‘ESG must recognize & honour Goan films & filmmakers’

Goa Khabar : Addressing a press conference in the city today, National Award-winning filmmaker Laxmikant Shetgaonkar criticised the Government of Goa and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) for their failure to implement and release the long-pending funds under the Goa Film Finance Scheme. He said that while successive governments make lofty promises before every IFFI, the actual disbursal of financial support to Goan filmmakers remains painfully delayed, forcing several projects to stall or shut down midway.

Shetgaonkar stated that the Film Finance Scheme, conceived to encourage local filmmaking, has become a victim of bureaucratic lethargy and political neglect. “If the government truly wants to promote Goan cinema, it must release the sanctioned funds before IFFI and not after the festival when the spotlight fades,” he asserted, warning that continued apathy would permanently damage Goa’s creative ecosystem.

Film artist Saiesh Palondicar highlighted the discriminatory approach of NFDC in selecting films for screening. He pointed out that if a film like “Claudia” which has not been released anywhere and was not selected under the Indian Panorama Feature Film category—can be invited for a special presentation, then a film like “Ancessao”, which has won two international awards, deserves equal recognition in the non-feature film category. He demanded that Ancessao be officially screened at IFFI-2025 as a mark of respect to Konkani cinema’s growing international stature.

Former ESG Member Vishal Pai Cacode condemned the government’s indifference to Goa’s film fraternity and criticised ESG’s failure to maintain IFFI’s global reputation. “IFFI has lost its brand value,” he said, adding that the poor attendance of international delegates and negligible sponsorship in recent years reflect the festival’s declining credibility. “When the host state fails to celebrate its own films and filmmakers, how can it expect the world to celebrate them?” he asked.

The Film Fraternity of Goa also urged ESG and NFDC to commemorate the centenary of legendary Goan cinematographer K. Vaikunth, whose pioneering contribution to Indian cinema deserves formal recognition during IFFI-2025. They proposed a retrospective screening of his classic works and a dedicated session to honour his legacy before the global film community.

Reiterating their collective stand, Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, Saiesh Palondicar and Vishal Pai Cacode appealed to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and the ESG Chairman to take immediate steps to uphold the dignity of Goan cinema, ensure the timely release of film-finance assistance, include “Ancessao” in the IFFI-2025 lineup, and make the festival a true celebration of Goa’s creative talent.