By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) has cautioned film festival organisers or agencies against individuals who assure permission or grant from the Government to curate the films or organise the film festivals. The ministry has issued an advisory in this regard urging entities and institutes to directly apply for exemption of films from the provisions of certification for screening in festivals.
The advice came after it noticed that individuals are approaching the agencies or persons–organisers of non-commercial film festivals looking for approvals—and demanding ‘gratifications or bribes’ in lieu of sanction.
The ministry also observed that ‘unauthorised’ persons often inquire about the status of the application for screening exemption of the movies– to be shown in various film festivals– received by the ministry and charge money from the applicants for the permission.
“Ministry of I&B hereby advises all film festival & oganisers/individuals/agencies/institutes/entities etc to directly submit their applications to this ministry as per the approved policy for certification of films for film festivals for exemption of films from the provisions of certification that are already uploaded on this ministry’s official website,” read the advisory issued recently.
The ministry has also blacklisted a Delhi-based film festival curator, who was misleading the organisers by claiming to be associated with the ministry and taking money. It said that no application from the blacklisted person will be entertained in future and asked organisers including foreign embassies in India to be careful while dealing with him.
In the advisory, the ministry clarified that it exempts the exhibition of any film or class of films from the provision of certification under Section 9 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 as per the policy that stipulates that the screening of films in such film festivals shall strictly be non-commercial and limited to delegates.
“This ministry adopts a very transparent way of dealing with the issuance of sanction of the screening exemption in a non-commercial film festival as per the standard guidelines already set, relevant provisions of extant rules and regulations and established norms already put in practice after receiving the requisite documents from the applicants without any prescribed fees or cost involved in the entire process,” the advisory also stated.
NEW DELHI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) has cautioned film festival organisers or agencies against individuals who assure permission or grant from the Government to curate the films or organise the film festivals. The ministry has issued an advisory in this regard urging entities and institutes to directly apply for exemption of films from the provisions of certification for screening in festivals.
The advice came after it noticed that individuals are approaching the agencies or persons–organisers of non-commercial film festivals looking for approvals—and demanding ‘gratifications or bribes’ in lieu of sanction.
The ministry also observed that ‘unauthorised’ persons often inquire about the status of the application for screening exemption of the movies– to be shown in various film festivals– received by the ministry and charge money from the applicants for the permission.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“Ministry of I&B hereby advises all film festival & oganisers/individuals/agencies/institutes/entities etc to directly submit their applications to this ministry as per the approved policy for certification of films for film festivals for exemption of films from the provisions of certification that are already uploaded on this ministry’s official website,” read the advisory issued recently.
The ministry has also blacklisted a Delhi-based film festival curator, who was misleading the organisers by claiming to be associated with the ministry and taking money. It said that no application from the blacklisted person will be entertained in future and asked organisers including foreign embassies in India to be careful while dealing with him.
In the advisory, the ministry clarified that it exempts the exhibition of any film or class of films from the provision of certification under Section 9 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 as per the policy that stipulates that the screening of films in such film festivals shall strictly be non-commercial and limited to delegates.
“This ministry adopts a very transparent way of dealing with the issuance of sanction of the screening exemption in a non-commercial film festival as per the standard guidelines already set, relevant provisions of extant rules and regulations and established norms already put in practice after receiving the requisite documents from the applicants without any prescribed fees or cost involved in the entire process,” the advisory also stated.