Michael Douglas to get Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at 54th IFFI in Goa
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 6
Highlighting the growth of the OTT sector, the 54th Indian International Film Festival (IFFI) will, for the first time, include an award for the ‘best web series’ and screen restored classics such as ‘Guide’ and ‘Bees Saal Baad.’ Seven of these iconic movies have been meticulously restored into modern 4K prints.
The IFFI (Nov 20-28), scheduled to be held in Goa, will bestow the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award upon Hollywood star Michael Douglas. He is expected to attend the event to accept this esteemed honour, alongside his wife and actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur disclosed these details in New Delhi on Monday. The introduction of the ‘best OTT series’ award marks the first time such recognition has been included. Notably, the OTT industry is experiencing annual growth at a rate of 28 per cent. Thakur also mentioned that they’ve received a total of 32 entries spanning 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms, and the winner will be granted a prize of Rs 10 lakh.
India, he noted, ranks as the 5th largest market globally. The country’s media and entertainment industry is exhibiting consistent annual growth at a rate of 20 per cent.
The ‘creative minds of tomorrow’ scheme has received around 600 entries, with 75 winners selected.
Thakur also highlighted a threefold increase in the number of films received for the International Section of IFFI. This year, there are 198 films, which is 18 more than the previous edition. The lineup includes 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres, 62 Asia Premieres, and 89 India Premieres. In total, IFFI received a record number of 2,926 entries from 105 countries, marking a threefold increase in international submissions compared to the previous year.
The ‘Indian Panorama’ section is set to showcase 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India. The opening film in the feature section is a Malayalam film, ‘Aattam,’ and in the non-feature section, ‘Andro Dreams’ from Manipur will take the spotlight.
