Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (mb)
from special correspondent

Panaji, Nov 24: Goa's lone filmmaker participating in the international film festival of India (IFFI) is having a mixed feeling at the venue with his script getting shortlisted as one of the best writings.

Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, winner of national award for best debut non-feature film at the 52nd national film festival, had his script selected amongst the 60-odd scripts during the script writing workshop organized by National Films Division Corporation (NFDC) at film bazaar.

But it is the same script which was 'rejected' by the Goa government's film financing committee.

"I am feeling bad… If state government approved committee would have selected the script a year back, by now my film would have been ready,'' Shetgaonkar said.

The Goan film director and script writer is happy  that international standard filmmakers including Mani Ratnam, Danis Tanovic (No Man's Land), Olivia Hertreed (Girl with a pearl Earring), Bernd Lichtenberg (Goodbye Lenin), Shaji Karun, Anjuman Rajabali and Ashwini Mallik had word of appreciation for his script which enters in the final list of eight scripts drawn from across the country.

The IFFI 2007 is devoid of any Goan film participation with nationally acclaimed Goan director Rajendra Talak already announcing his self-exile from Konkani film making.

"It is difficult to make film in Goa. Had I been in Maharashtra or Kerala, my script would have taken a shape of a film by now,'' Shetgaonkar, who also won the Golden Conch for Best Director at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2004, rued.

Shetgaonkar's ire is towards the state government constituted ``film financing committee'' which has no representation from local film industry. ``None of the members have slight inkling about what films are…. How can we expect justice from them,'' the director reacted.

"There should be right people at the right place…," he commented.

Goa which has been hosting the festival for last four years is for the first time going unrepresented for the festival since the time it is shifted here.

Shetgaonkar who had participated in 2005 festival through his non-feature film has written a script narrating life of a forest guard living on the boarder of Goa-Karnataka. The story shows the conflict between the lifeguard and the society when he choses to unite with an insane woman whom he looks after.