The big draw at the 35th International Film Festival is not the opening film, Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, but the closing film — Oliver Stone’s Alexander — the costliest American movie shot this year.As the organisers — the Directorate of Film Festival (DFF), the Goa Government and the I&B Ministry — hope the film would work its magic, Alexander, made at the cost of $160 million and shot in three continents, may seal Goa’s fate as the permanent host for the festival.According to sources, one of the preconditions for the film’s exhibition at IFFI was that it had to be purchased before it could be premiered in India. The film was shown at the American Film Market recently and would be released in the US next week.E-City, a ZEE TV concern, it is learnt, has bought the rights for $250,000, making it the costliest foreign film acquired in India. CEO Atul Goel said his company has plans to release the film in multiplexes, sometime in December. ‘‘We think the film will be a commercial success,’’ Goyal said.While festival organisers are bringing in composer A.R. Rehman for the inauguration of the festival on November 29, there will be a rope dance show for viewers too. Rehman, sources say, would showcase the music he has composed for Subhash Ghai’s film Kisna. He would be accompanied by 60 musicians.DFF director Neelam Kapoor told reporters at the IFFI camp office at Campal this evening that this was the first time that the IFFI would open with music, which is the core of Indian cinema.Kapoor said Isha Sharvani, who has already performed in 22 countries and is also a heroine in Kisna, would perform the rope dance.On the public screening of films, Kapoor said a technical team headed by the dean of the Film and Television Institute, Pune, has found that there was no modern projection system available in cinema halls in Goa. She said only Osia in Margao was found to be suitable for public screening, but in view of the recent fire there, the multiplex would not be used.
