New Delhi: Canada, which marks its National Day on Saturday, also known as Canada Day to celebrate the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 — when it was recognised as a dominion within the British Empire — will be the “focus country” at the annual International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa between November 20 and 28 this year. The move is expected to further enhance the cooperation between the two nations in the field of filmmaking.
The decision to nominate Canada as the focus country is in keeping with the policy of the Narendra Modi government to promote cultural exchange with nations that have strong ties with India and a large expatriate population.
Sources said Telefilm Canada, the government enterprise that facilitates film industry, is actively working towards making its partnership in the festival a success and is likely to supply seven-eight curated films showcasing the best of Canada’s cinema produced in the last two years.
Telefilm Canada is a government corporation reporting to the federal government through the minister of Canadian heritage.
Headquartered in Montreal, it provides services to the Canadian audiovisual industry. It is also learnt that Telefilm Canada will nominate two Canadian films as entries or ask filmmakers in Canada to submit their entries directly for Iffi Goa.
