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IFFI 2007 promises good films, less glamour and better organisation, says
Ervell E. Menezes
With just about a month to go for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), there is not much happening. There seems to be a lull and the registrations are to be done online. But one thing is very clear and that is it promises better organisation, less glamour and more serious cinema which has been conspicuous by its absence in the three` earlier events. Good films there were but they were drowned in the razzmatazz (read circus) and domination of Bollywood. "I am opposed to all exorbitant spending on big stars," said Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in an exclusive interview. "We want to make the festival truly film centric, keeping the focus mainly on serious cinema," he went on. Still reeling under the criticism of last year’s organisational gaffes and hefty amounts paid to Bollywood bigwigs like Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra, the state government has tightened the budget to Rs 5 crore, expecting another Rs 5 cr to come from the sponsors. The expenditure for IFFI 2006 touched Rs 14 crore. One of the conditions for making Goa the permanent venue for IFFI is that the state government has to foot the bill. No financial help is extended by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which otherwise continues to call the shots in programming, delegate registration, festival`A0brochure content, media passes and this year even the IFFI newsletter. The Directorate of Film Festival’s (DFF) reluctance to transfer some of the responsibilities to the Entertainment Society of Goa`A0(ESG) has delayed he signing of the memorandum of understanding between the state and the DFF. "There are some minor issues that we need to sort out with the DFF before signing the MOU," ESG CEO Nandini Paliwal said. The ESG governing body is also annoyed with the ongoing rumours that the festival is likely to be shifted back to New Delhi. The ESG feels it is competent enough to run the festival but a major blemish is their inability to contain the delegates. It is the "wanabees," or guests of the politicians, that cause the biggest disruption by entering the theatre`A0well into the start of a film, as times even an hour late. Meanwhile, the ESG has allowed the Delhi-based Brilliant Entertainment Network (BEN) to bid for this year’s event management despite recommendation that the company be blacklisted for failing to pay up their sponsorship dues of Rs 2 cr for IFFI 2006. The Malayalam film Ore Kadal, directed by Shyamprasad, will open the prestigious Indian Panorama section of IFFI 2007. The panorama showcases the best of Indian`A0regional cinema. There are four films from Kerala and Maharashtra, followed by Bengal with three, Tamil Nadu two and one each from Assam and Manipur.`A0
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