The IFFI will not be screening any Pakistani films this year. Directorate of Film Festivals, Senthil Rajan, told IANS, that the absence of Pakistani films was because the ones that were sent to the IFFI were ‘not up to the mark.’
“We are not screening any Pakistani films this year. We had received two entries from Pakistan, but our film committee felt those films were not up to the mark. We received over 1000 entries from 102 countries,” Rajan told IANS.
“I don’t know the name of the two films that were sent, but they were not shortlisted,” he added.
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This comes just weeks after Jio MAMI decided not to screen the Pakistani film Jago Hua Savera owing to pressure from Mumbai-based NGO, Sangharsh. The organisation had approached the police to protest against the screening of the film, saying that the film would “flare outrage” among people after the Uri attack. The NGO President, Prithvi Mhaske, threatened to stage a protest against the festival.
In a statement, MAMI organisers said, “Given the current situation, the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star has decided not to programme Jago Hua Savera as part of the Restored Classics Section.”
IFFI though has strongly denied the suggestion that their decision to not screen Pakistani film had anything to do with the current political climate in India.