Panaji, Dec 1st, 2018  … The Directorate of Health Services, Panaji which implements the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, has stated that Leprosy is curable and that the disease which is caused by leprosy Germs can be cured with Medicines (MDT), that is available free of charge in all the health facilities.

The Directorate has further stated that the early symptoms of Leprosy, usually starts as a patch with loss of sensation or as numbness and tingling in hands / feet. In such cases, the Directorate has advised consulting health workers on occurrence of any of these.

The Directorate has stated that the early detection with appropriate treatment helps prevent disability due to leprosy. Leprosy can be treated and once on treatment, a patient does not infect others and hence there is no question of segregating PAL (Person Affected with Leprosy).

Health Officials at the Directorate have said that persons affected by leprosy, once on treatment, need only compassion and empathy and discrimination of patients is inhuman.

Health Officials have advised patients to take medicine daily for the scheduled period of treatment and have asked Patients to visit health facilities in case of problems. Patients are advised to follow the principles of self care.

Panaji: November 30, 2018 … Minister for Health Shri Vishwajit Rane has said that Government will soon set up centre of excellence in HIV care by December 2019.He was speaking as a chief guest after attending Positive Power Summit 2018 organized by Human Touch at Sanskruti Bhavan on the eve of World AIDS Day today.

Listening to the various difficulties faced by the children suffering from HIV Shri Rane said that Government will come out with the new policy and certain amount of grants from state budget will be given to various initiatives in this field to create infrastructure so that the children suffering from HIV live better quality of life. Shri Rane further said that we as a policy makers need to change the narrative .We need to be more sensitive on how to take this issue forward he added.

Addressing the gathering Dr Jose D’Sa Project Director Goa Control aids Society informed that the theme for the 2018 observance of World AIDS Day is “Know your status”. Shri D’Sa said that our  main goal is getting to Zero which means we need to aim at getting  zero HIV infection, zero conversion of HIV to AIDS , zero AIDS related threats and most importantly get Zero discrimination .Goa state control society is trying to achieve this goal by 2020 he added.

Shri Peter Borges, Founder of Human Touch said that during last two years in Goa, 610 people have been found infected with HIV positive. He further said HIV is not only transmitted by sex but it is transmitted by sexism, poverty and Homophobia. If we are going to end the menace of   AIDS, We must cure the disease in our heart and in our minds, he asserted.

On the occasion, people who have contributed to end AIDS in Goa were felicitated with Goa Red Ribbon Warrior.

Panaji: November 29, 2018 …The Department of Women and Child Development, Panaji will confer Veerjyoti Award from the year 2016 onwards and will present on the Republic Day i.e. January 26, 2019. ‘Veerjyoti Puraskar’ consists, of scroll/citation and cash prize of Rs.20, 000/- each. The award will be given to two women or girls per year (from 2016) in the State of Goa.

The Award aims to spread the message to encourage and motivate women and girls to seek their rights, status, remove gender asymmetries and attitudes, respect, dignity for women and girls in society.

Any women or girl who has shown exceptional bravery and courage, especially in adverse circumstances against any type of atrocities, violence and/or harassment against them or against any other women or girls at home, in the workplace and everywhere in the public domain and has fought to their respect and dignity in society in the State of Goa. Any women or girl from any walk of life, whether they are housewives, domestic servants, children in homes/Institutions profession also social workers, etc. The women or girl who applies for the award should be a resident of Goa for the last 5 years as on January 1^st of the respective year shall be considered. She should not receive any other award for the same act during the year.

The eligible women may submit their applications in soft copy (CD- in word format) and hard print in the prescribed downloadable format available on the website of the Department at www.dwcd.goa.gov.in or print format available in the Directorate with  enclosures, if any on or before December 4, 2018 in the office of the Directorate of Women and Child Development, Old Education Bldg., 2nd Floor, 18^th June Road, Panaji. The applications received after the expiry period of the time frame shall not be considered for the award.

For any clarifications the applicants may log on to www.dwcd.goa.gov.in  for detailed guidelines or contact the Directorate on Phone No. 2235308/2426112 during the office hours.

Panaji, November 28, 2018 … ‘Donbass’ directed by Sergie Lonznitsa bagged the prestigious Golden Peacock Award at the 49^th International Film Festival of India (IIFI 2018).

The Closing Ceremony of the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor stadium, Taleigao, today. The function was graced by Governor of Goa, Smt. Mridula Sinha, Governor of Punjab, and Shri. V.P. Singh Badnore, Minister of Tourism (IC), Shri K.J. Alphons, Minister for Ayush (IC), Shri Shripad Naik, Minister of Town and Country Planning, Shri Vijai Sardesai, Minister for Power, Shri Nilesh Cabral, Minister for Tourism, Shri Manohar Ajgaonkar, Shri. Dharmendra Sharma, IAS, CEO Entertainment Society of Goa, Shri Amey Abhyankar IAS, eminent jury members, and film personalities among others.

Minister for Town and Country Planning, Shri Vijai Sardesai, while speaking on the occasion said that they can be no better place to host IFFI than Goa. He said that IFFI has enriched the Goan filmmaking talent. IFFI’s journey in Goa began with the vision of the Chief Minister, Shri. Manohar Parrikar.  Shri Sardesai also Paid homage to Italian director, Bernardo Bertolucci, who passed away recently.

Earlier, the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, Shri Amit Khare, IAS, welcomed the gathering. In his address, he said that the authorities will try to enhance facilities at IFFI for the forthcoming 50^th IFFI next year.

Shri. Salim Khan was honored with a Special IFFI Award for Lifetime Contribution to the cinema. The award was received on his behalf by his son Shri. Arbaaz Khan. The ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award was bagged by ‘Walking with the Wind directed by Pravin Morchlle.  Centenary Award of Best Debut Film of a Director was awarded to ‘Respoto’ by Alberto Monteras II while Special Jury Award was presented to German film ‘Aga’. A Special Mention Award was given to films – ‘Volcano’ and ‘To let’.

The Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Female) was bagged by Ms. Anastasia Pustov (When the tress falls) while Shri. Chembon Vinod (Ee Maa Yove) received the Silver Peacock in the Best Actor (male) category. Shri. Lijo Jose Pellisery received the Silver Peacock for Best Director for his movie ‘Ee Maa Yove’.

          Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, via a video recording, conveyed his best wishes to the IFFI participants and also invited everyone to be a part of 50^th IFFI 2019.

 The closing ceremony was followed by the screening of the movie ‘Sealed Lips’ at Kala Academy.

Panaji: November 28, 2018 …The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs will organize XVII^th Youth Festival 2018-19 at four Zones and State level to showcase the talent of Youth in Music and cultural events.

Three talukas are clubbed in one Zone and they are Zone I: Ponda, Sattari and Dharbandora taluka, Zone II: Pernem, Bardez and Bicholim taluka, Zone III: Salcete, Mormugoa ans Tiswadi taluka and Zone IV: Canacona, Quepem and Sanguem taluka.

          The  first round of competitions will be held in four Zones. First three winners from four zones will qualify for State level Youth Festival. Zonal Level Events are folk dance, folk song, Harmonium, tabla, classical vocal and elocution. The State Level Events are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Sitar, Flute, Guitar and One Act Play.

          The programmes at zone-I will be held on December 12, 2018 at Ravindra Bhavan Sankhali, zone-II on December 7, 2018 at Farmers Co-operative Society, Pernem, zone-III on January 4, 2019 at Ravindra Bhavan Vasco and zone –IV on January 7, 2019 at Ravindra Bhavan Curchorem.  The State Level function will be held at Kala Academy, Campal on January 10 to 12, 201.

           Participants should be in the age group of 15 to 29 years i.e not less than 15 years and not more then 29 years as on April 1, 2018. Participants can participant in any one zone. Participants may submit their entries for zone and State Level at Sports Department Office by December 4, 2018. Circulars and entry forms may be downloaded from official website of Sports Department www.dsya.goa.gov.in  

Panaji : 27th November 2018: Day 7 of 49^th International Film Festival of India marked the presence of directors, ICFT jury member, UNESCO representative and the local filmmakers who shared their views with the media.

 Indian filmmakers Lijo Jose Pellissery, Ram and Pratima Joshi interact with the media

Elaborating on the genesis of his movie, Ram said that the story is about a spastic child and the parenting issues associated with her. “The screening of Perambu at IFFI was a very thrilling experience. I find that the Indian audience is very mature and celebrates film as an art. Indian audience’s level of understanding films and film art is far ahead compared to European or Chinese audience”, he said.

Lijo Jose Pellissery said that cinema should not be categorised as regional and national or commercial and parallel. It should be categorised just as good cinema and bad cinema; that will be easier for film makers and audience, he added

An actor and a costume designer turned director Ms. Pratima Joshi said that she doesn’t believe in the often repeated statement that “women are the enemies of women”. ‘Aamhi Doghi’ touches upon the bonding between a young woman and her ‘not-so-old’ step mom.

World renowned cinematographer, Pierre Gill shares insights on cinematography  

 Pierre Gill, a Montreal native, is a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Upside Down (2012), Casanova (2015) and Polytechnique (2009). He is a member of Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC).

“My passion for cinema comes mostly from storytelling. Storytelling makes me dream. A good story or good script brings out the creativity in me”, said Pierre Gill who wishes to work with some Indian production houses one day.

 Speaking on his experience in Blade Runner 2049, he said “My unit in Blade Runner 2049 worked on stunts, explosion, flying ships and underwater sequences and I used green screen technique to a large extent. The whole experience was really fun, due to the big scale of the movie. Movies like Blade Runner 2049 give you the opportunity to try all the latest equipment.”

 “VFX of Blade Runner 2049 won the Oscar award and I worked with all teams working on VFX for that film, so in a way I too won that award; it feels nice to think you have a share, even if small, in winning the Oscar”  

 “You have to be very strong; it is going to be a very difficult life. The life of cinematographer is by the second. Also, you have to travel a lot. Don’t do it for the money; money will come if you do well. You have to be a very good psychologist as well, since you have to deal with a lot of departments and have to be always on toes to attend to their questions. You have to be very open-minded. You have to be humble, if you don’t know, you must be able to say that you don’t know”, advised Pierre.

 Is technique Over-riding Content? Discussion in the Open Forum

 Exchange of views on existing trends and importance of content ended with the mutual agreement on the importance of content. “Technology is a boon in today’s era. It has made a lot of things easier but at the end emotional quotient forms the crux of a film”, said A. K Bir, cinematographer, writer and director.

 “In order to get audience to watch the film technology becomes vital. However it’s the emotional connect that binds the audience and we cannot deny that”, added Klaus Heydemann

 National Award winners and FTII batchmates, Swapnil Vasant Kapure and Medhpranav Powar, interact with media

 Selected in the Indian Panorama section, movies Bhar Dupari and Happy Birthday both won the 65^th National Award. Interestingly Swapnil Vasant Kapure and Medhpranav Powar were batchmates in FTII and their movies were a part of the FTII diploma course.  “Winning the National Award and now being part of the Indian Panorama has placed a great responsibility on our shoulders now”, shared Swapnil whose film Bhar Dupari is an insightful portrayal of a woman finding courage to fight her demons”.

 Happy Birthday, directed by Medhpranav Powar is a meaningful exploration of a small boy’s changing attitude towards his father’s sacrifice and love. “It is the story of a child and his father. As children, we are unaware of the sacrifices our parents make, though we harbour certain expectations from them. The movie is an attempt to explore the idea of this dynamics in the relationship between a father and child. For me, cinema is about telling stories and portraying them effectively. If you have a good story, it can be easily presented in any medium. Finding a child actor for the role was a tough job. A lot of improvisation was done during the shooting.” He added that he likes to work on content which is entertaining as well as contemporary.

 Filmmaker Marcos Loayza presents his film Averno at IFFI 2018

 The director of ‘Averno’, Mr. Marcos Loayza was at IFFI today, to speak about his film. He explained that his movie is an adventurous, realistic and mythical story that talks about maturation and anthropology. It is about the struggles faced by the protagonist Tupah, a young shoe shiner who sets out on an impossible journey to save his uncle. “It took a great deal of time for the movie to get materialized. Getting the right people, who are knowledgeable about the story and culture of Bolivia, to play the characters was a huge challenge. I am curious to know how the film is going to be received in India”, the director said.

 Producer/ Actor Chitrangada Singh and Director Shaad Ali present their film Soorma at an open-air screening at IFFI 2018

 This year as an extension of the Khelo India Branding, Indian Sports Biopics are being screened at the 49th IFFI. As part of this initiative today the film Soorma, a biopic on the extra-ordinary journey of hockey player Sandeep Singh, was screened in the presence of Producer, Chitrangada Singh and Director, Shaad Ali.

While speaking at the occasion, Chitrangada Singh said, “We knew we had the right intent and right content to make the film. This is a small effort to make a hero out of a real-life hero. Here’s to Sandeep Singh.”

It was an open air screening where a large screen was put up. Apart from Soorma, the other films screened in this section include Gold, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, 1983 and MSD: The untold story.

Panaji: 27 NOV 2018 … We are looking forward for more collaboration with India and the International Film Festival.  We can study about the possible ways of collaboration and provide something more and new to our audience and critics, said Laura Delli Colli, Vice-President of Foundazione Cinema per Roma, the main organisation that conducts the Rome Film Festival.   Laura was addressing a press conference at the 49th International Film Festival of India today November 27, 2018 in Panaji, Goa. Ms. Francesca Via, General Manager of Foundazione Cinema per Roma and Mr. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, eminent Indian director whose film Mere Pyaare Prime Minister(My Dear Prime Minister)  was Euro-premiered at the Rome Film Festival in October this year,  joined her at  the  press conference.

Talking about Indian movies, Ms. Laura said that Indian movies have a very special place in world cinema and that the Indian film industry has much to discover in Italy. On the growing significance of the Rome Film Festival, which is entering its 13th edition next year, Ms. Laura said that the interest of audience and international media is increasing with the passage of each year.

Ms. Laura added that Foundazione Cinema per Roma is going to celebrate maestro Federico Fellini’s birth centenary in 2020 and that all Italians are coming together to organize something big and special. “We love our big masters very much. Today we don’t have many masters remaining. A new generation is also growing up and it is important to have strong relationship with our roots. We have to think about new directors and talents and help them grow up to be new masters. It is not so easy to become a master,” she said.  Giving her take on the relationship between critics and journalists, she said that nowadays critics are not getting much space in newspapers.

Ms. Francesca Via, General Manager, Fondazione Cinema per Roma Foundation said that it is really important for Italy to make an engagement with the Indian Film Festival. “Rome Film Festival is supported by public and private institutions. We have a special section for the youth and films for student community. The public participation is going up by 2%-3 % every year. Asia and Asian films are really important for us,” she said.

Detailing the pre-publicity work that goes into the organisation of the Rome Film Festival,   Francesca said the preparations for promotion starts a full 4 months prior to the festival with a press conference in the month of June, It is followed by another press meet about the updated status in mid-September. In the first week of October just before the Festival starts, another press meet shares the details regarding films, master classes and conversation sessions with the public.

Remembering Italian film-maker Bernardo Bertolucci, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said that master filmmakers like Federico Fellini, Bertolucci and Akira Kurosawa are his default masters from whom he discovered world cinema. Masters can never die as their works outlive them. He added that films are to be made for perpetuity and not for a weekend. It should go on for hundreds of years and should be a statement of that time, he said.

Sharing his experience at the Rome Film Festival in October this year, Mr. Mehra said the festival is well-organized attracting huge crowds.  People are aware of the screening schedules well in advance and do advance ticket-booking. Talking about the role of media, he said journalists form an important interface between films and the public. “In Europe especially in Italy, journalism played a very important role in constructing cinema and pointing it towards right directions. Journalism can turn a film into a movement”, he added. 

Replying to a question, he said that it is not difficult to make political films; it is about whether you want to do it or not. Social and political cinemas can come back again and again as a reminder and as a reflection, like a mirror of what is happening in society .

Backgrounder

Ms. Laura Delli Colli is the current Vice President of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma and she has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2015. She is a journalist and writer, author of many books devoted to cinema and its protagonists. She is the President of Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani (SNGCI) – National Union of Italian Film Journalists. It is the official voice of the Italian film press that officially represents journalists, essayists and journalists working in newspapers, weeklies, newsmagazines, radio and TV, web pages, professionals and publicists.

Ms. Francesca Via is the General Manager of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma which organizes the Rome Film Fest,.  Francesca Via possesses a profound understanding of the inner workings of the structure of cinema and film festivals, and has vast experience as a cultural manager, initially as the Operations Manager of the Auditorium and later, advancing to the position of General Manager and Organizational Director of the Fondazione.

Mr. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is a director, writer and producer. Rakeysh has written, produced and directed the film Rang de Basanti, Delhi-6, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. All these moves have received critical acclaim and were loved by the viewers. His film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was screened in Open Air Section of sports biopic at 49th IFFI on November 22, 2018. His film Mere Piyara Prime Minister was Euro premiered at the Rome Film Festival in October this year