Film festivals integrate humanity: Governor

Film festivals integrate humanity: Governor

Film festivals integrate humanity: Governor
HERALD REPORTER/ PANJIM, APRIL 24, 2010

Governor Dr S S Sidhu today stressed the need for larger exchange of artistic creations like films across the world saying it brings humanity together cutting across all barriers, through audio-visual media.
He was addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony of 15th European Film Festival which got underway at a glittering ceremony at Maquinez Palace, here.
Dr Sidhu said that cinema has tremendous capacity to unite people of the world by overcoming man-made barriers and expressed satisfaction that India is major cinema hub, being the largest producer of films in the world.
The governor said that the unique event of the film festival was yet another landmark achievement in our continuing efforts to strengthen international cooperation, friendship, understanding and economic progress, amidst many multi-dimensional challenges that we are faced with – whether political, economic and social. In this backdrop, he said the East and the West are rapidly intermingling and a never before in the past, making renewed creative and enduring effort to come closer.

The film industry, which is a powerful integrator of humanity and a contributor to economic and artistic progress of the nations, has a significant role to pay towards the noble cause of international peace, mutual understanding ,goodwill and fellowship, he said.
The governor further said that the delegation of European Union to India has started a new chapter of friendship and cooperation with Goa through this initiative. “I am sure that this film festival will bring best of European films which will provide detail perspective of life, problems, socio-cultural values of people of Europe”.
He said the European Union has provided us an opportunity to have a close look at the creative genius of its people by organizing the 15th European Unin Film Festival in Goa.
The venue – Goa- is appropriate in more than one way, he said emphasizing that Goa is developing its own film culture.
He further said that the film finance scheme is being reoriented by the state government. Goan actors, singers and musicians, he said, have contributed immensely to the Indian cinema.
At the festival, an audio visual tribute had been paid to Goa’s first film maker Al Jerry Braganza who made the first Konkani film Mogacho Anvdo more than 60 years ago. Goa, he said, has occupied a prominent place in the film festival.

http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/Film-festivals-integrate-humanity-Governor/36178.html


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Governing council members irked over ESG not holding Konkani Film Festival
Published on: April 25, 2010 - 01:41

PANAJI: Some of the members of the governing council of the Entertainment Society of Goa have taken serious objection to the step taken by the CEO of the ESG, Mr Manoj Srivastava, wherein he has sidelined the decision of the governing council to hold a Konkani Film Festival around April 24, in commemoration of the screening of the first Konkani film, ‘Mogacho Aundo’ on this day and instead, organised the European Union Film Festival.
It may be recalled that at the 42nd governing council meeting of the ESG held on June 15, 2009, under agenda item no 9, the calendar of events of the ESG were put up before the council members by the CEO of the ESG. During discussion on the same, one of the senior most members of the governing council, Mr Tomazinho Cardozo had proposed that the ESG should host a Konkani Film Festival to mark the release of the first Konkani film on April 24, 1950, at Mumbai.
The proposal was unanimously approved by the governing council and the CEO of the ESG was supposed to take necessary action on the same. However, after almost 10 months of this decision, it was conveniently forgotten and no step was taken to host the Konkani Film Festival. On the contrary, the European Union Film Festival was organised on April 24.
Mr Tomazinho Cardozo, who had mooted the idea to hold the Konkani Film Festival eventually had to organise a Konkani Cinema Day on April 24 under the auspices of Tiatr Academy of Goa, headed by him.
Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, Mr Cardozo said that the idea to hold a Konkani Film Festival, which would either start or end on April 24 was proposed and approved at the governing council meeting of the ESG with the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat wholeheartedly supporting the concept. “However, some two weeks back, when I went to the office of the CEO of the ESG to find out about the preparations of the Konkani Film Festival, I was told that a European Union Film Festival was being held instead,” he added.
“I was really hurt by the response of the CEO as well as others holding responsible positions at the ESG, as they had dishonoured the decision of the governing council,” Mr Cardozo stated, further adding that he will not only follow up the matter and ensure that a Konkani Film Festival either begins or ends on April 24, from next year, but would also write a letter to the CEO of the ESG on April 26 in this matter. He further lamented that the ESG staff does not understand the emotions of Goans as attached to certain issues.
“The European Union Film Festival is a travelling film festival and could have been scheduled on some other dates so that Goans could have got best of both film festivals,” Mr Cardozo suggested. Mr Vishnu Wagh, another member of the governing council said that once a decision is taken by the council members, the ESG staff should take the same to its logical conclusion. “If the governing council decisions are just ignored, then why there should be a need for a governing council in the first place,” he questioned, stating that it is not the job of the governing council members to follow up their approved decisions.
“The general observation is that whenever benefits are to be given to Goans the priorities are changed in the negative direction, which is very bad,” Mr Wagh said, pointing out that his own approved proposal as regards honouring Mr Nilesh Naik, a rangoli artist for securing an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records by presenting him with Rs 1 lakh, was totally ignored. “It should be ensured that in the future any decision taken by the governing council of the ESG must be fully honoured and implemented, without any obstruction,” he concluded.
Yet another member of the governing council, Mr Vishal Pai Cacode when contacted told this daily that if any European country was to hold festival of films by its filmmakers, the decision would not have been changed to make way for an Indian Film Festival in that country. Mr Cacode also stated that certain events need to be held on those particular days as those days spell significance just as April 24 is a Konkani Cinema Day. When asked as to whether he knew about the screening of a 7-minute film on Al Jerry Braganza, the first Goan filmmaker of Konkani film, during the inauguration of the European Union Film festival, Mr Cacode said that he came to know about it only through the newspapers.

http://www.navhindtimes.in/news/governing-council-members-irked-over-esg-not-holding-konkani-film-festival


As published in gulf-goans e-newsletter.