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The Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPA), the largest organization of film producers in India, has this time taken a new initiative of doing business for Indian films worldwide at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. On the initiative of IMPA President Abhay Sinha and Vice President Atul Patel, about 36 film producers marketed their films in the Cannes Film Market and many of them got success.
IMPA’s Vice President Atul Patel says that the world’s largest organization recognized by UNESCO, Federation International de Art Photographique (FIAP), has offered membership to IMPA. In India, only Film Federation of India (FFI) and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) are its members but both these organizations have not given their annual membership to FIAP for many years.
The International Federation of Photographic Art recognizes international film festivals around the world on the basis of its set criteria. Hundreds of international film festivals held around the world, including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Busan, receive 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 thousand 170 Euros i.e. about 25 lakh rupees.
It is believed that after becoming a member of FIAP, IMPA will also get the task of sending official entries from India to the Oscars. Young filmmaker Chandrakant Singh says that the real issue is which organization will send films from India for the Oscars.
IMPA’s Vice President Atul Patel says that big film producers are able to exhibit their films abroad but thousands of small Indian film producers do not have such opportunities. This has been made possible by IMPA’s participation in the Cannes Film Festival. For example, Asit and Diana Ghosh’s film ‘Avni Ki Kismat’ received business invitations from six companies here. Similarly, Ashok Kumar Sharma, the producer of Tale of Rising Rani, also found many buyers.
Inpa’s president Abhay Sinha’s Bhojpuri film ‘Sanjog’ made in London also got a lot of success here. He says that Inpa was established in 1937 and it has around 23 thousand members out of which 10 thousand members are still active.
IMPA has set up its stall for the first time in Cannes Film Festival in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which was inaugurated by India’s Ambassador to France Javed Ashraf and Information Secretary of Government of India Sanjay Jaju. He said that this time IMPA tried to create a market for a total of twelve films of its members. 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.
IMPA President Abhay Sinha says that our effort is to ensure that as many content-based films as possible do business at the Cannes Film Festival so that small Indian filmmakers benefit. India has numerous stories that the world wants to hear.
If we try, our content based films can do good business in Europe and America. Atul Patel says that IMPA has got good success in Cannes Film Festival due to which we can do better business in the coming time. IMPA also organized many programs in FICCI’s India Pavilion in which a large number of people associated with cinema participated.
Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, while discussing the government’s incentive schemes in film production in detail, said that now the Government of India is 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 place for shooting foreign films.
French Ambassador to India Javed Ashraf said that our embassy is always ready to help foreign filmmakers in every way to shoot their films in India. Many Indian embassies have started working on the film visa scheme.
Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s film All We Imagine as Light being selected for the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival after thirty years has created a good atmosphere for India. Other young filmmakers will benefit from this.
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Input- Ajit Rai (senior journalist and film critic)