Ninth Marathi film festival to kickstart in June

Panaji: Marathi film buffs in the state are in for a treat as the annual Goa Marathi film festival will kick off in June this year. Now in its ninth edition, the event will have an array of critically-acclaimed films as well as many others that haven't yet received a commercial release.
"Most Marathi films get wide publicity through this festival owing to the kind of audience that comes forward to watch the films, thus the Goa Marathi film festivals has over the years become a sought after festival for many filmmakers," said Sanjay Shetye, managing director, Vinsan World.
"Last year nearly 2,500 people, of varying ages, turned up at the festival and the event keeps getting bigger each year. We are hoping for a greater turnout this time," said Shripad Shetye, partner, Vinsan World.
Shot at exotic locations in countries like Spain, Italy and France, the Marathi film 'One Way Ticket', will be the opening film for the festival. Directed by Amol Shetge, the big-budget multi-starrer movie is a story of intertwined destinies and goes to show how a lifetime can be lived and experienced in a span of eight days.
The first Indo-American Marathi film titled 'Dot Com Mom' will also be premiered at the festival. Directed by Meena Nerurkar, this film portrays the emotional relationship between a mother and son.
Konkani film, 'Enemy?' will be the only film in the language to be screened at the festival.
This year, the prestigious Kritadnyata Puraskar will be awarded to actress Varsha Usgaonkar. As a run-up to the event, a workshop on film lyrics will be organized prior to the festival.
Organized by Vinsan World in association with Kala Academy, Panaji, the Goa Marathi film festival is scheduled to be held from June 3 to 5, at Kala Academy, Maquinez Palace and Inox theatres.