Drought, travel advisory behind IFFI cancellation

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 26. The international scenario after the terrorist strikes in the U.S. and drought in the host State of Karnataka have conspired to force the cancellation of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) exactly a fortnight ahead of its scheduled beginning in Bangalore on October 10.

A decision to this effect was taken today after the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting (I&B), Ms. Sushma Swaraj, met with senior officials of her Ministry and the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF).

According to the Ministry, due note was taken of the communication from the Karnataka Government regretting the State Government's inability to co-host the festival due to the severe drought in the State. Expressing concern over the drought situation, the Ministry has taken the position that it ``cannot be insensitive to the unambiguous recommendation of the State Government to cancel the festival''.

Add to this apprehensions expressed by DFF about international participation on account of the emerging situation in the region following the attacks in the U.S. Apparently, a number of delegates who were to participate in the Film Mart at IFFI have informed their inability to make it to the festival over the past fortnight. Also, many countries have issued advisories to their citizens asking them to avoid travelling to this region.

Though doubts were aired about the fate of the festival from September 18 when the Karnataka Cabinet made public its intention to seek a postponement of the festival in view of the drought in the State, the formal request came in only this Monday; that, too, for cancellation. But since Ms. Swaraj was overseas and returned only last night, a decision was kept in abeyance.

The I&B Ministry also wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home to enquire about the feasibility of hosting an international festival in view of the prevailing global situation.

While the Ministry has been weighing various options - cancellation, postponement and a truncated festival - it has opted for the first for the time being even as officials have been directed to explore the possibility of screening the Indian Panorama films and foreign films already received at ``a more opportune time at other venues''.

Postponement of the festival was ruled out as international film festivals have to conform to an international calendar approved by the International Federation of Film Producers' Association.

Though the international situation also contributed to the cancellation of the festival, back-tracking by the State Government at the eleventh hour in this case has apparently given rise to an opinion in favour of a permanent venue for IFFI within the Ministry. And, advocates of Delhi being made the permanent venue of IFFI have an ``open and shut case'' because the Ministry owns screening facilities in the Capital in Siri Fort and most international film festivals - be it Cannes, Venice or Berlin - are anchored in the same city.

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