Kolkata : The deadline for official submissions to the 32nd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) has been extended to Sept 30 following technical glitches on the festival website. Though a large number of entries have already been received for the competitive sections, organisers chose to extend the date to ensure no applicant is left out due to online submission failures. A notice on the portal attributes the delay to unforeseen technical issues.
We have never seen top global festivals stall submissions due to a technical snag. It was therefore decided to extend the deadline so filmmakers are not disadvantaged.
“It is pathetic that a webpage cannot be made to work,” remarked one director. “As cinema people, we understand how disappointing the scenario can be,” Chaki said. Filmmakers have expressed sharp disappointment over the persistent website breakdown. “I have followed KIFF for years, and such an incident has never happened before. KIFF must ensure the team fixes this promptly. Addressing the growing discontent, festival committee member and cinematographer-turned-director Premendu Bikas Chaki acknowledged the hardship faced by applicants. “Many may have missed the media report and were unable to email their film details, technical specs, preview link, password, and preferred section to [email protected]. We hope the extended deadline will help all those who have been struggling to submit.”