Ajit Rai/Cannes

Behind the much publicised red carpet walks by the celebrities, the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPA), the largest organization of film producers in India, has taken a new initiative of doing business for Indian films worldwide in the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Abhay Sinha, President, and Atul Patel, Vice-president of the IMPA about 36 film producers marketed their films in the grand festival.

Despatch from Cannes

The International Federation of Photographic Arts accredits international film festivals around the world based on its set criteria. Hundreds of international film festivals held around the world, including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, and Busan, get recognition from this organization. 

In India, this organization has recognized only four international film festivals - Goa, Kerala, Bangalore, and Kolkata. The annual membership of this organization is 25,170 Euros (INR 25 lakh).

Indian ambassador Javed Ashraf inaugurating the Indian films marker at Bharat Pavillion at the Cannes

After IMPA becomes a member of the FIAP, it is authorized to send official entries from India to the Oscar Awards.

Young filmmaker Chandrakant Singh says at present filmmakers are facing the problem of which organization can send films from India for the Oscar awards. l Patel says that big film producers are successful in exhibiting their films abroad, but thousands of small film producers do not have such opportunities.

However, this time, it happened because the IMPA participated in the Cannes Film Market. For example, Asit and Diana Ghosh's film Avni Ki Kismat received business invitations from six companies. Similarly, the producer of Tale of Rising Rani, Ashok Kumar Sharma, also got many buyers. IMPA President Abhay Sinha's Bhojpuri film 'Sanjog' made in London also got a lot of success here.

Patel says that IMPA was established in 1937 and it has around 23,000 members out of which only 10,000 are active. IMPA set up its stall for the first time in the Cannes Film Market in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). It was inaugurated by India's Ambassador to France Javed Ashraf and Information Secretary of the Government of India Sanjay Jaju.

This time IMPA was successful in creating a market for 12 Indian films. These films are - Hamare Barah, Avni Ki Kismat, Tale of Rising Rani, Bundi Raita, Sanyog, My Best Friend Dadu, Saksham, Crab in a Bucket, Char Lugaai, Kaam Chalu Hai, Suno To and Agni Sakshi.

During a session at Bharat Paavillion at Cannes

IMPA President Abhay Sinha says, “Our effort is to ensure that maximum content-based films do business in the Cannes Film Market so that small filmmakers of India benefit. India has innumerable stories which the world wants to hear. If we try, our content-based films can do good business in Europe and America.”

Atul Patel adds that IMPA has had success in the Cannes Film Market, due to which we can do even better business in the future. IMPA also organized many programs in FICCI's India Pavilion in which a large number of people associated with cinema participated.

Sanjay Jaju shared the government's incentives for filmmakers. He said that the Government was giving cashback incentives of up to 40 percent or up to three million euros to foreign filmmakers. He said that the government is making every possible effort to make India a favorite destination for shooting foreign films.

Ambassador Javed Ashraf said, “Our embassy is always ready to help foreign filmmakers in every possible way to shoot their films in India. Many Indian embassies have started working on the film visa scheme.”

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The selection of Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia's film All We Imagine as Light in the main competition section of the Cannes Film Festival after 30 years has created a great buzz for Indian films and it is likely to benefit more young filmmakers.