The dissent over the choice of films at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) by agitated filmmakers on Tuesday found an echo with the International and National Jury coming down heavily on the poor quality of films screened at the festival and calling for solving the issue of censorship.

Speaking at the concluding function of MIFF, Tom Zubrycki, chairman of the International Jury, lamented about the standard of films screened at the festival, dubbing some of them as promotional and tourist films which do not fit into the general perception of documentary films.

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The lack of quality films had forced the jury to refrain from awarding films in the animation and fiction film/ video section. "The lack of good entries has forced us from not conferring award in this section," he added.

Calling for a review of the categorisation of films, he also alluded to backdoor censorship. "The issue of censorship needs to be resolved quickly and effectively" he said. "MIFF's credibility would come into question nationally and internationally if the censorship issue was not resolved. Censorship should be condemned in all its forms."

Underlining the need for dialogue between filmmakers and MIFF on transparency and selection procedure, he said MIFF was "Too precious for it to be diminished by differences."

N S Thapa, chairman of the national jury reiterated that efforts should be made to ensure that the quality of films was high. The films did not effectively explore truth and expose life, as they should. "Films screened here were no great masterpieces," he said.

Referring to the section on films made on tribes, he said many of the films had failed to convey information about the
tribes in India. He also called for better monitoring while making of such films.

According to Pradeep Biswas, jury member, more attention screened could not be termed as brilliant pieces of work. Although he expressed happiness that many of the films were made by new faces, indicating that there were plenty of young people who had joined the documentary movement.

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