PANAJI: Congress Media Cell Chairman Amarnath Panjikar has tagged the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) as a “money-making machine” for the ruling party, arguing the event has lost international glory.
Speaking at a press conference held at Congress House, Panjikar cited data to support his claims.
“The BJP government is spending a massive amount of Rs 28 crores on the festival this year, with no tangible benefits for the people of Goa," he said.
He pointed out that in 2023, only 162 foreign delegates attended the event. “Despite being called an international film festival, IFFI has lost its glory, the number of International delegates keeps decreasing,” he added.
Panjikar further alleged that the Entertainment Society of Goa promotes a false narrative of reaching 10,000 delegate registrations. However, in the last four editions, delegate registrations did not cross 7,700, he alleged.
He also alleged a lack of support for Goan filmmakers recalling that only one local film, Wagro, was screened in the official section of IFFI from 2020 to 2023.
