Goa would like to have its own film festival: CM

Panaji, Nov 27 (UNI) Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamath today said his government would like the state to have its own film festival.

''Yes, we would like Goa to have a festival of its own. In fact, we want it to be developed as a state of festivals,'' he said when asked whether the state was looking forward to having its own event on the lines Cannes and Vienna.

''In fact, I have just suggested to the film authorities about having a festival of films on patriotism in the context of the 150th anniversary of the 1857 war and 60th anniversary of the country's independence,'' he told UNI after inaugurating an exhibition of cinema posters of patriotic films--'The Voice of the Spirit of Freedom--' here.

Mr Kamath said the country had a rich collection of films made on the theme of patriotism as one can gauge by just having a look on the posters in this exhibition.

''We have films made on the first war of Independence, freedom stuggle, major events and themes of the post-independent India and pre-liberation period of Goa and liberation and post liberation period, all of which was enough for a festival,'' said Mr Kamath.

The posters displayed here were interesting and educating both, the Chief Minister, said.

The exhibition, organised by the National Film Archives of India, Pune has rare collection of posters dating as far back as to 1940s.

There is one poster of film Sikander, a Sohrab Modi hit of 1941.

Besdies Neecha Nagar of Chetan Anand made in 1946, Ab Dilli Door Nahin of Raj Kapoor, Do Bigha Zameen of Bimal Rai, Kalyan Khajina(Marathi) of Maharashra Film Company of Kolhapur are also on display.

UNI