IFFI

Debutante director, Gurvinder Singh, whose film Anhey Ghorey Da Daan (Alms for the Blind Horse) has won praises and prizes in film festivals all around the world, is on cloud nine with his film bagging the coveted Golden Peacock Award at the International Film festival of India (IFFI), that concluded in Goa two days back.

The 43rd International Film Festival of India got underway in a grand manner yesterday when Akshay Kumar inaugurated the 10-day cinematic extravaganza. The festival will celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema over the next 10 days. Recalling his early connection to cinema and how his family skipped meals to buy movie tickets, the <em>Oh MY God</em> producer-actor said that it was incredible that the country was celebrating the 100-year-old cinematic legacy at the IFFI.

The Balraj Sahni, Geeta Siddharth-starrer Garam Hawa, directed by M S Sathyu, considered a milestone in Indian cinema, that has been fully restored, will be screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa scheduled to go underway today. According to IFFI officials, the film that also stars Geeta Siddharth, Farooq Shaikh, the late A K Hangal and Jalal Agha, will be screened on 25 November (2012) as part of commemoration of 100 years of Indian cinema.

Finding no support for her no-cheesiness Bhojpuri production Deswa among her friends from Bollywood, actress Neetu Chandra has moved far ahead. <em>Deswa</em>, directed by Neetu’s brother Nitin Chandra has now been selected for the Indian Panorama Section of 43rd Edition of International Film Festival of India, to be held at Goa from 20th to 30th November, 2012. <em>Deswa</em>, a film about unemployed youngsters of rural Bihar taking to crime, is the first Bhojpuri film to be thus honoured.