The 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) concluded with a grand ceremony at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa on November 28. The festival took place over the course of nine days in Goa. Actor Vikrant Massey, known for his versatile performances, was honored with ‘Personality of the Year’ award.
The nine-day event showcased over 200 films from 75 countries, making it a global celebration of cinema. The ceremony was attended by a jury comprising Ashutosh Gowariker as the Chairperson, along with Anthony Chen, Elizabeth Karlsen, Fran Borgia, and Jill Bilcock, who selected the winners across various categories.
Actor Vikrant Massey, best known for his role in 12th Fail, bagged the ‘Personality of the Year’ award. Navjyot Bandivadekar won the ‘Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film’ award for his Marathi film Gharat Ganpati.
Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin’s Crossing was bestowed with ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal. Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce. Best Web Series was won by the Marathi-language series Lampan took home the award.
Golden Peacock (Best Film) was awarded to the Lithuanian-language film Toxic. The film’s leads, Vesta Matuliyte and Iva Rupeikaite, jointly won Best Actress. Best Actor was awarded to Clement Faveau for his powerful performance in Holy Cow.
The Best Director award went to Bogdan Muresanu for The New Year That Never Came. Louise Courvoisier received the special Jury Award for her outstanding work in Holy Cow. Adam Besa earned a Special Mention (Best Actor Male) for his role in Who Do I Belong To. The festival also celebrated debut filmmakers, with Sarah Friedland winning Best Debut Feature Film Director for Familiar Touch.
The 55th IFFI concluded on a high note, celebrating outstanding contributions to cinema with an illustrious list of winners.