Opinion by Editorial
Film festivals are places where creative minds and their committed audiences come together. IFFI must do more to do both justice
To attain the kind of international stature these festivals have, the IFFI — which claims to be Asia’s biggest film festival — would need to focus as much on nurturing exciting new voices as it does already on getting Bollywood stars to attend the various events.
Nov 30, 2024 04:00 IST First published on: Nov 30, 2024 at 04:00 IST
By most accounts, the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, which concluded its nine-day run on November 28, was bigger in terms of scale and ambition than the previous ones. There were more venues for screenings and expanded infrastructure, going beyond Panjim to places like Porvorim, including beach screenings at Anjuna and Miramar, and a Film Bazaar which was arguably one of the biggest marketplaces of its kind in the world. The National Film Development Corporation, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the state government’s Entertainment Society of Goa, have, over the years, pumped in funds and energy into making the IFFI as prestigious as the Cannes Film Festival — as envisioned when Goa was selected as the festival’s permanent home in 2004. Yet, 20 years on, unlike its model on the French Riviera — whose selections and winners go on to dominate the international festival circuit and awards season — the IFFI is far from shaping global cinematic imaginations and sensibilities. At a time when smaller festivals, like the ones in Dharamshala and Mumbai, are hotly-anticipated among cinephiles, it is worth asking why the IFFI, despite state support and no fund crunch, cannot match their buzz.
The main problem, as many, including filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, have pointed out, is that there is no single vision or dedicated personnel guiding the festival. Consider Cannes, where Thierry Fremaux has been the artistic director since 2004. Under his watch, the festival has become noted for championing emerging talent, including Payal Kapadia, whose All We Imagine As Light won the second-highest honour, the Grand Prix, this year. Or take Cameron Bailey — part of a Film Festival Directors’ Round Table at IFFI 2024 — under whose leadership the Toronto International Film Festival has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting events of its kind in the world.
To attain the kind of international stature these festivals have, the IFFI — which claims to be Asia’s biggest film festival — would need to focus as much on nurturing exciting new voices as it does already on getting Bollywood stars to attend the various events. Crucially, it will need to be better organised in terms of its programming. Many of the selections this year were announced mere days before the opening, leaving little time for film lovers to plan their attendance. Film festivals are places where the creative minds of cinema and their committed audiences come together in common celebration. It’s time IFFI did them justice.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
