The 11th annual Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) will roll out a treat of 200 films from 56 countries on October 29, beginning with Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant . The Matt Damon-starrer is a dark political comedy based on true events and the non-fiction book of the same name by journalist Kurt Eichenwald. However, what makes the festival special this year is that all the movies are 2009 releases.

Shyam Benegal, chairman of Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), said, “We’re very pleased to bring home the best of world cinema at Mumbai Film Festival. This year, we are trying to increase the participation of youth in the festival by organising various activities for them.”

The festival also aims at doubling the participation of delegates this year to 3,000. Despite various television channels bringing home world cinema, the festival still remains the big occasion for the city’s cinephiles to stay abreast of the newest releases worldwide. “The charm of the festival has only grown over the years. This year, we have introduced several new features, which will make it even more attractive for the delegates,” says S Narayanan, director of the festival.

MAMI was founded in 1997 by late filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

The MAMI committee on Tuesday unveiled the line-up for the festival. All the films to be screened in the main sections will be Indian, Asian or world premieres. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony, to be held at the Fun Cinema, Andheri. Shashi Kapoor will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award along with Yash Chopra who will be felicitated by the International Federation of Film Producers Association. Films in competition section can be viewed on eight screens.

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