Instructs ESG to restore old Konkani movies
Panaji: Stating that a single window clearance facilitation centre for film-related permissions in the state will become active from September, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said the government will soon revise the state’s film financing scheme.
Sawant was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Goa State Film Festival in Panaji.
“Those wishing to obtain permissions for direction and production related to film shootings can avail of this single window clearance system,” Sawant said. He said the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) will provide all the necessary support.
The Chief Minister also said that the film financing scheme, which was earlier suspended due to some technical reasons,
will now be revised and funds would be disbursed soon as per A, B and C categories.
Speaking about the importance of preserving Konkani cinema, Sawant instructed the ESG to begin with the restoration of old Konkani films, especially those released in or before 1961.
“Films from 1961 or earlier are not found easily; there is a need to restore them. When we celebrate 100 years of Goan cinema, we should be able to watch the first film as well,” Sawant said.
“There should not be any pressure on the directors and producers, ESG should take responsibility to restore these movies,” he said.
Stating that Konkani cinema does not cater to only 15 lakh Goans, but around 2 crore people across the country and the world, the Chief Minister said there is a need to target audiences in Kerala, Karnataka, Konkan in Maharashtra and also in Dubai and London.
Vice-chairman of ESG Delilah Lobo said
that over four days, the film festival showcased 19 feature films, 4 non-feature films and 20 short films through competitions, masterclasses and networking sessions. “The festival also supported women’s self-help groups by providing stalls to promote their businesses,” she said.
A film facilitation and shooting application portal was launched, and it will go live from September 1.
Renowned actress Varsha Usgaonkar was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.
Usgaonkar said that the budget for the Konkani film industry should be at least Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per year.
“Lead roles in Konkani cinema should be given to Goan faces to showcase the talent of our soil. The content of Konkani films should be original and not replicas of Marathi or Hindi film industries,” the actress said.
