29th KIFF inaugurated
The 29th Kolkata International Film Festival began today with a flourish. Bollywood superstar Salma Khan graced the opening ceremony today at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, the venue for the past several years.
Other than Khan and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also the chief patron of the festival, present on stage were several big names from the world of films—Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha and Mahesh Bhatt—and also Sourav Ganguly, the new brand ambassador of the state.
Absent this time were inauguration ceremony regulars of the past few years, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
The festival will continue till December 12.
At this year’s edition, 219 films from 39 countries, including 72 feature films and 50 short films and documentaries, will be showcased across 23 venues in Kolkata.
In the international competition category, called ‘Innovation in Moving Images’, 13 films will vie for Golden Royal Bengal Trophies in the Best Film and Best Director categories, with prize money of Rs 51 lakh and Rs 21 lakh, respectively.
The esteemed Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Laurence Kardish, filmmaker and a former curator of films at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, on December 9.
Actor Manoj Bajpayee and director Sudhir Mishra will lead masterclass sessions on acting and direction, respectively. Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, starring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat in lead roles, will also be screened during the festival.
