Vikrant Massey was awarded the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award for his exceptional contributions to Indian cinema at the closing ceremony of the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The festival ended with a grand closing at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa held on 28th November 2024. This year's festival theme centred on 'Young Filmmakers: The Future is Now' showcased 200 films, across 24 countries creating a platform celebrating both the budding talent and paying homage to cinematic legends.

The festival was a grand celebration of networking platforms for the film Indian and global fraternity. The grand jury who selected various winners across categories this year included Ashutosh Gowariker as the Chairperson along with Antony Chen, Elizabeth Carlson, Fran Borgia and Jill Bilcock.

The award for Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film has been introduced this year which went to Navjyot Bandiwadekar for the Marathi film Gharat Ganpati. The award highlights IFFI’s commitment to encouraging emerging Indian filmmakers. The award for the Best Web Series (OTT) was presented to the Marathi series 'Lampan' directed by Nipun Dharmadhikari.

Veteran Indian filmmaker Ramesh Sippy and celebrated actress Jaya Prada were felicitated for their remarkable contributions to Indian cinema. The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce recognizing his outstanding contributions to global cinema.

Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant praising the festival said, 'The festival has placed Goa on the global map as a hub for cinema. Initiatives like Film Bazaar have attracted international filmmakers, and we assure seamless support for shooting in Goa.'

Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Sanjay Jaju, said, 'This IFFI has been the most vibrant, celebrating young filmmakers and creative talents. The future of Indian cinema is brighter than ever.'