Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan inaugurate the 24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival

Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Waheeda Rahman, Mahesh Bhatt and Nandita Das were among the many Indian film personalities to join West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inaugural ceremony of the 24^th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) held today at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

The  festival, which draws cineastes, filmmakers, artists and journalists from across the globe, was founded in 1995 and is regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals of India. The 2018 edition of KIFF will run from November 10 to November 17. The festival will screen 171 feature films, and 150 documentaries and short films from 70 countries. Legendary Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi will be gracing the festival. Australia is this year's country of focus at the festival, and Australian film personalities like Jill Bilcock, Phillip Noyce and Simon Baker will be present.  

Besides international favourites like Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, Lars Von Trier's The House That Jack Built, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's The Wild Pear Tree and Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War, the festival will also screen classics of Bengali cinema to commemorate the centenary of Bilwamangal, the first Bengali feature film which released in 1919. 

A special premiere of Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming release, Zero, is also scheduled at the festival.