Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The ninth edition of the Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival is set to take place in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from January 3, as announced by the organisers. The five-day festival will commence at the Rukmini Auditorium on the MGM University campus.
The opening ceremony is expected to be graced by renowned filmmakers R Balki, Anubhav Sinha, and Apurva Chandra, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Festival director Ashok Rane revealed that the German-Finnish film “Fallen Leaves” will kick off the event, while the Palme d’Or-winning French courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall” will conclude the festival on January 7.
On the inaugural day, veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar will be honored with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award. The festival will feature film screenings at Prozone Mall, along with various events such as short film competitions, an Indian film competition, master classes with Sinha and Balki, and interactive sessions.
The winning film team will receive the Golden Kailasha Award and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. Awards will also be presented in categories such as best actor, actress, and script. The Indian film competition jury, headed by veteran actor and director Dhritiman Chatterjee, includes cinematographer Dimo Popov, director Nachiket Patwardhan, film critic Rashmi Doraiswamy, and cinematographer Hari Nair.
FIPRESCI India awards will be given to the winning films, and special lectures on ‘Gandhi and Cinema’ by PIB senior officer Prakash Magdum and a session on ‘Understanding Mrinal Sen’ by Dhritiman Chatterjee are scheduled during the festival. Additionally, there will be an interactive session with directors participating in the film competitions and a film appreciation workshop, according to the festival’s artistic director Chandrakant Kulkarni.
Formerly known as the Aurangabad International Film Festival (AIFF), the event is organized by Nath Group, Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai, and MGM University.
With inputs from PTI
