JOIN USThe five-day International Children’s Film Festival-2015, organised by a Bengaluru-based NGO Children’s India at Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts from Nov 22-26, was marred by chaos and confusion.
The organisers made a mess of the event. They didn’t bother to arrange for theatres to screen the movies, very few movies were screened and no workshop or interactive sessions, as mentioned before the start of the event, were held.
The State government had released Rs 25 lakh for the film festival. The organisers, however, have spent not more than Rs 4 lakh, sources said.
It was the district administration which borne the accommodation, food and travel expenses of the guests and jury members during the event.
“We have borne all the expenses of the guests including their accommodation, food and transportation,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumara. He added that the district administration has not received even a single paisa for organising the film festival. Free bus service to pick up and drop students from schools too was organised by the district administration.
“Though Children’s India president N R Nanjunde Gowda had promised to make all arrangements for the inauguration scheduled at Town Hall on November 22, the district administration had to make all arrangements after Gowda expressed his inability to get things right on the evening of November 21,” the Additional DC added.
In a bid to save its face, the district administration hired 11 projectors and speakers in the eleventh hour to screen movies in 11 theatres across the City. Over 10,000 students in the rural pockets (Sullia, Puttur, Belthangady, Karkala and Kundapur taluks) lost an opportunity to watch movies as the NGO did not have a tie up with the UFO.
The organisers didn’t organise workshops, interactive session during film fest as promised. And the number of movies screened were far less than what the organisers had promised.
Except for paying the airfare of a few delegates and the rent of Hotel Goldfinch for valedictory programme (after Udupi DC turned down organisers’ repeated pleas to allow them to hold valedictory in Udupi). None of the officials from the district administration took part in the valedictory after they realised that they were taken for a ride.
Organiser blamed
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said that the NGO (Children’s India) embarrassed the district administration on every front. “No details about the movies to be screened or juries were given to the district administration. The NGO did not make any preparation for the fest,” the DC said.