Precautions in place, IFFI kicks off today

The 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India which was to be held in November 2020 was postponed to January 16-24. Today, Goa rolls out the carpet for IFFI 2020, on a much smaller scale compared to the previous years. With fewer guests and a limited audience, the opening ceremony is set to take place today evening.
“Many of our international jury will not be able to come because of travel restrictions, so we will connect with them virtually.Priyadarshan will be here,” says Chaitanya Prasad, festival director.
The opening format hasn’t changed much, with performances, retrospective, speeches and more. “We have live performances in various segments, with a lot of Goa related themes, in addition to customary speeches,” he adds.
To ensure safety of guests, only a limited crowd will be allowed at the opening ceremony. “We take into account COVID protocols to make sure the festivals takes off physically too. Size of the audience is limited. Tisca Chopra will be hosting the show, and we are expected a few celebrity guests too,” he says.
Looking forward to an innovative format of hosting the festival in a hybrid manner – where film screenings, masterclasses and in-conversation sessions will take place virtually and physically, Prasad adds, “Now is the time to show the world that a festival can be held with utmost precautions. A total of 224 films from across the globe will be screened this year.
The 51st IFFI will honour the Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award, at the opening ceremony. He is well-known for the film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). A selection of 23 feature films and 20 non-feature films will be showcased in the Indian Panarama and 15 films will compete for the Golden Peacock Award.