from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Aug 2: More private participation seems to be a new mantra for the international film festival of India (IFFI) with industrial bodies associated with this prestigious event asking for the same.

The IFFI 2006 preparatory meeting which was held in Goa on Wednesday morning, had a serious thinking of more private participation in the film festival. The stress was on the strengthening of the film market especially through successful film bazaar.

Sources disclosed that Bobby Bedi, who represents confederation of Indian Industries (CII), came up with the valid suggestions to boost interaction with the private participants, which will end up making IFFI a fruitful exercise for the film makers, distributors and exhibitors.

"Bedi insisted that film market is something which needs to be strongly revised during IFFI," Anand Mohan, director, IFFI, told reporters emerging from the meeting, this afternoon.

He said such strong bonding can be executed through film bazaar and like last year, the CII is planning for more conferences, seminar and interactive programmes, for IFFI 2006.

The phase wise implementation of handing over IFFI functioning to entertainment society of goa (ESG), a government-made vehicle to coordinate IFFI, was also deliberated during the meeting.

Mohan stated that this year, the center will fund similar to that of last year. "Gradually, ESG will take over the functioning… ESG will be nodal agency to hold it and sustain," he said adding,"Goa remains to be the permanent venue for IFFI."

He said that exercise to make IFFI self-sufficient by 2008 would begin this year onwards.