Rolling Out the Red Carpet

Goa is once again the centre of action with the International Film Festival (IFFI) 2016 is all set to roll. Timeline Goa lays out the script ahead of the eight-day event.

It’s that time of the year when Goa beckons cine buffs from across the world and nation. The city is decked up with a new coat of paint, the pavements scrubbed clean and the lights stream on at the Kala Academy, Inox and at ESG (Entertainment Society of Goa). But before the cameras start rolling, the event has been preceded by a flurry of meetings running into the late hours.

ESG has been abuzz with the finishing touches to this year’s edition. We caught up with the two men at the helm, Vice Chairman, Rajendra Talak and the CEO Ameya Abhiyankar to focus on the scenes behind the scenes.

The idea behind this edition, Abhiyankar says, is to make it richer in terms of content,aesthetics and to make it more user friendly as well. “There are a large number of non-delegates who visit, so we are trying to create opportunities for them as well so that they too can enjoy the festival,” he says. Besides,there will be workshops by FTII and One School Goa hosting the short film and documentary festival across the road from ESG. Abhiyankar envisages a ‘take home for everyone’ ambience, not only in terms of content for avid cine buffs but for non-delegates as well.

A change in the deco has also been introduced. Talak elucidates that for years this was handed over to a set designer who drew up the look for the festival. While the props were executed by the designer, electrification and beautification was done by other parties. This has been done away with and a single agency has been assigned to handle all aspects. “There used to be a big gap between the person giving the order and the person executing it. This affected the quality. Though the cost has gone up a little, it’s a step in the right direction,” says Talak.