NFDC Film Bazaar gets encouraging foreign response

Panaji, Nov 26 (UNI) The Film Bazaar organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) during the ongoing International Film Festival of India(IFFI) here has evoked a good response, indicating growing world interest in Indian cinema.

The three-day Bazaar that came to a close here today had international participants like Final draft, European Producers Club, Global Film Initiative, Back Up Films, Onoma International, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, Shanghai Film Group, China Film Co-production, Arclight Films Malaysian Broadcasting Corporation, Astra and Miriam Arabof Cannes Market.

Besides, sales agents and financiers, including Fortissimo Films and Paris based Memento Films, Germany's Pandora also attended the three-day event.

''The number of producers, distributors and other media companies, all big brands, that are engaged in transactions here is really very encouraging,'' Managing Director of NFDC Nina Gupta told UNI here.

She said NFDC's script-writing workshop and discussions thereafter had wholehearted participation of Danis Tanovic (No Man's Land), Olivia Hertreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring), Bernd Lichtenberg (Goodbye Lenin) along with Mani Ratnam. Shaji Karun, Anjum Rajabali and Ashwini Malik.

The NDFC has this time presented 14 pre-selected projects from various parts of the country to be presented to the international film-makers, which may take shape of a film once a deal is struck, MS Gupta said.

These projects are: Shadkala Govinda Marar - Sivan, Veerappan Attanhasa - AMR Ramesh, Prothom Maa (Kali Journey Back to Africa) - Ashim Ghosh, The Blue Baby - Neerav Ghosh, Aryaman - Gaurav Jain, Ocean of an Old Man - Rajesh Shera, Constance - Charudutt Acharya, Sunshine Stars - Priya Belliappa, Shor - Raja Nidimoru&Krishna DK, BBD-Benoy Badal Dennis - Anjan Dutt, Last Days of Ropang - Shyamal Kumar Karmakar, Poona Company - Sunandan and Yogesh Walis, As the River Flows - Bidyut Kotoky and Happy Go Lucky - Ruchika Oberoi.

The Bazaar had 40 delegates from various countries including UK, Netherlands, France, US, Mauritius, Hong Kong, China and others.

''Most of the countries which are having film relations with India are represented here,'' Ms Gupta said.

''International filmmakers have shown increasing interest into Indian films because of the sheer cultural and linguistic variety of Indian Cinema,'' said Ms Gupta.

She said it was for the first time that NFDC had organised the Film Baazar at the festival, though it had been organised by industry bodies in the previous years.

For a long time the need to have more collaboration in film production was being felt, so it was decided to start the facilitation process and IFFI was the most suitable occasion for that as large number of people associated with foreign and home film industry come here during the Festival, she said.

She said the Corporation had organised film bazaars in the past but after some years the practice was discontinued.

''We badly need that in this era of soaring cost of everything, there should be one body that should help makers of good films, especially the young. Hence, the revitalisation of the role NFDC was originally supposed to play,'' said the MD.

UNI