Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) has effected a 300 per cent hike in the delegate registration fee for 46th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa from November 20 to 30. It has been increased from Rs 300 per person to Rs 1,000. The late fee has been hiked from Rs 200 to Rs 500.

The move has angered cinephiles who feel that the festival organisers are trying to make up for the shrinking budget allocation for the event from the pockets of delegates. The organisers on the other hand maintain that the reason for the fee hike was taken as there has been no increase in the delegate fee in the last 10 years.

The move may result in filling the IFFI coffers with Rs 84 lakh additional revenue as every year at least 12,000 delegates attend the festival. The new fee will increase the funds generated by delegate registration from Rs 36 lakh to Rs 1.2 crores.

“It’s the most important film festival in the country and people from across the country throng to attend it. It’s the responsibility of the government to make enough budgetary allocation for conducting the event. Why are you giving a pinch to the shallow pockets of film lovers? The fee has now become comparable to private film festivals,” said Mushtaque Shaikh, an arts students from Pune.

C Senthil Rajan, directorate of film festivals, however said that the aim behind the move is not to generate revenue. “Last delegate fee hike was implemented in 2005. It’s been ten years since it was revised. In the meantime, the expenditure on the delegate accessories such as catalogue and other things has gone up. Hence, it was pertinent to revise the fee. Even after this revision we won’t be able to recover the funds that are directly spent on delegates. Also, if seen in context, Rs 100 per day for a ten day festival is not too much,” said Rajan.

Rajan pointed out that there has been no change in the fee exemption given to students of film and mass communication from recognised institutions of India and those related to the Censor Board.

Golf tourney to start from October 18

The Oxford Golf Resort is holding a tournament offering Rs 30 lakhs prize money at the Oxford Gold Resort in Pune from October 18 to 23. The aim of the tourney is to give talent in Western India a chance to compete with the country’s top professional golfers.

The tournament is a full field professional golf tour of India (PGTI) sanctioned event attracting 120 of the country’s top pro-golfers and will see much of Western India’s top young talent in action.

The event will give junior golfers in the area a chance to watch the pros in action through a unique “walk with the pros” program which will allow, for the first time, juniors to accompany the leading players during the final rounds at close quarters, keep score, and interact and learn from the masters. A junior clinic by the top players will also be held.

The tournament will be held over 72 holes with a cut-off after two days to the top 50 scores and ties. The event starts with a pro-am, involving both professionals and amateurs, on Sunday October 18.