Blockbuster year for IFFI – IFFI 2017 set to create a new benchmark

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

November 22, 2017 - 5:16 PM IST

The International Film Festival of India gets into its 48th year and promises to be a grand cinematic event, celebrating the best films from India and across the globe. The festival kicked off on November 20 and will continue until the 28^th of month and promises to be a star studded event with an impressive line-up of films.

Blockbuster year for IFFI – IFFI 2017 set to create a new benchmark

While superstar Shah Rukh Khan inaugurated the festival, female superstar Sridevi inaugurated the Indian Panorama section. She also paid homage to veteran artists who have left us in the past year and was later, joined by husband-producer Boney Kapoor, daughter Janhvi Kapoor at the festival. Also a special guest at the opening day was Shahid Kapoor, who represented Young India.

Moreover, the festival saw the India Premiere of Academy Award nominee Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds as the opening film. While the opening ceremony received a huge response, we hear that this year’s film festival yet another series of star studded events that one can look forward to.

Superstar Salman Khan is all set to close the festival as a chief guest with a bang along with Tiger Zinda Hai co-star Katrina Kaif and Tubelight child artist Martin Rey Tangu. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be conferred with the ‘Indian Film Personality of the Year’.

If that is not all, the closing ceremony will also have a special performance by Gen X star Sidharth Malhotra. On the other hand, Bhumi Pednekar riding high on the successes of recent releases will talk about breaking stereotypes at a special discussion at the festival.

Masterclasses will be given by some prominent names in Bollywood that include Padma Shri winner Shekhar Kapur, renowned casting director Mukesh Chabbra, Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari on varied aspects of film making as well as acting. Other filmmakers like Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, R S Prasanna and Raja Krishna Menon will be part of a panel discussion that will give new opportunities to young filmmakers. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani will conduct a workshop on bootstrapping, crowdfunding and other topics. Besides all of these, filmmaker Karan Johar and producer Ekta Kapoor will be a part of a panel discussion by the World Economic Forum, where they will address audiences about innovations and new business models.

From a special masterclass by Canadian director Atom Egoyan to the world premiere of Argentinian filmmaker Pablo Cesar’s Thinking of Him, the festival will have about 3 World premieres and over 64 India Premieres of the best of International Cinema that includes Murder on the Orient Express, Mother!, The Square, Party Girl, Racer and the Jailbird, Spoor, Redoubtable among numerous others.

Talking about the festival, director Sunit Tandon also appreciated I&B Minister Smriti Irani’s efforts saying, "IFFI 2017 is certainly much grander and more star-studded than any in the past. This was singularly due to the vision of the Minister, Mrs. Smriti Zubin Irani. She comes from the entertainment industry and has a unique and direct connect as well as understanding of its dynamics."

Many stars like Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shilpa Shetty, Farhan Akhtar, Rakesh Roshan among others who couldn’t be a part of the festival have showcased their support through testimonials.