Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (mb)
from special correspondent

Panaji, Dec 2: For the first time in the history of International film festival of India, the organizers had to drop the venue from the list mid-way after a theatre developed `technical problem.'

"An Indian filmmaker on Saturday brought to our notice a serious technical fault because of which we had to drop the venue and cancel all the scheduled screenings," directorate of film festival's Deputy director (technical) Shankar Mohan stated.

Ashok, one amongst the eight screens for the ongoing IFFI, was declared as dropped from the festival by the organizers today.

Sources confirmed that a south Indian filmmaker who's film was being screened at the theatre protested on Saturday when projectionist failed to change the lens. "The projectionist was not knowing the difference between Cinemascope and wide angle lens," a source stated.

Interestingly, Ashok along with another screen `Samraat' was added to the festival from this year onwards after DFF's technical team had certified it as `fit for screening the festival movies'.

Entertainment society of Goa, who had hired the instruments, today said that they will fix the responsibility on the agency. "We had hired Mumbai-based agency to install instruments at these two theatres and also people to run them. We will fix the responsibility and seek clarification from them," ESG's Chief executive officer Nandini Paliwal said.

Dropping of the venue will not affect much to the ongoing festival as all the screening scheduled today were repeat. Bengali film The Voyeurs, Malayalam film Ore Kadal (The Sea Within) and Marathi film Tingya (The short one) was supposed to be screened at this screen.