Martin Scorsese, Istvan Szabo to be honoured with Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at 52nd IFFI

Pic Courtesy: File photo

New Delhi: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur has announced that Istvan Szabo and Martin Scorsese will be conferred the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

The 52nd edition of IFFI will be held from November 20 to 28 in Goa. For the first time ever, IFFI has invited major OTT players to participate in the festival. Istvan Szabo is one of the most critically acclaimed Hungarian film directors of the past few decades known for masterpieces like Mephisto (1981) Father (1966). 

Martin Scorsese is one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential directors in film history. "India is a land of storytellers, our tales have captured the imagination of the world. India`s wide variety of stories rightly makes us the Content Subcontinent," Thakur said. The Union Minister informed that for the first time ever, IFFI has invited major OTT players to participate at the Festival. 

In a first, Netflix, Amazon Prime, ZEE5, Voot and Sony Liv will participate at the Film Festival through exclusive Masterclasses, content launches and previews, curated film package screenings, and various other on-ground and virtual events.Thakur said that the trend of watching movies on OTT is on the rise and IFFI is embracing new technology and providing a platform for the industry artists to interact with OTT players.

The Union Minister has announced that for the first time ever, films from five BRICS nations, i.e., Brazil, Russia, South Africa, China and India will be showcased through the BRICS Film Festival alongside IFFI. 

"The King of the entire World (El Rey de Todo El Mundo) directed by Carlos Saura will be the Opening Film and this will also be the film`s international premiere. The Power of the Dog directed by Jane Campion, Winner of Best Director at Venice Film Festival will be the Mid Fest Film. Around 30films have been shortlisted for screening at 52nd IFFI from prominent International Film Festivals in the Festival Kaleidoscope and World Panorama Section," Thakur said.

The 52nd IFFI will pay homage to actors Dilip Kumar, Sumitra Bhave, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Sanchari Vijay, Surekha Sikri, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Bertrand Tavenier, Christopher Plummer and Jean-Claude Carriere. Anurag Thakur further informed that IFFI will provide a platform for young budding talent from across India to connect with mainstream cinema filmmakers and the industry.

"75 creative minds (under 35 years) will be invited to interact with industry leaders and attend Masterclasses at the Festival. These youngsters will be selected through competition for young filmmakers from around the country. The Competition aims to provide a platform to 75 young filmmakers, actors, singers, scriptwriters, and others to showcase their talent at a globally recognized event," he said."

The last date to submit applications online is October 31. Detailed guidelines to be followed while submitting films for the `75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow`, along with the application form is available on www.dff.gov.in and www.iffi.org," he added.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Retrospective section in the 52nd IFFI will feature renowned Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr.His films have won accolades at Berlin, Cannes and Locarno Film Festival. He is an auteur filmmaker who has created his own visual style.

"Retrospective of Russian filmmaker and stage director Andrei Konchalovskywill also be shown. His films have won numerous accolades, including the Cannes Grand Prix Special du Jury, a FIPRESCI Award, two Silver Lions, three Golden Eagle Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award," the statement said.

"Retrospective will also comprise of DadasahebPhalke Award winner, ShriRajinikanth. The festival will pay a Special Tribute to Sir Sean Connery, the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on the big screen," it added.