Indian actor and producer Rana Daggubati, former Cannes Marche director Jerome Paillard and former Sundance Film Festival co-director Nicole Guillemet are among the advisors for a new Indian film festival that is launching in the city of Chandigarh in March with a mission to support producers.
Scheduled to take place March 27-31, Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) has appointed Bina Paul, former head of Kerala International Film Festival, as artistic director, and critic and programmer Namrata Joshi as market curator. Chandigarh-based VS Kundu, who headed the Films Division of India from 2012 to 2015, is director of CIFF.
The festival’s advisory board also includes Indian filmmaker Ajitpal Singh (Fire In The Mountains), writer Julian Friedmann and Bangladeshi director Nuhash Humayun (Moshari).
In addition to film screenings, the event will feature masterclasses, workshops and a market designed to create links between investors and curated projects. Workshops will cover subjects including production design, budgeting, post-production and script supervision.
The event, part of a wider suite of initiatives under Cinevesture, has been created by Nina Lath Gupta, who founded India’s Film Bazaar co-production market during her tenure as head of the National Film Development Corp (NFDC).
“Cinevesture’s focus is on building the business of film and addressing the needs of a producer at various stages of filmmaking,” says CIFF’s launch material. “These include film festivals and marketplaces to connect investors and creators. Investors broadly encompass content developers, financiers, producers, exhibitors and the key stakeholder who brings a return on investment – the audience.”
CIFF also intends to “seek and gauge audience engagement” through its People’s Choice Awards for different segments of the festival. Programmed sections of the festival include World Cinema, Indian Cinema, short film section Brief Encounters and Timeless Gems for the early works of renowned filmmakers.
“I’m aware that my interpretation of a festival may spark off some debate. So let me clarify that there is no one prototype of a film festival – on the contrary, its execution can be approached from several perspectives. Mine tends to veer towards a festival that meets the needs of the film producer, both in terms of content and skill sets,” Gupta said.
Located in the north of India, Chandigarh has a complex of buildings designed by Le Corbusier that have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and also boasts many educational establishments and modern cinemas and hotels.