NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has said arrangements are underway to provide the best facilities to filmmakers wanting to shoot in the state.

Speaking on the last day of the Australian Film Festival held in Dehradun over the weekend, he said “the state has huge potential in film making and could also obtain international attention because of the good scenic beauty available here.”

“In recent times, Uttarakhand has been visited by many Bollywood and international filmmakers. Blessed with natural beauty, the state has many more locations for shooting films than are available in Canada or Switzerland,” he added.

He expressed confidence that festivals like these would encourage tourism here as well as filmmakers. The government was working to fashion a good film policy and provide excellent facilities to filmmakers coming here.

The state was also coming up with 22 helipads to provide better connectivity. One of these would be at Sahastradhara connecting with various places. The Naini Saini and Pantnagar Airfields were also being extended. He said this will help film tourism.