::News4u:: » Soni holds two meetings on upgradation of IFFI, national film awards

News4u-News Desk-In an effort to upgrade the International Film Festival of India and give national film awards a more contemporary look, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni held two meetings of separate committee of experts she had formed for the purpose.

“I held two meetings today, one on NFA where film maker Shyam Benegal and Censor Board chairperson Sharmila Tagore were also present. They gave their opinions on how the film awards can be upgraded. I hope the committee will give its report by March 15, 2010, as to how to upgrade the national film awards and make it more contemporary by making qualitative changes in it,” Soni told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday.

She said the second meeting of experts for upgradation of IFFI “focussed on how we can make IFFI more competitive and get a better market for Indian films”.

The IFFI committee too will be submitting a report to the government by 15^th March 2010, on how to make changes in the film festival.

The meeting was attended by actor Kamal Haasan, the chairman of the committee, while Pritish Nandy, adman Prasoon Joshi and other film personalities were also present. Benegal is the chairman of the committee on national film awards.

During the meeting on the awards, Soni said the Ministry wished to be benefitted by its recommendations so that the revamped national film awards 2009 can be presented to the public at large.

Soni favoured a time schedule be laid out so that the national film awards become an annual fixture and every effort is made to ensure that by following a proper, democratic and transparent procedure, litigation is minimised, if not completely avoided, so as not to derail the schedule as had happened in the recent past.

Among those who attended the meeting on Wednesday included filmmakers Ashok Vishwanathan, Jahnu Baruah, Mohan Agashe, Nagesh Kuknoor, Rajiv Mehrotra, Shajin Karun, Vishal Bhardwaj and Sai Paranjapye.

Addressing the meeting of experts’ committee on IFFI, Soni said Haasan was chosen to convene the next meeting of the experts to give recommendations regarding upgrade of IFFI on the lines of other reputed international festivals and the resultant changes to be made in the regulations as also its organisational structure.

Contributing to the discussions, the members suggested IFFI should acquire a definite identity and character as associated with other known film festivals across the world.

Whether IFFI should have more of Asia focus or be trade- oriented or a forum for film discussions or target film audience would largely define the organisational and structural logistics, it was pointed out. Goa as a permanent venue could be infrastructurally upgraded accordingly.

The meeting was also attended by A K Bir, C S Sapra, director Govind Nihalani, Kamal Haasan, Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, Prasoon Joshi, Pritish Nandy along with Kishwar Desai, Maithili Rao, Pooja Shetty Deora, and actress Shabana Azmi.