Today, I am looking forward to attending “Film Bazaar” a special program arranged alongside IFFI-07 by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of India.

Soon after reaching the venue, Marriot Resort, located at the secluded edge of the b-e-a-u-tiful Miramar Beach, I was required to register for this whole day event, which was fairly quick.

In a little while I learned that this well-thought-out marketplace is exclusively setup to facilitate the film fraternity to showcase films, products, technology, and services. It promotes shooting locales and the sale and purchase of film and production-related equipment. After interacting with various delegates and officials, I realized that the whole NDFC idea is to provide Indian movie society with a platform to promote national cinema and to assist exploration of partnerships with visiting international movie-makers in the areas of production, distribution, and exhibition.

I did observe some of the international participants such as Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, Shanghai Film Group and Malaysian Broadcasting Corporation. There were also sale and marketing agents from Paris-based Memento Films and Germany’s Pandora Film Production.

To make it a serious endeavor, the Minister of Information & Broadcasting of India and the Goa’s Chief Minister were personally available to encourage participants.

Around noon, I left the venue to take a walk on this lovely golden Miramar beach of soft sand lined with palm trees facing the blue Arabian Sea. The word 'Miramar' in Portuguese stands for viewing the sea.

The second half of the day…I am at this historical Maquinez Palace, indeed a real “Palace,” built in 1702 and originally belonging to two brothers, Diago DaCosta and Cristovam DaCost, known to Goans by the name of Maquinezes. By now you must have realized that my hobby is to identify the history of the place I stopover. Not bad, always interesting!

Now I am here to enjoy a German movie, The Ninth Day, directed by Berlin-based, Oscar winner Volker Schlondroff. This dramatic 103 min movie is about a Roman Catholic pastor from Luxembourg in Western Europe, who is jailed in a Nazi German concentration camp, but released temporarily for nine days, and how he fights back with his principles, his fears for his family, and with a Nazi official who hopes he'll thrust his bishop with more empathy toward the Nazi cause. A must see… for viewers who watch well-adapted-Nazi-backdrop movies.

Next, I’ll share more IFFI-07 activities, including a seminar on “Digital Entertainment,” an expo on antique film equipment, and reviews for some of the finest movies yet to be screened here in Goa.