A few years
ago, watching a Konkani film in the theatre would have been a far-fetched thought but with an
increase in the number of films that are being produced and directed in Goa,
there is a Konkani film running in the theatre every six months. While ‘Nachom-ia
Kumpasar’ is still doing fabulously well through the years, the latest
release is the thought-provoking ‘Juze’ by Miransha Naik, which has
returned to Goa after winning awards in the international film circuit. The
next film to hit theatres will be ‘7 Dayz’ by Joywin Fernandes, which
will be out by mid-May.
It’s not easy to make quality films, as it requires a big budget
to bring good actors and technicians on board. The Film Finance Scheme was
re-launched a few years ago, encouraging producers and directors to make
quality films for the audience. As a producer and director himself,Rajendra
Talak, Vice Chairman of Entertainment Society of Goa,can understand the
problems the film fraternity is going through in order to create good cinema.
“After a long gap, the Film Finance Scheme was launched in Goa and
so far, we have cleared seven of the 19 films that we received. The rest of the
files are pending due to non submission of accounts and correct documentation.
We also provide additional assistance if the film wins national and
international awards. Nearly 50 percent of the films submitted in 2015 have
been cleared and the next set will be 2016 films, which will be opened in
June-July this year. The scheme is very encouraging for film makers in Goa
because it is the first scheme in India to give finance assistance in the
country. The films are graded and an A grade film receives 50 lakhs, B grade
receives 20 lakhs and C grade receives 10 lakhs. If the film is selected for
the Oscars, it will receive 1 crore. The outcome of the scheme is visible
through the number of Konkani films that are presented for the state level film
festival. Earlier, we used to receive 2-3 films per festival and now the number
has increased to 8-9 films since last year,” says Rajendra.
Swapnil Shetkar is
the director of Goa’s first sequel film, ‘Home Sweet Home’ and Home Sweet Home
2’, and his next directorial venture is ‘Kestao De Cofusao’. “It’s very
important to be clear with the producer about the actual investment and
returns. You have to be very transparent. I had submitted two films for the
Film Finance Scheme – ‘Home Sweet Home’ and ‘Suring’ – and was surprised
to find that a state level Best Feature Film was graded as B grade,” says
Swapnil.
Kevin D’Mello has
worked with various production houses from across India and his latest film, ‘Zannvoy
No.1’, is in collaboration with the cast and crew from Mangalore. “Finance
is very important if you are looking at quality films. For ‘Zannvoy No. 1’, the
film has songs, dance and action, which require choreographers and fight
masters and technicians to give it a glamorous look. The film is also dubbed in
Goan and Mangalorean Konkani dialects. The budget is based on how the film
progresses. A good team of director and producer will see that no money goes to
waste, the schedule is followed and no delays take place. Even a day’s delay
can increase the budget. Goa is rich in theatre-based actors and the blending
with film actors has helped us develop our skills,” says Kevin, who adds that
some filmmakers pay actors on a daily basis, some in advance and others after
the post production or the release of the film.
JoywinFernandes, the
director of ‘7 Dayz’, has just received the censor certificate for the
film and is eager to show his film to the Goan audience. His previous films
have also done well with the audience, which encourages him to direct more
films. He says, “Through my last films, I managed to make extra money. The film
should be planned well and the schedule should be systematically followed.
There are films that are made with big budgets; this makes it difficult to
recover the money after the screening. To screen the film in a multiplex like
Inox, its policy is that 60-70 percent of the first week sales is sent to the
producer and the rest to the multiplex and in the second week, 65 percent goes
to the producer. Besides that, the hall charges per screening are charged
separately. At other theatres like ESG and Ravindra Bhavans across Goa, the
entire collection is for the filmmakers.”
Bardroy
Barretto is a name that took Goan cinema to the Oscars. His film ‘Nachom-ia
Kumpasar’ was a major hit across the world, especially striking a chord
with the Goan diaspora. Bardroy took his own time to direct the film as he was
aiming for quality and authenticity. “We tried to raise funds through
corporates in Goa that were constantly advising us to do a film in Hindi
instead of Konkani. The next option was family and friends. We informed them
that as the film would take four years, we would return the money after the
release. We didn’t take more than 5 lakhs from each person. There were many
Goans, from Goa and world over, who helped us and many friends from other parts
of the country,” says Bardroy. He adds, “I wanted to change the perception that
Goan films can make money and if it is a good film, it can start a movement in
Konkani cinema without depending on government funding. That is what ‘Nachom-iaKumpasar’
did.”
