Two expert committees to fine-tune IFFI, NFA
The Information & Broadcasting Ministry has constituted two expert committees to recommend ways to improve the way the National Film Awards (NFA) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) are conducted.
The expert committee on National Film Awards consists of Shyam Benegal, Ashoke Vishwanathan, Rajiv Mehrotra, Vishal Bhardwaj, Nagesh Kukunoor, Mohan Agashe, Jahnu Barua, Shaji N Karun, Sai Paranjape, Sharmila Tagore and Waheeda Rehman.
The expert committee on International Film Festival of India comprises Govind Nihalani, Karan Johar, Pritish Nandy, Prasoon Joshi, Kamal Haasan, A K Bir, Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, Maharashtra MLC C S Sapra, Shabana Azmi, Pooja Shetty Deora, Kishwar Desai, Maithili Rao and Nandita Das.
While the I&B Ministry’s joint secretary (Films) will be the member secretary and the director of the Directorate of Film Festival will be a member of both panels, the International Film Festival of India expert committee will also consist of the Goa chief secretary.
The first committee will make recommendations regarding “upgradation” of National Film Awards and the National Film Awards for “feature,” “non-feature” and “best writing” on cinema and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, an official announcement said.
The second will recommend how to improve International Film Festival of India to match other international festivals and also changes to be made in the selection of Indian Panorama films.
I&B Minister Ambika Soni had announced at the opening ceremony of the 40th International Film Festival of India on November 23 in Goa that such an expert committee for International Film Festival of India was being set up. She had earlier spoken about the need to “reinvent” the National Film Awards to keep up with the major changes in the film-making technology.
