Reckoned as one of Asia's oldest and India's biggest film gala, the IFFI was opened at a formal ceremony in the presence of Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, chief guest Ramesh Sippy and other film dignitaries.
Veteran singer SP Balasubrahmanyam was felicitated with the Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the IFFI this year, while internationally acclaimed South Korean film director and writer, Im Kwon Taek, was conferred with the prestigious lifetime achievement award award at IFFI 2016.
Over the next eight days, over 300 films will be screened which include four world premieres, six international premieres, 26 Asian premieres, 104 Indian premieres and Oscar winning entries from different countries. South Korea will be the focus country for the event, with a special package of films scheduled to be screened.
Legendary Polish filmmaker, the late Andrzej Wajda's film "After-Image" is the opening film at the event, while South Korean Kim Jee Woon's "Age of Shadows", which is also the country's official entry for the Oscar awards, will be the festival's closing film.