Govt to bring IFFI at par with Cannes

Jaipal Reddy promised to do his best to bring the 10-day extravaganza on par with the Cannes film festival.

As the 36th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kicked off in Goa, Union Minister for Urban Development and Culture Jaipal Reddy promised to do his best to bring the 10-day extravaganza on par with the Cannes film festival.

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Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Reddy said like its more celebrated counterparts abroad, IFFI also needed a permanent venue for which there had been no better choice than Goa.

"All international film festivals are known by the name of the place they are held in. We think IFFI should cease to be a gypsy and acquire a name and address of its own. IFFI is now Goa," Reddy said.

Promising to aid the growth of the film festival with his newly-acquired portfolio as Urban Development minister, Reddy said he would help Goa put together "proper infrastructure" for the annual event.

Noting that the film festival would soon become as famous as Cannes, Berlin and Venice festivals, he said Goa was now ready to become a "celluloid destination" and not remain merely a "tourist destination."

Cautioning the Indian film industry, Reddy said Indian cinema should never compromise on quality.

"We produce more than 800 films a year, many more than Hollywood. We need to see that quality is commensurate with number. Just like IT has gone global, Indian cinema also needs to go global," he said.