The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Monday announced its International Jury comprising eminent filmmakers. The members are Pablo Cesar (Argentina) as chairman, Prasanna Vithanage (Sri Lanka), Abu Bakr Shawky (Austria), Priyadarshan (India) and Rubaiyat Hossain (Bangladesh).
Pablo Cesar
Pablo Cesar is an Argentine filmmaker. He has contributed to African cinema by making the critically acclaimed films, Equinox, the Garden of the Roses, Los dioses de agua and Aphrodite, the Garden of the Perfumes.
Prasanna Vithanage
A Sri Lankan filmmaker, Prasanna Vithanage is considered as one of the pioneers of the third generation of the Sri Lankan cinema. He has directed eight feature films including Death on a Full Moon Day (1997), August Sun (2003), Flowers of the Sky (2008) & With You, Without You (2012) and won many prestigious national and international awards and have also been commercially successful in Sri Lanka. In his early theatre work, he translated and produced plays by international writers, adapted works of world literature to film. He has battled against the censorship in Sri Lanka and worked as an educator of cinema who has conducted many Master classes in the subcontinent for young filmmakers and enthusiasts.
Abu Bakr Shawkyor
Abu Bakr Shawkyor “AB” Shawky is an Egyptian-Austrian writer and director. His first feature film, Yomeddine, was selected to participate in the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and will screen in the Main Competition section and compete for the Palme d'Or.
Rubaiyat Hossain
Rubaiyat Hossain is a Bangladeshi film director, writer and producer. She is notable for the films Meherjaan, Under Construction and Made in Bangladesh.
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer. In a career spanning over three decades, he has directed over 95 films in various Indian languages, predominantly in Malayalam and Hindi, while also having done six films in Tamil and two in Telugu.
The 51st IFFI in Goa will be held from January 16 to 24. The festival will open with the Indian Premiere of Thomas Vinterberg's Another Round, starring Cannes Best Actor Award Winner Mads Mikkelsen.
"The historical drama “Wife of a Spy” by Kiyoshi Kurosawa will bring the 51st #IFFI to a close on 24th January 2021. The Japanese film, which bagged the Silver Lion for Best Director at Venice International Film Festival, will have its India Premiere at #51IFFI," IFFI tweeted on January 2.
