IFFI 2023 Jury lauds festival's enriching experience; gears up to decide best film winner

The international judges of the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa have shared their thoughts on the films competing for the prestigious Golden Peacock Award. These judges, who are well-known filmmakers from different parts of the world, have carefully considered and discussed the movies in the 'International Competition.' The judges all agree that being part of the international jury has been a meaningful and challenging experience. They have had to choose from a wide variety of interesting and compelling stories. They appreciate how much the International Film Festival of India has grown over the years, thanks to the diverse entries and careful selections.

The head of the jury, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, praised the selection committee for choosing remarkable films. He also talked about how India has unique and advanced content and technology. "India has the world's largest base of content and technology and festivals like IFFI help the rest of the world understand the culture of India. "He mentioned the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence in Indian filmmaking, emphasizing the absence of a final authority in creative work.

Jerome Paillard highlighted the important role of film festivals in bringing people together and forming collaborations. He talked about the benefits of discovering diverse films and networking for potential partnerships. He praised initiatives like the Film Bazaar for encouraging impactful collaborations “marketing initiatives like film bazaar make a big difference about making collaborative projects” and the Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) initiative for supporting young talent in filmmaking.

Catharine Dussart shared similar thoughts, appreciating the abundance of films in competition and emphasizing the significance of the Film Bazaar in connecting distributors and producers. She stressed “it is very helpful for distributors and producers who come to discover new projects for co-production,”

Helen Leake emphasized the festival's role in uniting different film industries and noted the increasing global recognition of Indian cinema through IFFI's platform. She acknowledged that the partnership of different film industries has become more interconnected through the festival, contributing to the growing awareness of Indian films worldwide.

José Luis Alcaine had a positive experience watching and judging films with diverse stories, cultures, and styles. He expressed appreciation for the fantastic response of the festival audience at various venues.

Overall, the judges praised the festival's warm hospitality, recognizing its valuable contribution to their overall experience.

The International Jury has the important task of choosing the winner of the highly sought-after Best Film Award, which includes the prestigious 'Golden Peacock' and certificates for the director and producer. They will also decide winners in categories such as Best Director, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), and the Special Jury Prize.

In the context of IFFI 54, the 'International Competition' showcases a carefully chosen selection of 15 acclaimed feature films covering significant genres, providing a glimpse into emerging trends in filmmaking. It's noteworthy that the festival received an unprecedented 2,926 entries from 105 countries, highlighting its global importance and appeal.

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• IFFI 2023
• International Film Festival of India