Goa: With 326 films from over 76 countries in its schedule and with an eye on international exposure, the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFF) will get underway on November 20th in Goa.

While renowned Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony which will take place at a specially erected venue along the Mandoviriver, other guests who will be present at the glittering ceremony would be WaheedaRehman, Rani Mukherjee, AshaBhosle and Kamal Hasan among other dignitaries.

Actor RajatKapoor and Mrs. SuhasiniManiratnam would be compering the event.Addressing a curtain raiser press conference in Panaji at the Macquinez palace, a Portuguese-styled Heritage building, festival director Shankar Mohan said that an effort was being made to make the festival’s image more international in nature.

“Earlier we only used to have Indian film personalities. Having Susan Sarandon at the inauguration ceremony is a part of our effort to take this festival to the next level. Because it is an international event,” Mohan said.

The official also said that Wendell Rodricks, a noted Goan designer was roped in to design a gown for the Oscar award winning actress, who will also deliver a speech at the inauguration ceremony.

Shankar also said that IFFI was gaining in international stature with several Oscar nominated films being screened here first, winning the globally recognized Academy award subsequently. He pointed out films like The Artist, Life of Pi which were screened at the IFFI first, but later managed to steal the limelight at the Oscar awards ceremony.

“We are getting Oscar nominated films here because we want to show them here first,” Mohan said, underlining efforts being taken by the organizers to bring good cinema to IFFI in Goa.

He also said that,“as digital cinema was gaining in stature as compared to cinema produced in the analogue format and that 80 % of the films screened at the festival were recorded in analogue format. IFFI this year would see lot of digitally acclaimed films.”

Source : Aarthi