Delilah Lobo, Vice Chairperson, ESG speaks on the upcoming IFFI and plans to ensure a vibrant festival
- This year, Goa will celebrate 20 years of the International Film Festival of India in the State. In what ways has the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) planned to elevate the cultural and entertainment aspects of IFFI, ensuring an enriching and diverse experience for global audiences?
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The goal of the festival is to get all aspects of the film industry under one roof and to become a premium event that fosters the growth of this influential and major industry.
This year we are celebrating 54 glorious years of IFFI and Goa is celebrating its 20th year. In 2004, this prestigious festival moved its base to Goa placing this picturesque and culturally rich State on the global map. This time, we will see Michael Douglas, a name to reckon with in the cinematic universe, receive the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival.
This year’s IFFI will also be inclusive with facilities and accessibility for the specially-abled. Keeping in mind the mantra of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas, provisions have been made for audio description for the visually impaired, sign language for the hearing impaired, as well as dubbing of content in multiple languages.
IFFI is much more than just a showcase of the spectacularity of cinema. It is also a festival of culture and diversity. Hence, this year the event will be more open to people wishing to celebrate this festival via the IFFI Cine-mela which will allow not only registered IFFI attendees but also locals and non-registered tourists to become a part of this occasion and enjoy the amalgam of art, craft, food, and cinema that IFFI has to offer.
- How has ESG meticulously planned to ensure a seamless and engaging experience for attendees at the upcoming IFFI?
This year, we are organising IFFI on a much larger scale with the inclusion of various new things that will continue, henceforth. Learning from our past, we are trying to keep the lapses and shortcomings at a bare minimum ensuring that the delegates and guests will face no inconvenience. Hence, we will be taking enough measures to make sure that everyone gets access to the allotted area and enjoys the rightful comfort that they deserve.
Moreover, there is a major issue with regard to seating arrangements for the delegates. There have been instances where delegates do not get to watch a single film due to certain reasons. For this very reason, ESG has made provisions of improved technology to handle such situations. While this has been done, we would like to advise the delegates to book their tickets, for the films they desire to watch, well in advance to ensure a smooth experience. In addition, this year we have added 2 more screens as we have engaged the Z Square Samrat Ashok theatre.
We also have open-air screenings, thus allotting another 1000+ seats for the delegates and general public. This has been done to ensure that the crowd will get to enjoy this experience full of vibrant opportunities while enabling us to eliminate any grievances that could occur.
There will also be mobile caravan theatres that will go around showcasing locally popular cinema, here.
- The unavailability of enough theatres for screening IFFI films has been one of the main problems, especially due to the absence of the Kala Academy complex from the list of IFFI venues. What is your take on this?
We have enough theatres for screening IFFI films and there has not been a problem at all. At Inox Panaji we have 4 screens, Inox Porvorim has 4 screens as well, Maquinez Palace itself has 2 screens though it will function as the International Jury Auditorium, this year. In addition to this, we have now taken Z Square Samrat Ashok theatre which has 2 screens with adequate seating capacity. Hence, the total seating capacity comes to around 2,544.
With regards to Kala Academy, after nearly 2 years, the complex will finally be open to the public and will be available for IFFI. While it will not be used for the opening and closing film screening, the Master classes and in-conversation sessions will be held there.
- The tendering process of ESG for selecting festival hotels, festival decor, and logistics issues like transportation of dignitaries and so on is generally delayed and has received negative reviews…
All the vendors are on-board. Festival Hotel has already been on-board for 3 years and will be working with us for the next year as well. With regards to the transportation and air ticketing vendors, e-tenders were floated in the month of September and vendors have been on-board since 9th October. Since the last few years, all tenders have been floated well in advance and it has been ensured that vendors are on-board one to one-and-a-half month prior to the festival.
Regarding decor, all the procedures and codal formalities are followed for all works taken up for IFFI and there is absolutely no delay. We are on our regular schedule and all the assigned work will be completed within the stipulated period.
- Every year ESG ensures that there is a special section at the IFFI for screening Goan films. What is the scenario this year?
ESG has announced the ‘Special Goan Section Konkani/Marathi Feature and Non-Feature Films’ for the 54th IFFI. For this section, only films made between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023, censored and uncensored, are eligible. We have received 20 entries but the final list of movies will be confirmed only after the Jury’s selection.
