Indian cinema so much more than Bollywood: TIFF co-head

A breakfast networking session was hosted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on the sidelines the country's participation at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2019 on Monday.

Apoorva Srivastava, Consul General of India, Toronto; Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director & Co-Head, TIFF and the Indian Delegation interacted with the participants at the session. Speaking on the occasion, Bailey said that there is a very strong bond between Indian Cinema and TIFF.

Highlighting the range of Indian Cinema, he stated that it is so much more than Bollywood and there is no country in the world that makes films as India does.

"Significant of the attractive growth opportunities, the vibrant media, and entertainment industry has projected India as the 'All in one destination to make films' on the global stage", he added.

 

Talking about the richness of Indian cinema, he also touched upon various styles, languages and regional flavors which are reflected in the large scale musicals, animations, serious dramas, comedies and other genres of films produced in India.

The Session also witnessed a gathering of prominent figures such as Festival Heads, representatives of International Film Associations, Film Agencies and Production.

As part of policy outreach, the Indian Delegation also met with Canadian Government officials who were apprised of the recent initiatives undertaken by the Indian Government towards facilitating synergy between producers to foster co-productions.

Measures such as the institution of FFO (funds from the operation) to act as single-window facilitation, clearance mechanism for according permissions for domestic and international film-makers for filming as well as the creation of an ecosystem of Nodal officers among the different Indian States & Union Territories for faster processing of shooting permissions were also touched upon.

Applauding the recent changes made in the policy framework, representatives of the said bodies expressed their desire to participate with India in addition to IFFI 2019 which is slated for November in Goa.