China to be focus country at International Film Festival of India

China will be the `focus country' at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa in November, as the two countries look at increased cooperation on culture with mutual exchanges in the fields of films, television and the new media.

A Chinese delegation led by Jiang Jianguo, party secretary and vice minister for state administration for press, publicity, radio, film and TV (SAPPRFT) met the I&B secretary Bimal Julka on Tuesday.

During talks, delegations of both the countries focused on issues pertaining to the mutual exchange of products, services and knowledge in the field of media and entertainment. Both sides agreed to identify a roadmap for enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Julka  proposed China as the `focus country' at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa in November, which his Chinese counterpart Jiang readily agreed to actively consider. Both delegations discussed the finalisation of the content to be showcased at the festival.

Julka also proposed a student exchange programme between the film institutes of both countries as a step for strengthening the cultural ties between the two nations. Both also agreed to increase participation in international book fairs like Delhi Book Fair to enhance cooperation in the publication industry.

During the discussions, the  I&B secretary also touched upon the issues related to the restriction of Indian films in the Chinese market and asked his counterpart to look into the matter in a fair manner. Jiang mentioned the popularity of Indian movies in China and proposed to explore the possibility of exchange of content on the TV channels in terms of movies and serials.

During the deliberations, both delegations exchanged notes regarding the relevance of new media in the domain of communications. Both sides stressed upon the need of a separate joint working group on films and related sectors. Julka  pointed out that such a framework could help in expediting issues related to co-production agreement in film sector.