The logo and theme song for the upcoming 30th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) were unveiled on Friday. Scheduled to take place from December 4 to 11, the KIFF, recognized as India’s third-oldest and one of its most prestigious international film festivals, will highlight France as its special focus.
The unveiling event at Rabindra Sadan was attended by KIFF chairman Gautam Ghose, Minister Aroop Biswas, Indranil Sen, Birbaha Hansda, and Nicolas Facino, the director of Alliance Française du Bengale, the official French language and cultural centre in Kolkata recognised by the French embassy.
The 30th KIFF will pay tribute to legendary director Tapan Sinha on his birth anniversary, with his film Golpo Holeo Sotyi likely serving as the festival’s opening film. Additionally, the festival will honor the birth centenaries of iconic figures such as Marlon Brando, Marcello Mastroianni, and Mohammad Rafi.
This year’s festival will feature a diverse lineup of 175 films, including features, short films, and documentaries from 29 countries, screened across 20 venues in Kolkata. The 30th edition of KIFF is expected to feature a dedicated segment on contemporary French women filmmakers.
This year, the festival may miss the usual glitz and glamour associated with it in absence of superstars such Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar are anticipated to be the chief guests, while Vidya Balan is expected to make an appearance on December 5.
Notably, the opening ceremony has been shifted from the Netaji Indoor Stadium to the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium.
Ghose, the KIFF chairman, said, “It’s true that the number of people going to the theatre to watch Bengali films has decreased. But the footfall in the festival will not reduce. Even though OTTs have taken over, directors have not stopped making films for the big screen.”
“In the AI era, the entire filmmaking process will change. Before that happens, I request the audience to experience different kinds of films in this year’s festival.”