Panaji: The 48th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will have a star-studded opening when Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan inaugurates it here on Monday evening.
Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor will also grace the ceremony which will be held at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim.
Union minister of information and broadcasting Smriti Irani and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar among others, will be present at the event.
Amitabh Bachchan will be honored with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the event, at which Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan will receive Lifetime Achievement Award.
As many as 195 films from across 82 countries are scheduled to be screened at the festival. This include 10 world premiers, 10 Asian and international premiers and over 64 Indian premiers
Celebrated Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's latest film Beyond The Clouds will open the cinema fete.
The festival would conclude on November 28 with the world premiere of Indo-Argentinian co-production Thinking of Him, directed by Pablo Cesar.
Delegates flow in
Delegates from various parts of the country have started flowing into the beach city for the annual cinema jamboree. The venues are almost decked up with final touches being given to the settings at Kala Academy and Macquiniz Palace where the screenings and other programs will be held.
The festival is being organized by the Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) and Goa government's Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG). The closing ceremony will be graced by noted actor Salman Khan.