Mumbai: The 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) kicked off in Melbourne on Thursday, with stars including Rishab Shetty, Dulquer Salmaan and Vijay Varma, along with several other artistes and filmmakers from across the Indian film industry, in attendance.
The festival, billed as the largest celebration of Indian cinema outside India, will run from August 13 to 23 this year.
The opening event, which set the tone for a festival celebrating the diversity, scale and global impact of Indian storytelling, was also attended by actor Manushi Chhillar, singer Nikhita Gandhi, and acclaimed filmmakers Nikkhil Advani, R S Prasanna.
Kaizad Gustad came with the cast of his Hindi film "Lala and Poppy," Tamil director R. Gowtham, and fashion designer and film director Vikram Phadnis.
Shetty, who shot to worldwide fame with his Kannada-language action thriller, "Kantara", talked about the growing global recognition of Indian cinema and the significance of platforms such as IFFM in taking Indian stories and regional voices to audiences across the world.
"They invited me to represent Kannada cinema, and I'm very proud of it. To see Kannada cinema get such recognition on an international stage is simply marvelous," the actor-filmmaker, who will be honoured with the Leadership in Cinema Award at the festival, said in a statement.
Salmaan shared his thoughts on the changing landscape of Indian cinema and the growing appreciation for Indian films and artistes among international audiences.
"It's my first time in Australia. I'm glad that it starts with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. I'm happy to be at the festival with my film 'Lokah', celebrating Kerala's folklore mixed with a superhero story. I'm the glad it (film) has traveled so much, more than we could have ever imagined," the Malayalam movie star-producer said.
The 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne continued its tradition of celebrating Indian cinema on an international platform. The opening press conference marked the beginning of an edition that showcased the richness and diversity of Indian storytelling while creating a space for meaningful conversations around cinema, culture and representation.
Veteran Hindi cinema star Rekha will receive the Excellence in Cinema Award at IFFM. The festival will screen her 1981 cult classic movie, "Umrao Jaan" to celebrate the actor's unparalleled body of work and extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema.
Directed by Muzaffar Ali, "Umrao Jaan" is one of the most defining films in Rekha's career and celebrated 45 years of its release this year.
The festival will have movie premieres, panel discussions, masterclasses and its annual awards ceremony.
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.