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Tsunami & After

Goa gears up for International Film Festival
by Devraj

     Panaji (Goa): The 36th International Film Festival of India will begin at Goa on November 24. Over 200 films with 300 shows will be screened during the ten- day-long entertainment extravaganza. The festival will open with the Brazilian Film Olga directed by Jayme Monjardim. Among the star sections of this edition of the festival is the world premiere of Apaharan, directed by Prakash Jha. Briefing reporters, the Director of the International Film Festival of India, Afzal Amanullah said some sections of the festival will spread to other towns of Goa. He said Indian Panorama, the showcase of Indian Cinema, this year has 21 feature and 16 non feature films. The festival has organized screenings of festival films at public theatres in Vasco and Margao for the public. "One of the most visible feature of the festival is Competition Section which includes 16 entries from Asian, African and Latin American Countries. Previously, it was restricted to Asian countries only. The Indian entries in this section are Iqbal, directed by Nagesh Kuknoor and Perumazhakkalam, Malayalam film, directed by Kamal," Amanullah said, adding that selected Indian and overseas films will be the main attraction of this festival. The festival pays homage to late Gemini Ganeshan and Sunil Dutt, the two prominent actors who passed away recently. As a tribute to the creative genius of the great Indian film director-editor Hrishikesh Mukherjee, some of his best films will be screened. Apart from film shows, the festival also has a Film Bazar, Seminars, Open Forum, Beach Screenings, Meet the Director programmes and several press conferences at a state of the art Media Centre.