PANJIM, Goa:The 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-08) started today in star studded Kala Academy at Goa in a colourful function with the legendary bollywood Actress Rekha ighting the ceremonial lamp.
The inaugural lamp was lit with the assistance of Telugu Actress of Goan origin Illina D.Cruz. Amrita Rao, an upcoming Actress hosted the Inaugural Function as the Master of Ceremony. The luminaries present were, inter alia, the Speaker of the Assembly, Shri Pratap Singh Rane, Panjim Mayor Tony Rodrigues bollywood doyens Randhir Kapur, Sachin, Tabu and Tisca Chopra.
The Indian film industry is believed to be the largest in the world – producing over a thousand films a year in different languages. At a time when every sector of our economy is being influenced and in most cases taking the benefits of the currents of globalization, our film industry can utilize this opportunity too, the Minister added. He assured the film fraternity of all possible support from the Government that would lead to promotion of good cinema.
The Indian programming at IFFI – 2008 would be under seven different segments with screening of 83 films. Besides the section Indian Panorama wherein 26 Feature and 21 Non Feature films will be screened. The Indian programming would have Retrospective of Legendary Director Bimal Roy and L.V. Prasad. Udayer Pathe, Devdas, Bandini, Gautama the Buddha, Remembering of Bimal Roy and Do Bigha Zamin will be screened in Retrospective on centenary of Bimal Roy. Other Retrospective on legendary Director and Producer L. V. Prasad on his birth centenary will have the screening of Dadi Maa and Ek Duje ke Liye.
Under the Lifetime Classics, Mughle- A – Azam of Dilip Kumar, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun & Dil Ek Mandir of eminent singer Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar, Anbe Vaa and Kittur Channamma of eminent Kannada Actress B. Saroja Devi and Kabuliwala of Tapan Sinha will be screened. G. P. Sippy, B. R. Chopra, F. C. Mehra, Jayshree Gadkar, Raghuvaran, Mahendra Kapoor, Jeeva, Sridhar, Vijay Tendulkar and Nabendu Ghosh will be paid tribute under Homage section.
The Jury members of Competition Section, Peter Chan, Mr. Marco Mueller, Ms. Niki Karimi, Mr. Lav Diaz and Ms. Tabassum Hashmi were felicitated during the Inaugural Function. Chinese film ‘Warlords’ was screened as the opening film. The Director of the opening film Mr. Peter Chan and the crew of the film were introduced to the audience before the screening of the film.
Business Brunch 
