INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED Iranian director Ali Abbasi’s latest film “Holy Spider”, a crime thriller based on a real story, will open the 21st edition of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF).
The movie is a fictional work inspired by the serial killer Saeed Hanaei who targeted sex workers and killed 16 of them in Mashhad of Iran in 2000-2001.
Regionally, the biographical political drama film “Dharmaveer” based on the life of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe and written and directed by Pravin Tarde, is one of the seven films shortlisted for the Marathi competition section of the festival.
“Madar” directed by Mangesh Badar, “Global Aadgoan” directed by Anil Kumar Salve, “Giraki” by Kavita Datir, “Amit Sonawane, Territory” by Sachin Shriram Mullemwar, “Diary of Vinayak Pandit” by Mayur Sham Karambalikar and “Panchak” by Jayant Jathar and Rahul Awate are the remaining six Marathi films.
A zombie comedy film–Final Cut–directed by French director Michel Hazanavicius will be the closing film of the festival, Jabbar Patel, the PIFF director said Monday.
In other highlights, noted director Chaitanya Tamhane will deliver the “Vijay Tendulkar Memorial Lecture”.
The PIFF is scheduled from February 2-9. The lectures and workshops will be held at PVR, Pavilion on Senapati Bapat Road while films be screened at the INOX, Bund Garden.
