Margao: The eligibility criteria published for the upcoming Goa State Film Festival – 2025 is not just disappointing, it’s disgraceful. Requiring only 15 percent on-screen artists and 15 percent key technicians of Goan origin means that 85 percent of the film’s team can be complete outsiders. And yet, we are expected to call these “Goan” films? This is not the promotion of local talent — it is calculated exclusion dressed up as inclusivity, charged former Governing Body Member of the ESG, Vishal Pai Cacode.
“It was only after I raised this long-pending issue during a public debate organised by a local media channel, followed by a detailed article highlighting the neglect of Goan cinema, that the government finally woke up and announced steps to organise the Goa State Film Festival. While this is a welcome move, it must be done properly — with sincerity and vision, not as a half-hearted tick-box event,” said Vishal Pai Cacode.
Shockingly, the eligibility criteria being followed are based on the outdated Goa State Film Festival Regulations 2014. These rules require censor certificates and production dates from over a decade ago — completely irrelevant to today’s realities. Even more absurd is that the government has scheduled the 10th, 11th, and 12th editions of the festival in August 2025, but is still relying on outdated regulations, with no reflection of current industry dynamics or challenges, he pointed out.
The last few editions of the festival were held more than a decade ago. Since then, there has been no consistent effort to engage or support the local filmmaking community. Suddenly reviving the festival without updating the rules or consulting stakeholders is nothing more than a public relations exercise — and a poorly thought-out one at that, he added.
“You cannot revive Goan cinema while excluding Goan filmmakers. A true state film festival must aim to empower and uplift Goan talent — not provide platforms to outside productions with token local presence. If Goan identity is reduced to a symbolic 15 percent, then what exactly are we celebrating?” questioned Vishal Pai Cacode.
He demanded that the Goa State Film Festival Regulations be completely reframed, in consultation with all stakeholders from the Goan film fraternity. “The rules must be updated to reflect today’s ground realities and structured in a way that genuinely encourages, promotes, and prioritizes local talent. Anything less would be a betrayal of the very purpose of a state film festival,” he stated.
