47th IFFI draws to a close in Goa

Panaji, Nov 28 : The 47th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) came to a close on Monday, with Iranian film "Daughter" coming away as the festival's best film.

Over 300 films from 90 countries were screened at the nine-day event in Goa which saw a steep drop in footfalls, due to the nationwide cash-crunch which has followed the central governemnt's decision to demonetise high value currency notes.

Nearly 4,500 delegates were present at the event over nine days, even as last year as many as 8,000 delegates had arrived in Goa, to participate in IFFI, which is reckoned as one of Asia's oldest film festivals.

This year's edition of IFFI opened with "After-Image", a film directed and written by late Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, who died earlier this year and the festival closed on Monday with a film by Kim Jee Woon, "Age of Shadows".

South Korea was the special focus country at the 47th edition of IFFI and several films from the Asian country were screened at the event.

Incidentally, Woon's film is the official entry from South Korea at this year's Oscar awards.

The Indian Panorama section of the festival saw the screening of 22 films, while the international competition section saw 22 films competing for glory at the international event.

Indian films "Sahad Paather Gappo" and the Sanskrit film "Ishti" were competing in the international section, along with some of the finest world films like "According to Her", "Daughter", "House of Others", "I, Olga Hepnarova", "Mellow Mud", "Nelly", "Personal Affairs", "Rauf", "Scarred Hearts", "The Last Family", "The Long Night of Francisco Sanctis", "The Throne" and "The Student".

Iranian Reza Mirkarimi's film "Daughter" eventually won the best film award, after the film was chosen unanimously by the international jury.

South Korean director Kwon-Taek Im was awarded with the lifetime achievement award, while legendary Indian singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam was awarded the Centenary award for Indian film personality of the year.