Oscar Maron Filho, a Brazilian journalist and director of "Mario Filho:The Creator of Crowds" died of a heart attack at the  IFFI in Goa Sunday afternoon. Mr Filho (56) was taking part in the Open Forum in the Panaji venue collapsed in the middle of a discussion with delegates and filmmakers and was rushed to hospital where he passed away.  A minute's silence was observed in the Media Centre and homage paid  as a mark of respect to the late Mr Filho. Only yest...

Writing my piece on Bertrand Tavernier, I had to miss the Master Class by Philip Noyce:-( Does the Australia-born US based film-maker need an intro? I've seen Salt, Dead Calm, Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games,The Bone Collector, The Quiet American,The Saint,Sliver... But  I haven't seen a single film:-0 at IFFI:-0   Hopefully, one or two tommorrow:-) Maybe more if I'm lucky :-))       ...

The Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) has removed the clause from its draft as regards the Memorandum of Understanding for IFFI 2011, which stated Goa as a permanent IFFI venue. The IFFI MoU is annually signed between the state and the central government. It may be recalled that the MoU for IFFI 2010 had clearly mentioned Goa as a permanent venue for the mega film festival. The successive union ministers representing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had, from time to time, also ann...

Closing Ceremony of the 40th annual Goa Film Festival: Red Carpet, Bollywood stars, and traditional Indian drums!   I recently had the pleasure of attending India’s biggest film festival. The Goa Film Festival is an excellent forum for Indian and foreign filmmakers to interact in a chilled atmosphere. Enjoy these pictures from Closing Night Gala!       Solveig Haugen Correspondent, filmfestivals.com  ...

  THE KONKANI FILM "TUM KITEM KORTOLO ASLO?" (THE CHOICE) IS FAST NEARING COMPLETION. ITS BACKGROUND MUSIC IS CONCEIVED BY MR.CLARON MAZARELLO, A GOAN BELONGING TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION OF MUSICIANS. THE BACKGROUND MUSIC HAS INPUTS BY ELVIS LOBO (A GUITARIST OF INTERNATIONAL FAME) AND MUKESH GHATWAL (OF REMO FERNANDES' FAME) WHO HAS PROGRAMMED THE ENTIRE MUSIC.  CLARON MAZARELLO HAS VISUALIZED THE MUSIC KEEPING IN MIND THE MOOD OF THE STORY. LIVE BRASS AND VIO...

   A NEW 35 MM KONKANI FEATURE FILM (CELLULOID, DOLBY SOUND, 120 MINUTES DURATION) IS DUE FOR RELEASE IN NOVEMBER 2009.   THE FILM IS SHOT IN THE PICTURESQUE LOCALES OF BEAUTIFUL GOA. ITS THE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO IS PUSHED UNKNOWINGLY BY HER HUSBAND INTO THE ARMS OF ANOTHER MAN.   WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES? SHE IS FORCED TO MAKE A CHOICE OR IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?   YOU BE THE JUDGE!  ...

MESSAGE FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY OF GOA A warm welcome to the festival. Indeed, its festival time and the spirits are up. I am sure as the window to the world of cinema opens you would be overawed by the sheer magic and charm of the content.With this edition of IFFI, a new chapter begins in the history of ESG. For the first time ever, we step into the area of festival programming with some of the prominent sections, like Indian Premieres, Country Focus (Iran), Foreign R...

ESG Profile about us   Established by the Government of Goa in 2004, as the nodal agency in the organization of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the main objective of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) is to frame an entertainment policy to help cultivate Goa into a world-class international entertainment nerve center of the country. Successfully hosting the 35th, 36th ,37th and 38th International Film Festival of India to ...

22nd November - 2nd December 2008 In the true tradition of `Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The Whole World is One Family) adopted as the motto of the festival since 1975, the 39th International Film Festival of India, IFFI Goa 2008 rolls out the red carpet, as the State of Goa gears up to celebrate the movies in the true spirit of world class entertainment. ...

Alain Corneau: India every year French film-maker Alain Corneau plays jazz music, has a kind smile, speaks English reasonably well and is an India-lover. He's a member of the jury for the competition section at IFFI 2005, and will also be presenting his latest film, The Words of Blue. Siraj Syed spoke to the maker of films like Le Nouveau Monde and Le Cousin, and his love affair with India. Siraj: Is this your first trip to India? Alain: Oh no! Ever since 1982, when I ...

GOA, India: Over 90 films have been shot with Goa as their backdrop, talented Goan musicians have contributed a lot to Bollywood, as the Mumbai (Bombay)-based film industry churning out 1000 films year currently is called Actresses from Goa like Ermelinda Cardoso (screen-name: Sudhabala) have played an important role in the silent movie era, a book called 'Location Goa', looking at the links between films andthis small region on the west coast, says. Its author, the journalist Mario Cabral e Sa,...

Sitting at his beach-side home in Goa "metres away from the sea", Greg Acuna (45) is working to invade the planet's children with animation that appeals to kids across different cultures... with a message. An American, he shifted home from the US to the tiny beach-village of Anjuna, some 14 kms from the state-capital of Panjim. He wants to steer the kid in a very entertaining way towards environmentally sustainable behaviour, and at the same time teach them the power of collaborative -- rather t...

[From Frederick Noronha] : Not too long ago, patients hobbled around here, their limbs in plaster and their bodies in bandages. Pregnant mothers-to-be faced labour pains in these rooms. Sick children shed many a tear here. Now, Goa's IFFI's dreams are being born in the very same place. [Photo shows the old Goa Medical College, after a major overhaul undertaken in 2004, to host the IFFI.] IFFI, the International Film Festival of India's 38th edition, being held in Goa for the fourth success...

Not too long ago, patients hobbled around here, their limbs in plaster and their bodies in bandages. Pregnant mothers-to-be faced labour pains in these rooms. Sick children shed many a tear here. Now, Goa's IFFI's dreams are being born in the very same place. [Photo shows the old Goa Medical College, after a major overhaul undertaken in 2004, to host the IFFI.] IFFI, the International Film Festival of India's 38th edition, being held in Goa for the fourth successive year, got off to a colourful ...

Panjim (Goa), Nov 23: India's media and entertainment (M&E) sector is close to a "large-scale, game-changing evolution". Digital technology and distribution, the growth of home entertainment, new distribution media like internet and IPTV, and the growing global appeal of new Indian movies are all driving this trend, says a new report here. Business lobby network CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) commissioned international management consultants A.T. Kearney to "provide insights on actual bu...

Faced with having to cope with the pressures of shifting its venue from the Indian national capital to the country's smallest province, the IFFI (International Film Festival of India) is currently working to win friends and influence people here in the former Portuguese colony of Goa.India's attempt -- which started since the IFFI shifted here in November 2004 -- is aimed at recreating an "Indian Cannes" of sorts, in this small region, known better for being a holidayer's paradise and ...