Hyderabad: The 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) concluded on November 28, 2024, with a star-studded closing ceremony at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. Over nine days, the festival showcased more than 200 films from 75 countries, celebrating the diversity and power of global cinema.
The jury, chaired by acclaimed Indian filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, awarded top honours in various categories. Among the major winners, actor Vikrant Massey took home the coveted Personality of the Year award for his stellar performances, particularly for his role in 12th Fail. The award marks a significant milestone in Massey's career, underscoring his growing influence in Bollywood.
Another festival highlight was the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award, which was given to Australian director Phillip Noyce. The award, which recognises exceptional contributions to world cinema, was presented to Noyce for his decades of groundbreaking work in films such as Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, Salt, and The Saint. Noyce's remarkable career, which includes collaborations with legendary actors like Harrison Ford, Nicole Kidman, and Angelina Jolie, was celebrated at the gala.
The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award has been previously given to cinema legends including Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar-Wai, and Krzysztof Zanussi. Other key award winners included Levan Akin's Crossing, which won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal for promoting peace and human rights, and Navjyot Bandivadekar, who claimed the Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film award for his Marathi film Gharat Ganpati.
In the international categories, the Lithuanian film Toxic emerged as the Golden Peacock (Best Film) winner, while Holy Cow saw Clement Faveau awarded Best Actor and Vesta Matuliyte and Iva Rupeikaite jointly taking the Best Actress honour. The festival also celebrated achievements in digital storytelling with Lampan (Marathi) winning the Best Web Series award.
Complete List of Winners:
- Golden Peacock (Best Film): Toxic (Lithuanian)
- Best Actress: Vesta Matuliyte and Iva Rupeikaite (Toxic)
- Best Actor: Clement Faveau (Holy Cow)
- Best Director: Bogdan Muresanu (The New Year That Never Came)
- Special Jury Award: Louise Courvoisier (Holy Cow)
- Best Web Series: Lampan (Marathi)
- Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film: Navjyot Bandivadekar (Gharat Ganpati)
- ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal: Crossing (Levan Akin)
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