Guwahati Int'l Film Fest to open Oscar winner 'The Salesman'

The first Guwahati International Film Festival would begin here tomorrow with the screening of Oscar winner 'The Salesman', directed by Asghar Farhadi and a joint collaboration of Iran and France.
The Iranian director's 2016 movie, that won the Academy Award for best foreign language film, would be one of the 75 films from 35 countries to be shown in the 6-day event.
Cine lovers would get to watch five films from Turkey, the focus country, and six from Farhadi's country in the Contemporary Iranian Cinema section, Festival Director Monita Borgohain said.
The five films of Turkey are 'Ember' directed by Zeki Demirkubuz, 'Yarim' by Cagil Nurhak Aydogdu, 'Toz Bezi' by Ahu Ozturk, 'Rauf' by Baris Kayer and Soner Caner, and 'Kalander Sogugu' by Mustafa Kara.

Six Iranian movies to be screened in the GIFF are 'Dokhtar' by Reza Mirkarimi, 'Rokha Divaneh' by Abolhassan Davoodi, 'Malaria' by Parviz Shahbazi, 'Raftan' by Navid Mahmoudi, 'Valderama' by Abbas Amini and 'Inja Kassi Nemimirad' by Hossein Kondoir.
Besides Focus Country and 'Contemporary Iranian Cinema, Borgohain said, the GIFF would have sections on World Cinema, Indian Panorama, Retrospectives, Cinema of Northeast, Cinema of Assam and the Tribute.

Besides, several Assamese films made by young filmmakers, four movies by Jahnu Baruah --'Hkhagoroloi Bohu door' (Its a long way to the sea), 'Ajeyo' (Invincible), 'Halodhiya Choraye Baodhan Khai' (The Catastrophe) and 'Konikar Ramdhenu' (Ride on the Rainbow) would be screened.

Films by pioneering filmmakers of Assam -- Dr Bhupen Hazarika ('Shakuntala'), Abdul Mazid ('Chameli Memsahib') and Dr Bhabendranath Saikia ('Sandhya Raag') would also be shown.
The closing film will be 'Perekonnavaled' of Estonia directed by Valentinknik and Manfred Vainokivi.
Film personalities such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shaji N Karun, Jahnu Barua, Resul Pookutty and A K Bir were associated with GIFF in various capacities, Borgohain said.
An important feature of the festival shall be Open Forum sessions on topics related to films and the region as well as Master Classes by masters in their respective fields, Chairman of Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society Pabitra Margherita said.

Jyoti Chitraban is one of the organisers of the festival, besides the state government and the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute.
The films will be shown on the three screens at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra and one at the Jyoti Chitraban Society.