Overview
- The 31st KIFF began in Kolkata with an inauguration at the Dhono Dhanya Auditorium and an opening screening of the 1961 Bengali classic Saptapadi.
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee presided over the ceremony, Shatrughan Sinha declared the festival open, and Sourav Ganguly performed the lamp lighting.
- The programme features 215 films from 39 countries, including 185 features and 30 shorts, with screenings across multiple Indian and foreign languages.
- A centenary tribute to Ritwik Ghatak includes restored screenings of six films from November 7 to 13, alongside a 19‑film Poland Focus and a Polish film poster exhibition.
- The schedule includes the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture with Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Anup Singh, the ‘Cine Adda’ session titled ‘Gane Gaane Cinema,’ and runs through November 13.