Goan movie to debut at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Panaji: "Mortoo", a Konkani black comedy on a villager who cremates the dead, is all set for an international debut at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in Australia.

Directed by Jitendra Shirkerkar, the film will be screened on May 5 in Beyond Bollywood section which is especially created for Indian regional films.

"This is a big news for Konkani Cinema which has now transcended the national borders to reach to the international audience," said Shikerkar, adding that the flick went houseful during its premier at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2013 held in Goa.

Shot entirely in Goa, the film narrates the story of a village man who is involved in cremations and how he eventually goes through bad times.

"Through this movie we will take Goa's culture to the international level," said producer Atrey Sawant.

The film stars Mumbai-based actors like Bharat Ganeshpure, Swati Rajput besides local artists like Rajdeep Naik, Prashanti Talpankar, Sai Poi Panandikar and Prince Jacob.

"The selection of IFFM will also help the world know that there are good films made in Konkani," said Sawant, whose Arohee Creation banner has produced the film, that is yet to get a commercial release.

IFFM, tagged as Southern Hemisphere's greatest celebration of Indian Cinema, will be held from May 1-11 in Melbourne, Australia.

The event website mentions that it will showcase the best of Indian cinema with the return of actress Vidya Balan as the festival ambassador.