The Thomson Foundation for Film & TV Heritage partners with the 38th International Film Festival of India, to launch ‘IFFI Goa Film Treasures’

The Thomson Foundation for Film & TV Heritage with support from the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), from the French archive institution “La Cinémathèque française” and from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), announces its partnership with the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to launch a new section - ‘IFFI Goa Film Treasures’. This section, dedicated to film heritage, has been introduced at the 38th International Film Festival of India and takes place from November 27, to December 1st, 2007 in Goa.

Séverine Wemaere, Managing Director of Thomson Foundation, said: “I would like to thank the Festival committee of the 38th International Film Festival of India and especially Ms Kapur and Mr Santhanam for giving us the opportunity to join the Festival. Films are a vivid art of representation, a tremendous source of inspiration and have a mighty effect on the mind and imagination, but sadly, they are at risk of loss and disappearance. By participating in “IFFI Goa Film Treasures”, the Thomson Foundation aims to reach out to a larger population of people to emphasize the importance of film heritage.”

‘IFFI Goa Film Treasures’ is a classic section entirely dedicated to international film heritage. It includes a special film programming and workshops. This year’s theme, ‘Freedom’, is highlighted by movies from acclaimed directors like Jean Renoir, Charlie Chaplin or Kenji Mizoguchi.

The Film Treasures initiative confirms Thomson Foundation’s commitment towards film preservation and promotion in India and globally. Earlier this year, the Thomson Foundation had gathered worldwide competencies from India, France and the USA to set up an educational program for the future generation of filmmakers trained at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.





About Thomson Foundation for Film & TV Heritage
The Thomson Foundation, created in 2006 by its founder Thomson, world leader in video technologies listed in Paris and New York, is a non-profit entity, acting worldwide in the field of preservation and promotion of film and TV heritage, which reflect the history and culture of a country.
Working in cooperation with local and international partners, the Thomson Foundation identifies and supports urgent programs for the safeguard of moving images. By identifying the appropriate resources required for each project, the Thomson Foundation helps set up multi-disciplinary teams. They include experts from its founder Thomson (leader of image technologies) and experts from leading film and TV archives, film preservation schools, cinema schools. Transmission and education plays a key role in each program. In all Foundation programs, films and audiovisual materials are preserved in aim to be shared and shown to the largest audience.

About 38th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa
The 38th International Film Festival is being organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with the Government of Goa, and the Indian Film Industry. The Directorate of Film Festivals organizes International and National Film Festivals within the country, facilitate India’s participation in Film Festivals abroad, arrange programmes of foreign films in India and Indian films abroad, under bi-lateral exchange agreements, and conducts the National Film Awards. As a vehicle of cultural exchange, DFF promotes international friendship, provides access to new trends in world cinema, generates healthy competition and, in the process, helps to improve the standards of Indian Cinema.

About National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune
The mission of the National Film Archive of India is to safeguard the heritage of Indian Cinema for posterity and act as a centre for dissemination of a healthy film culture in the country. Promotion of film scholarship and research on various aspects of cinema also form part of its Charter. Familiarizing foreign audiences with Indian Cinema and to make it more visible across the globe is another declared objective of the Archive.

About La Cinémathèque française, Paris, France
A private organisation, financed by the state for a large part (Secretary of culture and communication through the Cinematographic National Center), the “Cinémathèque française” is a non-profit association. Created in September 1936, the Cinemathèque française is now settled down at his new location in Paris near Bercy. Since 1981 the Cinémathèque française preserves a part of its collections on security record, at the Saint Cyr Fort. This place given by the Cultural Ministry features the whole of the collections (40,000 titles), reflects Henri Langlois’ sharp tastes: the basis is international, with a strong presence of German and American silent films, and 1920’s avant-garde movies.

About Film and Television Film Institute of India (FTII), Pune
Established in the year 1960 on the erstwhile Prabhat studio premises at Pune and thereby inheriting a rich legacy in quality cinema, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has truly lived up to its avowed objective in the field of imparting training in film making and television programme production. Today the FTII is considered as a Center of Excellence not only in India but also in Asia and Europe. The FTII is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India.

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