Regional films dominate 51st IFFI's Indian Panorama line-up
New Delhi: The 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has announced the list of Indian Panorama films for the year 2020, with regional language movies reigning the feature section and having a significant presence in the non-feature category.
The nine-day film gala, which takes place in Goa from November 20-28 every year, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now be held from January 16 to January 24.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday unveiled the titles of 20 non-feature and 23 feature films, to be screened during the festival.
The line-up of the feature category in the Indian Panorama comprises 18 regional language films including "Bridge" (Assamese), "Avijatrik" (Bengali), "A Dog And His Man" (Chattisgarhi), "Pinki Elli?" (Kannada), "Safe" (Malayalam), "Eigi Kona" (Manipuri), "Prawaas" (Marathi), "Kalira Atita" (Oriya), "Thaen" (Tamil) and "Gatham" (Telugu).
"Saand Ki Aankh" (Hindi), directed by Tushar Hiranandani and starring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar, will be the opening movie for the feature film section at the festival, which will also see the screenings of Vetri Maaran's Tamil film "Asuran" and Govind Nihalani's English animation "Up, Up & Up".
Sanskrit language movie "Namo" is also part of the list of features selected by a jury headed by filmmaker-writer John Mathew Matthan.
Nitesh Tiwari's Hindi feature "Chhichhore", starring actor Sushant Singh Rajput who died in June this year, has been included as part of three mainstream films, which also consists of "Asuran" and Malayalam movie "Kappela".
The movies were selected by an internal committee of Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) based on the recommendations of Film Federation of India (FFI) and Producer's Guild.
The non-feature section includes eight regional names -- "Highways Of Life" (Manipuri), "Jhat Aayi Basant" (Pahari/Hindi), "Oru Paathiraa Swapnam Pole" (Malayalam), "Paanchika" (Gujarati), "Radha" (Bengali) and Marathi titles "Still Alive", "Khisa" and "Pandhara Chivda".
Ankit Kothari's "Paanchika" will be the opening non-feature film section of Indian Panorama 2020.
Other titles to be showcased under the category are "100 Years Of Chrysotom - A Biographical Film", "Ahimsa- Gandhi: The Power Of The Powerless", "Justice Delayed But Delivered", and "Investing Life".
Regional titles were also the centre focus of IFFI during its golden jubilee edition in 2019. Various regional films were screened as part of Indian Panorama and over 12 films, made in different languages about 50 years ago, were also showcased during last year's gala.
National Award-winning Gujarati movie "Hellaro", directed by Abhishek Shah, was the opening film of the feature section in 2019.
Malayalam film "Uyare" by Manu Ashokan and Lijo Jose Pellissery's "Jallikattu", India's international feature film Oscar entry for 2020, were also also part of last year's line-up along with "Ek Je Chhilo Raja" (Bengali), "Iewduh" (Khasi/Garo) and "OththaSeruppu Size 7" (Tamil).
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
