Goa As Permanent IFFI Destination Comes With A Cinematic Bonus

PANAJI: Goa's official elevation to a permanent venue for the annual International Film Festival of India (IFFI) comes with a cinematic bonus.

For a state which has just one premium multiplex facility maintained by INOX in the capital, the formal announcement of the beach state as the permanent home for India's top official film festival spells a bonanza for film buffs.

According to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Goa government is likely to unveil a liberal policy to promote setting up of multiplexes and cinema halls in the state, known more for its love for theatre, especially tiatrs, a Konkani genre.

"Basically it will be a policy to encourage more multiplexes and cinema halls in the state," claimed Parrikar, who also announced plans to upgrade INOX , a facility built by the state government in 2003 and operated on lease by the multiplex giant.

The festival was first shifted to Goa, during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime in 2004, after its reputation as a festival travelling to different Indian cities, officials claim, did the intellectual property more harm than good.

While the festival has been held in Goa every successive year after 2003, it was only an ad hoc arrangement between the state and the central authorities renewed every year, before being formalized Wednesday.

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