IFFI 2024, 17: Exposure, partial and full
Continuing and concluding my experiences of watching films at IFFI 2024, and walking out usually, after 30-40 minutes.
MEETING WITH POL POT France, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Taiwan, Qatar, Turkey
Three persons credited with the Screenplay, one of them being the author of the book, When the War was over: Cambodia and the, Khmer Rouge Revolution, by Elizabeth Becker, which must have been the basis of the film. Directed by Rithy Panh.
It was nothing like I had expected from the tile and the synopsis. Well into the film, there was only talk-talk and drive-drive, and no Meeting with Pol Pot. Unable to hold on any longer for a glimpse of the Cambodian dictator, I parted company with the auditorium and took a break.
Naturally, no rating.
DRY SEASON Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia Screenwriter and director: Bohdan Slamà
This film was the Closing Film, and used three languages: Czech, Slovak and English.
About two families, one a small farmer and the other a local agri-business overlord, whom the farmer hates. The feelings are mutual. The film became a Romeo and Juliet story about the son of the overlord returning from studying abroad and renewing his love for the daughter of the small farmer. The girl constantly tries to push the boy into a conflict with his father over his unscrupulous methods of exploiting farmers. This happens every few minutes, and I got bored at the repetitive nature of the film, which moved at a snail’s pace. Exit.
MOON Austria Screenplay and direction: Kurdwin Ayub
Another film in which three or more languages are used. Here they are German, English and Arabic.
Set in Jordan, it narrates the tale of a former martial arts practitioner from Austria, Sarah, who is hired to train three sisters of one family in her area of expertise. But the sport does not interest the three girls, so why has she been hired? Indeed, why? The question rebounded and rebounded in my mind as I left the auditorium about 25 minutes into its 92 minutes’ duration. Rating? Not possible.
ALGIERS Algeria, Tunisia, France, Canada Screenplay not credited Directed by Chakib (pronounced Shakib, a Muslim name) Taleb Bendiab.
Using Arabic and French, this was one of the better films screened at the festival, and one which I could sit through till the end. A psychiatrist and a Police Inspector investigate the kidnapping of a young girl. At 92 minutes, it held my attention. Bendiab is one of the writers on the British spy series, Go Dark.
Rating: ** ½
FOTOGENICO France Screenplay not credited Directed by Marcia Romano and Benoît Sabatier
A girl dies in Marseilles. Her father arrives in the city and tries to locate persons she knew or hung out with. In the process, he discovers that she was part of a girl band and had cut a disc with them. He decides to bring the band together, as some kind of tribute to his daughter.
The man and his performance are weird, and the film, though only 94 minutes long, failed to interest me. Rating is out of question.
PUSHER 1996 Restored Classics Denmark Screenplay not credited Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Drugs, drug barons and drug dealers form the thrust of the story. A heroin deal turns sour and the Pusher is indebted to the Balkan drug baron, Milo. This is no restored ‘classic’, from my perspective. A narrow and limited panorama made things dull, although the subject was drug-related. The film had possibilities, but its hazy, jerky, handheld camera and slow narration forced me to leave after I had seen about two-thirds of the film. I will hazard a
Rating:
IFFI 2024, 18: The Toppers, Winners all
At the 55th International Film festival of India, the following films, and casts, were awarded on the Closing session, held on 28th December 2024, afternoon. Democracy ruled, in that no entry won more than one prize.
- ‘Toxic’, Lithuania, won Golden Peacock, for the Best film, at IFFI 2024. Director, Saulė Bliuvaitė will share the Golden Peacock Trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 40,00,000, with the producer, Giedre Burokaite. The Jury praised the film for its deep sensitivity and empathy, with its coming-of-age narrative set against a stark physical and social backdrop. Toxic emerged us the best film, “For exploring adolescence and the harsh realities of growing up in an economically deprived society, with so much sensitivity and empathy and at the same time creating a coming-of-age narrative against a backdrop of the physical and social landscape," the Jury cited.
- Silver Peacock, and a cash prize of Rs. 15,00,000 along with a certificate, awarded to the most outstanding Director from the International Competition category: Bogdan Muresanu, Romania, for his exceptional work in the film, The New Year that Never Came. The Jury particularly admired the film’s exquisite production design, mise-en-scène, and metaphors that brought the period to life, as well as the stunning ensemble performances. “Creating a tragicomedy is difficult. And to do that during a revolution is even tougher. Bogdan Muresanu succeeds brilliantly in doing just that, by interweaving six stories to portray the life in a country on the brink of a revolution – and he does that armed with exquisite production design, mise-en-scène and metaphors to create the period and complimented by the stunning performances from the ensemble cast.” – reads the Jury citation.
Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male and Female): Recognising the best performances in leading roles, the awards for Best Actor (Male) and Best Actor (Female) include a Silver Peacock Trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 10,00,000 each.
- Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male): Clément Faveau
Clément Faveau took home the Best Actor (Male) award for his nuanced and captivating portrayal in the French film, ‘Holy Cow’. His performance resonated deeply with the Jury, showcasing his remarkable ability to bring authenticity and depth to his character. “For his incredibly natural performance, expressing the emotional ups and downs, while traversing from innocence to maturity,” – cited the Jury.
- Special Mention to Adam Bessa for his incredibly natural performance in ‘Who Do I Belong To?’ Bessa’s portrayal of Bilal was lauded for its emotional depth, transitioning seamlessly from innocence to maturity. Citation of the Jury: “The Jury would also like to make a SPECIAL MENTION for the studied and restrained performance by Adam Bessa, for his portrayal of Bilal, in the Tunisian film, ‘WHO DO I BELONG TO?’
- Silver Peacock - for Best Actor (Female): Vesta Matulytė and Ieva Rupeikaitė
The Best Actress award was jointly given to Vesta Matulytė and Ieva Rupeikaitė “For the extraordinary performances by its two debut making actresses - Vesta Matulyte and Ieva Rupeikaitė – who pushed themselves to their physical and emotional limits in creating the unforgettable characters of Marija and Kristina,” the Jury cited.
- American Director Sarah Friedland bags Be
Todd Haynes has spoken for the first time about his Joaquin Phoenix-led gay romance that fell apart just five days before filming. During a conversation at Marrakech Film Festival on Friday, Variety asked Haynes about the project, which the moderator initially said the director would not speak on. However, Haynes proceeded to make a brief […]
Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s “Gaucho Gaucho” won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Sound at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. By Lucy Spicer The year may be coming to an end, but we’re not resting on our laurels. Even as we gear up to bring film lovers an exciting new slate of projects […]
The post Release Rundown: “Gaucho Gaucho” Among Sundance-Supported Films Reaching Wider Audiences This December first appeared on sundance.org.
IFFI 2024, 15: Accreditation for media-persons, and what they should expect if and when it is granted
Setting-up and Opening MyIFFI (your account at the website), you can register on a form for getting accreditation as a media-person, to attend the International Film Festival of India, which is held regularly in Panaji, Goa (since 2004). If you fill the form correctly, meeting their expectations, some of which are very demanding, you will get a response that your application is registered. This does not grant you accreditation. If you fit their criteria, which they will take a week or two to assess, you could expect another email, saying that you have been accredited. Not every media-person is granted accreditation to IFFI. The categories of accreditation cover film journalists, employees of media organisations, freelancers, photographers, videographers, All India Radio, correspondents, private radio channel correspondents, Doordarshan correspondents, employees of TV channels, and social media-persons.
All are given cards that they have to hang on their necks, to access to their status/area of interest-related events. They are also given a brochure, and a shoulder bag, which has been a C class product in 2024 and earlier festivals too, liable to tear and break at the metal points. Besides getting access to their areas of operation, media-persons can avail of free tea and coffee, from a dispenser, and some biscuits, if they are lucky enough to reach the person operating the dispenser at the time(s) when he has stock of biscuits, which are kept in a small plastic box. Many medical practitioners advise their patients, and the general public, not to drink tea or coffee if they do not have something light go with it, like biscuits, to avoid acidity, but media-persons who are unlucky, get only the beverage, not the biscuits. It is a 'come at a time when the person manning the vending machine opens a packet(s) and queue-up to get first come first served service.'
But that isn’t a constant. You could be given sandwiches, pastry and other savouries, if a different government was in power when the festival under question is held in the coastal state of Goa, or at the Centre, in New Delhi. Not only that, you could be invited to free ferry cruises, cocktails and dinners, breakfast press meets and lunch get-togethers, if you were in luck. That luck has run out a few years ago. For the last few years, either none of what is listed above is happening, or media is being carefully kept away from such events, and media is expected to keep mum since it is given free accreditation, and normal delegates (not invitees), have to pay to register. So, stripping it down to a bare minimum, you could expect only tea, coffee and ‘lucky’ biscuits. The biscuits are of the cheapest variety available, and many do not like to eat them. Perhaps that is why they are chosen, to minimise the biscuits’ bill. That is how it was at IFFI 2024 too.
In return for these favours, the media is expected tom extoll the virtues of the 9-day fest, for, otherwise, they may be denied accreditation the following year. Even at rock bottom, there have to be four cocktail/dinner parties during IFFI: the opening night, usually thrown by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, one thrown by the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), one by the Press Information Bureau PIB), which is the nodal authorities in managing all media-related affairs of the Government in power), and the closing dinner, the sponsor of which may vary, and includes the Chief Minister of Goa. At best, the press is invited to the PIB gig only. At all other events, the Press, barring a few exalted, members, is boycotted. The Press is also invited to the inaugural and closing ceremonies, which may very well begin about one hour later than the scheduled time, and end several hours later. No arrangements are made to carr