Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Nov 12: Prominent Goan filmmakers Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, Saish Palondicar, and Vishal Pai Cacode have urged the state government to immediately release the pending funds under the Film Finance Scheme before the commencement of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28.

The filmmakers, speaking collectively on behalf of the Goan film fraternity, said the delay in disbursing funds meant to support local cinema has severely impacted the growth of the industry.

“This has been our demand for the last nine years. We’ve been running from pillar to post to have our grants released,” said Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, adding that the file has been “lying idle” with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG). “This only shows their lack of seriousness in promoting Goan filmmakers. They seem more interested in organizing events than in supporting local talent,” he added.

The filmmakers warned that they may stage a protest during IFFI if their long-pending demands are ignored.

“Every state in India has a film policy that actively supports its regional language cinema. Ironically, Goa — the permanent host of IFFI — has neglected its own Konkani filmmakers,” said Shetgaonkar. “Since Konkani films cannot recover production costs through the box office, the subsidy is vital — it’s the lifeline of our industry.”

The group also demanded that “Ancessao,” a 30-minute Konkani short film directed by Manguirish Jagdish Bandodkar, be screened at IFFI this year. The film recently brought laurels to Goa by winning the Best International Short Film Award at the 14th International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) in Canada.

The filmmakers called on the government and ESG to act swiftly, saying that timely financial and institutional support is essential to ensure the survival and recognition of Konkani cinema on both national and international platforms.