Goa is now playing host to yet another edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). It must be said that Goans are totally isolated from the happenings at the venue of the film festival except for a few Goans who are associated with the film industry and Goan film makers. For the average Goan it is life as usual. The only connect that the citizens have with the film festival is from the news update that it will be getting from the print and the electronic media during the ten-day mega festival.
Despite the fact that the filmy culture is alien to the average Goan, the International event has been trust on the peace loving Goans. An average Goan will prefer watching a tiatr or a drama rather than a movie. Since the state has become a permanent venue for the film festival there needs to be a film city developed in the state. It is in this film city that all future film festivals can be.
The former Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar has declared that Goa will have a permanent venue and auditorium at Dona Paula by next IFFI. This is a step in the right direction as the venue will be close to the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium situated at Taleigao which was the venues of the opening ceremony of this year’s film festival. Having future film festivals at the new venue at Dona Paula will decongest the Panaji city as the vehicles for the dignitaries and the delegates attending the film festival will be diverted along the University road as was the case this year. Since the state is now a permanent venue for the film festival an interest needs to be generated among Goans to watch quality movies. One way of doing this would be to develop the old ‘one-screen’ theatres
Now most of the movies are screened in the Multiplex the tickets of which could be beyond the reach of the common man. In the past the entire families would go for a movie over the weekend. But now most of the citizens prefer to watch the movies on their television sets back home. People should be encouraged to visit the cinema theatres by screening quality movies and the latest hit Bollywood and English movies .
