Indian Participation at Cannes Film Festival – 2020 began today with the e-inauguration of the Virtual India Pavilionby Hon’ble Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekarji. The Festival will be held from 22 - 26 June, 2020.

The virtual edition of Cannes Film Market exemplifies, what our Prime Minister has said, “togetherness and resilience” when the humanity is facing a common challenge.

Addressing the film fraternity and film lovers across the Globe, the Hon’ble  Minister said “virtual inaugurations are the new normal and these virtual spaces are the new places for real partnerships”. He added that films are India’s soft power and the film facilitation office would be made a single window for all Center and State government permissions. The Minister invited international film fraternity to come shoot in India and sell in the world market. The Minister express hope that the two films sent to Cannes from India would be appreciated world over.

The Indian Pavilion at Cannes  has  always been a hub of activity. It is here that the Indian film makers and delegates interact with the international community, who while experiencing the colour, flavor and aroma of Indian cinema, also explore the opportunities of working with Indian film makers and to shoot within Incredible India that has almost unparalleled variety of locations and people.

This  year too, adopting the new normal, and to keep the ethos  of the Indian participation the prestigious film festival alive, the Indian Pavillion is expected to be buzzing with activities around co-production and film shooting in India, exports of Indan films and content, post production activities in India and fruitful business networking among delegates.  The Pavillion will facilitate B2B  meetings and linkages between film makers and other media and entertainment industries stake holders. 

There are couple of first time events in the participation this year.  Two film screenings,  MaiGhat: Crime No 103/200 (Marathi) and Hellaro (Gujarati) which  are National Film Award winning movies are being screened in the Market.  Additionally, to mark the Centenary year of legend film maker Satyajit Ray next year, a preview festival of some his films as also music and documentary by and of Satyajit Ray will be show cased at the Indian pavilion Website.  The Website will also make available the data on film shooting in India, producers who have experience in co-production as also a list of producers who are interested in linkages with international media and entertainment industry.

In another first, Film Bazaar is featuring at Cannes, wherein NFDC's Film Bazaar is partnering with Marche' du Films and is taking 5 Films from Film Bazaar 2019 for pitching in the Market.

An ensemble list of achievers, stakeholders of the media & entertainment industry, and senior Government officials attended the inaugural session at the Virtual India Pavilion. These included Shri Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Government of India, MrAtul Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Government of India, Ms TCA Kalyani, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of I&B, Government of India and MD, NFDC, Government of India, MsShrila Dutta Kumar, Minister (Consular) Embassy of India to France, Mr Prasoon Joshi, lyricistChairman, CBFC, Mr Madhur Bhandarkar, National Award-winning Director, Mr D Suresh Babu, National Representative, Active Telugu Film makers Guild, Mr Colin Burrows, Special Treats Productions, Ms Kangana Ranaut, Film Personality, Ms Usha Jadhav, Actor, Mai Ghat.

The festival, in its virtual mode, apart from facilitating from B2B  meetings, will also have a series of round table sessions each day on various aspects of the media and entertainment industry with panelists participating from the world over as also B2G and G2G meetings.  The website of the Pavillion can be accessed at www.indiaatcannes.in and at www.marchedufilms.com.

Over 2000 people viewed virtual  inauguration today.

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Saurabh Singh