S Korean FIlm 'Cobweb' To Premiere At IFFI

It's that time of the year when the sun-kissed beaches of Goa turn host not only to the constant stream of tourists but to the film industry from across the world. It is because Goa is hosting the 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The opening of the 54th edition was a star-studded affair. As Madhuri Dixit Nene was honoured for her contribution to cinema, Shahid Kapoor performed to a packed audience. Also present were Vijay Sethupathi, Karan Johar, Sara Ali Khan, and Sunny Deol.

From film premiers, announcements, masterclasses as well as screenings of nearly 207 films from across 105 countries.

Given the changing entertainment landscape and the overpowering presence of streaming platforms. Prime Video presented an exclusive showcase of its Sara Ali Khan starrer 'Ae Watan Mere Watan', as well as hosted the premiere of its Tamil horror series 'Village'. On the other hand, Netflix brought in Zoya Akhtar and John Goldwater the creator of 'Archies', to discuss the much-awaited adaptation.

Also in a first, the festival has introduced the best OTT web series award, with as many 32 entries across 10 languages jostling for the honour.

Sushant Sreeram, country director of Prime Video, India, said streaming not only provided access to content or expanded the linguistic palette for customers, but it also served as a window to many cultures.

"I think our storytelling has gotten incredibly rich. We have creators, studios and talent imagining a world of great storytelling, and with streaming providing the reach for every story to find its audience, we are already breaking out internationally."

Calling the festival a dynamic space Censor Board Member Vani Tripathi Tikoo says the story forward in cinema will be AI-driven.

"In its 54 years, IFFI has created a global consciousness for independent cinema and filmmakers all across the world congregate here. We also started a Tech pavilion, the story forward will be fuelled by AI. We are algorithm-driven but as new technologies develop in the filmmaking space we should be platforming them as well."

She further adds that Indian filmmakers are becoming the most influential in the world. With 'RRR' and 'The Elephant Whisperer''s Oscar win, imagine shorts and documentaries were not even seen as a popular medium a couple of years ago. Though more and more Indians will make their mark globally, we need to go beyond just watching American cinema but European as well as Asian cinema, these regions are bustling with storytelling."

Vijay Sethupathi premiered his 'Gandhi Talks' is a dialogue-less drama which stars Arvind Swami and Aditi Rao Hydari for which AR Rahman has scored the music.

"For this film, I wanted to make sure the audience doesn't lose interest and start wanting the characters to speak. It was too much pressure. Most of the time, we can manage a film with dialogues and the delivery but silence is very difficult," said the actor.

On the other, the S Korean dark comedy 'Cobweb', which premiered at Cannes to a ten-minute standing ovation, will premiere in Goa. Actor Jeon Yeo Been who won the Blue Dragon Award for best supporting actor says it was her curiosity to explore a film which talks about the making of films.

She says: I've always wanted to participate in a film that explores the process of cinema or poses questions about cinema itself. When I encountered 'Cobweb', I was strongly drawn into the character 'Mido', a person who fearlessly runs towards her beliefs. Though Jeon Yeo Been has never visited India, the actor said "I used to enjoy a Bollywood film called "Three Idiots" a lot when I was a student. I also like curry with various types of Indian bread, such as roti, and naan. I enjoy drinking chai, too. Whenever I get the chance, I would love to visit India.

Though the festival has become bigger over the years, a lot of delegates felt the absence of International representation. As one remarked it was just Indians meeting more Indians, the others felt the organisers were also late in announcing entries and contests.

Lalitha Ravindran a literary agent said, "You come to a festival to get more than what you have come here for. Here cinema viewing, conversations and business side are all spread out and getting from one place is not easy to navigate. Books to box office the section is way better this time. As an agent and authors, we come to pitch for our books. Though they have a jury and had shortlisted books from the entries. But what I found was they are only helping you make the pitch, but there are no production companies we can make that pitch to. I came to the Film Bazaar thinking I would have a deal, and that's not what's happening."

Though organizational hiccups are inevitable over the years one has seen stark improvements in the logistics and terms of content curation. India which was the showcase country at Cannes in 2022 has one of the most thriving film industries.

With more funds being siphoned in by sponsors, organizers say it's moving towards the Public Partnership Model. Also, it's hard not to miss Bollywood which once was a no-show at this festival making its presence feel bigger and better, but we can do away with five-hour-long ceremonies.

The festival concludes on November 28 with Hollywood Icon Micheal Douglas will be felicitated with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.