In the wake of a second wave of COVID-19, the Karnataka International Film Festival 2021 scheduled to be held in Hubblli from May 21 to 23 has been put off to November this year.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Thursday, president of the Nava Karnataka Film Academy, Dharwad, M.A. Mummigatti said that the decision to postpone the film festival, the first ever of such kind in North Karnataka, was taken in the wake of a surge in COVID-19 cases. “The film festival has been postponed to November and it will be held on 19, 20 and 21 of that month,” he said.
Mr. Mummigatti said that the academy had been set up with three main objectives namely conducting international film festivals on an annual basis, ensuring the establishment of a film city and also a film institute.
He said that the academy was looking for around 50-100 acres of land in the region and had also sought help from investors for the project. “We have information on availability of suitable land required for the film city and after the film festival, we will be working on the film city project,” he said.
Mr. Mummigatti said that the academy had held the first round of discussions with the Maldives Government for having a collaboration for building a film industry there. “Recently, I had been to Maldives and had a discussion with the Minister for Culture there. After the second round of discussions, we will sign a memorandum of understanding,” he said.
At present, Maldives was being used for shooting films and the film industry there was in a nascent stage. They wanted the academy to have a collaboration with them to promote their film industry, he said.
