Will protest if Goan films not screened at IFFI: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday threatened an agitation, if films made by Goa film makers were not screened at the upcoming 50th edition of the International Film Festival of India, to be held here in November.

"Unfortunate that not one Goan cinema is part of Indian Panorama of @IFFIGoa. I urge @goacm to intervene, reminding him that ESG had 5 official programming sections of IFFI during my @INCGoa Govt. & then @INCIndia Govt. had given us 'Goa on Celluloid' section to screen Goan films," Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat tweeted on Tuesday.

"Goa government and Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) must take up this issue with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) and demand that Goan films are included in the official category of IFFI 2019, failing which I will not hesitate to agitate and stage demonstrations along with all Goan film makers during the forthcoming edition of the IFFI," Kamat also warned.

IFFI is jointly organised by the central government's DFF and ESG, a Goa government body, which looks after the logistics required for the event.

Kamat also said that a national award winning film 'Aamori' made by Goan film maker Dinesh Bhonsle must be included in the official screening section 'Indian Panorama' of IFFI.

"I want to bring it to the notice of the Chief Minister that in the past all national award winning Goan films were made part of IFFI screening," Kamat also said.

IFFI is the Indian government's biggest film festival and is scheduled to be held in Panaji from November 20-28.IANS