IFFI 2018: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore says 'India is a land of storytellers where every person has a story to tell'

Indians can be “world beaters” in any sector, including film industry, Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said on 21 November, asserting that the International Film Festival of India  (IFFI) is a platform for the young generation to showcase their talent. [caption id=“attachment_5588771” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar at IFFI 2018 opening ceremony[/caption] He said the focus at this year’s film extravaganza is on digital cinema. “The potential in India and the young Indian generation is absolutely amazing. We can be world beaters in any sector and the film industry is one such sector,” he said at the red carpet of the IFFI opening ceremony in Goa. “This International film festival is basically a platform for our young generation to be able to showcase their talent, their skills, their stories to the international cinema. Also, it allows the international filmmakers to come and see our work,” the minister said. He said India is a land of storytellers where every person has a story to tell. “These stories inspire and entertain us.” He also termed as incredible the Information and Broadcasting team and Entertainment Society of Goa organising this event on such a massive scale. “There are Masterclasses held by experts in the entertainment industry and I hope the organisation involved is putting it online so that it reaches everyone. We are focusing on the past, the present and the future,” he said. Asked about ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar not being able to attend the event, Rathore said everything in Goa is “incomplete without Manohar Parrikar Sahab, so we wait for him to get well soon and be with us”. Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is recuperating at his residence since 14 October after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The opening ceremony of the International Film Festival of India 2018 also saw the launch of the web portal of the Film Felicitation Office (FFO) by Rathore. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting set up the FFO in National Film Development Corporation in 2014 with a view to promote and facilitate film shootings by foreign filmmakers in India, the services of which have now been extended to Indian filmmakers as well, officials said. In order to disseminate information regarding filming in India, the FFO has now developed the web portal. I&B Secretary Amit Khare, in his remarks at the opening ceremony, said the segment on focus state Jharkhand was a unique feature this year in line with ‘Ek bharat shreshtha bharat’. He said the ministry’s focus was on entertainment and films as a champion sector. He stated that the sector was growing at 27 per cent.