Peacock for the Best Film:
Persian film Endless Borders, Directed by Abbas Amini
Silver Peacock Award:
Silver Peacock for Best Director:
Bulgarian Director Stephan Komandarev, for film Blaga’s Lessons
Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male):
Iranian Actor Pouria Rahimi Sam, for Persian film Endless Borders
Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Female):
French actress, Melanie Thierry, for film Party of Fools
Silver Peacock for Special Jury Award:
Special Jury Award: Indian Filmmaker Rishabh Shetty, for film Kantara
Best Debut Feature Film of a Director:
Reger Azad Kaya, a promising filmmaker from Syrian Arab Republic, for film When the Seedlings Grow
ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Award:
French, British and Greek co-production Drift, Directed by Anthony Chen
About ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal:
The ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal is awarded to the film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence.
Inaugural Best Web Series (OTT) Awards:
» The 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) introduced the Best Web Series (OTT) Award this year to honour the ingenuity and talent behind the flourishing content in the digital realm.
- This year, 32 entries have been received in 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms.
- The winning series was awarded a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.
Best Web Series (OTT) Award:
Panchayat Season 2, Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra received the newly introduced award for the Best Web series (OTT).
Special Mention by the Jury:
Rocket Boys Season 1, Directed by Abhay Pannu received special mention in this category.
Best Film Award at the ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ (CMOT) at 54th IFFI:
Best Film Award at the ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’: Film ‘Odh’, Director-Akhil Lotlikar
» As part of the Film Challenge, 75 CMOT participants were divided into five teams who made short films on the topic ‘Mission Life’ in 48 hours.
- Total five films, fifteen member each team created short film on the thought-provoking subject on preserving and protecting the environment with a touch of brilliant storyline, editing, cinematography, post-production etc.
- The competition has been conceived by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in partnership with Shorts International.
- This was the 3rd edition of the ’75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’.
The initiative was aimed to encourage and nurture young creative talents from various trades of filmmaking. The initiative was launched in 2021 to mark the 75th year of India’s Independence as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations.
NFDC Film Bazaar at 54th IFFI:
» The 17th edition of the NFDC Film Bazaar was held between November 20 – 24, 2023 in Marriott Resort, Goa.
- Since its inception in 2007, the Film Bazaar is South Asia’s largest global film market, organized every year by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) along with IFFI.
- The Film Bazaar supports and showcases the South Asian content and talent in film making, production and distribution. It also facilitates the promotion of world cinema in the south Asian region.
Cine-Mela:
This year, for the first time, Cine-Mela was held, showcasing an extravagant celebration of India’s rich diversity through regional films, food, music, culture and more.
Restored Classics Section:
A Restored Classics Section featuring 7 world premieres of the meticulously restored masterpieces by NFDC/NFAI under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) from the damaged celluloid reels of the Indian Classics was also introduced.
About International Film Festival of India (IFFI):
» The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is one of the world’s 14 biggest and most prestigious ‘International Competition Feature Film Festivals’ that is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers’ Association (FIAPF), the international body governing film festivals globally.
- The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is among Asia’s most prominent film festivals.
- Held in Goa for the first time in 2004, the festival has since found a home in the coastal state, returning here every year. And in 2014, Goa was declared the permanent venue for IFFI.
- The idea of the International Film Festival of India is to celebrate films, the stories they tell and the people behind them.
Conducted by:
- The festival is conducted every year by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa, Government of Goa, the host state.
- While the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has generally been spearheading the festival so far, consequent to the merger of film media units with the National Film Development Corporation, NFDC has taken over the conduct of the festival.
About NFDC:
» Incorporated in the year 1975, National Film Development Corporation Limited (NFDC) was formed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, with the primary objective of promoting Indian cinema and showcasing it across the world.