MIFF 2020 to help documentary filmmakers pitch their films to OTT platforms

Over the last few years, over-the-top (OTT) platforms have made tremendous inroads in the country when it comes to viewing preferences, especially in urban cities. Keeping this in mind, this year’s Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) will be taking an initiative in helping documentary filmmakers to pitch their films to various OTT platforms. 

Smita Vats Sharma, festival director and director general of Films Division, said that the biggest challenge for documentary filmmakers today is to get a platform to showcase their films. 

“Films Division will be a facilitator to have a dialogue between OTT platforms and documentary filmmakers. The filmmakers can know what kind of documentaries an OTT platform is willing to showcase. Every documentary has a USP,” she said after the press conference on this year’s lineup in Mumbai yesterday. 

Giving an example, she added, “[Say] there is one documentary on a blind swimmer. There might be an OTT platform that showcases films on sports. So here the filmmaker can sit with the OTT platform and try to convince them that this is a human interest sports story about facing a formidable challenge and overcoming it.” 

Vats Sharma said that is a small beginning by the festival this year. “There is a chance of this conversation becoming fruitful in the future,” she said.

The 16th edition of the biennial festival will take place from 28 January to 3 February in Mumbai.