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Terms for film festival entry draw flak

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI AUG. 21. Concerned over the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry's recent decision making censor certificates mandatory for all Indian documentary entries at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), a group of parliamentarians have written to the Union Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, urging him to repeal the clause.

"Why should foreign films be put at an advantage over Indian films? This is clearly discrimination. It is amazing that suddenly after seven years the Ministry has decided to apply this clause this year. Documentary films have always been the realm of creative expression unlike feature films in which directors are constrained by an attempt to make money. This space of free expression should remain,'' states Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi, a signatory to the letter.

Cutting across party lines, the letter has been signed by Shiv Sena member, Sanjay Nirupam as well as Pritish Nandy. "The Minister has assured us that he will look into this matter immediately,'' Ms Azmi added.

Bringing to the fore the larger issue of censorship over the years, this recent tussle with the Ministry is just another attempt to muffle their voice, film-makers allege. "The only reason we can think of is that the Government does not want documentaries on the Gujarat violence to be screened. World over festivals are spaces where the freedom of expression is respected,'' stated film-maker Rahul Roy.

Interestingly, "Open Frame 03'', the festival organised by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSPT) and scheduled to begin here this Thursday, has managed to "escape'' the mandatory censor certificate requirement. Though the Ministry had imposed a similar rule on the PSPT festival earlier, it seems to have agreed not to insist on censor certificates for Indian documentary film-makers for the festival.

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