Watch films on the beaches

| 19 November 2004 23:35 IST

Film screening on the beaches and film festival on the banks of Mandovi river would be the special attraction of the weeklong 35th international film festival of India, to be held in Goa this month

The film fete would begin on 29 November with music maestro A R Rehman's gala musical show, based on compositions of Subhash Ghai's film Kisna. An orchestra of around 60 musicians would accompany him.

Dilip Kumar, the veteran film actor of the Bollywood, will inaugurate the film festival in the presence of union information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy, informed Nilam Kapur, the IFFI director.

Vanity Fair, a film by Mira Nair, will kick off the film fete. Alexander, Hollywood's current sensation worth $ 200 million, would be the major attraction on the closing day, on 9 December.

The Entertainment Society of Goa, belonging to the Goa government, has created a beautiful ambience along the Mandovi river in Panaji city for the film festival. It consists of a multiplex with four screens as well as the renovated Kala Academy complex.

"It's a 10 minute walk along the riverside on the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg that would be converted into a film festival venue. The film professionals would meet, interact, debate and exchange experiences here, in a very relaxed manner", said Kapur.

According to her, Goa would prove as an ideal permanent venue for the international film festival. However, due to time constraints, most of the Hollywood stars could not be contacted to attend the first film fete held in Goa.

The IFFI, till date, has confirmed around 800 delegates and 90 films. They expect at least 2000 delegates, mainly from within the country and 200 films at the festival.

Besides screening important films at the four-screen multiplex for the juries, the IFFI would also screen Indian Panorama as well as other regional films in five different private theatres and on the beaches all over the state.

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