12th MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL (MFF) - PART-II

As reported in Part-I, the festival was held from 21st Oct. to 28th Oct.

POINTS TO PONDER OVER BY THE RELIANCE BIG ENTERTAINMNENT WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF THE ORGANIZER—MUMBAI ACADEMY OF MOVING IMAGES (MAMI)

1. A good selection of films, but badly managed (rather mismanaged)
2. Venue was too cramped with small capacity to accommodate a large number Registered delegates, media and invitees/VIPs. Small 5 screens of PVR Cineplex and an ordinary main screening venue Chandan was woefully inadequate (viewers avoided patronizing Chandan as lacked all basic facilities, sound track and hygine. Thus the festival lacked the festival spirit. At least on two occasions the large number of delegates could not get to see the movie resulting in fracas, booing and unruly behavior which required summoning the Police to restore order and compelling the director to keep special extra shows but at an odd time at 10-30 p.m for 3 favorite movies.
3. A large area was kept well furnished touted as “Business Centre” but it is not known What business transactions were achieved. The room for “Open forum” or the “Press Conference” was too small to be of any efficacy. No “Mixing/Meeting or hangover space” was available for delegates at large. Absence of Media Room or a well set Media centre was missing.
4. As usual registered media at large were not invitees to the OPNING OR CLOSING FUNCTIONS. Loss was of MFF, remained starved of wide scale publicity. Only communication channel was the Official festival Bulletin managed by the “Film Street Journal” team but it failed to communicate even the scheduled of Press Conferences or the events of the day. Only a tiny hand written board used to display the events outside the open forum room. Even the Festival catalogue was not made in Indexing or chronological order, thus waste of time and inconvenience to find the credits of a required film.
5. Lack of basic facility reached to a nadir for two days when the only LIFT Available to reach to third and fifth floors of PVR remained inoperative for maintenance.The organizers could not even manage to let viewers come out from main foyers (instead of climbing down back stairs till ground floor) which could have afforded the commute or botheration as “Escalators” were available.

In sum total, it can be said that the Standard of selected films was Not bad, but not good as was last year. The mismanagement was worse than last year. Generally more selected films lacked in “Emotional, family and sentimental" contents.

Since yours truly was not a part of Opening or Closing functions; no detailed account can be given except a few highlights.

• On the opening day, as apart of Inauguration MAMI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD was conferred on the veteran Producer- Director- Writer – Actor MANOJ KUMAR.

• Opening film was one of the best films “The Social Network” Already a winner of International awards and box office success.

• Closing day function was near chaotic as reported. Started cool 2 Hours behind schedule, followed by not so good closing film “RED” (USA) directed by Robert Schwentke

Other information about closing day function is gathered from press:-

In the Competition films, the top Golden Gateway award was won by the Turkish film “ Majority” directed by Seren Yuce.

Silver gateway awards winner were :

Danish film “R” directed by Michael Noer and Tobias Lindholm

Best Director --- Anocha S for Thai film “Mundane History”

Audience Choice award to Spanish film “Biutiful” directed by Alejandro G I.

Harmony Foundation award for celebrating age was given to the film “Mamma Gogo” from Iceland directed by Friorik Por.

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST—LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT AWARD FOR INTRNATIONAL FILMS ON THE CELEBRITY FILM MAKER–ACTOR OLIVER STONE.

SOME OF THE GOOD FILMS SCREENED WERE :

“THE SOCIAL NETWORK” (USA) Directed by David Fincher. (This was an inaugural film of the fest)

“POETRY” (SOUTH KOREA) Directed by Lee Chang –Dong

“OUTRAGE” (JAPAN) Directed by Takeshi Kitano

“VITAL SIGNS” (CANADA) Directed by Sophie Deraspe

“AYLA” (GERMANY) Directed by Su Turhan

“CERTIFIED COPY” (FRANCE – ITALY) Directed by Abbas Kiarostami of Iran.

“HARUD” (INDIA) Directed by Aamir Bashir

“KOSMOS” (TURKEY) Directed by Reha Eldem

“EVERYBODY’S COUCH” (CANADA) Directed by Dominic Desjardins

“OCTOBER” (PERU-VENEZUELA) Directed by Daniel Vega

“IF I WANT TO WHISTLE I WHISTLE (ROMANIA- SWEDEN) Directed by Florin Serban”

“THE HAIRDRESSER” (GERMANY) Directed by Doris Dome

“A FAMILY” (DENMARK) Directed by Pemille Fisher

“BLACK FIELD” (GREECE) Directed by Vardis Marinakis

“I AM KALAM” (INDIA) Directed by Nila Madhab Panda)