KOLKATA : Union Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Culture S. Jaipal Reddy said the process of film production had increasingly become globalised. The Centre was going into a co-production treaty with Italy and would soon be entering into a similar agreement with the United Kingdom and other European countries. The process was also on with China.

Inaugurating the 11th Kolkata Film Festival, he said: "The idea is to see Indian films produced in foreign locales and foreign films in Indian locales. There was also need to remove all bureaucratic bottlenecks to achieve this."

The Centre was looking at various legislative measures to curb piracy. "Cinema has radicalised our social consciousness and modernised our outlook. Indian cinema has struck blow after blow for social justice and has a quality of converting our mindset," Mr. Reddy said. "There will be more than 200 multiplexes across the country in five years. These multiplexes will revise the cinema as an industry. The Centre would like to encourage the film industry by bringing down the entertainment tax. We have urged the State Governments to do so."

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said that 138 films of 44 countries would be shown in various theatres. The special feature of the festival was the screening of films to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory over fascism.

A two-minute silence was observed in memory of the former President, K.R. Narayanan, who passed away on Wednesday.

Elaborate security measures have been taken in the different venues, adjoining parking lots and outside hotels where foreign delegates will be put up, a senior police official said.

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