Vijai Sardesai Flags Issues in State Film Festival Notification in Assembly
Panaji : Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on Monday raised the issue of a faulty and outdated notification regarding the Goa State Film Festival-2025 during Zero Hour in the Goa Legislative Assembly. He highlighted that the current eligibility criteria, 85% participation from non-Goans and only 15% from Goans are unjust and contradict the very purpose of the festival.
Sardesai urged Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant to intervene immediately and reverse the skewed criteria, proposing that 85% participation be reserved for Goans and only 15% for non-Goans. He stressed that this correction is essential to protect the interests of Goan filmmakers and uphold the state’s distinctive cinematic culture.
Supporting the call, Vishal Pai Cacode, former Governing Body Member of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), thanked the Fatorda MLA for raising the matter in the Assembly. “I had flagged the ambiguities in the notification on 17.06.2025 itself. It’s crucial that corrective measures are taken without delay, failing which the festival may land in a legal tangle,” Pai Cacode stated.
He further appealed to all MLAs, across party lines, to raise the issue once again during discussions on the Demands for Grants to the Department of Information and Publicity. “This is an opportunity to compel the government to issue a fresh and corrected notification that ensures fairness and rightful representation for Goan filmmakers,” he said.
The controversy has drawn concern from across Goa’s film fraternity, many of whom feel excluded by the existing eligibility norms. Several members, Rajesh Pednekar, Augie Dmello, Rajdeep Naik, Dnyaneshwar Govekar, Prashanti Talpankar, Dilip Prabhudessai, Saiesh Palondicar, and Vishal Pai Cacode have already submitted a formal memorandum to Mrunal Walke, General Manager of ESG, demanding urgent revision of the rules.
Stakeholders from the Goan film community now await decisive government action. They warn that the festival risks losing its credibility if it continues to marginalise local talent and could potentially face legal challenges if the flawed notification remains uncorrected.
