Actor Producer Chiranjeevi Konidela Receives Indian Film Personality of the Year Award 2022

Mega Star of Tollywood, Padma Bhushan awardee Konidela Siva Sankara Vara Prasad popularly known as Chiranjeevi has been presented with Indian Film Personality of the Year Award for 2022.

Besides thanking IFFI, Government of India and Prime Minister for the honour, Chiranjeevi also expressed gratitude to his parents and to the Telugu film industry. Chiranjeevi also extended his gratitude to the Government and the film industry for the support and an experience worth a lifetime after receiving the award.  ‘I bow my head and thank each and every one of you. If anybody has the idea of coming to cinema industry, please do come, this is a corruption-less profession, you will have no guilt conscience, if you have talent, you can project it, and you will grow sky-high.”

The announcement was made by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, at the grand opening of the 53rd edition of IFFI.

The prestigious Golden Peacock for the Best Film of the festival goes to Spanish film Tengo sueños eléctricos / I HAVE ELECTRIC DREAMS, a movie which the jury finds to be bringing to the screen the present and the future of cinema. Directed by Costa Rican film maker Valentina Maurel, the film explores 16-year-old girl Eva’s passage into adulthood, a process that is not just about getting older, a process which so profound that sometimes it can break people in a certain way.

Iranian writer and director Nader Saeivar bagged Silver Peacock for Best Director for No End, a magical and subtle portrayal of Iran’s regressive socio-political system.  The Turkish film No End / Bi Payan, which depicts the manipulations and machinations of Iran’s secret police tells the story of Ayaz, a man of quiet integrity, who indulges in a lie involving the secret police in a desperate attempt to keep his house. Things get complicated when the real secret police enter the scene.

Vahid Mobasseri, lead actor of No End, is honoured with Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male), for transmitting the complexity of feelings that torment the protagonist. Daniela Marín Navarro, lead Actor of Best Film ‘I Have Electric Dreams’ is honoured with Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Female).

The IFFI 53 Special Jury Award has gone to When the Waves are Gone by Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz. The film is a story of an investigator in the Philippines, who is at a deep moral crossroads. The film discusses his dark past that continues to haunt him even as he tries to heal from severe anxiety and guilt.

IFFI honoured Director Asimina Proedrou, hailing from Athens, with the Award for the Best Debut Feature Film of a Director, for the film Behind the Haystacks, which had its International Premiere at the festival. The story invites viewers to partake in the journey of a man, his wife and his daughter, who are having to confront for the first time, when a crisis strikes, the price to pay for their actions.

Indian director, writer and cinematographer Praveen Kandregula has received Special Mention by the Jury for his film Cinema Bandi, the story of a poor and struggling auto driver who chances upon a deserted expensive camera, which gets him going on a journey from an auto-driver to a filmmaker.

Iranian film ‘Nargesi’ directed by Payam Eskandari wins ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Award

Iranian film Nargesi by Director Payam Eskandari has won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal, given for a film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence. The film is about a man with Down’s syndrome and the burden and consequences it creates in his life. Compassion and tenderness are the two qualities depicted in this award-winning film.

In his virtual message, Director Payam Eskandari thanked the IFFI jury members.  “It is a big honour to receive this award, I want to thank those people who believed in me, to make this movie, especially my family – my lovely wife and all cast and crew of Nargesi.” He further said, he believes people with ‘Down’s Syndrome’ are the angels of God and there are many beautiful stories about their life which should be heard.

This year, nine films from across the globe were chosen to compete for the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal.

Regional cinema is no more regional: Union I&B Minister Anurag Singh Thakur

The Minister reiterated his commitment to give a strong emphasis to regional cinema and provide a platform for its growth. Regional cinema is no more regional, it has gone to national and international, he added. “This year we have seen many films like RRR, KGF and others making the international rise.  Recently, we had a delegation from Bangladesh and from Central Asian countries consisting of more than 80 youth. All they wanted was to listen to the Hindi film songs and regional film songs. They talked about movies from the era of Midhun Chakraborthy to Akshay Kumar and Chiranjeevi, which cut across boundaries. If content is strong, it does not stay in the limits of a particular region.”

IFFI is a great ambassador for India: Goa CM Pramod Sawant

Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant welcomed all for remaining present at the closing ceremony of 53rd IFFI. He stated that IFFI is a great ambassador for India. He expressed gratitude to all the participants of the festival who have made ‘Brand Goa’ synonymous with ‘Brand IFFI’.

He said that the entire state of Goa is a film city with a natural set, scenic beauty and hospitable people. The people of Goa love art, culture and music. Being a popular tourist destination, the state of Goa has attained a cosmopolitan outlook with diversity in cuisine, language and lifestyle.

The Chief Minister further stated that the state government strives to provide best necessary arrangements for the film festival every year so that the guest may have a memorable experience and they also endeavour to add new dimensions to the festival every year. He added that this will further enhance the engagements of film fraternity and the public also, and also to create an audience pool that is aware of the facets of movies beyond what is seen on screen.

He expressed happiness on being able to create special screening facilities under a special section for Divyang Jan. The CM mentioned that more than 12,000 registered participations took place in the festival this year. He stated that India celebrates various forms of knowledge and art and this country also believes in the philosophy of global brotherhood (Vasudaiva Kutumbakam) and hence Goa draws global delegates every year.

He mentioned that Goa is also emerging as a destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism. He extended invitation to all for attending upcoming global events in Goa like the G20 Summit, World Ayurveda Congress and Purple Fest.

Acclaimed names of Indian Cinema add Glitter and Honour to the Closing Ceremony

Noted film personalities Asha Parekh, Akshay Kumar, Prasenjit Chatterjee, Ayushmann Khurrana, Esha Gupta, Manushi Chillar and Sharman Joshi were felicitated by the Union I & B Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant and Minister of State Dr. L Murugan.

The veteran actor Asha Parekh said that the release of her first ever film ‘Dil Deke Dekho‘ is till date the best moment in her career. “I like Deepika Padukone the most amongst the present-day Hindi film’s female actor”.

Actor Akshay Kumar remarked that Goa is one place every film industry person wants to be at!

Bengali film industry’s leading actor Prasenjit Chatterjee said that everyone looks forward to IFFI as it is a platform for good cinema. About being in Goa, he said that every time he is in Goa, he takes back good memories from here.

Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana said, “Whatever social and cultural issues I have raised, are through my films”.

South India’s big star Ramanaidu ‘Rana’ Daggubati spoke about the future of cinema. “In the future we may have cinema that is not just 2D, but interactable in some form,” he added. Speaking about IFFI, he said, with today’s changing voices, festivals create the ecosystem for independent voices to thrive.

Fauda

During the ceremony, the team of the internationally acclaimed Israeli television series Fauda on Netflix were felicitated by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur. The series is developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defence Forces.

Avi Issacharoff said that it is a great honour that Fauda Season 4 premiered in IFFI on Sunday. Lior Raz said that they feel connected with the people of India and it feels great to know that Fauda is watched and loved by Indians.

Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said, “We the Israelis grew up on Indian film industry”. He said that Israel’s film industry is very small compared to India. He added that Israel is humbled as their series like Fauda and some others are popular in India. Israelis enjoy the variety of Indian films, he added.

During the ceremony, winners of an online poster design contest on genius filmmaker Satyajit Ray, named ‘The One & Only Ray’, were announced and presented with the prize. Jury received 635 entries and selected 75 posters and three winners from among them. The first prize was won by Shayak Das. The second and third position went to Varad Godbole and Aniruddha Chatterjee respectively. The winners have received cash prizes of rupees one lakh, seventy-five thousand and fifty thousand respectively.

Chief Secretary of Goa Puneet Kumar Goel, Joint Secretary (Films) in Ministry of I & B Prithul Kumar and MD, NFDC Ravinder Bhakar felicitated the technical partners Qube Cinemas, Cinionic, Pulz Electronics and SMPTE.

MD NFDC Ravinder Bhakar while delivering the vote of thanks said, IFFI believes in the spirit of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam (All world is one) and it was further strengthened by incorporating a section of accessible and inclusive cinema section for Divyangjans in this edition. The MD said that Nari Shakti were evidently present in the festival as more than 40 percent woman film makers participated in the 75 creative minds contest, 66 percent films in Competition section were from women film makers and women formed a big part of the festival workforce.

Union Minister of State Shripad Yesso Naik, Members of Goa Legislative Assembly, Members of IFFI Steering Committee and Members of Jury and film personalities were present on the occasion. Veteran director Ramesh Sippy and Actor Khushbu Sundar were also present.

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Ajay KR