Chennai International Film Festival inaugurated – The Hindu

The 20th edition of the Chennai International Film Festival, where 102 films from 51 countries are scheduled to be screened, was inaugurated in the city on Thursday.

M.P. Saminathan, Minister for Information and Publicity, said it was heartening to see the festival take place this year on a big scale after the COVID-19 pandemic. “With the guidance of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the Information Department has given ₹75 lakh for the festival,” he said. 

“It was only a few months ago that the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for 2009 to 2014 was given by the government following a delay of many years. For 2015 to 2021 to decide and give the awards, we are setting up a jury and these awards too will be given soon,” he said. Small screen artistes as well as deserving students of M.G.R. Government Film and Training Institute would be identified and given awards, the Minister said.

Triangle of Sadness, directed by Ruben Östlund, Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Festival this year, was screened as the opening film at the event organised by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation in association with PVR.

Sivan Kannan, president of the foundation, said this year, for the first time, the number of delegate registrations crossed 2,500 and they were happy to see the response for the festival from among Chennai movie buffs.

Actor Poornima Bhagyaraj, Goethe-Institut director Katharina Gorgen, Bengaluru International Film Festival artistic director Narahari Rao, and Deputy Consul General of Switzerland in Bengaluru Patrick Mueller participated.

Apart from the world cinema section, 15 films which include three Tamil movies, will be screened as part of the Indian Panorama. As a part of the Tamil film competition section, 12 films will be screened. The jury this year will select and give away nine awards in this category.

For details regarding the screening schedules, masterclasses and registrations, log onto https://chennaifilmfest.com/