Is IFFI Goa going forward to become a landmark festival in Asia, or is the festival losing its grip on the main reason why everyone gathers in Goa for 10 days – the films. The Goan takes a poll
Rajashree is not just a film buff, she has studied film(direction in particular) from the Film and Television Institute of India, inPune. Her journey in film doesn’t stop there. She has worked with a few bigdirectors in Bollywood and has written and directed a National Award winningfilm. Every year, Rajashree registers as a delegate and makes it to Goa, booksa room at Caritas in St Inez and heads to the theatres to watch the festivalfilms. However, she feels that this year in particular, lacks energy. “I guessmany avid film buffs have already watched many of these movies viatorrents. So, there’s not much interestin coming here and watching them again.”
Yulette Coutinho, from Goa, loves the movies and has been aregular at the film festival. While she thinks that IFFI in Goa benefits a lotof people who are interested in different kinds of cinema, she is of theopinion that IFFI is dying a slow death in the state. “The festival started offon a bad note this year, because of the haphazard management by ESG and the DFFfor not issuing delegate kits on time. Also the inaugural film was screenedjust once. There were a lot of blank slots in the schedule that should havebeen filled by re-screening good movies. The experience of IFFI this year hasbeen a little dull. You don’t get that feeling of being at a film festivalanymore.” She however admits that, “A lot of the movies screened this year havebeen good.”
The lack of organisation is something that has irked many adelegate and while kit bags were not available on time for many, there werequite a few delegates who received their kits halfway through the festival. Oneof the IFFI volunteers, who sat at the helpdesk, who looked hassled afterfacing the ire from many delegates, said, “There is no communication from oneend to another. We are not given complete information and quite often, it isincorrect. We cannot keep using our mobile phones to communicate and find outmore. Even college fests have walkie-talkies to make communication easier. It’sjust a lack of information and miscommunication that leads to so muchconfusion. The delegates and the guests get misguided and we have to face thebrunt of it.”
The damp atmosphere in the INOX courtyard during theevenings especially is not making many delegates happy. Neither is theoccasional delay on the part of the organisers when certain movies are beingscreened. “I had a ticket for a movie, but to enter the theatre I had to usethe doors close to the parking lot. Unfortunately for me (and others who werewaiting to watch the movie) the red carpet across the courtyard was cordonedoff because some celebrity was due to walk through into the theatre. That tookover almost 30 minutes to happen and many of us missed quite a lot of themovie,” explains Siddharth Murlidharan.
While most remain unhappy with the lack of coordinationamongst the organising teams, the selection committee of the festival has comein for mixed praise. Shishir Rastogi from Ahmedabad says, “I think theselection of movies screened was much better last year. But, on the other hand,the student films are very interesting. I’m happy about the fact that thistime, we do we have a lot of scope for short films. I enjoy watching the shortfilms more than the Indian or World Cinema, which is actually why I come forIFFI every year.”
While many regular festivals goers attribute most of theproblems to the usual organisation woes that come with the territory whengovernment agencies and departments are involved, they lament the fact that foran international festival, which aims to rise above many others to be one ofthe best in the world, such issues shouldn’t arise nine years into itsexistence in Goa. Celebrated director Jahnu Baruah, who has seen many afestival, says it best. “The purpose for which the film festival is held shouldbe met. At times we see that purpose is not properly looked into. That is oneproblem we have and in Goa it has been happening for the last eight years. Thegovernment of India and government of Goa have been trying to do it together,but we always see something is always lacking. That needs to be rectified. Twomothers cannot look after one baby. Over the years, I have seen IFFI has been avictim of lot of differences existing between Goa and Delhi. Otherwise Goa is agreat venue for the International film festival.”
What happens now, remains to be seen. Where IFFI goes fromhere, is the question that is foremost on people’s minds.
