By  Mohan Siroya

10^th Edition  of  MAMI’S International Film Festival Mumbai

Here are the bouquets and brickbats :

• Films screened about 140  from about thirty five countries. Overall quality  rating Good to Very Good . Credit goes to the creative programme director .
• Opening function , though quite simple ,  but sober and serene  with no frills attached, was  a success . After brief formal speeches, the chief Guest of eh evening ace film maker Yash Chopra was invited to lit the ceremonial lamp as inauguration   jointly with the trustees and other office bearers  of MAMI . A unique feature of the opening ceremony was the token recognition given to all those who have been silently working for MAMI, behind the screen as a mark of appreciation of their good work.

This was followed  by  the screening of opening film , veteran film maker Andrej Wajda’s classic  Polish film “Katyn”.  In 2006 , Wajda  was conferred with Lifetime Achievement award at the  prestigious Berlin International Film Festival .

• Press conferences lacked   planning ,coordination and paucity of media men.
• The Closing function (which boasts of  declaration and conferment of awards, and award winning films’ names etc.)   was a farce and a complete fiasco.

         How? Read on  ….

This year unexpectedly the organizers/sponsors changed the  tradition of International  Festivals viz: mode of closing function amidst applause of delegates and press/media.. This was  turned into   a  film industry function filled with glitz and  glamour ,in which they preferred to put the Finale of the festival . Yes, all the International standard festivals do have a “Grand Soiree” (including Filmfare and other Indin  awards  extravaganzas),but that remains only a “Merry celebration” with the selected invitees and guests .This is always different than the main closing event of the festival  where the participation of festival delegates and press is a pre-requisite to cover the award winning films and personalities . But this privilege was denied to the Press people at large  and perhaps to all those cineists, who had registered as the delegates this year.

On the eve of closing function day , the media in-charge expressed his inability to help  the media  persons to get them invites for the closing function  for the reason that  it was directly looked after by the  festival sponsors.  When approached, a responsible person of   the organizing team, revealed that there were two invites ,one was for  closing function, which was to  be held at the CINEMAX auditorium at 6 p.m.  and the other is  for the big bash at a 5 star  hotel, but it can not be issued to the media at large for the reasons of cost.. When  media  said that ,it was interested to   cover the closing  function and not the party, the closing function invite was given which specifically mentioned that  at 6 p.m. as a part of MAMI fest closing function,  wherein Mr Carlos Saura , the renowned Spanish film director will be felicitated and the closing function will be followed by the screening of   2007 Cannes top award winning Japanese film “The Mourning Forest”. It was silent about the other essential formalities of the closing function   like “Jury report  and  award winning  films  of the festival , conferment of  Global Lifetime Achievement award or other lifetime/significant contribution awards on Indian film  celebrities  at this function  viz;  Carlos Saura ,Dharmendra , Gulzar, Rishi Kapoor. And Hitendra Ghosh.And the entry to the function or the closing film was only by  that invitation and  not by press/delegate card .

At  5-30 p.m. Mr Carlos came accompanied by the two trustees of MAMI  and the function got finished  after a 15 minute press conference  with  a handful of media persons   who were present . The trustee also announced that all the further formalities of the closing function will be held at the “BASH”  later in the evening , strictly on party invite card  . Needless, the mention that most of the genuine but small media contributors were left out of that privilege. But a large posse of  Hindi film industry persons ,who were also a part of the closing film  “The Mourning Forest” were headed for the bash, not the media persons / press  and the registered delegates of the festival.

 Media has no problem with the BASH .But then can the formalities of the closing function not separated for those who mattered to applaud and write for this  ? They don’t demand   expensive   “Khana Peena” with the glitterati but to cover an important festival event   which  is  the  RIGHT of all accreditated press persons.

Now , for the benefit of our readers /website visitors ,here are  the reviews of good and the very good films of  the festival  :