India made a visible presence at the European Film Market 2014 at the ongoing 64th Berlin International Film Festival.
On Thursday, the India Pavilion at Martin Gropius Bau, European Film Market, was inaugurated by Bimal Julka, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi and Ajit Gupte, acting ambassador in Berlin.
The EFM is one of the most important platforms for international trade in film distribution rights and audiovisual content.
An Indian Film Guide, brought out by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was released on this occasion which has catalogued information on film policies, movies for sales and distribution at EFM.
The India Pavilion has been organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in association with Confederation of Indian Industry from February 6-14, 2014 and will provide a platform to further popularise Indian cinema in the overseas market and facilitate new business opportunities.
Ten Indian films will be screened in the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. Indian films screened officially at Berlinale include Imtiaz Ali's Highway (Panorama), Jayan Cherian's Papilio Buddha (Panorama)Pushpenra Singh's Lajwanti (Forum), Jessica Sadana and Samarth Dixit's Prabhat Pheri (Forum), Avinash Arun's Killa (Generation), Gaurav Saxena's Rangrez (Native) and two films Mount Song, Blood Earth (Forum Expanded) among others. Iconic film of Satyajit Ray's Nayak (Berlinale Classics) and Mani Kaul's Gashiram Kotwal (Forum) will be screened at Berlin in restored prints. In addition, Overdose is in the Co-Production Market and three people in the Berlinale Talent section.
Several Indian companies, filmmakers (mainstream and independent) production companies, line producers, post production studios and exporters will engage in one to one business meetings over the next few days to market Indian films and engage in co-productions with Europe. The objective behind the participation is to promote Indian Films across linguistic cultural and regional diversity so as to forge an increasing number of international partnerships in the realms of distribution, production, filming in India, script development and technology, thereby accelerating the growth of film sector in India.
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Several interactive networking sessions on co -production, single window clearance for filming in India, animation, gaming and visual effects, role of film schools in development of cinema and documentary movement in India have also been planned over the next few days.
There would be a team available for answering queries from delegates. Shooting location guides and tourism brochures would be kept in India pavilion for distribution to delegates.
A series of activities are being planned at the Indian Embassy during the Berlin International Film Festival and EFM to showcase Indian soft power during the festival. Popular main-stream as well as regional movies will be screened at the Embassy along with an exhibition on shooting locales of India.