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New Delhi : The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2018 will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2018. The 49th edition of the festival will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries. International Competition section has 15 films of which 3 are Indian. Competition section itself represents films produced and co-produced by 22 countries.
Festival Kaleidoscope section carries 20 critically acclaimed international films that have been to major film festivals and majority of them being multiple award winners. This is one of the most sought after sections of the festival that showcases best and top films of the year.
World Panorama section has 67 films specially curated for the festival. They include 4 World Premiers, 2 International Premiers, 15 Asia Premiers and 60 India Premiers. This year World Panorama section presents 15 films which are Oscar submissions from respective countries. The Festival will open with World Premiere of ‘The Aspern Papers’ with international star cast. The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost and dreams of Byronic adventures.
Every year IFFI features a Country of Focus that brings out the cinematic excellence and contributions of that particular Country. In the 49th edition of IFFI, the Country of Focus will be Israel. Ten films in collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai have been selected for the country focus package. The opening film for the Country Focus Section is ‘The Other Story’ by Avi Nesher. Important celebrities from Israel include the famous Israeli actor Alon Aboutboul, as special guest from Israel, who has worked in several Hollywood films including Rambo III, Munich by Steven Spielberg, Body of Lies by Ridley Scott and The Dark Knight Rises to name a few. The Indo-Israeli Co-production Seminar is slated to be held on November 22,2018.
A State focus section has been proposed for the 49th IFFI, 2018. This section will focus on the films of one of the Indian States shedding light on the art and culture of that particular state. Jharkhand has been selected as the State of Focus for 49th IFFI 2018 and Jharkhand Day will be celebrated on November 24, 2018, as part of the festival. Movies in the Jharkhand Package include Death in the Gunj, Ranchi Diaries, Begum Jaan with others, according to a PIB release.