Director-actor Ashutosh Gowariker is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of the 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival where a total of 70 films will be screened from January 28 to February 1, the organisers said in a statement.
The festival will be organised by Marathwada Art, Culture and Film Foundation, Nath Group and MGM Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.
Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival aims to present world-class films to cinema enthusiasts, provide a platform for filmmakers, technicians, artists, and young cinema enthusiasts to exchange ideas and explore the art and craft of filmmaking, a release said.
“The Indian Cinema Competition category will feature nine films in various Indian languages, with the best film getting the Golden Kailas Award. The jury will be chaired by renowned sound designer and Oscar winner Resul Pookutty. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) jury will be chaired by senior film critic Dr. C.S. Venkiteswaran,” the organisers said in the statement.
They added that there will also be a special session with Chidambaram, the director of the Malayalam film Manjummel Boys. Additionally, the annual festival will have a panel discussion on ‘The Changing Face of Marathi Cinema’ with National Award-winning director Ashish Bende, filmmaker Rohan Kanwade, producer Tanmayee Deo and Pankaj Chavan.
“A special ‘In Conversation’ session with veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar will take place on January 31,” the release added.
There will also be a panel discussion on ‘Film: From Script to Screen’. Pookutty, editor Aarti Bajaj, director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, cinematographer Rafey Mahmood and screenwriter Urmi Juvekar will take part.
Tere Ishk Mein director Aanand L. Rai will conduct a masterclass at Inox, the organisers said.