PANAJI: The 37th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) this year promises to have a wider representation of the film industry from the entire country, particularly at the regional level.

For the last two years, since IFFI moved here from Delhi, a part of the criticism levelled against the organisers was that they focussed on Bollywood premieres and actors. A few film producers from the South were very vocal in their criticism.

"The organisers have considered the feedback on the content... We are making a conscious effort to seek a wider representation of the... industry in IFFI... ," Nandini Paliwal, chief executive officer of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), the nodal agency of the State Government which is to hold IFFI jointly with the Directorate of Film Festival (DFF), said. After the governing council meeting of the ESG, she said efforts would be made to interact with industry representatives from Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and the northeastern States, among other centres.

The festival format remains broadly unchanged. It will have programmes to involve local people, such as beach screenings, mobile screenings and other entertainment activities.

Film appreciation workshops, film poster competitions, film-related photography contests, film-script writing and directing competitions, and a short documentary competition have been suggested.

The State is preparing to take over the organisation of the festival from the DFF."The idea is to generate maximum revenue and make the festival self-sustaining in the long run," Ms. Paliwal said, adding that the organisers were trying to mobilise at least Rs. 5 crore through sponsorship this year.

Efforts are also on to make the Film Bazaar, a part of IFFI, a success. "The plan is to add many more sections to the Film Bazaar, like involving production houses, finance houses, and give all a platform to showcase their products," Ms. Paliwal added.

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