Country Focus- Spain

In this section, the festival will present the best of Spanish cinema ranging from master filmmakers like Carlos Saura and Pedro Almadovar to the young and enthusiastic director Alejandro Amenabar. The section will also feature Leticia Dolera’s debut film “Requirements To Be A Normal Person”.

Films to be screened in the section:

1. Isla Bonita/ Isla Bonita/ Fernando Colomo/ Spain/ 2015/ 101

2. Requirements To Be A Normal Person/ Requisitos Para SerUna Persona Normal/ Leticia Dolera/ Spain/ 2015/ 95

3. The Sea Inside/ Mar Adentro/ Alejandro Amenabar/ Spain, France, Italy/ 2004/ 125

4. Thesis/ Tesis/ Alejandro Amenabar/ Spain/ 1996/ 125

5. Goya in Bordeaux/ GOYA EN BURDEOS/ Carlos Saura/ Spain, Italy/ 1999/ 100

6. Tango/ Tango/ Carlos Saura/ Spain, Argentina/ 1998/ 115

7. Bad Education/ La mala educacion/ Pedro Almodovar/ Spain/ 2004/ 106

187 films from 89 countries to be showcased in International Section, Indian Panorama Section to screen 26 Feature and 21 Non-Feature films , ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ to be the opening film~

panjim November 4, 2015: The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) tuesday announced a stellar lineup of International Competition, Indian Panorama films and Juries for its 46^th edition to be held in Goa from November 20 to 30 2015. The film festival will showcase 187 films from 89 countries in World Cinema section along with 26 Feature and 21 Non-Feature films in Indian Panorama section.

 Addressing the curtain raiser press conference, Shri.Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Minister, I&B, Finance & Corporate Affairs said, “The Kingdom of Spain is the focus country of IFFI 2015.The films of master Spanish filmmakers Carlos Saura and Pedro Almadovar along with contemporary filmmakers likeAlejandro Amenabar will be screened at the festival. The section will also feature Spanish actress Leticia Dolera’s directorial debut ‘Requirements to Be a Normal Person.’ ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ written and directed by Matthew Brown would be the opening film of IFFI 2015. Mr. Anil Kapoor will be theChief Guest at the opening ceremony. The International Competition will have 15 films including two films from Indian Panorama section. The jury for International Competition includes Chairperson Mr. Shekhar Kapur along with Mr. Michael Radford, Ms. Julia Jentsch, Suha Arraf and Mr. Jeon Kyu-Hwan.” 

 In another pioneering step, IFFI in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT), Paris and UNESCO will be presenting the “ICFT- UNESCO Fellini Prize” to a film which reflects the ideals of peace, tolerance, non-violence and friendship promoted by the UNESCO. IFFI 2015 will also be conducting a special seminar on Film and Cultural diversity.

 Announcing the Indian Panorama, the Honorable Minister stated that the section will have a confluence of remarkable films from different languages and states. The 13-member Feature Jury was headed byChairperson, Aribam Syam Sharma while the 7-member Non-Feature jury was led by Chairperson, Rajendra Janglay.

 The section Focus on North East Cinema has emerged as a great platform to showcase the best of films and filmmakers from the region to the world. This year, the section will have a Special Retrospective onAribam Syam Sharma, the eminent filmmaker, actor and music composer from Manipur along with a unique segment featuring next generation filmmakers from North East.

 Commencing a special feature this year, the festival in association with the Oscar Academy will organize master classes with eminent Academy members Mark Mangini, Milt Shefter and Humphrey Dixon on varied topics like sound designing, film archive and film editing.

 The film festival will also screen some of the outstanding directorial debuts of 2015 in a newly introduced segment- ‘First Cut’. The section would feature emerging filmmakers including Brian Perkins (Film – Golden Kingdom, USA), Michael Klette (Film – Solness, Germany) and Piotr Chrzan (Film – Moskvich-My Love, Poland) among others.

 In a special series titled ‘In Conversation’, the Indian filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Vettrimaran,Kaushik Ganguli and Anand L Rai will be present to discuss films and the art of filmmaking with the audience. Additionally, IFFI 2015 will feature a special section ‘World Cinema Restored Classics’ to highlight the idea of film restoration. The Film festival will also feature a package of classics to put spotlight on National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM).

 Concluding the press conference, Shri Arun Jaitley said, “The International Film Festival of India has become a common platform to celebrate the excellence of filmmaking and appreciate the film cultures of different nations. Today, the festival has grown as one of the biggest film festivals in Asia and with each edition; it is creating new benchmarks of success all over the world. The festival has gained huge popularity amongst the global cinema lovers and the world is eagerly waiting for the IFFI 2015.”

 Among other government officials and delegates present at press conference were Shri. Laxmikant Parsekar, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State, Information & Broadcasting, Shri Sunil Arora, Secretary I&B, Shri. J.S. Mathur, Special Secretary, I&B,Shri Senthil C. Rajan, Director DFF, and Shri Frank Noronha, DG PIB.

04/11/2015 … Transport minister sudhin dhavlikar has said that the state vehicle operators who carry school students would have to follow norms strictly implemented by the state transport department as it was for the safety of our own children who were travelling to school in such schools vans or buses

It may be noted that the Bombay High Court has recently issued notice to the state government seeking its response on the safety of students going to school in buses and vans.

The notice was issued yesterday by a division bench of justices F M Reis and K L Wadhane to the state transport and education departments, chief secretary and traffic police for their failure to notify Goa School Bus Rules

 After which officials of the transport department had said that vehicles like Mini vans, including Omnis, which regularly carry school students would now have to register themselves as school buses

Speaking to goanreporter.com transport minister sudhin dhavlikar said that though it was sad to hear vehicles operators were facing problems due to the decision but since it was a decision of high court transport department was ready to give a three months time to the vehicle operators to follow the transport department norms and get their vehicle ready as per the department notification

Mr dhavlikar said that the norms that would be laid for a vehicle would be as per the decision of high court for which he would have talks with the chief minister to give a three month time for vehicles operators

03/11/2015 … President of the state nationalist congress party jose Philip dsouza has blamed the former chief minister pratapsingh rane for briniging casions in to goa stating that the curse brought by the congress had created lot of problems in the state for goans at large

It may be noted that the president of goa pradesh congress committee luizinho faleiro had recently stated that the state Congress party was concerned about the bad name Goa was getting due to Goa becoming the sin capital of India with gambling at casinos strongly increasing and had mentioned that the policy of successive governments including that of BJP and Congress of using casinos for promoting tourism was proving counter-productive and threatening the social and moral fabric thus affecting the youth and future generations of Goa.

Speaking exclusively to goanreporter. com state ncp president jose Philip dsouza said that it was the former chief minister and present opposition leader pratapsingh rane who had brought casino in the state due to which goans were facing a lot of problems in the state

mla from st cruz constituency babush monsoratte who has already made his presence shown in the ncp party said that it was sad to see the congress party asking for forgiveness on bringing casinos to goa

 meanwhile ncp spokesperson trojano dmello said that the congress comments on casinos were the crocodile tears which the congress themselves were to be blamed who had brought curses of casinos to goa

03/11/2015 … President of the State nationalist congress party jose Philip dsouza on Monday confirmed the entry of st cruz mla babush monsoratte who would be joining the ncp party very soon and mentioned that the ncp party would go alone in the upcoming state assembly elections in 2017 contesting all 40 assembly seats

It may be noted that the St cruz mla babush monsoratte who has earlier confirmed that he was in touch with the leaders of the nationalist congress party and talks were on for his entry in to the state ncp fold was seen having a meeting with the state ncp leaders at a private resort in panjim …

Along with the st cruz mla babush monsoratte along present for the meet were state ncp president jospe philip dsouza, ncp spokesperson trojano dmello and other party leaders ….

The meeting had discussion about the ncp party agenda of fighting the upcoming state assembly elections in 2017 alone without the support of congress or any other party and trying to go allout in all forty constituencies on its own

Speaking exclusively to goanreporter.com state ncp president jose Philip dsouza said that talks have gone on very well with mr monsoratte who had said yes of him joining the state nationalist congress party in days to come

St cruz mla babush monsoratte said that he would meet the central ncp leaders and start the process of forming ncp blocks and membership drive soon after diwali in all forty constituencies

 Mr monsoratte also stated that as he always believed in challenges he was ready to built a strong alternative to the congress party by joining the ncp fold and thus ncp could also form the next government in goa on its own

02/11/2015 … Stating that the bjp led government in the state was trying to sell land to outsiders on candolim plateau villager’s, panch members of the candolim village panchayat along with former calangute mla agnelo fernandes have opposed towards the development of light houses at aguada in candolim village and has warned of agitating against the government if any permission is given for a project in the vicinity of light house …

Addressing media persons in panjim congress spokesperson and former calangute mla agnelo fernandes said that the present government was trying to see land to outsiders on the pretext of development when the aguada plateau was an eco fragile sensitive area

Mr fernandes alleged that the idea of the government was a back door entry of selling goan land to outsiders

02/11/2015 … Curchorem mla nilesh cabral has said that he would like to see maha municipal sabhas being held in his curchorem municipality atleast once in three months

The curchorem mla has been able to get his candidates elected in the recently held municipality elections under his bjp party support in curchorem municipality ….

Speaking to media reporters in panjim mr cabral said that the next five years it would be a test for him to take curchorem municipality in to a new height taking all issues of common people

Mr cabral said that certain politicians who were just opposing government projects for the sake of opposing it had got a slap on their face with his council being elected in the curchorem municipality

Mr cabral also stated that he would like to see the issue of electricity problems being solved in curchorem area

01/11/2015 … Spokesperson of the state nationalist congress party trojano dmello has said that the recent municipality elections in the state has shown that the state bjp led government corrupt governance has been rejected by the goans even when there had been no opposition in the contest

Addressing media persons in panjim ncp spokesperson trojano dmello said that it was a matter of shame that the destructive politics and corrupt governance of bjp had been reject by goans where in bjp party was able to win only six out of 11 municipalities …

Mr dmello said that the state bjp party would have to think in future as what they stature would be if all opposition get together as this was just the beginning of the bjp regime coming to an end