In less than a month, Goa will once again be the site of the International Film Festival of India. IFFI has been held in Goa since 2004. That’s 14 years of some of the biggest names in the film industry flying to Goa annually to share their experiences and expertise with those aspiring to become part of the same. Back then, people were skeptical of the government’s plans to hold such an event. Additionally, there wasn’t much of a film culture in Goa except for when it came to watching Hindi movies. However, thanks to IFFI as well as the set up of multiplexes in the state, people have a chance to watch the latest movies that release worldwide. It has been said that IFFI 2018 will commemorate the birth centenary of Ingmar Bergman, one of Hollywood’s most famous film-makers.
Ingmar Bergman – one of the greatest film-makers of all time
Ernst Ingmar Bergman (July 14, 1918 – July 30, 2007) was a Swedish Swedish director, writer, and producer who worked in film, television, theatre, and radio. In his illustrious career, he directed over sixty films and documentaries for cinematic release and for television, most of which he also wrote. He also directed over 170 plays. Most of his films were set in Sweden, the themes often being dark topics like death, illness, faith, betrayal, bleakness, and insanity.
Amongst the many films that he was a part of, three were Academy Award-winning films in the Best Foreign Language Film category, namely ‘The Virgin Spring’ (1960), ‘Through a Glass Darkly’ (1961) and ‘Fanny and Alexander’ (1983).
IFFI gives tribute to Ingmar Bergman and his work
This year’s IFFI begins on 20th November and will go on till the 28th. There are promises that it will be even bigger and better than all the previous editions of the festival. The best way to experience it all is to become a festival delegate which you can do so by clicking on the link at the end of this article for more details.
In celebrating the birth centenary of prolific Swedish write, director and playwright, Ingmar Bergman, IFFI 2018 has created a tribute section dedicated to works of Bergman. This tribute section is named #Bergman100 and will showcase a number of his films from years gone by. These include ‘Summer with Monika’ (1953), ‘Seventh Seal’ (1957), ‘Persona’ (1966), ‘Autumn Sonata’ (1978) and ‘Saraband’ (2003). ‘Saraband’ was the last film he directed in his career before he retired for good.
The section will also include works by other writers and directors that have spent time on Bergman’s works through the years. Two such documentaries that will be shown are ‘Bergman Island’ (2004) and ‘Searching for Ingmar Bergman’ (2018). The former, directed by Marie Nyreröd and the latter by Margarethe von Trotta and Felix Moelle, take a close look at Ingmar Bergman’s life and work, and even his film legacy.
A collaborative effort
Bergman’s works are being brought to this edition of IFFI by The Ingmar Bergman Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to administering, preserving and distributing Bergman’s works. It will collaborate with the Union ministry of information and broadcasting to present #Bergman100 at the nine-day mega film festival.
The Foundation CEO Jan Holmberg has stated that the huge interest world over in celebrating #Bergman100 exceeded the Foundation’s highest expectations.
“Though great art is timeless, it still needs support from public and private institutions to remain available. Most important, it needs the support of the audience, and the art of Bergman, luckily, enjoys all this,” remarked Holmberg.
So be a part of what promises to be one of IFFI’s biggest moments by registering as a delegate to the 49th edition of the festival. The link is below.
For more information on IFFI 2018, visit the IFFI website.
Information credit
ItsGoa/OCT/KDGP
