The 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kicked off in Goa on November 20 with grand festivities and fervour. The inaugural ceremony was held at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium near Panaji, and helped people get in the zone of enjoying films of all kinds.

The ceremony witnessed the participation of multiple dignitaries including administrative authorities and notable international and Indian celebrities associated with filmmaking.

Bollywood stars including Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal, Manoj Bajpayee, Suniel Shetty, Mrunal Thakur, Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan and Karthik Aryan were present during the opening ceremony. Moreover, India's Information and Broadcast Minister, Goa CM, governer and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcast also attended the occasion.

Spanish film director Carlos Saura was awarded with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award during the opening ceremony followed by first screening of the event showcasing Austrian Director Dieter Berner’s film Alma and Oskar. Additionally, Veteran Tamil actor-producer Chiranjeevi was also honoured as the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022 during the ceremony.

The International Film Festival of India, Goa will be held till November 28th featuring a vivid showcase of 280 films from 79 countries which will be screened during the 9-day event period.

A total of 25 feature films and 20 documentaries will be showcased in the Indian Panorama section. On the other hand, the international program will include screenings of 183 films. Furthermore, this year France has been selected as the ‘Spotlight’ country of the festival and 8 films will be screened under the Country Focus package. More info about IFFI's film schedule, events and booking details can be found here.