‘47th Iffi preparation to begin immediately after current fest ends’

Panaji: Entertainment Society of Goa CEO Ameya Abhyankar told TOI that no sooner the 46^thedition of Iffi comes to an end, planning and programming for the next edition will begin. Searching for sponsors a few months prior to the festival is something that needs to be fixed, he said.
There is no lack of sponsors showing interest in Iffi and should preparations begin early the right measures can be taken to ensure the festival becomes self-sustaining in the years to come.He plans to keep the audience interest in the festival alive throughout the year. “We’re looking at a year-long engagement and are planning on screening two-minute clips on the festival at all Inox multiplexes in the country, throughout the year with curtain raisers in July and August, closer to the festival.”
The delegates are left in the lurch each year as the final selection of films for the festival takes place late with the list made public even later. Abhyankar hopes to have this sorted out too. “If not the final list we will ensure that at least the names of all the films that have been received by the festival can be shared so that people know what to expect.”
Doing away with the online ticketing system this year has been a good decision, he said, as “people are able to book tickets easily, ensuring the festival continues smoothly with no hassle”. “Sixty five to seventy five percent of the screenings are receiving an audience of 70-100 percent. There have even been requests for repeat screenings of ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusali’ and ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’.
Delegates who registered for this edition of Iffi are between 7,000-8,000. But only 3,500 odd delegates have collected their passes till date. Around 2,500 delegates from NFDC’s Film Bazaar, that ended on Tuesday, are also attending the festival along with 250 day delegates.
Discussions about how to expand Iffi, now that Goa has become a permanent venue for the festival, will begin after this edition is over. But Abhyankar doesn’t want to see it move out of the capital city. “This complex has heritage value and is intrinsic to Iffi,” he says.
When asked whether FTII students who are holding a parallel film festival are being barred from entry to Iffi, he said, “We’ve not restricted access to anyone but this is not the place to protest. There are places notified by the district collector where they can stage a silent protest. ESG is not one of these places.”