Could
Goa host 2004 film fete?
Sandesh Prabhudesai
12 June 2003
The Goa government is not sure whether the first Goa International
Film Festival in India will be hosted in December 2004.
"We will try our level best to meet the deadline",
says chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
After returning from the national capital, the BJP chief
minister however has already started working on the decision
to make Goa the permanent venue for the international film
festival in India.
As the idyllic beaches and tiny streets of the former Portuguese
colony seen crowded with domestic and foreign tourists during
the Christmas and the New Year, the 20-day film fiesta would
be thus either held before 20 December or after 10 January.
With only 18 months remaining in hand, he plans to prepare
a detailed chart by the month end while constituting a committee,
headed by the state information director, to monitor the work.
Relying totally upon the Bollywood film industry to execute
the plan, the tourist state would probably select the site
for the permanent venue by next month while the theme would
be finalised by August.
"The Cannes Film Festival will only provide us the central
thought, but Goa would reflect in the theme we decide",
states the chief minister. The managing authority at Cannes
has also offered consultancy to the state, which has no tradition
even to produce regional films in the local Konkani language.
Though the authorities here are in the high spirits with
the centre deciding in Goa's favour for film fete venue, the
tourist state has no readymade infrastructure, except the
four star and five star hotels along the coastal line and
the scenic beauty.
The work has to begin with scratch, by selecting the site,
acquiring around 80 acres of land, working out designs, constructing
the structures and equipping the structures with all kind
of technical requirements and the skilled experienced manpower.
"It is not impossible, but definitely difficult",
quips Parrikar.
To get fully prepared for the film festival of international
standard, the coastal state requires at least six to seven
multiplexes with small and big auditoriums, the film market,
conference halls, communications facilities and accommodation
on site.
Pending site selection, he prefers either the southern coastal
belt around the major four star and five star hotels located
near Margao with the bed capacity of around 6000 or along
the Calangute beach in the north with the bed capacity of
around 2500.
In addition, the state is constructing a convention centre
at the venue, with a sitting capacity of around 2500, besides
a Film City, the long-pending demand of the Bollywood, but
little away from the venue.
Estimating an expenditure of around Rs four crore for the
festival every year, the tourist state expects almost similar
amount of revenue generation, directly and indirectly.
Goa has no culture of the regional film industry in Konkani,
but still Parrikar seems to be not bothered about availability
of skilled manpower. "Seventy per cent of the Bollywood
is occupied by Goans, whether in the field of artistic talent
or the technical skills", he claims.
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