Question : International Film Festival of India

(a) whether 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has been organized by the Government recently and if so, the details and the aims and objectives thereof;

(b) the number and the details of films from India and different countries that were screened in the festival along with the focus country in the festival;

(c) whether the Government extends financial assistance to the Independent Indian Film makers to promote their films at International film festivals across the world;

(d) if so, the number of Indian Film makers who have been provided financial assistance during each of the last three years;

(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to promote Indian cinema in the International Film Festival and also promote regional films in the country; and

(f) the contribution of Film Industry/Entertainment Sector in the economy and GDP of the country during the last three years?

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR):


(a) Yes, Sir. The 51st International Film Festival of India was organised from 16th - 24th January, 2021 at Goa in a hybrid format that was both virtual and physical. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is held every year in the State of Goa with the aim of providing a common platform for film makers all over the world to project cinematic excellence. The festival is conducted jointly by the Directorate of Film Festivals under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and State Government of Goa.

(b) The 51st IFFI showcased 122 films from 60 different countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, Germany, Austria, UK, Denmark, Japan, Uruguay, etc. The films were screened under various categories such as Festival Kaleidoscope, International Competition, Best Debut Feature Film of a Director, Gandhi Medal, World Panorama, Special Screening, Indian Panorama, etc. Bangladesh was the country of focus during the 51st IFFI.

(c) & (d) Yes, Sir. Government provides financial assistance to filmmakers to promote their films in international film festivals of repute or India’s official nomination for Academy Awards under Foreign Film Category. Directorate of Film Festivals is the nodal agency for implementation.
The details of financial assistance provided to film makers since 2017 is as under:
Sl. No. Year Film Selected in Film Festival
1. 2017 i). Loktak Lairembee directed by Haobam Paban Kumar
ii). Newton directed by Amit V Mausurkar Berlin International Film Festival
2. 2020 i). Eeb Allay Ooo! directed by Prateek Vats
ii). Laila Aur Satt Geet directed by Pushpendra Singh Berlin International Film Festival

(e) Ministry of Information & Broadcasting participates in various International Film Festivals to promote Indian cinema and also hosts International Film Festival of India regularly. In order to promote and recognise regional film industry, National Film Awards are conferred every year to films produced in regional languages. The regional films selected under National Awards and Indian Panorama are also showcased in the various International film festivals.

(f) India’s Film and Television Industry has been growing steadily over the past few years. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the film industry. Contribution of Indian Films and Television Industry in India’s GDP is given below –
(Rs. in crores)
Industry Size
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20

Films 14500 15900 18300
Television 59500 65200 71400
Source :KPMG in India’s Media and Entertainment Report 2019



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