I&B panels pitches for more representation of regional films

A consultative committee of the information and broadcasting ministry has pitched for more representation of regional films at IFFI.
In a meeting chaired by Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, the committee also proposed for organising socially inclined film festivals like 'kisan' (farmer) film festival, according to an official release.
The meeting was held to discuss the efforts taken by the ministry in organising International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year and the steps to be taken to improve its next edition.
Irani apprised the committee that for the first time, IFFI officially collaborated with Toronto and Venice Film Festivals.

She said that in IFFI 2017, 197 films were screened and 493 delegates invited, besides expanding the steering committee and preview committees of the festival.
"Members of the committee while appreciating the efforts of the ministry in organising IFFI 2017, said that regional films should be given more representation in IFFI," the release said.

"They also appreciated the choice of films this year and the large participation of the film fraternity. They proposed to organise socially inclined film festivals like Kisan film festival," it added.
Parliamentarians Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Vivek Gupta, Dev (Moon Moon Sen) Varma, Madhusudan Mistry and Sanjay Jaiswal attended the meeting.

I&B secretary N K Sinha and senior officers of the ministry were also present on the occasion.