26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) – Highlights
The 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was inaugurated by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee.
Key Points
- The inauguration ceremony of the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was attended by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
- Shah Rukh Khan attended the event as the brand ambassador of West Bengal from Mumbai.
- The 7-day festival will be honoring filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee.
- ‘Apur Sansar’, the classic film of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray will be the inaugural film of the festival.
- Some other films of Soumitra Chatterjee are— Wheel Chair, Dekha, Akash Kusum, Ganadevata, Mayurakshi, Podokkhep, Kony, and Bohomaan.
- The festival will screen 131 movies from 45 nations. 131 movies include 50 short films and 81 feature films.
- These movies will be screened till 13th January 2021.
- Mamta Banerjee also said that she will ask the chief secretary of the state to allow 100% seat occupancy in cinema halls which is 50% at present.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival is being organized on a smaller scale.
- Movies on sitarist Ravi Shankar, 6 films by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini, and movies on singer Hemanta Mukherjee and on comedian Bhanu Bandyopadhyay will be screened at the festival.
Kolkata International Film Festival
It is an annual film event held in Kolkata. It was started in the year 1955. It is also the 3rd oldest international film festival in India. The festival features movies, short films of various filmmakers.