Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (RS)

Panaji, Jul 5: The International film festival of India (IFFI) will have more focus on cinema this time though it will have Goa flavour to it, director of film festival Neelam Kapoor, said.

"We will expand facilities for cinema viewing this time. There will be more theatres and workshops,'' Kapoor, who was down in Goa to oversee the preliminary preparations stated.

The 10-day-long IFFI will be held between November 23 to December 3 in state's capital city of Panaji.

Emerging from meeting with the state  chief secretary J P Singh, Kapoor said that cinema will have more focus for the festival this year. "Though Goa flavour is must for IFFI, focus should be cinema,'' she said.

The Goa IFFI had faced a criticism from the film makers for its carnival styled image and union government in their communication had suggested to the state government to do away with the peripheral activities which according to them take away the main focus.

Since 2004, when IFFI was shifted to Goa, the float parade is organized to mark the inauguration and also a theme street is planned between both the festival venues -- Kala Academy and Old Goa medical college complex.

"The festival is like a cinema workshop. We are trying to maintain it. The activities related to the film will get more priorities,'' Kapoor, who went around supervising few theatres and auditoriums in the city, stated.

Entertainment society of Goa, a nodal vehicle for IFFI, officials also accompanied her on the visit.

"I am happy with the infrastructure and this time, the festival will be more successful,'' Kapoor said.