Category: Events in Goa

Events in Goa

PIB Principal Director General Interacts with Goan Media on Preparations for IFFI 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

As a prelude to the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025, Shri Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau (PIB), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, and Ms. Smita Vats Sharma, Director General, PIB West Zone, interacted with editors and bureau chiefs of leading media organisations in Goa at Panaji on November 11th.

The interactive session aimed to discuss media facilitation plans and preparations for the upcoming 56th edition of IFFI, scheduled to take place from November 20th to 28th, 2025. Addressing the gathering, Shri Dhirendra Ojha highlighted PIB’s pivotal role in supporting the media during the festival through coordinated press conferences, extensive coverage support, and comprehensive media services. He emphasized that PIB would continue to offer well-equipped spaces for interviews, live streaming of major events, and real-time updates through multiple communication channels including LED displays, WhatsApp notifications, press releases, and social media platforms.

Shri Ojha called upon the media to actively collaborate in ensuring IFFI 2025’s success, describing their role as central to elevating the festival’s global profile. He stated that PIB’s efforts aim to showcase India’s media participation and creative strength as an example of the nation’s soft power, while stressing that the media’s engagement would take the process further and help the festival reach new heights.

Highlighting PIB’s recent initiatives, Shri Ojha mentioned the inclusion of digital content creators in the accreditation process, introduced for the first time last year, acknowledging their increasing influence in the media landscape. He also announced that a Certificate Course in Film Appreciation, conducted in association with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), will be organised again this year for selected media professionals to deepen their understanding of cinema. Reaffirming PIB’s commitment to inclusivity, he added that press releases would continue to be made available in Konkani to keep local audiences informed and engaged.

Ms. Smita Vats Sharma spoke about the crucial role of media in enhancing IFFI’s global visibility and detailed the systems PIB is implementing to ensure seamless media engagement. She assured the attendees that provisions such as real-time updates, multimedia releases, and dedicated media spaces would be available to facilitate efficient communication and smooth festival operations.

The session concluded with a Q&A segment, during which media representatives shared feedback and suggestions regarding registration, facilities, and overall festival coverage. The event opened with a welcome address by Shri Nana Meshram, Director, PIB Goa, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri Sayyid Rabeehashmi, Director, PIB Mumbai, who expressed appreciation for the active participation of Goa’s media fraternity.

The interaction marked an important step in the collaborative preparations for IFFI 2025, setting the stage for another vibrant edition of India’s premier film festival.

Events in Goa

Celebrating the Spirit of Enterprise and Empowerment: Entrepreneurship Week 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Entrepreneurship Week 2025, held on November 10 at Nalanda, EDC House, Panaji, Goa, was a vibrant celebration of innovation, resilience, and empowerment. The event brought together entrepreneurs, innovators, and ecosystem enablers who are redefining Goa’s economic and social landscape through enterprise.

The week-long initiative focused on nurturing an inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial culture that values creativity, collaboration, and long-term impact. Participants included startups, women entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and policy leaders who shared their insights on building scalable and responsible businesses.

The sessions highlighted themes of innovation-driven growth, digital transformation, inclusive leadership, and the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship. Attendees engaged in interactive dialogues, workshops, and showcases that celebrated both emerging ideas and successful local ventures.

EDC Goa and Nalanda served as the perfect venues for this collaborative effort, symbolizing the state’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship as a cornerstone of progress. From young founders to seasoned business leaders, the gathering echoed a shared belief that enterprise is not just about profit but about purpose, creativity, and empowerment.

Entrepreneurship Week 2025 concluded on an inspiring note, reaffirming that the spirit of enterprise thrives where ideas meet opportunity and where empowerment becomes a collective journey toward inclusive growth.

Events in Goa

The Legends of Khasak: A Spellbinding Journey into Magical Realism at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

This December, Goa’s riverfront city of Panjim will come alive as the Serendipity Arts Festival celebrates its tenth milestone edition from December 12 to 21, 2025. Among the highlights of this year’s festival is The Legends of Khasak, an immersive Malayalam-language theatrical production that promises to transport audiences into a world of magical realism.

Curated by renowned theatre scholar Anuradha Kapur and directed by celebrated Kerala-based theatre director Deepan Sivaraman, the play is an adaptation of O.V. Vijayan’s groundbreaking novel Khasakkinte Itihasam (The Legends of Khasak). It will debut in Goa for the first time with performances scheduled from December 17 to 20 at 6:30 PM at the Sports Authority of Goa ground.

Set against the backdrop of a riverside playground, The Legends of Khasak is designed as a sensorial and philosophical experience rather than a conventional stage play. The production blends fire, water, soil, scent, fog, and the vast open sky into its narrative, creating a powerful, immersive environment. Drawing from Kerala’s traditional art forms such as Theyyam, puppetry, and mask performance, the play unfolds the story of a young man who arrives in a remote Kerala village to teach, only to be drawn into its mythical, dreamlike landscape where reality and imagination intertwine.

According to Festival Director Smriti Rajgarhia, the open-air performance “unfolds like a dream, supported by a rich sensory experience.” It uses the natural elements of the environment as part of the storytelling, challenging the boundaries between theatre, ritual, and the viewer’s imagination.

The production features a stellar ensemble, including P.C. Gopala Krishnan, K.V. Krishnan Mash, P. Baskaran Master, Kumar Pariyacheri, and C.K. Sudheer, with music by Chandran Veyyattummal. Together, they create an atmosphere where folklore, philosophy, and emotion merge to form an unforgettable artistic journey.

Now in its tenth year, the Serendipity Arts Festival stands as one of South Asia’s largest multidisciplinary cultural events. The 2025 edition marks a decade of creativity, cultural exchange, and community engagement through visual arts, music, theatre, dance, design, photography, and culinary arts. Over 300,000 square feet of heritage venues across Panjim—from the Old GMC Complex to Kala Academy—will transform into spaces of imagination and collaboration.

Registrations for the festival are now open, inviting audiences from across the world to join this ten-day celebration of art, culture, and creative exploration.

Events in Goa

Goa to Host Grand Open-Air Inauguration for IFFI with Carnival & Shigmo Floats

Tanisha Cardozo

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open this year with a grand open-air inaugural ceremony in Panaji, marking a first in the festival’s history. The celebration will feature a spectacular parade of Carnival and Shigmo floats that will move from the Old Secretariat to the Old GMC Complex, setting the tone for a vibrant and cinematic beginning. The red carpet and formal inauguration will take place in front of the Old GMC building, where arrangements are being made to accommodate between 2,000 and 2,500 guests.

A total of 26 film-themed floats will participate in the opening parade, including 12 from Goa, showcasing the state’s artistic and cultural diversity. To recognize creativity and craftsmanship, the best five floats will be awarded. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed that this is the first time the IFFI inauguration will be held in front of the Old GMC building and clarified that rumors suggesting a venue change due to the FIDE event were unfounded.

With the streets of Panaji set to come alive in color, music, and cinematic flair, this year’s IFFI promises to blend Goa’s festive culture with the magic of world cinema in a truly grand celebration.

Events in Goa

MOG Celebrates 10 Years with Landmark ‘Festivals of Goa’ Exhibition

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Museum of Goa (MOG) is commemorating a decade of creativity, innovation, and cultural dialogue with Festivals of Goa, a landmark exhibition that runs from November 9, 2025, to January 18, 2026, at its Pilerne campus. Featuring over 100 artists and more than a hundred works, this ambitious exhibition provides a unique lens through which visitors can explore Goa’s rich cultural fabric, evolving identity, and abundant diversity.

Curated under four simultaneous shows within the broad theme of Festivals of Goa, the exhibition examines shared histories, interfaith practices, and the ways in which traditions have adapted to modernity. Visitors can experience Goa’s festivals not just as cultural spectacles, but as vibrant spaces of memory, identity, and community expression. Sharada Kerkar, Director of MOG, emphasizes that the exhibition aims to reveal both widely celebrated and lesser-known festivals, offering insight into over 30 different festivities across the state.

The exhibition features works by noted Goan artists including Ramdas Gadekar, Viraj Naik, Chaitali Morajkar, Harshada Kerkar, Siddesh Chari, Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal, Verodina Ferrao De Sousa, Asavari Gurav, Daniel D’Souza, and Nalini Elvino de Sousa, among others. Through photography, collaborative installations, multimedia artworks, and a children’s art show, Festivals of Goa reflects on the power of art to bridge communities and transform society. Subodh Kerkar, founder of MOG, underscores that the museum’s mission is to democratize contemporary art and create a space where the diverse voices of Goa can be heard freely.

The exhibition is divided into distinct sections to illuminate different aspects of Goan festivities. Where We Gather presents collaborative community projects, including a Narakasur, a crochet Christmas tree, and a giant Matoli, emphasizing the unifying power of community-based art practices. Festivals as Playgrounds, a children’s art exhibition curated by the museum’s Children’s Art Studio, explores creativity, community, and celebration from the perspective of young artists. Side by Side, curated by MOG, examines artistic responses to known and lesser-known festivals, offering insights into Goan society. Finally, The Seen/Unseen photo exhibition, curated by Prashant Panjiar, Indrajit Khambe, and Sharada Kerkar, reveals the labor, anticipation, and devotion behind the celebrations, offering a nuanced view beyond the spectacle.

The preview night set the tone for this landmark exhibition, featuring performances by celebrated Goan singer Sonia Shirsat and local band Roz Angon. Nilankur Das, Collaborations and Engagements Lead for MOG, reflected on the museum’s journey, noting that what began as a dream has grown into a dynamic space where artists, thinkers, students, and visitors intersect to engage with Goa’s histories, contradictions, and celebrations.

Since its establishment in 2015, MOG has emerged as a vibrant platform for artistic expression, collaborating with over 500 artists globally and hosting more than 600 exhibitions and events. The museum welcomes around 70,000 visitors annually, including 12,000 students from Goan schools, fostering a deep connection between contemporary art and the local community.

Festivals of Goa is open to visitors from November 9, 2025, to January 18, 2026, offering a once-in-a-decade opportunity to experience the state’s cultural richness, artistic diversity, and communal spirit at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne.