The
International Film Festival of India is just a month away and the preparations
will be kick-starting shortly. This year, the set up and designs, which are
always eye-catching, promise to be even more creative as tenders were invited from
interested designers to present their concepts for the venue decor. In fact,
the agency that will be availing artistic services for ideation/
conceptualisation, creation designing, fabrication, supply erection/
installation and all other allied activities for the mega film event that will
be held from November 20 to 28, 2016, has already been selected.
Entertainment
Society of Goa’s executive member Rajendra Talak explains that
the appointment of the vendor for the job was done based on combined quality
cum cost based selection. “This year, we had a different concept for the art direction;
instead of appointing an art director who would complete the designs and then provide
the quotation, we thought of selecting an art director based on merit. The art
direction department had to submit their themes and based on the best party
designs, the committee selected the art director. Event companies like TLG,
Encompass, TPT and 77 had sent in their designs. The e-tendering process for
appointing an agency for handling the IFFI 2016 decor is fully transparent and
there is no corruption involved,” says Talak. The art director appointed for
IFFI will design the sets for the festival’s opening and closing ceremony and
the festival film screening venues and general festival areas.
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However,
the short film competition will not be open this year. Talak reveals, “There
are many short film festivals being organised to develop short films in Goa and
even these films can be submitted for the Indian Panorama category and if they
are selected through the jury, they will be screened for the festival. There is
no quota for Goan films, as it is an International Film festival and there are
nearly 150 films with just 25 entries being screened in the competition
category. It is yet to be decided whether Goans films can be screened at other
screening venues, but that decision has to be taken by both ESG as well as the Directorate
of Film Festivals (DFF).” He adds that competing with the best of world
cinema isn’t easy and while Goan films have won National Awards, that happens
because there is a special Goa category.
Speaking
about the impact of IFFI on Goan filmmakers, he explains what he has noticed:
“The number of films coming up over the years has been good, but 100 per cent
quality is required as well. When I started out as a filmmaker, very few
filmmakers were around. I was soon joined by noted directors like Laxmikant
Shetgaonkar, Dinesh Bhonsle, Bardroy Baretto and Swapnil Shetkar. There has
been great progress in cinema in Goa and through IFFI, directors can meet
people and watch cinema to see where they stand in the International cinema
industry. The issues don’t have to be only based on Goa, directors can make
films based on India-centric issues as well. The community of filmmakers should
be strengthened and we should help and support each other; there should be criticism
too, but of a constructive nature,” says Talak, who is now spending more time
in Margao, where he launched the first phase of the ‘Clean Margao Green Margao’
programme supporting the Prime Minister’s ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’.
Besides
IFFI, the state is also encouraging filmmakers to come out with better films.
“Now, we have a few good films being released every year but over ten years, we
will have ten great films being released. There is good hope for the film
industry in Goa with the focus on quality. The next Goa State Festival will be
held in 2018 and with a big prize amount, it should build the confidence of
filmmakers. I am also thankful to the ESG for the transparency in the process
for filmmakers,” he concludes.
The
registration process for IFFI will begin shortly.
