The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) seems attracting connoisseurs of cinema and the protesters alike as the latter are digging their heels in in a bid to make the Goa Government relent on a couple of issues. When actor Shah Rukh yesterday inaugurated the ten-day extravaganza at Margao, police were busy taming the black flags waiving protesters who had gathered outside the Ravindra Bhavan Complex, venue of the IFFI inauguration, in Margaon.

They were demanding that the state government curtail the festival by one day and hold the concluding ceremony on December 2 instead of December 3 in order to ensure that the date does not clash with the solemn festival of 'feast of Saint Francis Xavier' celebrated by Catholics.

Goa Church authorities and its parishioners have been demanding rescheduling the 10-day event as several lakh devotees and tourists from across the globe descend on in the coastal state to participate in the festival. The catholics bodies alleged that police were neglecting the security at the feast due to ongoing IFFI. The relics of St Francis Xavier, a 15th century patron saint of Goa, are preserved in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the world heritage monument.

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni who was greeted with black flags at the venue said,"we will discuss the issue and try to accommodate their demands". Soni was earlier petitioned by the parishioners seeking her intervention to curtail the festival by a day.

The Church-supported 'Save Old Goa' organisation has resolved that it will continue peaceful protests during the film festival. The proponents of Indian languages under the aegis of a forum titled 'Get Well Soon Digambar Kamat', named after the chief minister, also protested outside the inaugural venue yesterday and vowed to continue their demonstrations during the event.

They were protesting against the state government's decision to allow English as the medium of instruction in the elementary education, fearing that English will spell doom for the local languages Konkani and Marathi. The forum, initially formed by the users of social networking website Facebook, has been converted into a movement under which several agitations and awareness programs are being launched. The 42nd edition of IFFI was yesterday flagged off at Margaon by actor Shah Rukh Khan. Nearly 350 films from across the globe would be showcased during the ten-day jamboree which will be held in Margao and Panaji.