IFFI '08 to showcase an array of events

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-27
PANAJI - The forthcoming International Film Festival of India 2008 will have a number of highlights including attendance of Hollywood director, John Landis (‘Beverly Hills Cop III’, ‘Innocent Blood’) at a retrospective dedicated to him, the 18-hour regular telecast of the festival events on a CCTV channel of the Entertainment Society of Goa, inauguration of the film archives and film library of the ‘Cinephile’ film club of the ESG, heritage walks for IFFI delegates and presence of film legends from Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and Tamil film industry.
The CEO of the ESG, Mr Manoj Srivastava, addressing a press conference, Saturday evening said that the ESG has already finalised retrospective of films by Landis, besides Indian Premier section including Pan-Indian films with the noted film director Vinod Pande as the jury, and Country Focus section dedicated to Iran screening five films of that country produced since 1969.
The ESG will also hold Short Film Centre, which will be inaugurated on November 23, and screen 20 short films for international competition and also have another 10 short films competing for Vasudha Awards; all the films based on the environment theme, Mr Srivastava informed. “Presently we have received 325 entries from all over the world, to participate in the Short Film Centre,” he added. Speaking further, Mr Srivastava said that the ESG will collaborate with the National Films Development Corporation (NFDC) in the organisation of the Film Bazaar, at Goa Marriott from November 26 to 30. It has also been decided to organise heritage walks for IFFI delegates from November 23 to December 1, between 8.30 a.m and 9.30 a.m, it was informed. The CEO of the ESG further stated that the members of the newly constituted Cinephile film club will automatically receive registration as IFFI delegates. “They will also have access to the film archive of the club which will have large number of Indian and foreign films stored on a dedicated server with digital technology,” he pointed out.
Mr Srivastava maintained that a CCTV channel of the ESG will telecast live as well as recorded events at the film festival including festival proceedings, presentations, red carpet events, press conferences and the cultural programmes held in all the talukas during the IFFI period. “The ESG will be supported by the Whistling Woods Film School in this endeavour,” he noted.
Replying to a question, Mr Srivastava informed that this year, the number of IFFI delegates will be 6,000 and above, as compared to last year when there were less than 4,000 delegates. Answering another question, he said that the ESG is trying to confine the IFFI budget, lower than that of last year.
The vice-chairman of the programme committee of IFFI 2008, Mr Vishal Pai Kakode said that Caranzalem, Margao, Vasco, Ponda and Sanquelim are the major venues, while Quepem, Mapusa, Dhargali, Canacona, Curchorem and Valpoi are the minor venues for organisation of various cultural programmes and film screenings during the film festival period. “We have shortlisted artists like Kavita Krishnamurty, Sonu Nigam, Audhut Gupte, Ravindra Sathe, Bhargavi, Bondo, Yograj Borkar, Jason-Sylvia, besides Wilmix and his troupe, Purnanand Chari and his troupe and Anilkumar and his troupe to perform at these venues,” he informed, pointing out that film legends from various language film industries will be invited for the film festival.