Fantastic 55th IFFI-finale! 'Toxic' bags Golden Peacock, 'Ray Award' for Aussie film-maker Noyce, Vikrant Massey honoured as 'Personality-2024! by Chaitanya Padukone

All good things as well as all fantastic film-festivals come to an end, as they say! 
The grand yet sentimental closing-finale ceremony of 55th IFFI-2024 in Goa yesterday was a star-studded glam-glittering affair. The top-celeb attendees included Vikrant Massey, Rashmika Mandanna, Pratik Gandhi, Shriya Saran, Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhary, Mame Khan, Nikita Gandhi, Digvijay Singh, and many others.

The prestige Red Carpet was studded with some of the iconic both young and veteran celebrities and filmmakers showcasing their work at IFFI 2024. Stars like R. Madhavan, Yami Gautam, dignified Sharmila Tagore, elegant Rakhee Gulzar, Boman Irani, Prakash Jha, Aparshakti Khurana, Avinash Tiwary, Pankaj Kapur, Saurabh Shukla, Tisca Chopra, Manish Malhotra, Amit Sadh, Rajit Kapoor, dynamic co-producer Ria Singh ( of  'Hisaab Barabar' upcoming thriller movie ) and many more celebs dazzled as they gracefully walked their way down the red-carpet.

Below are some of the major highlights of the festival that left cinema enthusiasts and crazy movie-fans asking for more: after screening over 271 films, including 15 International Premieres from 180 international titles, hosting 31 masterclasses and panel discussions, the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) concluded in Goa today.

The festival saw the participation of over 6,500 delegates, marking a 25% increase from the previous edition.

The prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to celebrated Australian director Philip Noyce. The closing ceremony saw Luthanian film ‘Toxic’ winning the Golden Peacock Award for Best Film. Best director went to Bogdan Muresanu from Romania for the film ‘The New Year That Never Came’. ICFT International Film Prize with UNESCO Gandhi Medal was awarded to the film ‘Crossing’ directed by Levan Akin.

Charismatic super-actor Vikrant Massey ( of super-hit 12th Fail movie directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra)  was awarded Indian Film Personality of the Year.

The Best OTT Web Series Award was presented to ‘Lampan’. Best Debut Director of an Indian feature film award went to Navjyot Bandiwadekar for the film ‘Gharat Ganpati’.

Focus-Australia was the country in focus this year-2024, offering registered Delegates a golden opportunity to explore the rich and diverse colorful world of Australian varied vibrant cinema.

It may be recalled that a week ago, the glittering opening ceremony was graced by the presence of Hon'ble Goa CM Pramod Sawant, along with stars such as Nagarjuna, Rajkummar Rao, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sanya Malhotra, Amy Baruah, and more. The event also featured electrifying dance performances by Ishaan Khattar and Sunny Kaushal.

World’s Best Films--Handpicked films from across the globe were the heart of this year’s festival. Many screenings were sold out, with long queues of film lovers eager to see the films. ‘Better Man’ was the opening film, while ‘Dry Season’ marked the festival’s closing film. Other films that garnered attention included ‘For Rana’, ‘The New Year That Never Came’, ‘Happy Ending’, ‘Synkefri’, and ‘Me, Maryam’, ‘The Children’ and ‘26 Others’.

Masterclasses and Panel Discussions--True to the adage “Knowledge shared is knowledge earned,” the masterclasses and panel discussions at IFFI were a highlight. Industry luminaries like A. R. Rahman, Mani Ratnam, Sonu Nigam, Ranbir Kapoor, Nagarjuna, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sivakarthikeyan, Kriti Sanon, and many others shared insights about their work with an eager audience.

New Launches-The second season of the animated series ‘Krish, Trish, and Baltiboy: Bharat Hain Hum’ was launched at IFFI. Produced by Graphiti Studios in collaboration with India’s Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), the series was launched by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). The event saw the presence of Southside regional superstar Nagarjuna, I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju, Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi, CBC Director General Yogesh Baweja, Graphiti Studios Founder Munjal Shroff, CEO Tilak Shetty, and others including actress Amala Akkineni.

Noble Causes at IFFI--This year, IFFI supported several noble causes. A fashion show was organized at IFFIESTA, where individuals from marginalized communities—including cancer patients, wheelchair-bound individuals, transgender persons, acid attack survivors, and more—walked the ramp. This inclusive platform, supported by the Kamla Ankibai Ghamandiram Gowani Trust, helped empower and inspire these individuals.

Centenary Celebrations The IFFI festival celebrated the centenary of legends like Raj Kapoor, Mohammed Rafi, Tapan Sinha, and Akkineni Nageswara Rao, with screenings of their iconic works: Awara, Hum Dono, Harmonium, and Devadasu.

Screening of Restored Classics The National Film Archives of India (NFAI), under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM), presented seven restored classics. The films included Dadasaheb Phalke’s Kaliya Mardan, Raj Kapoor’s Awara, Dev Anand’s Hum Dono, Tapan Sinha’s Harmonium, the Telugu classic Devadasu starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Satyajit Ray’s Seemabaddha, and K. A. Abbas’ Saat Hindustani.

IFFIESTA-2024, a vibrant fusion of cinema, art, culture, and entertainment, brought the magic of cinema together with live music and captivating performances. The IFFI Parade, a carnival rally-themed “Celebrating the Joy of Cinema,” was a highlight, blending creativity and culture.