Films from around the globe at PIFF 2017

The Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) is bringing to the city’s film buffs an assortment of live action, animation and student films for all over the world. Announcing the list of films selected in the category of world competition, at a press meet on Tuesday, Dr Jabbar Patel, the Festival Director said, “This year we received more than 1,100 entries for all the competitions at PIFF from over 95 countries. This year, we bring a selection of more than 200 select films for the festival. We have two sections dedicated for our theme – environment.”

The films selected in the world competition category have come from different countries like Russia, China, Argentina, Czech Republic, Israel, Poland, France and Bulgaria. The only Indian film to make it to this list is ‘Lady of the Lake’, directed by Haobam Paban Kumar. “The films selected tell different stories. Some are personal, while some are period films about wars and upheavals,” explains Abhijeet Ranadive, the Creative Head and Selection Committee Member.

The members of the jury come from different countries and backgrounds. The members are Aparna Sen (India), Jerzy Stuhr (Poland), Goran Paskaljevic (Serbia), Jorge Arriagada (Chile), Jens Fischer (Sweden), Gowri Ramnarayan (India), Bennett Rathnayake (Sri Lanka) and Narges Abyar (Iran).

The festival will also hold various workshops for film writers and technicians who will be taught by professionals in the field. This year’s edition also marks the return of Pune Bazaar, an influential marketplace for films coming to the festival.

Last year, a breathtaking photo exhibition was held by the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) displaying the life and times of the late actress, Smita Patil. This year, the pavilion will be dedicated to Dadasaheb Phalke, “We want this year to be about the person who started the journey of Indian cinema,” said Dr Patel.

The festival will be held from January 12 – 19.

Vijayta Lalwani