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Scripting a success story
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The ongoing Seventh International Film Festival of Kerala dons a simple, neat and attractive garb
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Regular visitors to the International Film Festival of Kerala for the past few years are keeping their fingers crossed.
For them, the smooth going of the Seventh IFFK, inaugurated here on March 29, appears too good to be true. And they are praying that it would continue so. Compared with the previous festivals, the current edition is a quantum leap in content and conduct.
There are few frills and trappings owing to a 40 per cent budget cut; yet, the festival has not spared itself on the essentials. Prints of almost all the films to be screened at the festival had been received well in advance. It had enabled the publication of the screening schedule before the start of the festival. "It is welcome relief," says Amudhan of the Chennai Film Society, "Hence, we could plan our viewing schedule in advance. Last year it had been a mad scramble to know what was being screened where."
Issue of passes to the 5,000-odd delegates had been done with clockwork precision and order by the regional office of the Federation of Film Societies if India.
For the first time in the history of the festival, delegates had to pay a fee of Rs. 100. But few are grumbling. Says Hidayatullah of the Madras Progressive Film Society, "To watch good cinema, Rs. 100 is too low. I can't believe it. I and my friends from Chennai would have paid more to see such a festival."
M. Mani, a freelance film critic from Chennai says, "Even Rs. 50 a day would not be too much. Also, this would keep out people who visit film festivals only for a lark." In all, 450 passes have been issued to members of the media that includes Bhawana Somaya, editor of Screen, Rajendra Ojha of the Screen World International and representatives of The Telegraph, U.K., and the African Diary. Like the delegate passes, the issue of media passes too had started by February 25.
Daily bulletins are being brought out on time, so that the delegates could have it with their morning cup of cheer. In sharp contrast to last year, delegates look forward to the bulletins, which have been written and designed well. Do the delegates feel that the festival should have more glitz and glamour? Most don't. Says Kothandaraman of the Madras Film Society, who has been attending film festivals for the past three decades. "Money should be spent on getting good films, and not on glitz. Also, we should not imitate foreign film festivals, which have huge resources."
Some of the delegates from Tamil Nadu, many of whom have attended all the IFFKs so far, are aware of the attempts that had been made to put a spoke in the Festival wheel. They are unanimous when they say, "Who could ever think of scuttling the festival? In Tamil Nadu, it is our dream to have such a festival, and this may never come true."
They have a few suggestions too. "Films of one category could be held in one theatre. It would also be nice if the festival is held in the cooler months," suggests Kothandaraman. The Open Forum remains a source of excitement and trepidation still.
Though the feature, which originated at the IFFK, has been adopted by the IFFI, delegates who had visited the festivals in New Delhi and Hyderabad, say it has not really taken off there.
"But unfortunately in Kerala, disgruntled elements and the high-spirited, but intellectually deficient have hijacked the forum for vested interests or to make a nuisance of themselves," says a delegate from outside the State.
This time, the Open Forum is being held inside the Sree theatre hall and is open only to delegates.
In general, there are very few complaints about the films selected for the Festival. A new feature, which delegates are curious about, is the section of Public Service Broadcasting Trust documentaries.
There are seven documentaries by Indian filmmakers in this category. Films by Aki Kaurismaki too are generating a lot of interest. The Audience Prize for the best film, a `first' this year, and the electronic voting system are being welcomed enthusiastically.
But doubts are voiced that many of the delegates might cast their votes without seeing all the films in the Competition section.
As the festival continues on an even keel, the happiest and relieved lot are the employees of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy for whom the days have been longer for the past three months.
PRAKASAM. K. UNNI
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