PANAJI: Makers of films that have been selected for the Indian Panorama want the government to help them find ways to distribute and market these films.
They feel that showing the films in various Indian festivals or special Panorama festivals is not enough as this does not fetch any money for the filmmaker to encourage him to make more films.
Speaking at the Open Forum on ‘New Faces in the Indian Panorama’ organised by the Federation of Film Societies in India in collaboration with Directorate of Film Festivals and the Entertainment Society of Goa, former Festival Director Malati Sahay said the Indian Panorama had been the USP of IFFI since it was started in 1978. It had succeeded in encouraging many new filmmakers to come to the fore and had, therefore, created a pool of talent.
But she agreed that it needed better marketing than IFFI or the DFF showing it in other parts of the country and other regional festivals picking up some of the films. At the same time, she said marketing itself was a science that filmmakers must master if they had to remain in the field. Filmmakers should also explore newer formats since digital technology had thrown up new formats.
Gajendra Ahire whose film ‘Pail Tesundaram’ is in the Panorama, said Marathi cinema had seen a new resurgence over the past six to seven years and several new filmmakers had come into the field after ‘Shwaas’. But he regretted that very few had come back with new films fit enough for the Panorama. He said sending DVDs for Panorama selections was risky as piracy was a major threat, and so 35 mm prints should be sent.
Samrita Sunil, who has acted in ‘Kaal Chilambu’, said her films had been coming in the Panorama for the past four years, but she was attending the Festival for the first time. Her co-actor Vineet said the real challenge lay in finding good scripts by new filmmakers. The Indian Panorama may not be successful commercially, but gave good exposure.
Premlal, debutante director of the Malayalam film ‘Atmakatha’ on visually impaired persons, said his film was aimed at showing that even the disabled can live positive and normal lives. He agreed that releasing subtitled prints all over the country was an option that could be explored. Answering a question about his main lead Srinivasan, he said the veteran writer-director-actor had not interfered in his style and only remained an actor on the sets.
Wellknown filmmaker M R Rajan and others regretted that Doordarshan was no longer telecasting Panorama films, but was informed that Lok Sabha TV was doing so, although it paid very little.
FFSI General Secretary U Radhakrishnan said the National Films Development Corporation (NFDC) should make sub-titled prints for distribution all over the country and overseas.
Others who were present included ‘Atmakatha’ producer Santosh Pavithram and ‘Kaal Chilambu’ director M T Annoor.
