Overview
- The festival replaces a formal opening ceremony with a citywide float parade led by tableaux from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Goa, joined by studio floats and an NFDC 50 Years tribute.
- Organisers say more than 240 films from 81 countries will screen over nine days, with Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail as the opening film.
- Industry programming features the 19th WAVES Film Bazaar and a CinemAI Hackathon in collaboration with LTIMindtree, alongside over 20 masterclasses and panels.
- Centenary tributes honor Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika and Salil Chowdhury, and Rajinikanth will be felicitated at the closing ceremony on November 28.
- Local reporting notes concerns about no Goan films in the Indian Panorama and delayed venue upgrades, even as officials cite 7,500 registered delegates and expanded screenings across Goa.