Robbie Williams film 'Better Man' to open 55th IFFI fest

"Better Man", a semi-autobiographical film about British pop singer Robbie Williams, will open the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce will be presented the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual film gala, which will run through November 20-November 28 in Goa, will present over 180 international films from 81 countries, including 15 world premieres, three international premieres, 40 Asian premieres and 106 Indian premieres. The curtain raiser press conference for IFFI 2024 was held on Monday in New Delhi. The event was attended by L Murugan, Union Minister of State for I&B; Sanjay Jaju, Secretary I&B; Shekhar Kapur, Festival Director; and Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, CBFC.
Addressing the media, Dr Murugan said it is one of the largest film festivals at the international level. He added that Indian cinema is playing a huge role in the country’s economy. Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Sanjay Jaju, said the focus this year is on young filmmakers. He mentioned that a new award, the Best Indian Debut Director Award, has been introduced to encourage fresh talent. He said that there has been immense response from filmmakers and audiences for IFFI. Jaju said that this year, IFFI has received 1,676 submissions from 101 countries.