KOLKATA: Film buffs and doctors have welcomed chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to reschedule the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF). Owing to the pandemic, the festival has been shifted from November 5-12 to January 8-15 next year. Incidentally, the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), scheduled to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, has already been postponed to January 16 to 24.
Banerjee’s tweet on Thursday came exactly a week before KIFF was supposed to commence on November 5. “After receiving global film fraternity’s consent, I hereby inform all stakeholders of Kolkata International Film Festival & cine lovers that our festival has been rescheduled, given the current circumstances. It will now be held from Jan 8-15, 2021. Let the preparations begin!” her tweet read.
The medical fraternity has lauded this stand. Apollo Gleneagles Hospital consultant Shyamasis Bandyopadhyay has called it a “very welcome move”. “Any gathering will cause more problems. Everything can wait now except for health. Nothing supersedes health concerns. This is a very welcome decision,” Bandyopadhyay said.
Raj Chakrabarty, who was the chairman of the 25th KIFF, has also agreed. “We will not want to host a festival at a time when the number of infected cases of Covid-19 is high. Apart from health concerns, KIFF has been rescheduled in the interest of cinema. KIFF has created a brand for itself internationally. Delegates from the world over want to attend the festival. Cine-lovers want to come and watch the screenings. Hosting KIFF now would mean having a truncated festival that would not be able to let everyone participate. Rescheduling will ensure greater participation in the interest of cinema,” Chakrabarty said.
Meanwhile, preparations for KIFF are already under way. The official website had announced the list of films in three competitive sections — Innovation in Moving Images, Asian Select (NETPAC award) and Indian Language’s Films. Lists of 16 films in the Cinema International section, 10 films in the Bengali Panorama section and three films in the Special Screenings section have already been uploaded. According to Chakrabarty, rescheduling won’t mean that the selected movies will be changed. “Efforts will be made to get more films to ensure that the festival becomes bigger,” he said.
Only one Bengali film – ‘Avijatrik’ — has made it to the competitive section of KIFF. Its director Subhrajit Mitra feels the rescheduling is a “good decision”. “Whatever happens, happens for the good. However, I’ll miss the last day of KIFF. The shooting of my film ‘Mayamrigaya’ is already scheduled. It has a multiple cast and big sets. I can’t change that. I’ll miss IFFI too because of the same reason.”
Director Satrajit Sen, who is a jury member of the Indian language entries to 26th KIFF, was expecting this change of schedule. “Considering the fact that Covid-19 shows no signs of remission yet and without a vaccine on offer, this is a very responsible decision on the part of our chief minister. Health is the priority. Everything else can wait. Kudos to her for taking such a step,” Sen said.