28th Kolkata International Film Festival

The 28th Kolkata International Film Festival was held from 15th to 22nd December 2022 at Netaji Indoor Stadium, in Kolkata, India. The festival opened with 1973 film Abhimaan, by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. 183 films including 130 feature films and 52 short and documentary films from 42 countries were screened during 7 days of the festival. The opening ceremony was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Mahesh Bhatt and cricketer Sourav Ganguly.

The festival closed on 22 December at Rabindra Sadan hosted by Saheb Chatterjee. Spanish film Upon Entry by Alejandro Rojas, and Juan Sebastian Vasquez and Bangladeshi film The Golden Wings of Watercocks by Muhammad Quayum, jointly won the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for best film, whereas Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for best director was won by Ernesto Ardito and Virna Molina for their film Hitler's Witch.

Highlights of the year

Retrospective on Amitabh Bachchan

A retrospective on Amitabh Bachchan, celebrating his life and works, was presented by screening his films.

Paying homage through special tribute

Filmmaker Tarun Majumdar, veteran actor Pradip Mukherjee, classical musician Shivkumar Sharma and American actor Angela Lansbury, who all passed away in 2022, were given special tribute in the festival.

Centenary celebration

Centenary tribute was given to the French film director and screenwriter Alain Resnais, Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, Greek film actor and director Michael Cacoyannis, alongside Indian cinema's legendary figures Dilip Kumar, Asit Sen, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bharati Devi, K. Asif and Hindustani classical musician Ali Akbar Khan.

Game On, A new category

From this year a new category 'Game On' was introduced. Seven sports related films including Soumitra Chatterjee's 1984 film Kony, 2016 film M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, 2021 film 83 were screened to promote sports among young generation.

Jury

International jury

International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images

Iliana Zakopoulou, (Chairperson), Head of the Department of Sales and Promotion (Hellas Film) of the Greek Film Centre.
Mano Khalil, a Kurdish-Swiss film director and producer
Shalini Dore, an editor with Variety
Tanvir Mokammel, current director of Bangladesh Film Institute (BFI)
Tannishtha Chatterjee, an Indian actress and director

Competition on Indian Language's Films

Siddiq Barmak, (Chairperson), an Afghan film director and producer
Gulnara Abikeyeva, a Kazakh film critic and film researcher
Viera Langerová, Slovakian film critic, lecturer and scriptwriter

Asian Select (NETPAC Award)

Latika Padgaonkar (Chairperson), a columnist, translator and editor of several books, also member of the NETPAC (India), and the FIPRESCI.
Italo Spinelli, a director and author, the founder and artistic director of Asiatica International Film Festival, Rome
Supriya Suri, the founding member of Cinedarbaar in India and a film curator, and runs her production company Maison Su.

Competition on Indian Short Films

Jaya Seal Ghosh, an Indian actress, dancer and producer
Prasun Chatterjee, an Indian filmmaker, also the founder of Kathak Talkies, a Kolkata-based film production company
Raajhorshee De, a writer and creative director, also project head for two channels in Bengal— Colors Bangla and Zee Bangla.

Competition on Indian Documentary Films

Anindita Choudhury, the current Vice President of Original Content for Zee5 Kolkata and Bangladesh
Manas Mukul Pal, an Indian film director and writer
Sani Ghose Ray, a creative entrepreneur. Currently heading Acropoliis Entertainment

Official selection

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Inaugural Film

Competition categories

International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images

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Highlighted title indicates award winner

Competition on Indian Language's Films

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Highlighted title indicates award winner

Asian Select (NETPAC Award)

Competition on Indian Short Films

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Competition on Indian Documentary Films

Non-Competition Categories

Amitabh Bachchan: A Living Legend

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Bengali Panorama

Centenary tribute

International

Indian

Cinema International

Game On

Homage

Four films will be showcased to pay homage to Jean-Luc Godard, the French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic.

Short and Documentary Panorama

Special Screening

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Special tribute

Unheard India: Rare Language Films

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Winners

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Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Film:
- Upon Entry
- The Golden Wings of Watercocks
Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Director: Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina for Hitler's Witch
Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Short: I Am, Mehmood by Prataya Saha
Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Documentary: Nybreum - The Unsettled Shade by Neha Sharma

Special Jury mention (Innovation in Moving Pictures): Silent Glory by Nahid Hassanzadeh

Hiralal Sen Memorial Award Best Film (Indian language's films) : Muthayya by Bhaskhar Maurya
Hiralal Sen Memorial Award Best Director (Indian language's films) : Deepankar Prakash for Naanera