TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Considering that the premieres of popular films and the long wait for the stars to sashay down the red carpet is nothing but a distraction from serious cinema, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) organizers have decided to exclude commercial or popular films ~whether in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Malyalam, etc, from the festival.
The 2013 edition of IFFI would concentrate on ‘meaningful’ and ‘serious’ films, Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) vice-chairman Vishnu Wagh stated. The festival organizers would also be making special efforts to screen films produced by Goan filmmakers rejected in the Panorama section.
There is also uncertainty about superstar Rajinikanth inaugurating the festival this year as the IFFI dates are clashing with his medical treatment appointments, Wagh told reporters, after the IIFI 2013 steering committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday evening.
The 10 day festival will begin from November 20.
Elaborating on the festival Wagh told presspersons that organizers have realised that IFFI is becoming too ‘popular film centric’. Too many Bollywood, commercial film premieres were being hosted and the delayed arrival of stars would put everything out of gear. What will be different about the festival this year is that there will not be a single commercial film premiere at IFFI.
“IFFI is a festival of meaningful and serious films,” he added. Further, Wagh said that special screening of movies produced by Goan producer would be held. “Several have already given their names under the Panorama section. If they get rejected there, then a separate section would be held to premier Goan movies,” he said adding ‘they can be in Marathi or Konkani’.
State government has also decided to hold the inaugural and concluding ceremony of the film festival at the newly constructed indoor stadium at Bambolim, which will host the Lusofonia Games.
Officials of Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) would be arriving in Goa on October 11 for reviewing the preparations for the festival. Chief Minister Tuesday took stock of all department works pertaining to IFFI.
The committee has decided to revamp the Circuit house for the festival, following a series of complaints from the guests, who were housed there. General Administrative Department (GAD) has been asked to conduct the inspection and carry out necessary work ahead of the festival, Wagh said. the Chief Minister would be inspecting the Circuit house on October 12, he said.
There is also uncertainty about superstar Rajinikanth inaugurating the festival this year as the dates are clashing with his medical treatment appointments
