IFFI to be made at par with Cannes; hopes run high at Goa

Panaji, Nov 22 (UNI) It was a day of hope at the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2008), which got off to a glittering start at the Kala Academy here this evening; the hope to make the IFFI at par with the Cannes film festival, one of the prestigious film festivals in the world.

Goa Governor S S Sidhu, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Minister Anand Sharma, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamath and veteran actress Rekha who inaugurated the Film Fest expressed the same hope of converting the International Film Festival of India into a major event and to be made at par with the Cannes festival.

Inaugurating the IFFI 2008, Rekha said that Goa was going to be the best venue for films, the best venue in the world for films.

Mr Sidhu said the International Film Festival of India held at Goa will raise to the level of Cannes festival and asked " why not surpass it in the future?".

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma also expressed the same hope stating " the International Film Festival of India should be made at par with the Cannes festival and it will be realized soon." Mr Kamat said the International Film festival at Goa should be comparable with the prestigious Cannes festival as and the London and Toronto Film festivals. In the future the International Film Festival of India could also be known internationally as Goa Festival like the other International film festivals, he hoped.

UNI PN LS KN2010