Michael Douglas received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Film Festival of India in Goa

Panaji, India — Veteran Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas was honored with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th International Film Festival of India as it came to a close on Tuesday.

The two-time Oscar winner, 79, said he was “humbled” and with everything going on in the world, the festival was a “reminder of the magic of filmmaking”.

“Cinema is one of the few media that has the power to unite and transform us. It transcends divisions, be they geography, language, ethnicity or even time,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“Today our universal language of cinema has more meaning than ever before,” Douglas added.

“Endless Frontiers”, an Iranian film directed by Abbas Amini, won the Golden Peacock Award for best film at the festival, which is held annually in the coastal city of Goa, one of the picturesque tourist areas in India.

“The film is about the complexity of physical boundaries, but nothing can be more complex than the emotional and moral boundaries you impose on yourself,” the jury said in their citation.

The film revolves around an exiled Iranian teacher in a poor village on the border between Afghanistan and Iran who meets a family fleeing Afghanistan under the threat of the Taliban.

Indian director Shekhar Kapoor, president of the international organization, said: “In the context of what is happening in the world right now, with the incredible conflicts going on, with the wars on our borders, it is extremely important that we tell our stories.” The jury, which has directed films including “Elizabeth” and the recent “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” “If we tell our stories to people and people listen to each other’s stories across borders, everywhere, we understand each other.”

The other members of the international jury are Spanish cinematographer José Luis Alcín, French producers Jérôme Billard and Catherine Dussart, and Australian producer Helen Lake.

As one of the world’s oldest and most prolific film industries, with around 1,500 films released annually, Indian films have a large domestic market.

Films in regional Indian languages, most of which are rooted in local culture, are also beginning to find a foothold on the global stage. Earlier this year, India celebrated two Oscars – Best Original High Energy Song “Naatu Naatu” from the Telugu language action epic “RRR” and Best Documentary Short Film “The Elephant Whisperers”, which was streamed on Netflix.

The Indian government, which organizes the festival, announced a new incentive plan for foreign film production to enhance global cooperation.

Douglas said Indian films are reaching a global audience thanks to the digital revolution and streaming services.

“No matter what country you live in, good filmmaking is usually about something personal to your country, and then you realize that it has an international message. It’s all in the material and you have to make it yourself,” he said during a session earlier on Tuesday. .