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The 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was inaugurated successful the metropolis connected Thursday (November 6, 2025) by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In the adjacent week, 215 films from 39 countries are to be showcased across 21 theatres successful the city. Movies from Palestine and films by Ritwik Ghatak are to beryllium successful the limelight in this year’s movie festival.
The KIFF programme will showcase films from November 6-13 and this year’s absorption state volition beryllium Poland. The inauguration conducted astatine the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata honoured veteran actor-turned MP Shatrughan Sinha and seasoned vocalist Arati Mukherjee with the Banga Bibhushan Samman, the highest civilian grant by the West Bengal authorities to recognise distinguished individuals.
“The satellite is present much divided than ever, surging intolerance successful an property clouded by greed, yet cinema continues to radiance arsenic a beacon amidst chaos. This twelvemonth we radiance the spotlight connected a caller conception – Beyond Borders, with films exploring themes of displacement and migration,” Gautam Ghose, chairperson of KIFF, said during the inauguration.
While filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, who is known for making Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani said that for Kolkata and its people, cinema is its identity. “Kolkata itself is an actor... not lone are we addicted to cinema, but adjacent Kolkata herself lives and breathes cinema,” Mr Ghosh added.
“You volition spot that Bengal tin nutrient truthful galore bully films. We are honoured to have so galore ambassadors present here. This is simply a planetary platform where cinema tin link the world and humanity because cinema has nary boundaries. The satellite is one, and we are one,” Ms Banerjee said during her code astatine the inauguration ceremony. She besides encouraged the showcasing of regional, local, and rare films astatine the festival and noted that specified designation tin help marginalised voices travel guardant successful the cinematic world.
Uttam Kumar and Suchita Sen-starrer movie, Saptapadi was screened astatine the inaugural ceremonial connected Thursday.
A solemnisation of films
First started successful 1995, the Kolkata International Film Festival is 1 of the largest and oldest film festivals successful the country. Palestinian films like Songe (Passing Dreams) by manager Rashid Masharawi and Palestine 36 by manager Annemarie Jacir volition beryllium screened during the 7-day festival.
The festival volition also honour Ritwik Ghatak arsenic it is the director’s 100th year birth anniversary. As portion of a Centenary Tribute, Ghatak’s films including Ajantrik (1958), Bari Theke Paliye (1958), Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960), Komal Gandhar (1961), Titas Ekti Nadir Naam (1973), and Subarnarekha (1965) volition beryllium screened. They volition besides clasp a seminar and a Ritwik Ghatak Memorial Conversation betwixt filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Anup Singh.
Centenary tributes are besides being held in honour of Welsh histrion Richard Burton, American filmmaker Sam Peckinpah, and histrion Santosh Dutta, euphony manager Salil Chowdhury, and filmmaker Raj Khosla from India.
The films of Shyam Benegal, Claudia Cardinale, David Lynch, Robert Redford, Arun Roy, Raja Mitra and Shashi Anand are besides acceptable to beryllium screened successful the KIFF arsenic portion of a peculiar tribute.
The veteran director of Sholay, Ramesh Sippy will present this year’s celebrated talk astatine the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture connected November 7 which remains one of the apical highlights of the movie festival each year.
