IFFI 2025: Goa opens first-ever carnival parade, premieres Gabriel Mascaro’s ‘The Blue Trail’, and launches WAVES Film Bazaar

The 56th International Film Festival of India began connected Wednesday (November 19, 2025) with a colourful, caller departure from decades of protocol, replacing its customary indoor inauguration with a large-scale nationalist parade done Panaji. The shift, led jointly by the State authorities and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, drew respective 1000 radical to DB Road, wherever floats, creation troupes and movie personalities marked the commencement of the nine-day event.

The parade, which moved from the Old Goa Medical College gathering to the Kala Academy, featured much than 2 twelve floats, including 12 from the Goa government. They highlighted themes ranging from Indian animation to determination movie cultures and centenaries of large filmmakers. A ample contingent of people performers presented “Bharat Ek Soor,” produced by the Central Bureau of Communication, with much than 100 dancers showcasing creation styles and traditions from crossed India. Other floats paid tribute to 5 decades of the National Film Development Corporation, the centenary of the filmmaker Guru Dutt, and Indian fearfulness cinema.

Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, opening the festival alongside Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, said the redesigned ceremonial reflects IFFI’s ambition to grow its reach. “IFFI has go a meaningful level for originative speech and collaboration,” helium said, adding that Goa’s cosmopolitan quality continues to gully cinephiles successful ample numbers. In his remarks, the Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant positioned the State arsenic an emerging filmmaking destination supported by caller accumulation policies and infrastructure.

The parade prominently featured Telugu-language cinema during the opening carnival. Floats dedicated to films specified arsenic Akhanda 2: Thaandavam and the upcoming Peddi, on with a larger tableau representing Andhra Pradesh, drew wide attention. Models of N.T. Rama Rao arsenic Krishna and Prabhas arsenic Baahubali appeared alongside lookalikes of different Telugu stars, prompting a question of selfies and crowds pressing guardant to greet them. Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 50 years successful cinema was marked with a lukewarm felicitation, wherever Union Minister L. Murugan and Chief Minister Sawant honoured him with a ceremonial shawl and a bouquet of flowers successful designation of his milestone.

The opening ceremonial besides saw different salient figures including Anupam Kher, Shekhar Kapur, Garth Davis, Prakash Magdum, Sreeleela and more.

The Blue Trail opens the festival

The opening film, Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail, premiered astatine INOX Panjim soon aft the parade. The cast, including María Alejandra Rojas, Arturo Salazar RB and Clarissa Pinheiro, joined Mascaro connected the reddish carpet. The Brazilian feature, which won the Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize astatine the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, follows a 77-year-old pistillate who undertakes a voyage done the Amazon amid a dystopian governmental clime successful Brazil.

Festival manager Shekhar Kapur, introducing the screening, praised the film’s affectional clarity. Mascaro described his enactment arsenic a meditation connected intent and self-definition aboriginal successful life.

WAVES Film Bazaar opens with caller initiatives

Earlier successful the day, South Asia’s largest movie market, the Waves Film Bazaar, opened astatine the Marriott Resort successful Panjim. Formerly known arsenic Film Bazaar, the movie buying lawsuit present operates nether a revamped individuality and runs from November 20 to 24. More than 300 movie projects are portion of its curated sections, including the Screenwriters’ Lab, Viewing Room, Market Screenings and Co-Production Market. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, described the Bazaar arsenic a “complete ecosystem” linking filmmakers, distributors and income agents.

A item of the ceremonial came from Jaewon Kim, a subordinate of the National Assembly of South Korea and erstwhile Kpop singer, who delivered a rendition of “Vande Mataram” to people the 150th day of India’s nationalist song. The show drew a lasting ovation.

Festival lineup and programming

This year’s IFFI includes implicit 240 films from 81 countries, among them 13 satellite premieres, 5 planetary premieres and 44 Asian premieres. Japan has been named Country of Focus, and six Japanese titles volition beryllium screened. The festival received a grounds 2,314 submissions.

The contention assemblage is chaired by filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The docket includes 21 masterclasses, featuring speakers specified arsenic Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Aamir Khan, Anupam Kher and exertion Sreekar Prasad. Restored classics volition commemorate the centenaries of Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika and Salil Chowdhury.

The Indian Panorama conception includes 25 diagnostic films and 20 non-features, with Amaran opening the diagnostic class and Kakori opening the non-feature slate. The festival volition honour Rajinikanth astatine the closing ceremonial for his 50-year career.

The nine-day programme continues done November 28, with screenings and manufacture sessions crossed venues successful Panaji and Porvorim.