26 Jan 2021  |   04:22am IST

Like the movies, IFFI 21 was a mix of hits & flops

The film festival has generated diverse reactions with regards to the selection of the movies as well as its general organisation. Café spoke to people who attended.

Ajit John

The last popcorn in the tub has been eaten and the cineastes have left the cinema hall. The awards have been announced and the guests are all now flying out.  This was the first edition in its fifty year old history where the film market and several sessions featuring conversations with filmmakers and other personalities from the film industry were featured online.  Attendance dropped dramatically due to the fears of Covid 19 and seating arrangements in the theatres also reflected the new reality.

Yamini Upadhye Editor of the Ahimsa Gandhi-The Power of the Powerless said the attendance was very low this year and it would have certainly helped all the films in competition and otherwise if they were promoted more. The selection of movies she said was excellent and which helped showcase what was happening in various parts of the world.  She said “A film festival is meant to showcase diverse films. Thankfully there was less commotion and it was fine.”

Akhil Sam Vijay an actor in the Malayalam film industry said the experience was very enjoyable and he very much liked the film chosen to close the festival, Wife of a Spy which he felt was very good.  He expressed the hope he could return next year with a film in two to showcase.

Meenakshi Shedde, 

South Asia Consultant to the Berlin Film Festival did not come this year to the festival but felt the film bazaar conducted online was very impressive. She said “I am a technophobe and I was able to navigate the website with great ease. Not once did I have to ask for help. The selection of movies was very strong and very comprehensive. Importantly there was a huge jump in the number of people attending online. As someone in charge of vetting movies from South Asia for Berlin, I keep a close track of movies made in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the movies showcased in the Film Bazaar Recommends were very good. The organizers did a very good job this year. The film bazaar I would say was a shining light this year.”       

However, like everything in life, experiences will be different for everyone. Kuldeep Ramteke screen play writer from Mumbai was emphatic when he said it was an unsatisfactory experience. He said “The arrangements in terms of accessing tickets were unsatisfactory. The digitization was not up to the mark. Booklets providing details of the various movies were not given.  With regards to the selection of movies I would say 50-60 percent of the movies were not up to the mark. The opening film was a simple film and not meant for a festival”. He also pointed out that there was no grievance redressal committee and importantly not many people were allowed into the theatres despite fifty percent of the seats being unoccupied.  He ended by saying people were coming from all over the country and it would be nice if they were treated better. He also pointed out that an international film should showcase the tradition, the dignity and the culture of that country which was not reflected in most of the movies. It was important he said to maintain the standards of the past.  

 

Nitin Bansob a writer in serials said, the entire exercise was undisciplined with the officers not showing any interest. This was made worse by the fact the level of film was very poor. He said “The Wife of a Spy was very good and so was Mehrunisa otherwise it was poor. The joy of watching movies was just not there.”

 

Idris Malik, a film director, echoed similar sentiments saying the selection of movies left much to be desired. He said “I was disheartened and am going back to Nainital wondering if I should ever return for this festival.”

 

Chatoor Das a music director who has attended several editions of IFFI said “I am 75 years old and this year I had to rush around because the systems were not in place. Last year everything went off smoothly. I will have to seriously think if I want to make this trip to Goa every year or shift my attention to another film festival.”   

Suresh Moon, an Art Director said this year could not be compared to last year when everything worked. He said “This year the selection of movies was not up to the mark. In my personal opinion it was hopeless. What can you expect when films are selected by a selection committee? There were many mediocre films this year. That’s all I am willing to say.”   

Perhaps it was the pandemic which kept everyone on edge and that perhaps reflected itself in the festival. Perhaps in nine months things will be better.