IFFI to Honor French Director Bertrand Tavernier With Lifetime Achievement Award

On the opening day of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 2011, the Lifetime Achievement award will be given to the eminent French filmmaker, Bertrand Tavernier.

The 70-year-old French filmmaker is best known for his movies like "Prix Louis Delluc," "Silver Bear," "Life and Nothing But," "The Clockmaker" and "The Princess of Montpensier."

The Award carries an amount of Rs.10 lakh, a scroll and a certificate.  Minister of Information and Broadcasting  Ambika Soni will present the Award to Tavernier.

Malayalam film, "Urunami," is being opened in the Indian Panorama section, emphasizing the element of Indian culture, while other eclectic Indian movies such as "Ranjana Ami Ar Asho Na," in Bengali, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara," in Hindi and "Noong Amadi Yeroom," in Manipuri will be showcased.

"While the Indian Panorama will have the best of Indian cinema on offer, the International competition will have the best of International cinema on Indian shore which will bring the audience package of eclectic International movies which opening with the "The Consul of Bordeax" will bring in International movies like, "Bullhead," "Elana," "Porfirio," "Restoration," "Volcano" and others," claimed a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Bringing together the gems of the cinematic world, which have found acclaim in noted film festivals abroad, this year's film festival will showcase "Festivals Kaleidoscope," a package which includes top award winners in film festivals like Cannes, Locarno, Montreal and Busan.

The Retrospective section, which screens acclaimed movies of eminent film personalities, will screen unforgettable movies of two legendary directors, French filmmaker Luc Besson and Australian director Phillip Noyce, this year.

With a view to bring along a technological revolution in this year's festival, the 42nd International Film Festival of India will showcase 3-D stereoscopic movies which are chosen not just for their stereoscopic content, but also for excellence in handling the medium. This section will bring together 3-D classics from across the world.

The 10-day-long IFFI was inaugurated on Wednesday in Margao, Goa, with Shah Rukh Khan as special invitee for the inaugural ceremony.  The film festival will be held in Goa from Nov. 23  to Dec. 3, 2011.