5TH MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

FOREWORD

At this ever moment, when India is hosting five-editions young and vibrant International Festival of Documentary, Short and Animation Films in the city of Mumbai, the world's largest democracy is busy exercising itself. We have just finished the country-wide democratic franchise in the year of our fiftieth year of independence. Since 1947, our country has passed through various phases - of joys and sorrows; it has faced wars and thereat; it has faced crises - natural and man-made. Bu against all odds the country has so resolutely upheld the parliamentary democracy. And that's quite creditable if one looks back at the world history of twentieth century which is about to wind up itself.

We are living in a great flux of time. And it is the documentary film that has been capturing this flux for ourselves, for our progeny, The documentary film, per se, provides as a testimony - [i.e. in Grammar (grammarian) Panini is the testimony], our ancient philosophy said. In principal the documentary film is a means of getting correct knowledge. There is an elaborate analysis of 'knowledge' in our ancient texts. Naiyayikas, for example, recognise only four kinds : (perception), (inference), (resemblance), and (word) while the Vedantins and Mimamsakas add two more (non-perception) and (implication). These are some of the finer aspects which help define the pramana. Indian philosophical system has a branch of deep reflection or inquiry called Mimamsa, one of thechief darsanas.

What is important is pramana and that is what the documentary film essentially strives to comprehend. Nevertheless, it all finally depends on what we have preserved to testify. History needs records. The Films Division, the organisers of MIFF, are the only repository of our national audio-visual heritage. We would need to preserve it as best as we can. And the MIFF, through its national and international intellectual inputs, will help us keep ourselves up-to-date. Needless to say, festivals of this kind are quite significant and I feel extremely happy to find such an overwhelming response from every where. Documentaries are no longer boring as they were presumed to be. Various programmes in MIFF'98 would just prove this point.

At the fag end of the twentieth century, the art of film making is availing of newer tools of recording, editing, processing, non-processing, et al. It is for our young generation to face this challenge and come out with imaginative ideas of story telling, newer ways of presenting reality. Again, the MIFF stands a catalyst for them. Over thirty nations are participating in our festival this year with as many as three hundred and fifty films - short fiction, short and long non-fiction and animation. They point out the latest narrative trends, the trends that have also been emphatically influenced by technological developments.

Keeping with the technological developments, we introduced competitive video section so far limited to only national entries but the MIFF 2000 AD will throw it open to the world at large. And from then on we will move into the 21st century. I do hope this will give imaginative and technological boost to our young video filmmakers here.

On the Retrospective front, we are continuing our rich tradition set since 1990. The MIFF'98 has in its fold challenging retrospective (covering major works of eminent filmmakers) and special screenings. These retrospectives - Patricio Guzman (Spain), Robert Cahen (France), Mani Kaul (India, Anand Patwardhan (India), Pramod Pati (India) plus the impeccable package from Oberhausen Short Film Festival being presented by its former director Angela Haardt and Studio D of the National Film Board of Canada will provide a certain dimension to the history and socio-political dynamics.

On the occasion of India's fiftieth year of Independence, MIFF'98 presenting a special programme of documentaries reflecting these momentous years in the nation's history. Films both in the main and video - Competition and Information - sections will provide an insight into the contemporary narrative pre-occupations of filmmakers - young and old. I do hope that the MIFF'98 will offer to the viewers something to think about, something to learn about. Filmmakers, technicians, students of cinema, film critics and general viewers have always loved MIFF so passionately and it is because of their affinity, MIFF has become an event eagerly looked forward to at a global level.

Organizing a festival of this size is a mammoth task, which obviously has to have a collective endeavor. The Government of India has been magnanimous enough to support the cause of the documentary, short and animation cinema. I must thank the Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Shri S. Jaipal Reddy for his encouragement; the I&B Secretary, Shri C.R. Kamalanathan who was a great driving force. I also thank the festival's organising committee members for their guidance and trust. I extend my sincere thanks to the host Government of Maharastra and several other govt. and non-govt, organisations, including the IDPA, which helped us in organising this festival. I also offer my thanks to the Chairperson of Main and Video selection committees, respectively Mr. Sanjit Narwekar and Mr. Vinod Ganatra; and to Mr amrit Gangar for organising Retrospectives. The Films Division staff has given me an untiring support to me in carrying on my responsibility. My heartfelt thanks to them.

Iam sure the delegates who have come from far-away countries of the world and states of India will enjoy their stay in Mumbai. MIFF provides a platform for exchanging ideas and for polemics, too. for enriching the non-fiction, fiction narrative. Welcome once again to MIFF'98

 

(BANKIM)

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

February, 25th, 1998

Mumbai