Cannes, Berlin, Toronto & now Goa: International film fest winners to be premiered at IFFI

The 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has selected a few of the best foreign films of this year that will be screened for the Indian audience between November 20 and 28. Most of these films have bagged appreciation and awards at reputed film festivals at Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto, among others.The 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has selected a few of the best foreign films of this year that will be screened for the Indian audience between November 20 and 28.Most of these films have bagged appreciation and awards at reputed film festivals at Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto, among others.
Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire to premiere at IFFI
Selection committee members tell us that they have focussed on bringing the best of world cinema at IFFI. Hence, they’ve chosen the works of reputed filmmakers, new directors, winners of film festivals and also those foreign films which became popular at these festivals.
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival this year, will premiere in India at IFFI. Parasite, a dark comedy thriller, tells the story of a young, poor man who begins to tutor a rich family’s daughter and the unpredictable plot is largely focused on class division and greed. Another Cannes winner that will have its India premiere at IFFI is Portrait Of A Lady On Fire – a French historical drama – which was a winner of both the Queer Palm and Best Screenplay awards. The film has been directed by French writer-director Céline Sciamma, and was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

‘Had to negotiate with producers to give these films to IFFI for the premiere’
An I&B official tells us, “For India premiere of films at IFFI, we contact the producers of the films and then we negotiate with them for the screening of the films at the festival. There are other film festivals in India which take place before IFFI and they also try to get these films for the premiere. So while picking the best of the world cinema for IFFI, we also have to ensure that we get these films first. In the last few years, the best foreign films would usually be screened at other film festivals. But this year, we negotiated to get these films premiered at IFFI and not anywhere else.”

Some award-winning films at IFFI 2019
1. Venice Film Festival Horizon Award Best Actor winner A Son by Mehdi Barsaoui
2. Cannes Best Actress winner Little Joe by Jessica Hausner
3. Sundance Film Festival Audience award winner with nine international awards, Queen of Hearts by May el-Toukhy
4. Golden Berlin Bear Best Film winner Synonyms by Nadav Lapid
5. System Crasher by Nora Fingscheidt with 10 international awards
6. Cannes Jury Prize winner Bacurau, co-directed by Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Mendonça Filho with nine international awards

India Premieres of:
1. And Then We Danced by Levan Akin which had won 9 international awards
2. Locarno Film Festival winner Echo by Rúnar Rúnarsson
3. Silver Berlin Bear Best Director winner I was at Home, But by Angela Schanelec
4. La Belle Époque by Nicolas Bedos
5. Lara by Jan Ole Gerster
6. Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe Best Director winner Patrick by Tim Mielants
7. Silver Berlin Bear Best Screenplay winner Piranhas by Claudio Giovannesi
8. Cannes Best Screenplay winner Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Céline Sciamma
9. Serbian film Stitches with 10 international awards directed by Miroslav Terzic