Panaji (Goa) [India], November 20 (ANI): Actor Madhuri Dixit has been honoured with the 'Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema' award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. She said that this kind of recognition and awards motivate and encourage artists to do better in their work.

She said, "I am very honoured to receive this award. These types of awards always encourage and motivate us to do more good works."Previously, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur took to X to appreciate her acting talent and contribution to the film industry.

He wrote, "An icon across the ages, @MadhuriDixit has graced our screens with unparalleled talent for four incredible decades. From the effervescent Nisha to the captivating Chandramukhi, the majestic Begum Para to the indomitable Rajjo, her versatility knows no bounds. Today, we are filled with admiration as we present the 'Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema' Award to the talented , charismatic actress who has redefined excellence in cinema, at the 54th International Film Festival of India. A celebration of an extraordinary journey, a tribute to an everlasting legacy!"The guest list for the event also includes Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, among others.

According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting press note, Catching Dust, thriller by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt, has been selected as the opening film of the gala. About Dry Grasses directed by French Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan will be the Mid fest film and The Featherweight directed by Robert Kolodny is the closing film for the 54th IFFI.

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani will serve as the head of the five-member jury for the best web series (OTT) award at the festival.

Divya Dutta, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and filmmakers Krishna DK and Utpal Borpujari are part of the jury panel for the inaugural category.

A total of 32 entries across 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms have been selected for the inaugural Best Web Series award.

Speaking about the newly introduced OTT awards, Anurag Thakur said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the OTT industry has seen a boom in India and original content creation in India is employing thousands of people. In response to the dynamic landscape of this sector, the growth of which stands at 28 per cent annually, the Ministry has introduced this award celebrating the outstanding content creators on OTT platforms.

Renowned Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas will be honoured with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award. He will also address the IFFI Master Class on November 28.

The Indian Panorama is chosen by a jury of notable film personalities from across India, with a total of 12 jury members for feature films and six jury members for non-feature films, led by the respective chairpersons.The Feature Film Jury, which consists of 12 members, will be chaired by famous director, actor, and producer TS Nagabharana.

The Feature Film Jury chose Anand Ekarshi's film Aattam (Malayalam) as the opening feature film of the Indian Panorama Section. Noted documentary film director Arvind Sinha presides over the six-member Non-Feature Film Jury.

Indian Panorama section will showcase 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India. In the non-feature section is 'Andro Dreams' from Manipur.

From a pool of 239 modern Indian non-feature films, a package of 20 has been chosen for screening in the Indian Panorama segment. The collection of short films shows young and veteran filmmakers' ability to capture, examine, entertain, and reflect modern Indian values.54th IFFI will conclude on November 28. (ANI)