3RD
BOMBAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
FOREWORD
Since
the birth of the biennial Bombay International International
Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films
(BIFF) in 1990 till its third innings now, our world has
witnessed historic changes. The shape of the global map
has changed, new boundaries have emerged, old conflicts
resolved, comity of nations has found new permutations,
the era of cold war has paved the way to yet-to-be-defined
times. We are standing at a time, when older ideologies
are being tested by history and the new faiths have to
emerge.
It
is the ever-agile documentary that has been capturing
the twists and turns of history for our present and future
contexts. It is the documentary film that the BIFF has
been signifying, to grasp and contextualise the issues
facing the mankind. In the present global situation, we
in India, are also faced with newer realities. The
short film, alongwith the documentary, has also been changing
in its form, influenced by the time as well as technological
evolution. From 1990 to 1994, BIFF has been demonstrating
the explicit and implicit metamorphosis that the documentary,
short and animation films are undergoing - in non-fiction
and fiction narrative.
BIFF'94
is held almost on the eve of the cinema's momentous century,
Participated by as many as 31 countries with over 150
films in its Competition and Information sections, the
Bombay event also demonstrates its popularity all over
the world. Besides the main Competition and Information
sections, BIFF'94 presents a wide variety of cinematic
excellence.
Retrospectives
- Lumiere Century, presenting the whole gamut of documentaries
and short films made in France since Lumiere Brothers
presented their first moving pictures in 1895, Equally
interesting are selected works of : Frederick Wiseman
(USA), Raymond Depardon (France), Jerzy Kucia (Poland,
Animation).
International
Market - International Market organised by the BIFF
has been steadily attracting good response. This Market
aims at supporting the young documentary, short and animation
filmmakers from Asian countries. As the budding BIFF grows,
Iam sure it will consolidate its marketing endeavor. The
theme for one-minute animation film contest this time
is AIDS. The one-minute topper in this contest gets Rs.
1 lakh (Approx. US$ 3000). Organising a festival of this
size is a mammoth effort, which has to have a collective
endeavor. The Government of India has been magnanimous
enough to support the cause of documentary, short and
animation cinema.
I
must thank the Minister of Information & Broadcasting,
Shri K.P. Singh Deo for his encouragement; the I&B
Secretary, Shri Bhaskar Ghose who was such a driving force
for all of us; and the enthusiasm shown by the Joint Secretary,
Smt. Sharwaree Gokhale. I also recall the keen interest
envinced by Shri Raj Bhargava and Shri Lakshmi Narayanan,
the then Secretary and Joint Secretary under whose guidence,
the Organising Committee was formed.
I
Extend my sincere thanks to the host Government of Maharastra
and several other Govt and non-Govt, organisations which
helped us in the organisation of this festival, Contribution
to this festival by several people in their individual
capacity was also immense. Iam thankful to them.
Iam
sure the delegates who have come from for-away countries
of the world and states in India will enjoy their stay
in Bombay. BIFF provides a platform for exchanging views,
and for polemics, too - for enriching the non-fiction,
fiction narrative. Welcome once again to BIFF'94.
(R.
KRISHNA MOHAN)
FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR
January
28th, 1994
Bombay
