The
51st
edition
of
the
International
Film
Festival
of
India
(IFFI)
is
getting
off
to
a
colourful
start
on
the
golden
shores
of
Goa
on
January
16,
2021,
with
the
opening
ceremony
at
Dr.
Shyama
Prasad
Mukherjee
Indoor
Stadium
at
Panaji
in
Goa.
For
the
first
time,
IFFI
is
being
held
in
a
hybrid
mode
because
of
the
ongoing
pandemic.
Hence,
festival
delegates
will
have
the
option
to
participate
and
watch
films
and
other
events
virtually,
sitting
in
the
comforts
of
their
homes.
Asia’s
oldest
and
India’s
biggest
festival
will
be
loaded
with
a
line-up
of
a
total
of
224
films
from
across
the
globe
this
year.
Italian
cinematographer
Mr.
Vittorio
Storaro
is
being
honoured
with
the
prestigious
Lifetime
Achievement
Award,
at
the
opening
ceremony.
The
event
will
be
graced
by
Union
Minister
for
Information
&
Broadcasting,
Shri
Prakash
Javadekar
and
Chief
Minister
of
Goa
Dr.
Pramod
Sawant.
The
star-studded
event
will
have
celebrated
film
directors
Pablo
Cesar
(Argentina),
Prasanna
Vithanage
(Sri
Lanka),
Abu
Bakr
Shawky
(Austria),
Priyadarshan
(India)
and
Rubaiyat
Hossain
(Bangladesh),
who
are
also
the
Jury
members
of
the
festival.
A
delegation
from
Bangladesh,
this
year’s
'Country
of
Focus’
will
also
be
present
in
the
opening
ceremony.
The
Country
of
Focus
is
a
special
segment
that
recognizes
the
cinematic
excellence
and
contributions
of
the
country.
The
opening
of
the
NFDC
Film
Bazar
will
also
be
virtually
inaugurated
on
the
occasion.
Held
annually,
currently
in
the
state
of
Goa,
the
festival
aims
at
providing
a
common
platform
for
the
cinemas
of
the
world
to
project
the
excellence
of
the
film
art;
contributing
to
the
understanding
and
appreciation
of
film
cultures
of
different
nations
in
the
context
of
their
social
and
cultural
ethos;
and
promoting
friendship
and
cooperation
among
people
of
the
world.
The
festival
is
conducted
jointly
by
the
Directorate
of
Film
Festivals
(under
Ministry
of
Information
and
Broadcasting)
and
the
state
Government
of
Goa.
A
selection
of
23
feature
and
20
non-feature
films
will
be
showcased
in
the
Indian
Panorama
section
of
the
51st
IFFI.
Goan
movies
will
be
screened
under
a
special
Goan
section.
This
apart,
15
acclaimed
films
will
compete
for
the
Golden
Peacock
award
at
IFFI's
International
Competition
section.
The
event,
beginning
at
3.00
PM,
will
be
broadcasted
on
DD
India
and
DD
National
channels
and
will
be
live-streamed
on
PIB’s
YouTube
channel
youtube.com/pibindia.