International film festival set to entice Hills, region to be promoted as shooting location

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 28 February 2019 | Darjeeling: An international film festival is being planned in the hills and foothills of North Bengal, with the primary objective of promoting the region as an important shooting location.

"We are planning an international film festival in Darjeeling and Siliguri. I have already held meetings with the Film Federation

of India in this regard. They

will be organising it and we will provide the necessary logistics," said Goutam Deb, state Tourism minister.

The film festival will be held from August 21 to 25. "Our main aim is to invite major productions houses from all over the country and showcase the area, mainly the hills and the foothills, as a shooting location. The region will reap the benefit of this," the minister said.

It may be recalled that Darjeeling has been an important shooting destination since ages and several blockbusters have been shot in the Hills. Of late, the Terai and Dooars region has also started attracting filmmakers.

"Last year, there was a South Indian film shot with Rajinikanth

in the lead. Director Goutam Ghosh is scheduled to shoot his next project in Kalimpong from next week" stated Deb.

The minister said that along with actors from Bollywood, directors

of acclaim and big production

houses will be taking part in the festival as well.

Two screens of a multiplex in Siliguri, along with the Dinabandhu Mancha will be used to screen the films. "A two-day closing ceremony will be held in Darjeeling. It will either be held at the multiplex or at Chowrasta" added the minister. The Dinabandhu Mancha is getting a technical upgrade to make it suitable for the festival.

He stated that along with the focus on this region as a shooting destination, people of the region will also get to enjoy the true flavor of an international film festival.

"I will be meeting the Chief Minister and will be apprising her of the plans for the festival," added Deb.