IFFI Bazaar flops at box office

For some, the 35th International Film Festival of India that ended today was 8216;8216;very disappointing8217;8217;. For some film produ...

For some, the 35th International Film Festival of India that ended today was 8216;8216;very disappointing8217;8217;. For some film producers, the so-called international business was non-existent.

The Film Bazaar, created four years ago apparently to provide 8220;a platform to producers, venture capitalists, financiers 8212; both domestic and international 8212; to buy, sell, collaborate, produce, distribute and commission films8217;8217;, remained just on paper for some producers in Goa.

Says S.B. Suresh Babu 35, International Business Development Manager for Prasad Corporation Pvt Ltd: 8216;8216;It was very disappointing8217;8217;. One of South India8217;s two most well known production houses, Prasad rented a massive stall at Rs 81,000 a for 10 days with the hope of 8216;8216;getting business8217;8217; for its latest post-production offers. 8216;8216;We8217;ve had more enquiries from students of the local college of art than any foreign or Indian film maker,8217;8217; says a furious Babu.

Across the red carpet, the group8217;s biggest competitor Ramoji Films closed shop and left 8216;8216;two days earlier8217;8217; for 8216;8216;the same reason8217;8217;, points out an assistant. At the spread of government-run film stalls selling, besides their services, CDs of their works 8212; some as old as 1973 black and white clippings of Suffiana Qawali artistes Sabri Brothers and Habib Painter 8212; Deputy Director of Projects for Doordarshan Dr R.D. Vashisht echoes Babu, diplomatically.

8216;8216;It8217;;s the location,8217;8217; points out Dinesh Negi 33, Assitant Distribution Officer for Children8217;s Film Society, a venture that was looking to sell the 8216;8216;rights to thousands of children8217;s movies8217;8217; to foreign distributors.

Nestled in a tree-covered corner of the Charles Correa designed Kala Academy that8217;s hosting IFFI, the Bazaar is missable. Worse still, given the strict security cover, only delegates and the media are allowed to enter Kala Academy.