Shyam Benegal, Yash Chopra announce line-up for 11th Mumbai Film Festival

The MAMI committee led by Chairman Shyam Benegal and trustees Yash Chopra, Jaya Bachchan, Amit Khanna, Shabana Azmi and Amol Palekar unveiled the line-up for the 11th annual Mumbai Film Festival (MFF), which consists of 200 films from 56 countries. All of the international films to be screened in the main sections of this year's festival will be Indian, Asian or world premieres. MFF is a Reliance Big Entertainment initiative and has the distinction of being the only international film festival in India to be organized by an independent body of practicing film professionals. Information and Broadcasting Minister of India Ambika Soni will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony, to be held at the Fun Cinema, Andheri on October 29. Shashi Kapoor will be honoured with the Indian Lifetime achievement award along with legendary Indian director-producer Yash Chopra who will be felicitated by FIAPF, the international federation of film producers association. Films in competition will be viewed on 8 screens at Fun Cinemas (Andheri), Metro BIG Cinemas (Marine Lines) & BIG Cinemas R City (Ghatkopar) and judged by MFF 2009 Jury Members including: renowned Hollywood screenwriter and director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo), Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, Philippine filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, Indian filmmaker Shaji N. Karun and former Director of Locarno Film Festival Irene Bignardi. Academy-Award Winning Director Steven Soderbergh's feature film The Informant, will open the 2009 festival on Thursday, October 29. The Informant is a dark political comedy based on true events and the 2000 non-fiction book of the same name by journalist Kurt Eichenwald. The film stars Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey and tells the story of Mark. Whitacre (Damon), a rising star at a Decatur, Illinois based Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in the early 1990's whose wife forces him to blow the whistle on the company's price-fixing tactics. Greek Master Theo Angelopoulos's review of the past century, 'The Dust of Time' will close the festival on November 5. 'The Dust of Time' is the second part of Angelopoulos' Trilogy that takes place in the former Soviet Union, the Austrian-Hungarian borders, Italy and New York between 1953 and 1974. The film covers the eve of Stalin's death, Nixon's resignation in the United States and the fall of the Greek junta. The festival is divided in five sections, featuring the best & latest world cinema offering in the last 10 months. These include 13 Feature Films of first time Directors from across the world that will compete for the cash awards of US$ 150,000. Indian Frame will showcase the best 15 Indian films made during last one year. Reel Real will be dedicated to feature length documentary films. Above the cut will present 14 first feature films of extra ordinary cinematic merit. World Cinema section will showcase the most anticipated films from festivals all over the world. MAMI will be honoring five outstanding film personalities with a presentation of distinctive awards with a showcase of their films. Honorees include: Theo Angelopoulos who will receive the International Lifetime Achievement Award; noted Indian film actor-producer Shashi Kapoor, who will be honored with the Indian Lifetime Achievement Award; Amitabh Bachchan, whose forty-year film career will be celebrated during the closing festivities on November 5th; and screenwriter/director Paul Schrader. The Festival will also pay tribute to the late legendary filmmaker, Mr. B. R. Chopra with a screening his film Naya Daur, which will be presented by his son Mr. Ravi Chopra.