Flaw found in state's Cannes promotion claim

HYDERABAD: While a private agency said it promoted Telangana state as a film tourism destination during the recently-held Festival de Cannes 2016, strangely, the permission was given only after the festival was over.
In a GO issued on June 6, by B Venkatesham, secretary to state government's youth advancement, tourism and culture (PMU) department, an amount of Rs 6 lakh has been sanctioned to documentary filmmaker Dulam Satyanarayana, of Ms D S N Films Pvt Ltd.The amount has been granted for promotional activity carried out abroad during the Cannes film festival, which was held between May 11 and 22 this year.
However, while the GO makes it clear that the agency approached the government on April 22 for sponsorship, permission was granted only on May 28, after the world-famous festival was over.The agency said film shooting locations were promoted at the international platform where an exclusive booth space was taken for Telangana tourism promotional material, brochures, posters, souvenirs and LCDs to be used for film screenings.
While sanctioning the amount asked by the agency , the GO said it had submitted bills along with evidence of work in a request made on May 30 for release of the amount. When contacted, officials did not want to elaborate on the matter. “I do not want to speak on the phone lest my version be twisted,“ a senior official of the tourism department said.
The development comes at a time when state filmmakers have been asking the government to ease the process of getting permissions for film shootings and to also reduce charges of shooting at different loca tions. Even though such demands have been pending with the government, it went ahead to promote film tourism abroad with out addressing basic needs back home. Even though several meetings with representa tive s from the film industry have been held to address issues, experts feel more needs to be done on a priority basis.