The Hindu Business Line : Doubly festive

New Delhi and Bangkok. Two international film festivals which run exactly at the same time (July 20 to 29). Two opportunities to revel in the latest in world cinema. I split the ten days between the two cities, and gain fresh perspective in the process: at the fifth Bangkok festival, Asia is strangely closer than it has ever been in India, so films from South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and host Thailand have more clarity; and at the 9th Osian’s Cinefan, the inclusion of Arab cinema into the existing Asia focus, one gets an extra window into a fascinating, complex culture.

The two venues couldn’t be more different, though. Eight modern theatres, with superb sound and light at the spanking new CentralWorld mall in downtown Bangkok is where all the action is: the media centre is in an adjacent building, and one spends all day tramping up and down escalators. And cramming in as many films as one can. In its short five-year span, this is the first time the Thais are going it completely on their own (their American partners are no longer in the picture), so you can see a lot of enthusiasm on display, as well as some confusion, in terms of process and intent and information spread.

Festival director Chattan Kunara Na Ayudhya, or just plain Chattan, is very clear on the emerging emphasis of his festival: Hollywood stars, and the latest blockbusters are all very well (which is what they have been doing all these years), but the heart of a film festival is an appreciative audience, and films which will connect with the local populace. So of the more than 130 films, a fair-sized chunk is allotted to a Thai Panorama, and a couple of the best and brightest of the young Thai brigade are high-lit in other sections.

They love Hema

For an Indian film journalist, the interest lies not only in the array of movies from around the globe, but the fact that this year they have a retrospective on Hema Malini. Five of her films are here including all-time super hit Sholay and the two latest ones — Baaghban and Babul. Any puzzlement you evince at the choice is swept away by both Chattan, and Victor, who’s programmed the festival and is familiar with Indian films: Boll ywood was huge in Thailand in 1960s and 1970s, and Hema starred in many of the big hits of those decades, so she has a special place in Thai hearts. “We love her,” says Victor. And it is evident in the rapturous response she and her films get.

The seventh floor where the box-office window is, and the crowds queuing up is a sight to gladden any festival director’s heart, because the festival also needs to make its money, so much so that press and other delegates are refused seats if the two mandatory rows reserved for them are full. One has to protest loud and hard, and beg and scrape, to be let into more than three films a day. “If we don’t do this, we will be broke,” says Chattan, with a disarming smile.

Osian’s expanse

Trusty old Siri Fort is where Osian’s is back in, bigger than it has been. Neville Tuli, man behind Osian’s, and the desire to make the festival the ‘biggest and the best’, clearly has his sights set on a global arena. And there is no doubt that in its ninth year, Osian’s Cinefan has an expanse — 140 films from 35 countries — which might be the envy of any festival. An Arab section, added on this year, has some sparkling movies, particularly Elyes Baccar’s She and He and Michel Kammoun’s Falafel, instantly letting you into a nation and its society and people.

The other section which has some gems is the First Feature, which, as the name suggests, has debut films competing, and the Indian section, fast becoming known as breaking ground for young directors doing experimental, edgy work: they premiere here, get noticed by audiences and the press, and either get a marketing deal or invites to show their movies in other film festivals.

In all, it’s a win-win thing, both for the festival, as well as for the first-time directors, who use this as a springboard. One of the best films of the festival, in fact, is here: the intriguingly named Manorama, Six Feet Under, by Navdeep Singh, shows that there might be a future for Hindi films, after all.

hot into international limelight after being shown at Karlovy Vary in 1956, is part of the five-film package.

Festival sidebar

At the end of the ten days, one is filmed out, talked out. Because after and before and in between are the sidebar events, like seminars and press conferences and one-on-ones with directors, who are at hand to present their films, happy to talk about their labour of love. Because it is one, both making films as well as being committed to watching them. And of course putting them all together. Aruna Vasudev, Osian’s Cinefan director, whose baby it has been and who has been watching it grow with pride, admits to exhaustion, and elation. “The films, the atmosphere, the people, the viewers, the whole thing, I love it,” she says, bone tired but very contented.

Apart from the passion that is a given for anyone who is involved with creating film festivals, there is also the pressure of it becoming a viable proposition for people to participate in. Chattan in Bangkok knows how difficult it is to wean people away from commercial enticements. “I love Harry (referring to Harry Potter’s latest, which is running alongside at the multiplex in regular screenings) but not right now!” He is keen that his box-office collections for festival movies buttress his ‘budgetary constraints’, which is why he has thrown his films open to the public.

So has Tuli in Delhi. You could buy, for Rs 20, a ticket at any of the Siri Fort auditoria. Or, for Rs 50, at a couple of PVR theatres, where a selection of the films were screened. Film festivals, after all, are also about getting as many people into theatres as they can for the eclectic wares.

They may not beat Harry, but they can join them.