LIFFT India Filmotsav to feature 120 films from 30 countries in 27 languages

The second edition of the Literature Information Film Frame Television and Theatre (LIFFT) India Filmotsav 2018 will take place at Lonavala near Mumbai from 6 to 10 December at the Fariyas resort.

Established in 2017, the festival, apart from films, will showcase paintings, short plays, book reading and dance and music concerts.

This year, the festival will feature 120 films from 30 countries in 27 languages and introduce 47 first-time directors. Films for children will be screened on 9 December.

Vivek Sharma’s A Game Called Relationship will be the opening film, while Sridhar Rangayan’s Evening Shadows will be the closing film.

There will also be masterclasses with people from the film industry like screenwriter Anjum Rajabali, actress Nayani Dixit, cinematographer Aseem Bajaj and casting director Priyata Dixit. Book-reading sessions will be held featuring filmmakers Vivek Agnihotri and Ishaan Trivedi and actor-writer Abhiram Bhadkamkar.

The festival is expected to be attended by actors Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjai Mishra, filmmakers Hansal Mehta, Govind Nihalani and Sudhir Mishra, casting directors Mukesh Chhabra and Honey Trehan, and costume designer Pia Benegal, among others.

Short plays will be performed by Seema Azmi, Jayant Gadekar, Girish Pardeshi, Azhar Alam and Vidyanidhi Banarse. “LIFFT India will also showcase a small painting exhibition of upcoming young and dynamic painters Alex Mcfarland and Aditya Singh along with the photo exhibition of the master photographer Rakesh Khatri,” said an official statement.

This year, the festival will felicitate filmmaker Rahul Rawail with the Lifetime Achievement LIFFT India award for his contribution to international cinema.

“The awards are dedicated and named after prominent personalities like Renu Saluja, Ismail Merchant, Khemchand Prakash, Samir Chanda, VK Murthy and Om Puri," added the official statement. The Om Puri award for Best Actor is given in conjunction with the Om Puri Foundation.

This year the festival has received films from over 45 countries in various languages with English subtitles. "From 235 officially selected films, only 120 will be screened due to paucity of time," the statement said. "Most of these films are by first-time directors and are looking for marketing avenues.”

LIFFT India Awards and Filmotsav has been founded by actor-filmmaker Riju Bajaj in collaboration with Anamika Sharma.