Mumbai Film Festival announces impressive line up; curtains to rise on October 14

The 16th Mumbai Film Festival has overcome the financial crisis that threatened its survival to come out with an impressive line up of over 185 films from more than 65 countries and lifetime achievement awards to French star Catherine Deneuve and Indian dancing diva Helen.

Deneuve, known for her iconic roles in films like Repulsion, Belle de Jour and Tristana, will receive the Lifetime achievement award in the international category while Helen will be honoured in the Indian segment. The festival will also screen Deneuve and Helen's movies.

The cinematic highlights of the festival include the screening of Richard Linklater's critically acclaimed movie 'Boyhood', which took almost 12 years to make.

Brad Pitt starrer World War II drama Fury will also screen at the festival besides Mike Leigh's Mr Turner, Ken Loach's Jimmy's Hall, Dardenne Brothers' Two Days, One Night, Xavier Dolan's Mommy and Jean-Luc Godard's Goodbye to Language, Kim Ki Duk's One on One, Yoji Yamadas The Little House and Party Girl by Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq among various other cinematic treats.

An emotional festival director Srinivas Narayan thanked the film industry and cinema lovers' for helping them come out of the crisis. The festival will take place from October 14-21. "I can't believe that this festival has happened. I am still pinching myself because 15 days ago we were ready with a press release saying the festival will not take place this year," Narayan said at a star-studded press conference that included Amit Khanna, Kiran Rao, Farhan Akhtar, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap.

Our esteemed jury takes stage and we are really for the press conference. pic.twitter.com/3hTqWLMxNl

— Mumbai Film Festival (@Mumbaifilmfest) September 17, 2014

Unveiling the festival poster. Out tribute to all those Pledgers who have made #MFF2014 possible. pic.twitter.com/efLBQYKra8

— Mumbai Film Festival (@Mumbaifilmfest) September 17, 2014

The 2014 festival thanks all its contributors. Together we have made a phoenix rise from the ashes. pic.twitter.com/jsorQbTViN

— Mumbai Film Festival (@Mumbaifilmfest) September 17, 2014

Kashyap said, "Being the centre of Hindi cinema, the city deserves a good festival and we have a good festival and I think it should go on. It does not matter how and why. The people who come to watch movies have to take this festival forward."

Akhtar said while he loved the festival and looked forward to it every year, like many others he was guilty of being "very very relaxed" about how the festival was put together.

The India Gold Jury president will be headed by noted Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic while 'Dimensions Mumbai' competition jury will comprise directors Gauri Shinde, Satish Kaushik, Homi Adajania, actor Huma Qureshi and Rajeev Masand. There will be special master classes by acclaimed cinematographer Christopher Doyle.

The Mumbai Film Mart returns this year as well. It will be held from October 15-17 with a special focus on remake rights of foreign films in India.

There is a special spotlight on Arab cinema with 25 films tracing its journey from the '50s to be screened at the festival.

Cinema lovers will also get a treat of best of contemporary French cinema as part of 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' section in association with the Embassy of France in India and Unifrance.

The Music Composers Lab will take place for the second consecutive year at the festival. The lab is being presented by Abbey Road Studios in association with PRS for Music.

A series of restored films will also be presented at the festival to pay tribute to some of the classics.

Those who supported in bailing out the festival from the crisis include Cinestaan Film Company, promoted by Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar, producer Manish Mundra, industry stalwarts Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Bhushan Kumar, actors Aamir Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Rajkumar Rao and Rahul Bose and directors Karan Johar, Rajkumar Hirani, Anurag Kashyap and Hansal Mehta.