Shashi Kapoor to open International Film Festival at Goa

Hyderabad, Nov 3 (UNI) Veteran film actor Shashi Kapoor will open the 37th International Film Festival of India from November 23 at Panaji, Goa.

Talking to reporters here, Nandini Paliwal, CEO of Entertainment Society of Goa, the nodal agency for the festival and Negi, Commissioner and Secretary, Finance, Government of Goa, said the 11- day festival would start with the Penelope Cruz starrer 'Volver', a comedy that bagged the best screenplay and best actress awards at the Festival de Cannes and sign off with Brad Pitt's 'Babel', winner of the best director award at Cannes.

They said internationally acclaimed films from Asia, Africa and Latin America would compete for the Golden Peacock Award while 40 countries from around the world would showcase cinematic creativity in the 'Cinema of The World' section.

Ms Nandini Paliwal said this year, the festival would feature a special retrospective of Prithiviraj Kapoor's films and a special screening of Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi' to mark the centenary of the Satyagraha movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi.

She said Goa, which had now been selected as the permanent platform for IFFI, was holding the festival for the third consecutive year. She said arrangements would further be strengthened and adequate security provided for the visiting dignitaries.

Award-winning director Rolf de Heer would chair the jury while Vincent Maraval, producer, Olivier Assayas, director from France and Jahnu Barua, award winning director from Assam would be members.

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