44th IFFI heralds beginning of new century for Indian Cinema: Shri Manish Tewari

The renowned Iranian film maker Majid Majidi will open the ‘Soul of Asia’ segment tomorrow at the 44th IFFI in Goa. Introduced last year as a special segment, ‘Soul of Asia: Cinema of Mysticism’ will celebrate spirituality, so much integral to the way of living in this part of the globe, in the same vein this year. The segment will open with the screening of ‘The Patience Stone’ by the much acclaimed Afghan-French author, Atiq Rahimi. The movie, in a war-torn Afghanistan, sears into the recesses of a woman’s soul searching life beyond existence. The other films in the section include Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s ‘The Gardener’, Pan Nalin’s’ ‘Faith Connections’ and Vincent Sandoval’s ‘Apparation’. ‘Indian Master of Masters: Osho brings into focus the mystic’s contemporary creative interpretations and insights into the wisdom of world masters. Shri Manish Tewari, Minister for Information and Broadcasting has said that the commitment of the organisers of the festival got doubled as the 2013 edition of IFFI marks the completion of hundred years of Indian cinema and heralds beginning of the new century in its journey. Addressing the mediapersons before the inauguration of the 44th International Film Festival in Goa, Shri Tewari said the festival is a celebration of the spirit and essence of cinema. He described the extravaganza as a unique project in federal-state partnership. It has been successful in creating a model of working in close conjunction with each other, he added. While presenting an overview of the annual feat, the Minister said, ‘what we showcase here is a platform for diverse thoughts’. He said that this cultural event celebrates different ethos and milieus exposed on screen. Underscoring the highlights of the festival, Minister said that the film Industry is magnificent in its diversity. As the event puts focus on North-East Cinema this year, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Mukul Sangma has been requested to open the segment, he informed. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Bimal Julka, Secretary ,Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed media that foreign films have 10 packages while Indian films have 13 packages. The National Museum for Indian Cinema is being set up in Mumbai and National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) will come up in Pune, he added.