IFFI 2007 to kick off with Romanian film

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2007 will begin with the screening of a Romanian film '4 months, 3 weeks & 2 days' on November 23.

The inaugural film, starring Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu and Vlad Ivanov, is a realistic drama by unsung Romanian director C Istian Mungiu and won Palme d'Or award at Cannes film festival this year.

IFFI 2007, to be held on the bank of Mandovi river here at two different venues, one km away from each other, will have an India worldwide section which will show case Mira Nair's AIDS Jaago, Richie Mehta's Amal and Christopher Smith's The Pool, sources said. The festival will have a retrospective on Swedish playwrite and director Ingmar Bergman.

His films Autumn Sonata, Fanny and Alexander, The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring, Through a Glass Darkly, Shame and Wild Strawberries are chosen for screening, they said. In the Indian retrospective, Bengal-born filmmaker Tapan Sinha's 'Kabuliwallah, Sagina Mahato, Adalat O Ekti Meye and Aadmi Aur Aurat and Bollywood film producer Vijay alias Goldie Anand's classics like Guide, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Jewel Thief and Nau Do Gyarah'will be showcased.

Tributes will be paid to Manipuri film director Aribam Syam Sharma, India's foremost cinematographer K K Mahajan, music director O P Nayar and actress Vanamal Devi.

Birth centenaries of 'first lady of Indian screen' Devika Rani, music director Khemchand Prakash and film director T R Sundaram will be celebrated. Master classes will be held on renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

The 10-day festival will culminate on December three with director Carlos Saura's Spanish-Portuguese film Fados.