Pickle India Spotlight at Toronto 2020 Issue

INDIA AT TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2020 www.pickle.co.in Sep 14-21 | 2020

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INDIAN

15

ANIMATION PROJECTS FROM

INDIA

ANIMATION S O I D U ST SEEK

CO-PRODUCTION

PARTNERS AT CONNECT WITH US

BRINGING FILM TO LIFE TM

Five days. Thousands of new films and projects.

Countless opportunities to discover what producers from around the world have developed.

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from t he e d ito r

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is a fantastic tool and it benefits producers from both countries.

India is known for its production output. Canada is an expert in pre and postproduction. Canada understands multi cultural programming. It has an immigrant population from various countries and they respect multi cultural aspects, unlike many other countries. That’s one of the reasons that Canada and India can work together to create global content.

Canada has well-known distributors who are globally recognized. An Indian collaboration would yield a far-reaching effect for distribution of their content. It is a win-win situation for both sides.”

e are happy to present the latest issue of Pickle for the delegates at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival and sales and industry representatives. TIFF is unarguably the biggest festival and market in North America.

For India, and now increasingly to South Asia, Toronto has become a hub for discovery of talent. Toronto is a great place to be in especially for young Indian filmmakers who are visibly changing the face of Indian cinema. Being discovered at Toronto opens them a new path to their cinematic techniques and excellence. Toronto leads the global film festival outfits to bring into limelight excellence and best minds in Indian cinema.

With one billion mobile subscribers, 500 million plus smart phone users, 620 million Internet subscribers, 900 TV channels, 1,800 films produced annually, 100,000 newspapers and periodicals and over 50 OTT platforms, India’s vibrant M&E industry provides attractive growth opportunities for global and domestic corporations.

The government’s policies are geared towards realizing the full potential of this growing sector.

In the challenging times of Covid-19, we have focused spotlight on India as a window of opportunity to the world. While filming has come to a standstill, animation, VFX and gaming are getting traction in the media and entertainment verticals.

We have curated 15 animation projects from Indian studios who are seeking co-production partners from TIFF delegates and beyond.

Feel free to email your thoughts and suggestions.

Recently we had a chat with Ashish SK, AVGC industry veteran and founder of ScreenYug Creations and Punnaryug Artvision and Screenyug Creation. This is what he has to say on the India-Canada Co-Production collaboration. “It

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CAMERON BAILEY

Artistic Director and Co-Head Toronto International Film Festival

One of the key things at TIFF 2020 was to focus on highest quality films and find ways of generating conversations around them. Festivals are really all about the gathering around films and whether it’s in person or virtual people still need to have that opportunity to talk about films, share their opinions and reactions. And it’s important to bring public, audience, media, industry together and that’s really important 8

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Joana Vicente

Co-Head Toronto International Film Festival

The digital component of TIFF 2020 is here to stay. I think this will always be part of what we do and it does give access to people that otherwise wouldn’t be able to to attend festival.

There’s an opportunity to even if people can see the film, they can still see the talks, engage with festival and and cheer for the filmmakers from around the world. So we really excited about the the digital components.

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INDIA AT TORONTO 2020

Make at least

TEN

co-productions in a year

The new rules framed by the government of India will incentivize co-production, encourage filming in India and go a long way in further strengthening collaborative opportunities, said TCA Kalyani, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and MD, National Film Development Corporation

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ndian producers and filmmakers should work towards producing at least ten Co-Productions each year, stated TCA Kalyani, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and MD, National Film Development Corporation. She said this while participating in a webinar session for the formal inaugural of the India’s participation at Toronto International Film Festival.

India’s virtual participation at TIFF is organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry. India at Toronto 2020 activities include interactive discussions on filming, co-production, media services among others. Business to Business meetings and pitch sessions are also planned during TIFF. In her opening address to delegates on the India-Canada opportunities in the filmed entertainment space, Kalyani underlined that the new rules of procedures that have finally been made by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will incentivize coproduction, filming in India and go a long way in further strengthening Co-Production opportunities.

“Webseries and Television Series will also be included in the incentive

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package for co-production and film shooting,” stated Kalyani. The AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) Sector will also be part of the incentives provided under the Champion Sector for audio visual industry.

The lively, interactive panel discussion elicited number of participant questions. The participants in the panel included Kalyani, Apoorva Srivastava, India’s Consul General in Toronto, Rahul Rawail, film director and producer, Roger Nair, film producer from Toronto and Neerja Bhattia, Executive Director, CII. The spotlight on India at Toronto will showcase Film in India, promote International Film Festival of India, India as a post-production hub, promote collaborations for films with international production houses and encourage Indian Panorama Films for sales and syndication .

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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India has its advantage at every filmmaking process. It has a strong domestic film industry across the country. More than anything else, India has access to world class technicians and equipment; amazing choice of locations to shoot any type of film. Skilled professionals are available across the country. India is gearing up for the 51st edition of International Film Festival Of India, Goa from 20 to 28 November 2020 (hybrid format).

The AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) Sector will also be part of the incentives provided under the Champion Sector for audio visual industry 11

The market potential for Indian content in Toronto is huge because of the strong presence of the Indian diaspora and great interest in Indian Cinema. India-Canada are in a coproduction treaty and the delegation will explore opportunities to work on co-producing films with Canada.

India through various interactions, will promote ease of shooting films in India through Film Facilitation Office (FFO) that facilitates Single Window Clearance for film-makers and provides the platform for ‘film tourism’ in India.

In his address, Rahul Rawail said, “With India soon to offer financial incentives for co-production and filming under the champion sector, whole landscape of entertainment business is set to change. It will bring more and more co-production opportunities for India and global producers.”

Roger Nair said, “We have been in the business for 25 years. We see bright times ahead for India-Canada business collaboration. We have shot films without the co-production treaty- about 14 films with India now.

So, we are very open to working with Indian producers and filmmakers in the new incentive programme.”

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INDIA CANADA COLLABORATION

Filmmakers

SHOULD make use of

India-Canada treaty

India and Canada have huge opportunities in the entertainment sector and the audio visual co-production treaty can lead to positive changes, says Apporva Srivastava, India’s Consul General in Toronto

Apoorva Srivastava

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ndia’s Consul General in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava has urged filmmakers to make use of IndiaCanada audio visual co-production treaty.

She said this while speaking about India-Canada opportunities in the filmed entertainment space during the webinar session for the formal inaugural of the India’s participation at Toronto International Film Festival. India’s virtual participation at TIFF is organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry.

Stating that India and Canada are natural partners “because we share a truly unique relationship,” Srivastava added: “We are both vibrant democracies.

We are wedded to rule of law, we share Commonwealth traditions, we have

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similar parliamentary model and we speak the same language. In today’s world, Canada and India are two multicultural societies which truly value and cherish diversity.”

“We are bound together by strong people to people ties, we have more than 1.6 million strong Indian Diaspora, 700,000 Indian citizens live and work here 250,000 Indian students in Canada. India is now the source of largest source of migrants and international students in Canada. These factors make Indian movies a great draw in Canada.”

According to the diplomat, we need to work with Toronto International Film Festival with a huge Indian participation next year to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence.

“Fortunately, we have Mr. Cameron Bailey, TIFF Co-Director who’s a great friend of India and he is passionate about Indian cinema.

Indian films have been a regular feature at TIFF,” she said.

She also called for interactions between Indian and Canadian screenplay writers, directors, producers so that they can take advantage of the India-Canada CoProduction Treaty.

“We need to create awareness about shooting locales in both India and Canada with each other,” she said.

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SPOTLIGHT ON INDIA

India the

Window of

Opportunity The policies of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, are fully geared towards realising the complete potential of the M&E sector by forging global partnerships and providing an enabling environment by lowering market barriers and propelling growth

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n the rapidly changing global media and entertainment landscape, India has emerged as a window of opportunity to position itself as a hub for audiovisual services for the rest of the world. Media and Entertainment is one of the champion sectors supported by the Government of India. The incentives for the audiovisual services that closely match the sops given by various other nations are already finalised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. They are waiting for the appropriate time to announce incentives that is set to handhold industry in the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic.

India has probably one of the most liberal investment regimes in the media and entertainment, information and communication sector amongst the emerging economies with a conducive foreign direct investment (FDI) environment and ease of doing business.

Digitization and the growth of the internet are reducing many barriers to market entry and creating opportunities for smaller companies’ offering skills and services in new forms of content creation for various platforms.

In the current scenario, the Indian animation (IPs included) and VFX Services have gained a lot of traction among the international producers and production houses. In the following pages we have curated 15 animation co-production projects seeking partners at the Toronto International Film Festival 2020.

In the aftermath of coronavirus pandemic, Indian media, entertainment and technology services are witnessing new growth opportunities on the back of growing offshore services domain, especially in animation, VFX, gaming, AR/VR and digital media, among others.

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Many companies have created top-end studio facilities in India that serve as single windows to fulfil the needs of the M&E industry (Technicolour India, Deluxe). Their international business model offers local and remote clients the opportunity to produce and coproduce and distribute content anywhere around the world.

Media & Entertainment sector has been supported by the Government of India as one of the champion sectors with immense potential of growth both within and outside the country. Media and Entertainment is also among the sectors that clearly has made an impact of Make in India, Show the World. For services it is Make in India, Serve the World.

The role of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is to facilitate the industry to create jobs and growth for the sector. The government’s efforts are driven towards creation of forums and forge partnerships to keep the momentum going.

Content produced for Indian media sectors holds tremendous potential for global consumption. With a significant diaspora population residing overseas, Indian content is a key tool for these communities to connect with their cultural roots.

The Indian film industry is fairly unique in the world. The country, along with America and China, is among the few that can sustain their industry domestically. You can make a film just for India, or even one region within India. Once when the Government gives green signal to open theatres there are over 83 films waiting to be released in India. OTT players like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney + Hostar, ZEE5 have brought in a transformation in expanding Indian content reach to over 100 territories across the world.

CO-PRODUCTION India has audio visual co-production treaties with over 15 countries -- Bangladesh, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, UK & Northern Ireland, Bangladesh, Russia. It is now possible for filmmakers of different countries to come together and make films under bilateral co–production agreements. Co-productions under these agreements are more beneficial to filmmakers than a purely commercial partnership between two individuals or entities.

New markets and audiences would be available for the product, especially if collaborations and partnerships are between nationals of different countries.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is currently finalising incentives for co-production, filming under the champion sector scheme. In addition to films, TV Series, Web Series, Animation will be also be included in the co-production projects.

Media and Entertainment is also among the sectors that clearly has made an impact of Make in India, Show the World.

For services, it is Make in India, Serve the World

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AUGMENTED REALITY The Augmented and Virtual Reality, the two spectrums of immersive technology, will form the next frontier of growth for the M&E industry. For India, AR/VR can open up new creative avenues.

According to a report, the Indian AR/VR market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 76 percent over the next five years, fuelled by demand from business and consumer sectors. The past few years have witnessed the emergence of over 200 AR/VR start-ups in the country. Bengaluru and Hyderabad take the lead, attracting a big chunk of these start-ups, followed by Delhi and Mumbai. Among states, Karnataka and Telengana are actively promoting AR/VR startups by providing incubation, mentoring, idea validation by experts, opportunities to deploy pilots with various departments, along with fund support for eligible ones. This was the major takeaway at the recently concluded Global AVGC Summit FX 2020 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

VIDEO GAMES Dinesh Gupta, Director and Co-Founder at Sacom in one of the the recent Pickle columns mentioned massive growth opportunities in video gaming. Statista’s Global Digital Market Outlook pegs the digital media market at US$ 172,502mn in 2020 with a 9.8% year-onyear growth projection. This forecast was adjusted for expected global impact of Covid-19 pandemic. Video Games share with a projected market volume of US$ 92,633 mn and 11.41% growth over previous year dominates the digital media market with a close to 54% worldwide share. This makes the Video Games industry much bigger than Video-on-Demand, ePublishing and Digital Music put together. Majority of the revenues for video gaming are contributed by mobile gaming which is likely to contribute as much as 60% in 2020.

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INDIAN M&E INDEX

1800

Feature Films Produced

900

TV Channels

620 mn 500 mn Active Internet Users

50,000 +

Smart Phone Users

50+

Hours of TV Content created OTT Platforms every year Produced

300 mn 750 mn OTT Viewers

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Reach of Movies via TV

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India is one of the most liberal media markets in the world in foreign direct investment (FDI) for global companies to engage in business FDI in all film-related activities such as film financing, production, distribution, exhibition, marketing etc. is permitted up to 100% for all under the automatic route

FDI up to 100% is permitted in publishing/printing scientific and technical magazines, periodicals and journals

100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in AVGC (Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics) sector through automatic route

100% FDI for General Entertainment Channels

100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the advertising sector through the automatic route FDI up to 100% now permissible in broadcasting carriage services outlined in FDI Policy, viz., teleports, DTH, Cable Networks, Mobile TV and Headend-In-The-Sky - FDI up to 49% permissible under automatic route and above 49% under Government approval route FDI up to 100% permissible under automatic route in case of up-linking of non-news and current affairs TV channels and down-linking of TV channels

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FDI up to 49% permissible under Government route in case of terrestrial broadcasting FM (FM radio), up-linking of ‘news and current affairs’ TV channels In the news and current affairs category, such as newspapers, FDI has been allowed up to 26% subject to certain conditions Companies would require government approval for 49% FDI in news channels.

But 100% foreign investment in nonnews channels or entertainment broadcasters will be allowed through the automatic route

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Major Media services clusters in India

Major studios, offering Animation and VFX services in India have set-up at least one studio in Pune, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad

 While the reach of media and entertainment is pervasive across states in India, however players tend to be clustered in certain key locations – Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi NCR.  New Delhi houses most of the central ministries and regulatory authorities pertaining to the sector and the adjoining cities of Gurgaon and Noida have several advertising planning and creative agencies. Offices of major television companies are located at Noida film city.

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 Mumbai, also known as the entertainment city of India, is hub for content production for films and music. Majority of the top players of M&E sector are located in Mumbai.  Major companies, local or global, offering Animation and VFX services in India have setup at least one studio in Pune, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

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FILM MAKING CENTRES OF

INDIA I

ndia is probably the world’s most culturally and linguistically diverse nation. Its people speak 22 different languages, besides hundreds of dialects. No wonder then that India is a land of many cinematic traditions. The 1800odd movies that the country annually produces are made in a number of languages, each with its own distinct literature, history, theatre and music.

Indian films are produced in several centres around the country. Each of these filmmaking cities serves as the hub of cinema in one prominent language.

Mumbai, regarded as India’s movie capital, hosts the Hindi film industry that has a pan-Indian footprint. Marathilanguage films are also produced in the city (besides neighbouring Pune) that is inextricably intertwined with the history of Indian cinema.

Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati are the other major Indian cities where films are produced.

While the distribution of these so-called ‘regional’ films is largely limited within the territories for which they are made – they do not have the nationwide reach of Bollywood blockbusters – they add immensely to the depth and range of Indian cinema.

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Film Production Centres of India

MUMBAI The centre-point of Indian film industry, Mumbai, popularly Bollywood, is a land of cinema. From commercial grandeur to arthouse movies, there is no short of cinema in the capital city of Maharashtra

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he bustling western Indian metropolis is the heart of the Indian movie industry, producing nearly 200 films a year in the Hindi language. It also, along with the nearby city of Pune, produces Marathilanguage films, which, in the silent era and beyond, thrived in the hands of pioneering stalwarts like V Shantaram and Bhalji Pendharkar, among others. A large chunk of the Hindi films produced in Mumbai constitute what is usually described as Bollywood, a label used for an old cinematic tradition built on a formulaic and crowd-pleasing mix of melodrama, romance, moral conflict and music. This extravagant form of storytelling is extremely popular in the other filmmaking centres as well.

However, it is by no means the only kind of cinema that emerges from Mumbai.

The city has always had two distinct streams of filmmaking – one aimed at providing glitzy and emotionally satisfying entertainment to the masses; the other designed to appeal to a niche audience with a taste for

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more realistic movies. There have of course been occasions when these two separate approaches have merged in the same film and resulted in timeless classics such as Mother India, Mughal-e-Azam, Deewar and Lagaan. The A-list Mumbai cinema stars, objects of adulation around the country and by the Indian Diaspora, power the mainstream Bollywood industry.

Mumbai played a key role in the evolution of parallel films in the late 1960s and 1970s,thanks to the efforts of directors like Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani.

Its filmmakers also drove the global spread of the Bollywood narrative idiom in the aftermath of major commercial successes in the past decade and a half.

A breed of younger Mumbai filmmakers, migrants to the city from different parts of the country, have scripted a new kind of popular cinema that blends social awareness, aesthetic clarity and stylistic accessibility.

Several of these films have travelled to international festivals in recent years while finding takers on the domestic distribution circuit as well.

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Film Production Centres of India

CHENNAI Located down south of India, Chennai is the birthplace of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada film industries. While the last three moved to their respective neighbouring states, Tamil movies continue to be made in this city, thus making it a sought after destination of movie making in the country

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hennai (formerly Madras) is home to the hugely successful and productive Tamil movie industry, which has, over the decades, given Indian cinema a few of its biggest and most abiding stars.

The Tamil movie industry has seen film production since the mid 1910s. It has constantly kept pace with the growth of the rest of Indian cinema. In fact, at several junctures in its history, it even set the pace for others to follow, especially in matters of technology and film production practices.

Tamil cinema has a following not only in the state of Tamil Nadu but also in the other southern states of India, besides among the Tamil expatriate community across the world. Hindi versions of Tamil box office hits as well as

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bilingual productions mounted in Chennai have been successful around India ever since 1948’s Chandralekha opened the sluicegates for nationally distributed films from this part of India.

The dominant strain of Tamil movies, like that of Hindi popular cinema, hinges on the crowd-pulling power of its male superstars, notably veterans Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

A new generation of stars have continued the tradition. But in the past as well as in recent times, the industry has seen a steady output of films from young directors working outside the conventional star system with great success.

For audiences around the country, Mani Ratnam, who also makes films in Hindi, is one of the better known Chennai directors.

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Film Production Centres of India

KOLKATA Kolkata has given the world some of the best movies and filmmakers. Right from the black and white era, Bengali films carried the stamp of reality and social awareness, and the flag still flies high

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engali-language cinema, known the world over for the celebrated masterpieces of Satyajit Ray, is produced in Kolkata from studios located largely in Tollygunge in the city’s southern suburbs.

Many of the pioneers of early Indian cinema worked in this city in the silent era. In fact, Hiralal Sen is known to have made films here well before India’s officially recognized first full-fledged fiction film, D.G. Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra, was screened in Mumbai. Commercial Bengali cinema has thrived right since the silent era, barring a few troughs in the 1980s and 1990s caused by the death of its most luminous superstar Uttam Kumar and the retirement of his on-screen partner Suchitra Sen.But it is for the critically acclaimed works

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of three masters – Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen – that Kolkata enjoys global fame.

Directors such as Tapan Sinha and Tarun Majumdar built their careers around films that struck a fine balance between artistic merit and commercial potential.

More than their counterparts in any of the other film production centres of India, screenwriters and directors in Kolkata, especially those that work in the non-mainstream sphere, continue to draw inspiration primarily from literature. It is a tradition that dates back to the silent era, a period during which Bengali cinema, unlike other cinemas that were beginning to take roots in that period, produced social satires and dramas adapted from literary works rather than mythological epics.

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Film Production Centres of India

HYDERABAD Not just the land, but its films too are known for their spicy nature.

It will be no exaggeration if we call Hyderabad the capital of commercial cinema. For, most of India’s colourful and costly movies are made here

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yderabad is the hub of Telugu cinema, which is one of the most prolific and commercially consistent of all the cinemas of India. Between Telengana and Andhra Pradesh, the two separate states that the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh has recently been split into, there are 2800 movie halls, the highest in any single region of India. On several occasions in the last decade, Telugu films accounted for more releases in a year than cinema in any other Indian language, including Hindi.

Many big-budget Hindi and Tamil films are official remakes of Telugu hits, a sure measure of the mass appeal of movies made in Hyderabad. In terms of artistic quality and global recognition,

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Telugu cinema may lag behind films made in Malayalam and Tamil, but it continues to be the most robust of the southern industries.Hyderabad has some of India’s best film production studios. They have been set up by established names of the Telugu movie industry – men such as B. N. Reddy, L.V. Prasad, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and D. Rama Naidu. Until about three decades ago, large sections of the Telugu movie industry operated out of Chennai. But today, Hyderabad is where all the Telugu cinema action is focused. Filmmmaker S.S. Rajamouli and male stars such as Prabhas enjoy nationwide popularity thanks mainly to the super success of the period action drama Baahubali.

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Film Production Centres of India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Known for producing award winning films, Thiruvananthapuram, the hub of Malayalam cinema, is lately carving a niche for itself for new-age content-rich and commercial movies. From Adoor Gopalakrishnan to Mohanlal-Mammootty to Vineeth-Nivin Pauly, the land has a rich legacy of cinema

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hiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum) is the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The city, along with Kochi, serves as the nerve-centre of cinema in Malayalam. Although films were made in the state in the silent era, cinema in Kerala was late to flourish and at the time of India’s Independence in 1947, only a handful of Malayalam filmshad been produced. But when the movie industry in this part of the country took off in the 1950s, it not only quickly caught up with the rest of Indian cinema, it also established itself at the forefront of the Indian parallel cinema movement. Malayalam movie superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty are known across the country and directors such

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as Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shaji N. Karun and the late G. Aravindan are feted at film festivals around the world.

When Malayalam cinema began to assume the proportions of a full-fledged industry post-Independence, it was headquartered in Chennai. It was only by the late 1980s that it moved completely to its current location in Thiruvananthapuram. Like the other cinemas of India, Malayalam movies are divided between a popular genre and a socially relevant strand. Cinema from Kerala gained national and international prominence, riding on the films made by Adoor and Aravindan in the 1970s and 1980s. The tradition of making realistic and meaningful cinema continues to this day.

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Film Production Centres of India

BENGALURU The capital city of Karnataka is the home of Kannada film industry, popularly Sandalwood. It has produced some great talents, from actors to directors to technicians

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n Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, films are made in the Kannada language. The first Kannada film was made in the talkie era, and the industry’s growth was steady until the late 1940s. The 1950s marked the advent of Dr.Rajkumar, whose popularity as a lead actor in mythological epics helped Kannada cinema achieve new heights. The 1970s and 1980s are generally regarded as the golden era of Kannada cinema, which was enriched by the work

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of directors like B.V.Karanth, Girish Karnad and Girish Kasaravalli. In 1970, Samskara, based on a novel by celebrated writer U.R. Ananthamurthy and directed by Pattabhi Rama Reddy, inaugurated the parallel cinema movement in Karnataka. While alternative cinema has continued to thrive in the state, commercial cinema, too, has sustained itself despite not quite enjoying the financial clout of Tamil and Telugu films.

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Film Production Centres of India

LUCKNOW PATNA Bhojpuri cinema, which also caters to third and fourth generation migrants in Surinam, Mauritius, Trinidad & Tobago, Fiji and Guyana, has its own star system and a committed audience base

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he central Indian city of Lucknow is one of the bases of Bhojpuri cinema, which is produced largely in and for eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar and Jharkhand.

The first-ever Bhojpuri-language film, Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadaibo (Mother Ganges, I Will Offer You a Yellow Sari), was released only in the early 1960s.

But the industry grew steadily as the demand from people who speak the dialect in India and elsewhere increased. Bhojpuri cinema, which also caters to third and fourth generation migrants in Surinam, Mauritius, Trinidad & Tobago, Fiji and Guyana, has its

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own star system and a committed audience base, but it has failed to build on the opportunities to break into the national mainstream. The last couple of decades have seen a major spurt in the production of Bhojpuri films, but these have all been runof-the-mill potboilers designed for an audience that seems to be undemanding and easy to please.

In parts of India where Bhojpuri speakers live and work, these films continue to be exceedingly popular. But since most of these films are made on tight budgets and follow rushed production timelines, they tend to be rather low on technical finesse.

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Film Production Centres of India

BHUBANESWAR The shift of Odia cinema from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar heralded a new era. Since then, Bhubaneswar continues to be the focus point of Odia films

I

n the eastern Indian state of Odisha, films are made in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The first Odia-language film was made in 1936, but until the 1950s only a handful of more titles were produced. Back then, the Odia film industry did not have production facilities of its own.

Films in the language had to depend on Kolkata, which made movie-making in Odisha difficult and unviable.

In the late 1950s, the first cooperative venture to produce, distribute and exhibit Odia films was set up by Krushna Chandra Tripathy.

The organization was named Utkal Chalachitra Pratisthan, and it produced several films in the 1960s that gave Odia cinema a distinct identity.

In 1961, another production house, Pancha Sakha, was set up by amateur artiste Dhira

30

Biswal, who produced four hugely popular films. His first production, Nua Bou, created a sensation all across the state of Odisha.

Odia cinema developed its own idiom in subsequent years thanks to the efforts of the husband-wife team of Gour Prasad Ghosh and Parbati Ghosh. The duo produced several National Award-winning films, including the epochal Kaa. Other production houses took roots in the 1970s, including Diamond Valley Productions, set up by entrepreneur Sarat Pujari.

In 1975, the state government stepped in to promote cinema by setting up the Odisha Film Development Corporation. Five years later, the Kalinga Studio came up with the support of Chennai’s Prasad Studios.

Odisha currently produces an average of 20 films a year.

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Film Production Centres of India

ASSAM Despite heavy influence from Bollywood, Assamese cinema, being made from Guwahati, has carved a niche for itself and its presence in National Awards every year stands testimony to the claim

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ssamese films, produced in north-eastern city of Guwahati, are a constant presence in India’s National Awards. Yet the film industry in Assam remains commercially unviable.

Constantly under the shadow of Bollywood films, the state has not been able to develop a distribution and exhibition system that can prop up locally made films and make them viable.

At the turn of the millennium, a ray of hope had emerged in the form of a spurt in Bollywoodinspired Assamese melodrama that found takers among the mass audience in the state. But the trend was short-lived.

Despite the effort of the pioneers and the work of their successors in the 1950s and 1960s (Bhupen Hazarika, Nip Barua, Pudum

31

Barua), Assamese cinema has been dragged down by the paucity of exhibition outlets.

Despite all the odds, the names of the late author and filmmaker Bhabendra Nath Saikia and the still-active Jahnu Barua shine bright. In recent years, Rima Das, working largely out of her native village near Guwahati, has made massive waves globally with her films Village Rockstars and Bulbul Can Sing.

Filmmakers from the rest of Northeast India, notably Manipur and Meghalaya, are also increasingly making their presence felt on the national and international stage. Manipur’s Aribam Syam Sarma has for decades been a leading light of cinema from this region of India and his films have been lauded at festivals, including Cannes.

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INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA 2020

Get ready FOR

hybrid iffi This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will take place with socially distanced screenings (limited physical), digital screenings, and the entire knowledge series, open forum and masterclasses in virtual format

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s Covid-19 continues to reshape the festival calender across the world, the International Film Festival of India is adopting a hybrid online-physical model for its 51st edition beginning November 20. IFFI is organised by the Directorate of Film Festival under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India in collaboration with the State Government of Goa (Entertainment Society of Goa) and the Indian film industry. IFFI will take place with socially distanced screenings (limited physical), digital screenings, and the entire knowledge series, open forum and masterclasses in virtual format.

Directorate of Film Festival has received large number of film entries from producers and sales agents for Indian Panorama Section and

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International Competition Section of the 51st International Film Festival of India to be held from November 2028, 2020.

The 51st IFFI 2020, being planned as a hybrid event due to Covid-19, would screen the films on its official digital platform along with the theatrical screenings during the festival in Goa, subject to then prevailing conditions.

The preparations for 51st edition of the IFFI have begun in full swing. IFFI is on the lookout for International Jury members for IFFI 2020 and some big names are expected to be part of it.

Asia’s oldest event of its kind, IFFI still holds on to its pre-eminent position as a showcase of cinematic excellence. It has over the years witnessed numerous alterations in character, nomenclature, location, dates and duration. Through it all, it has remained steadfast in its emphasis on showcasing the diversity of Indian cinema as well as in its commitment to the celebration of excellence across moviemaking genres.

Over the past two and a half decades, several other international film festivals have sprung up across India, notably in Kolkata, Kerala and Mumbai, and they all contribute meaningfully to the collective task of taking quality cinema to people weaned principally on a staple diet of star-driven, song and dance extravaganzas. But IFFI continues to retain its preeminent position owing to its size, scope and vintage.

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Not just in the Indian context but also in relation to the other major Asian film festivals, IFFI matters. And this is despite all the inevitable ups and downs that it has seen over the years.

All the other major Asian festivals – Tokyo, Busan and Shanghai – are of far more recent origin and therefore lack the history that is associated with IFFI. IFFI hands out prize money to the tune of US$ 200,000. The winner of the Golden Peacock for the best film takes home $80,000. That apart, the best director and the Special Jury Prize winner bag $30,000 each, while the two acting prizes come with a cash component of $20,000 each.

IFFI also confers two Lifetime Achievement Awards – one to an international film personality, the other to an Indian great. The moves to push IFFI up a few notches have unfolded since the coastal state of Goa became its permanent venue in 2004. IFFI now has a far more settled feel than ever before, with each improvement in terms of infrastructure and programming initiatives adding value to both the event and the location.

On the programming side, IFFI not only unveils the best films from around the multilingual country with the aim of providing a glimpse of the sheer range and dynamism of Indian cinema, it also puts together a remarkable slate of brand new world cinema titles.

IFFI also hosts many retrospectives, tributes, master classes and special sections, which enhance the variety and depth of the event. The master classes have emerged as a highlight of the festival, especially for film school students who converge in Goa during the ten-day event.

IFFI also hosts many retrospectives, tributes, master classes and special sections, which enhance the variety and depth of the festival 33

The Indian Panorama, a section that is made up of both features and non-features, opens global avenues for films made by veterans and newcomers alike India’s first international film festival was organized within five years of the nation attaining Independence.

It was a non-competitive event held in 1952 in Bombay (Now Mumbai).

A special feature of the inaugural function was the screening of the first film screened in India in 1896 by the Lumiere brothers. Frank Capra was part of the American delegation that attended the festival.

After a fortnight-long run in Bombay, the festival travelled to Calcutta (now Kolkata), Madras (now Chennai) and Delhi. The first international film festival of India is rightfully credited with triggering a burst of creativity in Indian cinema by exposing young Indian filmmakers to the best from around the world, especially to Italian neo-realism.

Six decades on, IFFI continues to provide a useful platform to young Indian filmmakers who work outside the mainstream distribution and exhibition system and in languages that do not have access to the panIndian market that Hindi cinema has.

The Indian Panorama, a section that is made up of both features and non-features, opens global avenues for films made by veterans and newcomers alike.

IFFI now has a permanent home in Goa. The coastal state has benefitted appreciably from the shift. Its cinema has received a huge fillip in the decade and a half that Panaji has hosted IFFI. Filmmakers in the coastal state have been increasingly making their mark on the national and international stage.

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BLOCK YOUR DATES NOV 20-24 | 2020

GET YOUR FILM

TAKE WINGS AT

VIRTUAL

FILM BAZAAR National Film Development Corporation’s Film Bazaar has created a climate in which young filmmakers can dare to attempt transcending geographical boundaries

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s an incubator of new film projects in India and the rest of the subcontinent, the NFDC Film Bazar Goa, now in its 14th year, has rendered yeoman service by engendering an eco-system that allows originality to thrive while not losing sight of tried and tested ground rules that have proven beneficial. This year Film Bazaar will take place in virtual format.

It isn’t surprising, therefore, that many of the subcontinent’s most applauded and well-travelled contemporary films have taken shape – and wings – on this platform that has made mentoring and networking facilities available to them.

Think Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox,

34

Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court, Paobam Paban Kumar’s Loktak Lairembee and Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely and you cannot help but recognise the assistance that these acclaimed Indian films have received at the Film Bazaar where buyers, sellers, festival programmers and producers converge in search of the next lot of supportworthy films.

It isn’t unusual for veteran screenwriters and directors (such as Govind Nihalani and Kamal Swaroop) to turn up in this dynamic marketplace with the intention of exploring coproduction possibilities. The Bazaar is numerically dominated by younger filmmakers, a large percentage of them being first-timers.

Film Bazaar Goa is held on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), but it is a hub of activity so intense that it often overshadows the main event. The greatest strength of the Bazaar is the youthful energy that propels it and the range and depth of international participation that the annual event commands. The result is a space where a free exchange of ideas and synergies take place and yields salutary results.

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Filmmakers from across the subcontinent have benefitted immensely from the time and energy they have spent in Goa in reaching out to the world and pushing their ideas, films and screenplays. A majority of Indian films that have played in the leading international festivals – The Lunchbox, Miss Lovely, Titli, Chauthi Koot, Thithi, Killa and Ship of Theseus, to name only a few – have participated in Film Bazaar at crucial stages of their development.

Assamese director Bhaskar Hazarika’s Aamis (Ravening) was part of the Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market in 2017.

It returned to the Viewing Room – Film Bazaar Recommends in 2018 and went on to screen in the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019. Geetu Mohandas’ Moothon (The Elder One), which had its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September, opened in Indian multiplexes in the second week of November.

The film had started its journey in Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market in 2016 (the title back then was Insha’allah).

Moothon was in the Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab the very next year alongside several other Indian films that got picked by international festivals – Ere Gowda’s Balekempa, Dominic Sangma’s Garolanguage Ma’Ama and Ivan Ayr’s Soni.

Geetu Mohandas, an actress-turnedfilmmaker also owes the rise of her debut film, Liar’s Dice, to Film Bazaar. The film was in the Co-Production Market in 2011.

It premiered in the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2013 before being screened in the Sundance Film Festival and 2014.

Liar’s Dice was India’s official nomination that year for the Best Foreign Language film Oscar.

Besides a host of films that have come out of the country’s many filmmaking centres, projects conceived and developed in Mumbai have enjoyed a lion’s share of the spoils in Film Bazaar. The most

Filmmakers from across the subcontinent have benefitted immensely from the time and energy they have spent in Film Bazaar in reaching out to the world and pushing their ideas, films and screenplays 35

notable among them is The Lunchbox.

After its world premiere in Cannes Critics’ Week in 2013, it travelled to TIFF and Karlovy Vary.

The Lunchbox was distributed in more 50 countries – a record for an independent Indian film. Interestingly, the Film Bazaar has over the past decade and a bit mentored films that have subsequently taken on commercial trappings and gone on a different tangent. Sharat Katariya’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar, which came to Goa as a work in progress, went mainstream with Yash Raj Films throwing its weight behind the film.

Films such as Shanghai and Nil BatteySannat, among others, have found similar theatrical outlets. In the case of Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha, Prakash Jha Productions was involved from the very outset. It was part of Film Bazaar’s WIP Lab in 2015.

Completed in 2016 and released in 2017 after a protracted run-in with the censors, the film earned critical accolades and substantial commercial success.

Gitanjali Rao’s animation film Bombay Rose has had the longest gestation of all the titles that have emerged from the Film Bazaar. It was in the Screenwriters’ Lab in 2015, the Co-Production Market in 2016 and the WIP Lab in 2017. In 2019, it premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival and then travelled to TIFF, Busan International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival.

It is now scheduled to screen in the Doha Film Institute’s Ajyal Film Festival and Marrakesh International Film Festival.

Not every film that participates in the Film Bazaar soars into the stratosphere. In fact, a chunk of the entries that have been listed on the Viewing Room roster run into dead-ends. But that does not diminish the significance of the exercise. Over the last decade, almost every film that is regarded as fine specimen of Indian indie cinema – among them Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbbad, KanuBehl’s Titli, Shanker Raman’s Gurgaon, Pushpendra Singh’s Ashwatthama, Amit V Masurkar’s Newton, Devashish Makhija’s Bhonsle, Dipesh Jain’s In the Shadows and RidhamJanve’s The GoldLaden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain – is a Film Bazaar product. The event helps these filmmakers not only to evolve into outstanding films but also to find a place on the radar of the spotters that are sent out by major festivals.

In a nation that produces more films than any other in the world, Film Bazaar has created a climate in which young filmmakers can dare to attempt transcending geographical boundaries.

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INDIAN ANIMATION PROJECTS

SEEKING

CO-PRODUCTION

PARTNERS

AT

TIFF 36

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1

BRIO STUDIO

G

N

S

F

52 epiosdes | CGI-Animation | Animation in production

Jurassic Genius

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n action-adventure animated series, “Jurassic Genius” quite literally brings the future - and comedy - to the past! Tibu’s a ten-year-old caveboy stuck in a world of his fellow less-than-brilliant cave people. But unlike those around him, he’s had a knack for all things science and inventing from a young age. Unfortunately, some in his village, like the somewhat-evilbut-maybe-just-uninformed Chieftain Zako, are a bit resistant to change, trying their best to sabotage or steal his inventions - oftentimes to hilariously disastrous results. But luckily, others, including his loving-but-naive parents and baby brother, are much more supportive.

And Tibu’s far from alone in his tinkering. His close friends - the courageous Zinnie and the hulking Gurt - are always eager to help him out and go along for the ride, even if they never quite understand just what it is he’s working on - or what they’re getting themselves into.

But whether he’s inventing a device to hatch dinosaur eggs or a gigantic cork to plug a volcanic eruption, Tibu’s just the genius that the jurassic world needs!

details Producer Brio Studio Director Dharati Budget $ 7’600’000 Studio Brio Studio Trailer link https://vimeo.com/ manage/376521317/general email amit@brio-studio.com Phone +91 9975000451 Website http://www.briostudio.in

Brio Studio Brio Studio is an animation company dedicated to producing kids content that is inclusive, entertaining and high quality

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2

GRAPHITI

90 minutes | Pilot Completed | Animation

Kul Veera

K

ul Veera is the story of five princes in waiting who are training at the most exclusive academy of the land together with their bitter rivals. Before becoming the legendary heroes of the classic Indian epic, Mahabharata, they were just teenagers each of whom dreamed of becoming Kul Veera, the hero of the clan.

Kul Veera theatrical short was co-developed and co-produced with Carton Network Asia as a part of Snaptoons program. It was the top rated short of the program.

details Producer Munjal Shroff Director Tilak Shetty Studio Graphiti Trailer link https://vimeo.com/ manage/376521317/general email munjal@graphiti.net Phone +91 9821148757 Website www.graphiti.net

Graphiti Munjal Shroff, Director & COO, Graphiti Multimedia is a veteran in the animation space and has developed world-class animation properties

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3

GRAPHITI

26 x 22 mins & 104 x 6 mins | Animation | Pilot

World of OO

T

he World of OO - is Baby’s busy box, it has been co-developed by Honest Entertainment and Graphiti. Babies will love it. Moms and Dads will even like it too. The World of OO is simple and lovely to look at.

Here is a little rectangle of life in motion brought to you by small and entertaining friends. It is funny, active, spontaneous, tender and sweet. The sounds, rhythms and beats of life will engage the ears - MUSIKAZOO. Colorful scenes with familiar shape and characters that literally pop out taking the babies on a visual adventures - PEEKABOO. Bouncing baby kangaroos jump from Ma’s pouch to chase a baby bunny and imitate its bounce - SKIPTOMAROO. Little monkey friends see and try to do what babies can. BABY ‘SEZ’ and MONKEY- DOO.

details Producers Munjal Shroff & Joanna Ferrone Director Munjal Shroff Writers Joanna Ferrone & James Occhino Studio Graphiti email munjal@graphiti.net Phone +91 9821148757 Website www.graphiti.net

Graphiti Munjal Shroff, Director & COO, Graphiti Multimedia is a veteran in the animation space and has developed world-class animation properties

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4

GRAPHITI

52 x 11mins | Animation | Completed- Season 1.

Seeking Partner for SEASON 2

YOM

M

eet YOM – a yoga-master supersleuth, who kicks butt with his aweesome animal powers. Yom seems like a regular kid – he avoids homework, loves gadgets and gleefully outsmarts the school bully. But... every time Yom strikes a yoga pose that is based on a particular animal...he gains that animal’s powers! He can swoop like an eagle, track scent like a dog, or even swim like a fish! However, to his horror...he also absorbs the animal’s weaknesses! Yom grapples with his unique powers to battle dastardly villains and keep his town safe. The series is airing on Disney Channel India since May 2017 and also available on Netflix in major territories in North America, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Indian sub-continent. It already has 20 million viewers in India on Disney Channel.

details Producers Munjal Shroff & Tilak Shetty Directors Munjal Shroff & Tilak Shetty Studio Graphiti email munjal@graphiti.net Phone +91 9821148757 Website www.graphiti.net

Graphiti Munjal Shroff, Director & COO, Graphiti Multimedia is a veteran in the animation space and has developed world-class animation properties

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5

Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd

11 min x 52 | Animated Comedy | Pilot

Jungle Trouble

F

our carefree and (mostly) quick- witted primitive animals fight to keep a high tech hypochondriac bird and her rhinoceros security guard from kicking them out and turning their idyllic jungle home into a condominium development. LUCKY THE RABBIT, BORO THE BEAR, JUBRO THE GORILLA AND LIBBY THE PIG are four quirky and quick-witted animals living in a muddy, leech infested jungle paradise. The creatures think things are just fine the way they are, so when the technophile bird COLONEL CRAYTON and her security specialist RHINO RON fly in with the intent to turn their shambolic Shangri La into a colourless copse of condominiums, the jungle animals are going to have to use every method at their disposal to keep the crafty Colonel from kicking them our and ruining their home. The jungle creatures may not be as technologically sophisticated as the Colonel, but they always know just what rudimentary tools to use to beat the hunters at their own games.

details Producer Green Gold Animation Directors Rajiv Chilaka & Marc Lumer Studio Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd Trailer link https://vimeo. com/392452492 email bharath@greengold.tv Phone +91 9949995822 Website http://www.greengold.tv

Green Gold Animation Rajiv Chilaka’s Green Gold Animation began its journey in 2008 on Cartoon Network’s Pogo. Chhota Bheem and its different avatars have transcended cultural and geographical boundaries to gain love and acceptance from across the globe. Little Bheem became the top preschool title globally on Netflix. Bheem today is a loving part of homes across 190 countries

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6

Maya Digital Studios Pvt Ltd

90 mins | Action Adventure | Pilot in Production

Kim

K

IM is the orphan son of a disgraced British soldier who has survived by his wits on the streets of Lahore for as long as he can remember. His vagabond life takes an unexpected turn when he meets TESHOO, a Buddhist/ Shaolin monk from over the Northern mountains who is journeying across India to discover the mythical River of the Arrow. It is said that a dip in this river leads to enlightenment. Kim agrees to aid the strange holy man in his quest. As they traverse the country, they are sucked into “the Great Game” of power being played by the many nations seeking to control India and its resources. When his lineage is revealed to a British Army Colonel, Kim is taken from Teshoo by the British, who, seeing how clever and cunning Kim is, train him to be a spy in service of the Empire. Kim’s allegiance to the Brits and his monk come to a head in a fight for the future of India that ends with Kim and Teshoo preventing a bloody war and finding the sacred river...

details Producer Cosmos Animation Singapore Pte ltd Director Ketan Mehta Budget USD 12 Mn Studio Maya Digital Studios Pvt Ltd email joris.eckelkamp@ cosmos-maya.com Phone +49 172 9295499

Maya Digital Studios Founded by internationally acclaimed Indian filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi, CosmosMaya is a Singapore and India based Animation Company that produces high quality 3D as well as 2D animation content

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7

Paperboat Design Studios

75 MIN | Animation Feature | Pre-Production

Kabuliwala - Man From Kabul

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ini is always living in a dream world.

Her reality, however, is quite different.

Her parents are preoccupied with work and they can hardly give any time to Mini leaving her with no option but to play with her dreary dolls. In a chance encounter, she meets a big burly dry-fruit seller from Kabul.

Initially she is intimidated by his appearance but his brilliantly mirrored shoulder bag fascinates her and when he magically pulls out a gorgeous Arabian horse from it, little Mini is mesmerised. Soon she realizes that Kabuliwala, a refugee having relocated to Kolkata, carries the most astonishing stories in his bag.

Fascinating stories from far away lands - of courage, of compassion, wit and ingenuity. An intimate bond develops between the two and the most unlikely friends become inseparable.

Then, a devastating accident separates them for 15 years. When they reunite, Mini comes to know of Kabuliwala’s tragic past – of incessant wars and his daughter Amina. Based on Tagore’s classic short story, this animated film, underlines that beyond geographical boundaries, religion, race and culture, the true essence of our existence is shared humanity - a thought that is most essential in today’s world of rising conflicts.

details Producer Paperboat Design Studios Director Soumitra Ranade Budget 4 Million USD Studio Paperboat Design Studios Trailer link http://www.vimeo. com/221087621 email soumitra@ paperboatstudios.co Phone +91 9821070395 Website http://www. paperboatstudios.co

Paperboat Design Studios Co-founded by Soumitra Ranade, Paperboat team have combined intelligence and innovation to design and deliver the finest expressions of quality. One of the top-class animation studios from India, it has recently set-up a studio in Toronto

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8

Screenyug Creations Pvt.Ltd.

26 episodes x 22 min | Animation | Pilot ready for Production

Amazing Kids Abacus is challenged by an evil alien to solve a maze, failing which the alien would wipe out an element from earth. Abacus solves the maze with his wisdom and help from his close friends who accompany him on each of his quest.

details Producer Anand Pandey Director Anand Pandey Budget USD 9 Mn Studio Screenyug Creations Pvt.Ltd. email anandpandey.in@gmail. com Phone +91 9326802288

ScreenYug Creations AVGC industry veteran Ashish SK is founder of ScreenYug Creations.

He says the Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty between India and Canada can do a lot of magic in the entertainment business

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9

Screenyug Creations Pvt. Ltd.

90 min feature film | Animation | Script ready for Production

Circus After the last circus been closed down, Pintu, a 11 year old kid and his grandfather were on the streets along with few of their pets, while other animals were donated to the zoo. but he soon learned that it was not the governing laws but a evil smuggler who intend to sell these animals to a rich hobbyist in gulf. Pintu is now on a mission to save his animal friends and revive the circus of his dreams.

details Producer Ashish S K Director Anand Pandey Budget USD 2 Mn Studio Screenyug Creations Pvt. Ltd. email ashishk66@gmail.com Phone +91 9326802288 Website http://www.screenyug.in

ScreenYug Creations AVGC industry veteran Ashish SK is founder of ScreenYug Creations.

He says the Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty between India and Canada can do a lot of magic in the entertainment business

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10

Screenyug Creations Pvt. Ltd.

52 episodes x 11 min | Animation | Pilot ready for Production

Mary Kom JR

M

ary Kom Jr is an 8 year boxing champion who owns a pair of magical boxing gloves. Mary Kom and her team - Onir, Mona and their coach Master Oja - travel to various exotic and fictional destinations in India and around the world to take part in boxing competitions. During these adventurous journeys, they encounter several dangerous situations and many powerful enemies of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Mary Kom battles all these villains and outsmarts their vicious plans with the help of her amazing magical gloves which can take any shape, grow to any size and enable her to perform superhuman feats. However, the gloves acquire their magical powers only when there is real and immediate danger – upon which they automatically sense Mary Kom’s thoughts and transform themselves into a weapon, vehicle or gadget of her choice. The rest of the time, they are just a normal pair of ordinary boxing gloves.

details Producer Ashish S K Director Vikram Veturi Budget USD 9 Mn Studio Screenyug Creations Pvt. Ltd. email screenmentors@gmail.com Phone +91 97650 41999

ScreenYug Creations AVGC industry veteran Ashish SK is founder of ScreenYug Creations.

He says the Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty between India and Canada can do a lot of magic in the entertainment business

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11

TOONZ ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

52*11 | Animation/Episodic | Pilot

Dr. Chintu M.B.B.S Chintu a mischevious 13 yr old boy comes across the heavenly and magical nectar AMRITA also a healing power amplifier. He is now being chased by Yamraj and other gods on earth to get it back.

But he is in no mood to give it back

details Producer P. Jayakumar Director Indranarayan Datta Budget USD 2 Million

Toonz Media Group P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media Group is an industry veteran. TOONZ has produced a large number of co-productions across the globe

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12

TOONZ ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

52*11 | Animation/Episodic | Pilot

Gangu Bai Major Ganeshwar Rao / Ganu is a cocky secret agent at R.A.W. Ganu is known as the “Most Awesome Spy”. On a top secret mission, to take down enemies of the country, he sets up Operation Bai. Now the fun remains to see how Ganu will manage being the awesome crimebuster all the while being a lovable and caring Bai.

details Producer P. Jayakumar Director Indranarayan Datta Budget USD 2 Million Studio Toonz Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. email jaya@toonzmediagroup. com Phone +91 98955 12121 Website http://www.toonz.co

Toonz Media Group P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media Group is an industry veteran. TOONZ has produced a large number of co-productions across the globe

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TOONZ ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

52*11 | Animation/Episodic | Pilot

Sunnyside Billy From the creators of Oggy and Cockraoches, comes the comedy series about a smiley fried egg and tour guide called Billy who spends his days proudly showing tourists around a Seaside resort . His idyllic days come to a halt when the greedy shop owner Tooth and his minions demand whereabouts of the mythical creature cBig Fish who Billy has sworn to protect

details Producer P. Jayakumar Director Indranarayan Datta Budget USD 6 Million Studio Toonz Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Trailer link https://vimeo. com/341754730

Toonz Media Group P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media Group is an industry veteran. TOONZ has produced a large number of co-productions across the globe

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TOONZ ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

78*7 | Animation/Episodic | Pilot

Tituta TITUTA is a light hearted sci -fi slapstick comedy that follows the adventures of 3 brave but tiny aliens who plan to stop the forces of danger from Planet Earth that threaten their planet. But it turn into a journey of discovery and fun that teaches viewers a thing or two about caring for our planet.

details Producer P. Jayakumar Director Indranarayan Datta Budget USD 5.2 million Studio Toonz Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Trailer link https://vimeo. com/376346481/08edcd49d7 email jaya@toonzmediagroup. com Phone +91 98955 12121 Website http://www.toonz.co

Toonz Media Group P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media Group is an industry veteran. TOONZ has produced a large number of co-productions across the globe

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TOONZ ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

60 mins | Animation/Feature Film | Pilot

Vivekananda Follow the journey of Swami Vivekananda, a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.

details Producer P. Jayakumar Director Indranarayan Datta Budget USD 1 Million

Toonz Media Group P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media Group is an industry veteran. TOONZ has produced a large number of co-productions across the globe

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Most Awaited Films of India Some are ready to hit the big screens.

A few of them need shooting days, while some other flicks are in postproduction stage. Here are top 2020 Indian movies delayed and waiting with optimism to release in a theatre near you. A quick look at the most awaited films from India HINDI

’83

: Not just Bollywood fans but cricket freaks too were eagerly waiting for this movie that is based on the life of veteran cricketing star Kapil Dev, who led the Indian team during their World Cup win in 1983. The Kabir Khan directorial venture stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, and was scheduled to be released in April 2020. The makers have claimed that there is no hurry and the movie will not be released on any OTT platform.

Lal Singh Chaddha: The fact that it is an

Aamir Khan movie, makes it a highly anticipated movie of 2020 that was set to hit the screens during Christmas.

The film is a remake of 1994 American blockbuster Forest Gump and is co-produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. Also starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, the film will see Aamir in a role of a surd (sardar). will now be released next year and will incorporate facets of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai: The remake of South Korean film Veteran, was set to hit the screens in May 2020. However, it is now speculated that the film will go for either Diwali, Christmas or New Year, depending upon the situation. Starring Salman Khan and Disha Patani, Jackie Shroff and Randeep Hooda, the directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Atul Agnihotri.

Sooryavanshi

: Directed by Rohit Shetty and coproduced by Rohit Shetty, Karan Johar, Aruna Bhatia, Hiroo Johar and Apoorva Mehta; the film stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. The film had a earlier release in March 2020, however, the film has been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is about a DCP who is the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad and stops a terrorist batch planning to attack Mumbai.

Sardar Udham Singh

: Vicky Kaushal is prepping up to impress yet again with this film, based on the life of revolutionary freedom fighter with the same name.

Directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar, the film revolves around Singh, who fought for his country, against the British. The movie will show him take revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Vicky’s first look from the film has already left his fans asking for more. The film is expected to hit the screens in January 2021.

Laxmmi Bomb

: Akshay Kumar’s much touted film, Laxmmi Bomb, may be another one to join the league of movies opting for OTT platforms. The film was set to clash with Salman Khan’s Eid release at the box office this year. Directed by Raghava Lawrence, and produced by Akshay Kumar, Bad-X and Tusshar Kapoor; the film is the remake of the Tamil movie Muni 2: Kanchana. The comedy horror film, deals with a ghost seeking vengeance for being wronged and haunts everyone who is staying in the house.

Disney +Hotstar

Gangu Bai

: The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada; stars Alia Bhatt in a key role. The film is based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai about Gangubai Kothewali, the madam of a brothel in Kamathipura. Gangubai was pushed into prostitution at a very young age. she did a lot of work for sex-works and for the well-being for orphans. The film was slated to release in September this year. However, the release date now is not known.

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tamil

Annaatthe

: Annaatthe, tipped to be an action drama film, is written and directed by Siva. produced

by Kalanithi Maran under the banner Sun Pictures.

The film has an ensemble cast comprising Rajinikanth, Meena, Khushbu Sundar, Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Prakash Raj, Soori, Sathish and Vela Ramamoorthy. The music for the film will be composed by D Imman while cinematography and editing are performed by Vetri and Ruben, respectively. Production of the film began with the working title ‘Thalaivar 168’.

Master

: ‘Master’, said to be an action-thriller, is written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, and produced

by Xavier Britto, under the banner XB Film Creators. The film stars actor Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi in lead role with an ensemble cast, featuring Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, and Ramya Subramanian amongst others, play supporting roles. The music for the film is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, whilst cinematography and editing are handled by Sathyan Sooryan and Philomin Raj, respectively.

Soorarai Pottru

Amazon Prime

: Soorarai Pottru is a drama film directed by Sudha Kongara and produced by Suriya and Guneet Monga, under their respective banners 2D Entertainment and Sikhya Entertainment. The film, it is said, is based on events during the life of Air Deccan founder G R Gopinath. In 2018, Sudha Kongara stated that she will be collaborating with Suriya for her next film. G V Prakash Kumar was selected to work on the film’s music, collaborating with director Sudha and actor Suriya for the first time.

Ayalaan

: Ayalaan is a science fiction fantasy film, directed by R Ravikumar of Indru Netru Naalai fame and produced by R D Raja and Kotapadi J Rajesh under their production banners 24AM Studios and KJR Studios. It stars Sivakarthikeyan, Rakul Preet Singh, Sharad Kelkar and Isha Koppikar in the lead roles. The music composed by Oscar-Grammy winner A R Rahman, and cinematography handled by Nirav Shah, and editing by Ruben. The movie is tipped to be a fun filled adventure of an alien and a man.

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TELUGU

RRR

: RRR is a period action film written and directed by S S Rajamouli. It stars N T Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn. It is a fictional story revolving around India’s freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem who fought against the British Raj and Nizam of Hyderabad respectively. in October 2017, Rajamouli announced that his next film after Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, would be produced by DVV Danayya under DVV Entertainments banner.

Krack

: Krack is a police story written and directed by Gopichand Malineni. It stars Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Samuthirakani. The film has been produced

by B Madhu under Saraswathi Films Division banner. G K Vishnu handled the cinematography, while S Thaman composed the music and RamLakshman choreographed the action sequences.

Shruti Haasan, whose last appearance in a Telugulanguage film was in 2017 with Katamarayudu, makes her comeback in the Telugu film industry with this film.

Monarch

: Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 106th film has been reportedly titled Monarch.

The action entertainer, which is being directed by Boyapati Srinu, is expected to have Balakrishna in a dual role. The film features Shriya Saran and Anjali as the female leads. Produced by Miryala Ravinder Reddy, the film marks Balakrishna’s third collaboration with Boyapati after Simha and Legend.

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MALAYALAM Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham: Marakkar:

Arabikadalinte Simham is a historical epic war film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. Set in the 16th century, the film is based on the battle exploits of Mohammed Ali, Kunjali Marakkar IV (Mohanlal)—the naval chieftain of the Samoothiri. Kunjali Marakkars organised the first ever naval defense of the Indian coast by defending Portuguese invasion at the Malabar Coast for almost a century. The screenplay was co-written by Ani Sasi. The film was produced by Aashirvad Cinemas with Moonshot Entertainments and Confident Group as coproducers.

ONE

: One is a political thriller film directed by Santhosh Vishwanath and written by Bobby & Sanjay. The film stars Mammootty, Murali Gopy, Joju George, Nimisha sajayan and Shanker Ramakrishnan. The film was originally scheduled to release on 22 May 2020, but was postponed due to the coronavirus induced lockdown. The film features Mammootty as Kadakkal Chandran, Chief Minister of Kerala. Shooting began in October 2019. The first look poster of the movie was unveiled on 10 November 2019.

KANNADA KGF: Chapter 2: KGF: Chapter 2 is a period

action film directed by Prashanth Neel. A sequel to the 2018 film KGF: Chapter 1, the film stars Yash in the lead reprising his role from the first film and Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt as the antagonist. Principal photography began in March 2019. The film will be dubbed in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu languages. Filming for KGF: Chapter 2 started in March 2019, with a small part of the film having already been shot during KGF: Chapter 1.

YUVARATHNAA

: Yuvarathnaa is an action film written and directed by Santhosh Ananddram, produced by Vijay Kiragandur, and starring Puneeth Rajkumar, Sayyeshaa, Sonu Gowda, Dhananjay and Prakash Raj. The film is being produced by Vijay Kiragandur. This is the third collaboration with Puneeth Rajkumar after Ninnindale and Raajakumara. The principal photography began on 14 February 2019. Bodybuilder Mamatha Sanathkumar will debuting through this film.

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