Pawel Pawlikowski's Fatherland to Open 57th IFFI in Goa

Acclaimed Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski's film Fatherland will open the 57th International Film Festival of India. The festival will run from November 20 to 28 under the theme 'Stories Without Borders'. Festival director Ashutosh Gowariker announced the details at a press conference, adding that Singaporean director Anthony Chen's We Are All Strangers will close the event.

Festival Lineup

The event received 1,400 film submissions from 137 countries and will showcase 159 international films from 86 countries alongside 76 Indian films in 18 languages. The Indian Panorama section features 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films chosen from over 700 entries, with the Bollywood film Dhurandhar opening the feature film segment and the Ladakhi-language film Becoming opening the non-feature section. The festival will also introduce two new segments titled Animation and Films About Films, featuring five films each.

Competitions And Jury

The international competition will feature 15 films, while seven titles compete for the Best Debut Feature Film category and 10 films vie for the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal. Filmmaker Aanand L Rai will chair the international jury, which includes Bogdan Muresanu, Maria Alejandra Rojas, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, and Sol Berruezo Pichon-Riviere. The Golden Peacock award for Best Film carries a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh, and the Silver Peacock for Best Director comes with Rs 20 lakh. The Best Actor male and female awards carry Rs 15 lakh each, the Special Jury award carries Rs 20 lakh, and the Best Debut Feature Film Director will receive Rs 15 lakh.

Special Focus

The festival will feature a special focus on BRICS cinema, opening with India's Ramayana and showcasing films from all 11 member countries. Spain is named the Country of Honour, presenting four films, while Russia serves as the partner country with its own four-film showcase. Additionally, the event will pay tribute to Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda on his birth centenary, alongside centenary celebrations for Indian filmmakers Shakti Samanta and Raj Khosla, actors Uttam Kumar, Suryakant Mandhare, Prem Nazir, and Raj Kumar, and music composers O P Nayyar and Ravi. Screenings will take place across 13 indoor screens at four locations in Goa, including Panaji, Porvorim, Margao, and Ponda, with a combined seating capacity exceeding 4,000.

Context

The International Film Festival of India is an annual event hosted in Goa that serves as a major platform for global and regional filmmakers to connect and showcase diverse cinematic works. Events like this bring together international delegations, industry buyers, and student filmmakers to foster cross-cultural collaborations and co-production opportunities.