Main idea of a film festival is not to present a single vision of cinema, but to bring a variety of options, said Nadav Lapid, Israeli director, writer and Chairperson of International Competition Jury at the 53rd International Film Festival of India. He was interacting with media and delegates at IFFI Table Talks organised by PIB on the sidelines of the film festival.
Though many film festivals are now organised in hybrid mode, it is more beautiful to see films on big screen, opined Nadav Lapid. “Watching good movies together on a big screen is one of the highest achievements of humanity”, he added.
Responding to queries on the comparison of IFFI with other film festivals, Nadav Lapid said that as each film festival is unique and different in its own way, it’s difficult to compare them. The jury expressed contentment at the quality of films in International Competition section, but agreed that there is always scope for improvement in selection.
Javier Angulo Barturen, jury member and documentary filmmaker from France expressed his pleasure to see crowded auditoriums at IFFI and lot of people discussing about cinema. He also suggested that people should go to big screens to watch films.
To ensure that the best films come to the festival, a year round process is required in the form of appointing a permanent programmer, recommended Sudipto Sen, jury member, writer and director from India. He congratulated the organisers of IFFI for arranging a holistic 360 degree film festival this year. “ This is the best organised IFFI I have ever seen. The kind of diversity, colour and presentation of India as a country were all very good. Considering the various aspects of festivals, I can surely say that IFFI is at par with many international film festivals. IFFI has matured as a festival,” Sudipto Sen stated. He also advocated for a section on environment and climate change at IFFI in coming years.
Touching upon the topic of women representation in films, Pascale Chavance, jury member and film editor from France said that though she has seen many good women actors, the kind of roles given to them are not so honourable. The International Competition Jury also included Jinko Gotoh, animation film producer from United States. Ravinder Bhaker, Managing Director, NFDC who joined the conversation said that IFFI is also associated with a beach cleanliness drive which begins on 28th November 2022 morning at Miramar beach in Panaji.
Fifteen films are competing for the coveted Golden Peacock in International Competition at IFFI this year. Apart from the Best Film, the International Competition Jury will select Best Director, Best actor (Male), Best actor (Female) and Special Jury awards. The jury will also select the Best Debut Feature Film of a Director from a collection of 7 international and Indian fiction feature debuts.