THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Alexandre Moniz Barbosa
As the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) comes to a close this Sunday evening, it’s time to look back over the past few days and assess whether it turned out to be the usual picnic or whether the pandemic ensured that it became a more meaningful festival? The postponed festival that opened on January 16, is taking place at a time when the COVID-19 cases in the State are at a low, and the physical part virtual arrangements made could have bestowed upon the festival the seriousness that it merits. But the one major industry interaction that annually takes place and which is the most serious aspect of the festival – the Film Bazaar – was truncated into a purely online event.
A film festival is not merely about watching films that are screened in the theatres, it is about the industry stakeholders coming together, meeting, discussing and shaking hands on future projects. It is at the Film Bazaar that movie agreements are made at the national and also at the international level. With this now turning online, what was left of the festival in Goa was merely the screening of films for the viewing pleasure of the delegates that turned up, and those too were not big in number. And for all this the budget that was set aside was in the region of Rs 10 crore. One really begins to wonder whether it was worth it.
As it stands, the hosting of IFFI has turned more into a matter of prestige than of earning anything for Goa, whether the earnings are tangible or intangible. Since 2004 Goa has hosted the festival, spent from its resources and the revenue generated has never met the expenses. The sponsorship that has been generated has never been able to offset the expenses, and Goa never really earned from the festival. As a tourism destination it may have attracted a little more attention during this period, but the interest didn’t percolate to other seasons of the year.
One success of IFFI is that it has always drawn the crowds from across the State and across the country to the banks of the River Mandovi. It perhaps has not brought to it the stars of the silver screen, but delegates from various parts of the country and a few from overseas have all descended upon Goa year after year since 2004 to be part of the festival. This IFFI that hasn’t happened, as the pandemic scuttled the plans of many who may have had originally considered making it to the festival. The number of delegates that have registered for the festival is low, less than 2000 and those who have paid the registration fee have been even less, indicating that not many of the thousands who flocked to Goa for the festival in previous years are here for the festival giving it the carnival-like atmosphere it has otherwise had.
Chances, however, are that only serious film enthusiasts have made it to the festival this year, rather than the large numbers that turned up annually and this has given the festival some of the seriousness that was missing in the past. While the stars still did come and walked the red carpet when they were invited or their films were playing, it is those delegates who queue up for the movie shows and lounge in the shade of the trees of the Maquinez Complex between shows that create the carnival-like atmosphere at IFFI. Many of these were definitely missing, but several others did come, even as the country grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. For these serious film buffs, the festival has given them more than what staying home because of the pandemic would. And, that’s how they showed just how serious about films they are.
Hosting the film festival, however, sends out a strong message that Goa, a tourist State, is competently dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Coupled with the fact that the Indian Super League has been going on since November last, Goa is showing the country that it is safe for tourist visits, and given that the economy now depends rather considerably on tourism, this message going out to the country is very important. With foreign travel restricted, Goa has been depending on domestic tourism a lot and this will help Goa promote itself within the country.
However, just over a fortnight ago the State Health Minister had forewarned of an ‘uncontrollable’ spike in cases this month. His warning had come after thousands of tourists had descended upon Goa on New Year’s Eve and were seen flouting all COVID-19 precautionary guidelines. Against this background it had to be ensured that the delegates at the film festival followed the guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The importance of this cannot be understated as there have been delegates from various States and a few from overseas too at the festival and the potential to spread the virus is real. While many were seen flouting pandemic guidelines, there is cause again to be wary of what can happen in the coming days.
This is a double-edged sword for Goa. The State needs the tourists to come so that it stays afloat financially, yet it risks the spread of COVID-19 when the visitors do not follow the guidelines. Simultaneously, it has seen success by keeping cases down despite organising events that have drawn crowds from outside the State. IFFI has shown the way how the pandemic guidelines can be safely met. The experience should be utilised to make other events safe. One change the government may consider is opening the ongoing ISL matches to spectators. The stadiums are large enough to accommodate limited capacity fans with social distancing. If closed air-conditioned cinema theatres can accommodate viewers, why not open air football stadiums. It would bring cheer to fans and the playing teams would also get charged up to play before a crowd. Sport, like cinema, thrives on people watching, so why not get the spectators back in the stadiums?
Alexandre Moniz Barbosa is Editor, Herald. He tweets at @monizbarbosa
