Overview
- Doordarshan and WAVES OTT inaugurated the new IFFIESTA cultural showcase, with South Korean MP Jaewon Kim opening the event with Vande Mataram.
- The festival launched with a citywide parade on November 20, drawing senior government leaders and film personalities, and honoring Nandamuri Balakrishna for 50 years in cinema.
- The rebranded WAVES Film Bazaar opened as an expanded concurrent marketplace and runs through November 24.
- Festival director Shekhar Kapur projected rapid scale-up, saying IFFI could reach 100,000 attendees within a few years and rival Cannes.
- This year’s edition features 270 films from 84 countries and opened with Gabriel Mascaro’s Blue Trail, with screenings scheduled across Goa through November 28.