A local newspaper said this was the venue where the "sea meets Page 3". Cashing in on the brand-image of the place, the authorities here are going all out to promote Goa as a happening and fun place.

The problem is that the authorities might have just been too successful!

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Permanent venue or not

The top of the mind question here is whether Goa will indeed be the permanent venue for the IFFI. Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy gave positive hints, but not the final word.

Goa has spent a lot of time, money and energy in building its infrastructure and physical resources. It already has a huge hospitality sector. What it really lacks are efforts to harness skills more efficiently to make the most of the potential of the festival in a state, which has mixed feelings about tourism.

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No film culture, did you say?

Long berated as the place without a film culture, Goa has suddenly turned into a place where films are all pervasive. Panaji's main road, Dayanand Bandodkar Road named after Goa's first chief minister, is extravagantly lit up at night and has many roadblocks in the day to tell the average resident that IFFI is under way.

Local newspapers have a huge bonanza in the form of state-funded advertising, while some radio programmes sponsored by the government are blaring out reminders that the IFFI is finally here.

The BJP government, led by its Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, has pulled out all the stops, but whether this translates into a more successful festival, or just more crowds on the sidelines, is anybody's guess.

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Documentaries are vanishing

"Tell me, where are documentaries seen?" asked Revathy who made the thoughtful film on AIDS, "Phir Milenge".

"When you make something, you want it to be watched. Documentaries are not something I have thought about so far," she said quite firmly.

Sad but true. In the absence of proper distribution channels, and with the mindless entertainment orientation of all the channels on the small screen, documentaries get hardly any attention.

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Dinner on the bridge

In this land of rivers and islands, Goa's BJP government recently accomplished a major achievement by completing a new bridge linking the tiny isle of Corjuem with what it calls a cable-stayed bridge.

And what better time to flaunt it than now? The government announced that the recently inaugurated bridge would turn into a dinner venue for IFFI guests and delegates on Dec 3, leaving locals shocked.

Said one journalist from the area: "What? Aldona-Corjuem bridge to turn into the venue for a dinner party? What next? The Corjuem fort to be used for political conclaves?"

Reports said the bridge had been closed to all traffic since Wednesday evening to facilitate security and make other arrangements. Some 450-odd guests are expected to attend, and watch a performance by humorist Javed Jaffrey. There will also be fireworks and live music.

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Marathi films make news

A Marathi film is making waves after a gap of nearly five decades. "Shwaas" (A Breath), India's entry for the Oscars, has been winning a host of prizes and making its presence felt at the IFFI too.

It is the story of a seven-year-old child who faces the loss of both eyes and how his grandfather responds to the tragedy. Says its 39-year-old director Sandeep Sawant: "My main aim was to tell a story in a way that even a layman would understand and appreciate. It touches the spirit of all humanity."

Another Marathi film making news is "Not Only Mrs Raut". Critics are lauding it as the film that has "revived Marathi cinema" and brought urban audiences back to the cinema after two decades.

Following the tradition of Marathi cinema, writer-director Gajendra Ahire also writes the story, screenplay, dialogue and lyrics. This film looks at the exploitation of women in a patriarchal society by tackling concerns such as widowhood and rape.

--Indo-Asian News Service