Ashutosh Gowariker to serve as honorary chairman for 10th Ajanta Ellora Film Festival

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker will serve as the honorary chairman for the 10th edition of the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF), the organisers have announced.

Besides Gowariker, prominent Marathi filmmaker Sunil Sukthankar will serve as festival director for the latest edition of AIFF, which will be held from January 15 to 19, 2025, a press release said. He succeeds former director Ashok Rane in the position.

Gowarikar, best known for directing Oscar-nominated movie "Lagaan" as well as "Swades" and "Jodha Akbar", said it is a privilege for him to serve as honorary chairman in the 10th year of AIFF.

"What excites me most about this festival is the pool of remarkable directors that are actively participant in it - Chandrakant Kulkarni, Jayprad Desai, Dnyanesh Zoting and now Sunil Sukthankar, who is the festival director – with whom it will truly be an artistic exchange of the crafts of filmmaking," the 60-year-old director said.

"Another exciting factor is that this festival is being held in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), the city that is a vibrant cultural hub, with deep historical roots. Bringing world cinema to this region will help give birth to talent from here, who can be presented to the world. It will be a pleasure to contribute to AIFF in my own small way," he added.

Organised by the Marathwada Art, Culture and Film Foundation and presented by Nath Group, MGM University and Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, AIFF is endorsed by eminent bodies like International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI).