India Pavilion launched virtually at Cannes Film Market 2020

In a first, both the Cannes Film Market and the India Pavilion were held online this year because of the restrictions placed globally as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The film market is being held this year from 22 to 26 June, and Prakash Javadekar, minister of information and broadcasting launched the India Pavilion virtually to present Indian cinema and locations to the international filming community.

Javadekar began by stating that the virtual edition of the film market exemplified "togetherness and resilience" at a time when humanity is facing a common challenge. "Virtual inaugurations are the new normal and these virtual spaces are the new places for real partnerships," he went on to say. The virtual inauguration was viewed by over 2,000 people yesterday.

The minister added that cinema is India’s soft power and the film facilitation office would be made a single window for all center and state government permissions. He invited members of international film fraternity to come shoot in India and sell in the world market.

Despite being held virtually, the activity around the film market does not cease. Like always, the Pavillion will facilitate B2B meetings and links between filmmakers and other media and entertainment industries stakeholders.

The Marathi film Mai Ghat: Crime No 103/2005 (2020) and the National award-winning Gujarati film, Hellaro (2019) are being screened at the market. Javadekar hoped both films would be well appreciated by film audiences.

Moreover, to celebrate legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's birth centenary next year, several of his films and documentaries were being showcased on the Pavilion's website. The website will host data on film shootings in India, highlighting producers who have experience in co-productions, and listing producers interested in tying up with the international entertainment industry and media.

For the first time, NFDC's Film Bazaar is partnering with Marché du Films and will present five film from last year to pitch at the market. They include Prasun Chatterjee's Dostojee (Two Friends), Ajitpal Singh's Fire In The Mountains, Natesh Hegde's Pedro, Irfana Majumdar's Shankar's Fairies, and Ashish Pant's Ujhan (The Knot).