( 20 TO 28 NOVEMBER 2016 )
AT THE OUTSET MUST MENTION THAT OPPOSED TO THE ESTABLISHED NORM OF 10 DAYS DURATION SINCE TEH INCEPTION OF THE FEST; THE DIRECTORATE OF FILM FESTIVALS PRUNED THE DURATION FROM TEN TO EIGHT DAYS IN ORDER TO SAVE THE COST AND TIME OF OUTSIDE PARTICIAPTING DELEGATES ;BUT WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FILMS TO BE SCREENED.
WHILE DOING THIS , NO MAGIC WAS DOEN BUT MERELY TO LENHANCE THE DAILY SCREENING HOURS STARTING FROM EARLY MORNING SAY FROM 8-30 A.M. TILL EVEN PAST 2 A. m. BUT INSTEAD OF HELPING THOSE DELEGATES OR MEDIA PERSONS FOR WHOM ADEQUATE REST WAS MORE NECESSARY THAN THEE INCONVENIENT MOVIE SCREENING TIME, THEY HAD TO KEEP THE CONVENIENT SCHEDULE WAS PREVALENT EARLIER. THIS RESULTED IN OVERALL CUT OF NUMBER OF FEST FILMS THEY COULD COMPLETE IN EIGHT DAYS DURATION.
Thus this experiment if resulted in saving number of days stay for those who could become virtual movie machines to watch for extended unearthy hours, for others like senior citizens, it proved injurious to their interest .
REPEATING PAST HISTORY OF MIS-MANAGEMENT ,INCONVENIENCE , BAD PROGRAMMING , LACK OF QUALITY NEW FILMS, CURTAILMENT OF MEDIA FACILITIES AND EVEN CARE, DEARTH OF STAPLE FOOD STALLS WITH AFFORDABLE PRICE IN MAIN FEST VENUE AT INOX ETC. ETC. WAS ORDER OF THE FESTIVAL.
In particular :
A) This year, each and every facility of media was either curtailed or absent for most part of of the Festival. Even drinking water with glasses, free pantry facility for media and a full fledged media office with staff to take care of media persons was totally absent alike past years. The first floor of Annex building opposite Maquinez Palace used to be exclusively earmarked with its adjoining comfortable AC halls for press conferences, peignoir holes separate Toilet facilities etc.were discontinued by ESG ( the local Festival bosses) and the entire Media paraphernalia of media centre sans staff was shifted to small rooms at ground floor of main building on an unacceptable excuse that it was done by ESG to afford more facilities and space to Media persons. For the first two days, even this minuscule facility was absent at the venue.And there was absolutely no accountability . In fact PIB officials were not found sitting anywhere accessible to media,except the SMS alerts for press conferences on phone. There was even no Notice Board. Computers were just fixed in a tiny space difficult to walk or sit with inadequate furniture. SUCH CARELESS AND AVOIDING ATTITUDE and lack of respect for FOR MEDIA was never ever seen in the festival history.
B) Usual shuttle facility for commuting of media and delegates between the Inox and Kala Academi was absent . This resulted in waste of time as well as great inconvenience to commute between two venues at odd times or late after 9 p.m. as even public buses on that road used to be off.
C) Insignificant RED CARPET events; absence of any Film celebrity or artist for Premiere film Presentations, absence of delegates from Hindi /Marathi Film Industry . Foreign delegates were mostly seen while presenting their film or for Press conferences,but not in watching the Fest movies.
D)Participation that in getting entry into an Auditorium was not difficult with or without Advance reservation. Back first row of all Inox Screening halls used to be kept reserved and manned by the local ushers for VIPS. Since there Were only a few VIPs, local volunteers used to allow any local/known person to sit whereas genuine delgate movie buffs or media were not allowed to sit on those sits.
E) Open forum, which is an important event of any International Film Festival, was shifted from the hitherto convenient Inox ground to a small place in Kala Academy and its duration was reduce to Mere 3 Festival days.Thus the interaction between the film makers and film enthusiasts was absent . This robbed the Festival of its AURA.
F) Two big Goof Ups. One that the description of the Lifetimes Achiement Award Winner Im Kwon-taek was given under his own Photograph as well as under the photograph of Centenary Award winner S P Balasubrahmanyam, whereas life details of him were missing from the Catalogue.
Secondly, name of Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan, in press relase ,was to be the Chief Guest at the Inaugural ceremony but at the last Moment changed to Film maker Ramesh Sippy as Ajay did not confirm acceptance. None was the Guest of Honour as has been the Practice of IFFI.
G) The IFFI daily bulletin ,although was of 12 Pages. Only tabloid size thin newspaper was used. out 12, 2 pges were for hindi , 2 pages were for English Festival news, one was for day’s schedule and rest 8 pages were devoted for ESG which catered mainly to local people.
COMPARED TO THE FESTIVAL , THE FILM BAZAAR OF NFDC TURNED OUT TO BE A WELL MANAGED AND RESULT ORIENTED EVENT WHERE EVEN FILM BUSINESS ALSO PICKED UP.
A tame opening ceremony
Normally in all Intrnational Festivals ,Inaugural Event remains a much appreciated highlight, but has been an exception. For the last 12 years of Goa hardly afew years It was a high light befitting to the Indian ethos and traditions embedded in Indian culture as we present before the World. This year too,the organizers slipped and gave us a half hearted diluted presentation of Indian women. Theme was a burning issue of the day “Empowerment of Women”. Sadly due to cheap choreography and visual vulgarization presented bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya was awful. Scantily dressed, half naked bulky women danced based on songs of Indian films’ Powerful Women Characters. That was in bad taste and failed to project the dignity of those Powerful Women.
Saving grace of the inaugural day was the screening of opening film “After Image” a Magnificent film by Internationally acclaimed Polish director Andrzej Wajda as his swan song. Soon after this film he left the world in Oct.2016. ( Review is given below under Best/Good films)
Lifetime Achievement and Centenary Awards
The Veteran Korean Cinema Icon Im Kwon-taek eith almost half a century experience of Quality award winning films was conferred the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award consisting o, a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs, a certificate , shawl , and Golden Peacock for his outstanding contribution to Cinema.
Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality
This year the above prestigious award was conferred on the Veteran Singer S P Balasubrahmanyam ( Cash Prize , Certificate & Medal Silver Peacock ) for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema. SPS ,although a Tamilian, has given playback in Regional films besides Hindi films .
AWARD WINNERS AND WINING FILMS
IFFI 2016 had three competition sections and the awards were presented in the following categories:
International Competition section :
For Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Special Jury Award,
Award for Best Film won by Iranian Film “DAUGHTER” made by Reza Mirkirami ( Golden Pea cock, Cash prize of Rs. 40 lakhs and a certificate)
Best director award was shared by Baris Kaya and Soner Caner for the Turkish film “RAUF”( Each a Silver Peacocok and split cash prize of Rs. 7.5 Lakhs)
Best Actor ( Male) award was won by Farhad Aslani for his performance in Iranian film “Daughter”( Rs. 10 lakhs cash prize and SIlver Peacock)
Best Actor ( Female) award was given to Elina Vaska for her performance in Latvian film “Mellow Mud” ( cash prize of Rs. 10 Lakhs plus Silver Peacock)
Special Jury Award was won by the director Director Lee Joon-ik for his creation “The Throne”(Repbulic of Korea). Cash Prize of Rs. 15 Lakhs and Silver Peacock
The Centenary award for the Best Debut film of a Director went to Pepa San Martin for his Chilean film “RARA”
ICFT UNESCO GANDHI MEDAL with a certificate was conferred on the director of the Turkish film “ Cold of Kalander “ Mustafa Kara. The film reflected the ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence.
Chinese- Canadian Director Tiffany Hsiung won the ICFT UNESCO Jury Mention Certificate for her film ‘Apology ‘ .
The Best/ Good Films of the Fest
“ AFTERIMAGE” ( POLAND)
This is the latest and the last classic film from the Master film maker Andrzej Wajda . This is a bio-pic about avant garde artist Wladyslaw Strzeminski of Poland who faught Stalinist impositions on his own physical impairments with his own progressive views on the purpose of art. The film is a portrait of an unbroken man- a man confident of decisions he has taken, a man dedicated to art not easily discerned. He was an exceptional teacher and the founder of the World Museum of Modern Art in 1934. The film breathtakingly depicts the grave four years between 1949-52 when the Sovietisation of Poland took the most radical form, and the socialist realism Became the obligatory form of artistic expression.
Boguslaw Linda as the physically impaired artist gavea sterling performance and Wajda’s Directorial touches were par excellence in weaving an essay on such a difficult theme.
TAMARA ( VENEZUELA)
This was a mid fest presentation at the fest which was indeed interesting in dealing with the aftermath of a sex change thru’ surgery.
The protogonist is a successful lawer with loving wife and two kids.The man has an intrinsic physical hunger to become a woman.
He struggles hard for that and finally comes to the terms with his visceral desire to become a woman, determinedly following his heart . Cost of this was to turn his whole world upside down and put his life at risk, but his trip to gender reassignment continued.
Elia K Scheneider is the writer- director of this film who did a brilliant job and full justice in treating his own and turmoil of his family with deft handling and sensitivity. Off course, actor Osvaldo Montes has excelled in expressing his pain, desire and the emotions in process.
DAUGHTER (IRAN)
This is very moving film of an orthodox family in small town in Iran where the father used to command for following age old strict traditions .The only girl who was educated and having a desire to break age old shackles of keeping woman confined to house.Exasperated by her father’s authoritarianism. One day she confides with her Mom her desire to go to Tehran to say farewell to one of her best friends. Knowing well that father will not permit, she tells Mother not to tell him but promises to return back same day. Somehow, in spite her best efforts, she was unable to fly back same day.
Fear of scolding grips her to return to father and she decides to stay in the town but under the shelter of her aunt who was outcast by her family many years back. Because she had rebelled and married a man against the family wish.Rest of the film movingly depicts the trials and tribulations of an old exhausting but loving father to start a hectic search to locate and bring back his daughter . The climax is very much moving and educative too for the reformation of the strict father .
Producer- director Reza Mirkarimi has made the movie with fine emotional touches ,leaving a lasting effect on the audience. Script writer Mehran Kashani has weaved the events without any flaw but with natural flow. Of course the Actor Farhad Aslani as father indeed gave a brilliant performance for which he received the best actor award in the competition . Likewise the film was also judged as the Best Film in the Competition .
ASHES AND DIAMONDS (Poland)
This 1958 Andrzej Wajda film was a part of Special tribute section. This was one of his earliest films which gave a glimpse of what huge film making perfection he will achieve.
In Poland small townon the last day of World War II,Polish exiles of war and the occupying Soviet forces confront a beginning of a new day.In this incendiary environment, a home army soldierwho has been ordered to assassinate an incoming Commissar. Thereafter the film masterfully interweaves the fate of a nation with that of one man. Thus the film resulted in one of te most important Polish films.
Besides the masterly directorial touches of Wajda, the character of the protagonist Polish soldier was magnificently performed by Actor Zhigniew Cybulski.
THE SHAMELESS ( SOUTH KOREA)
In the country focus of South Korea, this was One of the good films showing an enormous skill of film making from the Writer-Director Oh Seung-uk.
Homicide detective Jug Jau-gon is chasing a suspect of a murder case. He know the suspect will get in touch with his lover, who is a Madam at a tthird rate Bar. Jung goes undercover as the suspect’s former cellmate and becomes the Floor Manager at the Bar where his lover works. Jung wathes her every move and eventually gets rewarded with a result.
The suspense and tempo of the story is kept intact by the writer -director to dish out an outstanding hood-unit movie.
TRAIN TO BUSAN ( SOUTH KOREA)
This was another South Korean film not a part of Country Focus but in a separate section titiled as “Memoirs of Fear” a part of best six films based on the subject of Horror/Thrillers/Peddlers’ from the Republic of Korea.
“Train to Busan” is an internationally acclaimed and award winning film in this genre written and directed by Yeon Sang -ho, which keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats till the last frame.
Social satire competes with melodrama and gore into this frenetic zombie horror thriller film about a rail -borne plague. While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea part of Seoul, which affects the passengers travelling from Seoul to Busan. The long struggle of brave, innocent passengers ( children seniors include) depict how a couple of passengers manage to survive o Hyung-n train and reach to Busan.
With the help of brilliant photography from Lee Hyung-deok, the director was able to delver a truly 118 minutes of fast paced horror and thriller film of 2016.
COIN LOCKER GIRL (SOUTH KOREA)
This film was another goof film in the Country focus of South Korea written and directed by Han Jun-hee .
Story deals with the trials and tribulations of a new born girl abandoned in a Coin Operated Locker at a sub=way station. The girl is sold off to a woman referred to simply as Mother, the cruel boss of a killer Mafia gang and operating a remorseless loan shark group. Raisedd by thieves and debt collectors and after 18 years age, young II Young carries out missions given to her by the mother. In the process, she is exposed to the world that everyone calls normal. In a thrilling , action filled climax, she becomes the BOSS of this gang by eliminating Mother and her henchmen .
The action scenes are quick .fast and with required adequate tempo. This film can well be copied by the Bollywood to churn out another absorbing action- thriller.
Another good film of this IFFI was film “The Salesman” in the master stroke section , made by the Internationally acclaimed award winnnig film maker Asghar Farhadi.
This film has already been reviewed by me earlier in the Jio_Mami Festival account of Ocotber 2016.Hence I am not repeating it.
----- Mohan Siroya
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