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Goa upbeat with International Film Festival

     Panjim (Goa): The countdown to the International Film Festival of India (IIFI) 2005 has begun with the Goa's Chief Minister Pratap Singh Rane releasing its much-awaited logo in Panjim. The logo has been made by the famous Goan cartoonist Mario Miranda. It symbolises fun, frolick, and people's enthusiasm for the film festival. The 36th International Film Festival of India, due to begin November 24, is aimed at showcasing a selection of the best of global and Indian cinema and to bring together film industry professionals, film students, film marketing professionals, the media and the general public. The Chief Minister of Goa said that this time the main focus of this event will be on spreading out to the common people so that they can also enjoy it. " Involving the local people, involving all the people in the celebration. Goa celebrates so many festivals after monsoon. Tthis is one of them. This is going to be one of them in the years to come, I hope," said Rane. Like earlier years, this time too there will be beach-screenings of well-known movies for the public which will be free of cost. The organisers have selected to premiere the English version of 'The Rising' on November 24, the opening day of the film festival. An English movie, 'The Noel' will also be premiered at IFFI 2005. "From 24 (November) we will inaugurate beach screening with the premier of The Rising, the English version of Mangal Pandey. We are trying to rope in the stars and t hey might attend the beach screening . So it will start with a bang. There are various movies lined up," said Sanjit Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer, Goa Entertainment Society.

     The film fiesta starts on 24 November and will last till December 4. But now all are happy that Goa has been made the permanent venue for the International film festival. Among them is the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Making a claim to host the IIFI, he said that Kolkata would have been the ideal venue as it was the only city of film lovers while "Delhi is a city of diplomats and Goa, a city of tourists," he said. The 11th Kolkata Film Festival starts Thursday (November 10). It will show 140 films from 32 countries will be screened at the festival.

     Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy is scheduled to inaugurate the festival that will start with Franco- Swiss-German production, The Chorus by Christophe Barratier. The eight-day festival would have West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and filmmaker Mrinal Sen as eminent guests besides 65 foreign delegates from the participating countries. Of the total 140 films, seven would be Indian and the rest would represent contemporary cinema made between 2004 and 2005 from across the world. In the Retrospective category, 10 films by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar would be screened, while a special tribute would be paid through six films depicting 60 years of victory over Fascism, he said. A new category, "Asian Glimpse" has been added to the festival this time that will feature 13 films from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Iran. The Focus this time would celebrate contemporary African films with a 12-film package. In the Indian Select category, seven films from Maniratnam's Yuva to Anup Kurein's Mansarovar will be screened.