PANAJI: Goan filmmakers have urged the State Government to implement its financial assistance scheme for film production in local languages with immediate effect.

The Goan Organisation of Film-Makers (GOF), the body representing filmmakers, on Monday said the Government should not amend the "Goa Scheme of Financial Assistance for Films 2006", meant for assisting local film-makers, at least up to 2010.

Annoyed lot

Mr. Rajendra Talak, president of GOF and a film producer himself, told presspersons on Monday that they were annoyed by the piecemeal implementation of the scheme. The disbursal of production money should be fast, he added.

He was, nevertheless, all praise for the novel scheme launched by the Government wherein 21 out of 40 applicants have been selected for assistance in the very first year. Altogether four Konkani and two Marathi celluloid films, besides 11 tele-films and two documentaries will be subsidised by the Government this year.

Mr. Talak said that just implementation of the scheme would help the State produce quality films. The GOF has already taken the initiative to get benefits such as entertainment tax exemption for Konkani films, providing public places for shooting by payment of just Rs. 1,000 per film and availability of cinema theatres for Goan films.

After a good period of around 20 years, which saw production of around 20 films in Konkani language between 1950 and 1970, there was a virtual lull for the next 25-30 years on this front.

It is only after the State being made the permanent venue for IFFI in recent years that the Konkani film industry is witnessing a slow but steady revival.

The main problems of the industry, according to Mr. Talak and others, are: a very narrow base of audience (hardly around 30 lakh Konkani-speaking people spread across four States) and the high costs of film-making in recent times.

GOF vice-president Dilip Borkar and secretary Keshav Nadkarni were present.

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