The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa takes cinema to the streets – quite literally. The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) have partnered with Picturetime Digiplex to screen a selection of films in inflatable theaters at the 55th edition of the festival. These include SS Rajamouli’s global phenomenon ‘RRR’ along with the works of acclaimed directors Satyajit Ray, Mani Ratnam and Imtiaz Ali.
The mobile theater initiative will feature two 120-seat inflatable venues on the main festival grounds, complemented by an open-air mobile screen that will travel between North and South Goa during the festival period from November 20 to 28.
The program list combines contemporary Indian cinema with classic titles. Recent selections include ‘Thangalaan’ by Pa. Ranjith, and Mani Ratnam’s two-part epic ‘Ponniyin Selvan’. The festival will also screen films from the Indian Panorama and National Film Award sections, including Malayalam drama ‘Aattam’, Rishabh Shetty’s ‘Kantara’ and Ray-inspired biographical drama ‘Aparajito’.
Classic films getting the inflatable theatrical treatment include Ray’s ‘Agantuk’, Kundan Shah’s ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’ and Raj Kapoor’s ‘Bobby’.
This new initiative comes from Picturetime’s partnership with the Dharamshala International Film Festival, where “All We Imagine as Light”, the winner at Cannes, “Tees” by director Dibakar Banerjee, and “Girls Will Be Girls”, the winner at Sundance, were screened at high levels. 5000 feet.
“Our mission is to democratize the big screen experience,” said Sushil Chaudhary, Founder and CEO, Picturetime Digiplex. The company has previously brought mobile cinema experiences to remote locations including the Himalayan Film Festival in Ladakh at 11,562 feet and the Tribal Film Festival in Arunachal Pradesh. This is an attempt to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas through “technology and innovation”, giving people in remote areas access to the “big screen magic they deserve”, Chaudhary added.
The festival is organized by NFDC and ESG under the supervision of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.