Promotion Fund to support Indian cinema in International Film Fests

Government has taken a new initiative to create a Film Promotion Fund to promote Indian cinema in the International Film Festivals, the Minister of Information & Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday. 

While addressing the curtain raiser press conference for 47th International Film Festival of India, Goa at the National Media Center here, the minister asserted that the new initiative would provide financial assistance to the films which would be selected in any competition section of an International Film Festival of repute or being India’s official nomination to the Academy Awards under Foreign Film Category for promotional activities.

A total of 1032 entries were received for IFFI 2016 from across the globe, out of which 194 films from 88 countries have been selected to be screened. This time IFFI will recognize young talent from across the world of cinema. The winner would be honored with a Silver Peacock and a cash price of 10 Lakhs rupees.

15 films from across the globe, including two Indian films from Indian Panorama section in the International Competition Section have been chosen. Under the section ‘International Competition’, awards will be given for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor – Male, Best Actor – Female and Special Jury Award. This year, the festival line-up included 26 Asian and 108 Indian Premieres in the International Cinema section. 

The festival would honour award winning and acclaimed singer, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, with the Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year 2016, for his contribution to Indian Cinema. He holds the record in the Guinness Book for singing and recording more than 40,000 songs and has won the National Award six times He was honoured with the Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2011) by the Government of India. In this year, Balasubrahmanyam has completed five decades in the film industry.

Indian actor, director and producer Ajay Devgn, would be the Chief Guest for the opening ceremony. He is a two time National Award winning actor and has been honored with the Padma Shri by the Govt. of India. The National award winning Director S.S Rajamouli, also would be the chief guest at the closing ceremony. He is known for scripting epic dramas and bringing them alive on the big screen. 

Francis D’Souza, Deputy Chief Minister of Goa, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister of State for I&B, Mr. Cho Hyun, Ambassador Republic of Korea and Ajay Mittal, Secretary I&B were also present on the occasion. IFFI 2016 in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT), Paris and UNESCO would also present the “ICFT- UNESCO Gandhi Medal” to a film, which reflects the ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence.