The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Film festival needs industry, Government patronage'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 20, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Film festival needs industry, Government patronage'

By Sudhish Kamath

CHENNAI. DEC. 19. Kamal Hasan at the festival in Cannes or Mani Ratnam at the Goa International film festival sure does make for news back home. But when something similar happens closer home, the south Indian film industry does not seem that excited.

Even lesser-known stars, directors and technicians from the local film industry seem to have turned their backs on 83 films from over 30 countries that are lined up at the second Chennai International Film Festival, probably the biggest festival the city has seen in a long time.

Crowds continued to pour in enthusiastically on the second day at the Anand theatre complex and the Film Chamber theatre, but local stars, directors and other technicians who would otherwise not get to watch movies showcased at Cannes or Goa or other festivals around the world, kept away from a goldmine of films.

Goldmine of films

The Peruvian film Dias Desantiago (Days of Santiago) directed by Josue Mendez, which won the Best Feature Film and Best Director award at the International Film Festival of Kerala on Saturday, Brazilian Celeste and Estrela, which opened at the film festival in Cannes, 2002, this year's Indian entry to the Oscars Shwaas and Adoor's Nizhal Kuthu are some of the highlights of the ongoing festival.

It was just yesterday that director Bharathirajaa, during the inaugural function, said that the industry would extend its support to the festival. "We would like to have had some big names participating.

It will make our festival stronger. But we can only invite them... " the festival director, E. Thangaraj, says.

"Film festivals like these need more patronage from the local film industry and the State Government," said U. Radhakrishnan, secretary of the Federation of Film Societies of India. "At the recently-held film festival in Goa, the Chief Minister presented a cheque for Rs. 21 lakhs to the director of Shwaas for promoting his film for the Oscars. The Government can also waive the customs duty collected for import of prints of foreign films meant to be screened at festivals like these."

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