NFDC Announces Knowledge Series Sessions At Film Bazaar 2019

Jyothi Venkatesh

The 13^th edition of NFDC Film Bazaar held from November 20^th to 24^th 2019 at Marriott, Goa will have a series of interesting and engaging  'Knowledge Series' sessions this year.Knowledge Series, which consists of specially curated sessions, Panel discussions and Masterclasses with key decision-makers and market drivers of the film industry.

Through various sessions at Knowledge Series, this year’s Film Bazaar aims to cover the entire spectrum of making, maximizing potential and marketing of a film. There are also sessions on nurturing stories from the remotest parts of the country and on the emergence of authentic LGBT narratives. We have panel discussions on demystifying IPR and music rights and a complete overview of the business of OTT platforms in India. From understanding how Co-production treaties work between nations to how Indian states are opening their arms to embrace content developers from every nook and corner, one can find an entire ecosystem spread across four days that works at enabling filmmakers in realizing their dreams.

DAY 1

 21st Nov, 2019

(10:20am - 1pm)

 Session: Open Pitch

The Open Pitch kickstarts the Co-Production Market where selected projects will present their video pitches to delegates interested in co-production, funding, sales, and distribution.

 21st Nov, 2019

(2:15pm - 3:00pm)

 Session: Script to Screen - Empowering Youth with Skill Development

Right from the scripting to the screening of a film, there are numerous technical skills involved in making a movie successful. National Film Development Corporation India (NFDC) India (NFDC) under the aegis of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MI&B), Government of India, is committed to creating an impactful training ecosystem that ensures that the aspirations of the youth transform into reality. This session focuses on the training, assessments & certification programs of the Government of India, through which it aims to promote skill development and also enable people adapt to technical skill sets required in the Media & Entertainment sector.

Speakers

• Shri Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
• Siddharth Roy Kapur, founder of Roy Kapur Films and the President of Film and Television Producers Guild of India

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

An MSc, MBA, Prasoon Joshi, goes beyond defined roles and uses his intellectual and artistic ability as a writer and poet to create unique content that inspires and propels positive change in society. An Advertising and Communication icon who’s built Mega brands, he has garnered glory for India at International Awards like Cannes among others. He is also His creativity as a Writer-Poet permeates the arena of Indian feature Films where he is a celebrated and award-winning Song and Screenwriter. He has been honoured twice with the prestigious National award for his film work.

Siddharth Roy Kapur is an Indian film producer, founder of Roy Kapur Films and the President of Film and Television Producers Guild of India. He is the previous Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company India

21st Nov, 2019

(3:15pm - 3:45pm)

 Session: Anupama Chopra in Conversation with Josh Siegel

One on one conversation between Anupama Chopra, noted film critic founder Film Companion and Festival Director, Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and Josh Seigel, Curator, Dept of Film MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art), New York, to discuss diversity in programming and how MOMA could be a catalyst to the experience of independent cinemas from India.

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Josh Seigel, Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art

Josh Siegel, a curator at The Museum of Modern Art, has organized more than 100 film, media and gallery exhibitions, many of which have appeared on Best of the Year lists in The New York Times, Artforum, Film Comment, and The New Yorker. He serves on the selection committee of the annual festival New Directors/New Films; Artistic Director of the 2020 festival Doc Fortnight; and the founding director of To Save and Project: The MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation. Mr. Siegel is the co-editor and author of "Frederick Wiseman" (MoMA/Gallimard) as well as "Modern Contemporary: Art at MoMA Since 1980" and "The New India", a survey of contemporary Indian fiction and nonfiction film. He has been a jury member of many international film festivals including Locarno, BAFICI (Buenos Aires), Torino, Miami, Cartagena, Santiago de Chile, and Vancouver.

Anupama Chopra is a noted film critic, television anchor and a National Award-winning book author. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. She has hosted and scripted film shows on NDTV 24/7 and Star World. She is currently the Festival Director of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star and Founder and Editor of Film Companion.

21st Nov, 2019

(4:45pm - 5:30pm)

 Session: Indian Cinema inspiring Entrepreneurs

The magic of the cinema allows people to actually see stories played before them. This, of course, makes movies a powerful tool to communicate, inspire and motivate the audience. Whether you’re somebody aspiring to be an entrepreneur, somebody who’s already on their business journey or a leading corporate, there are plenty of movies and shows that provide inspiration. Other than this, there are various creative and technical aspects in the business behind the screen that can be made entrepreneurial opportunities.

 Moderator

• Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Member, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)

Speakers

• Shobu Yarlagadda, CEO & Founder, Arka Media Fireworks
• Vishal Bhardwaj, Founder, Vishal Bhardwaj Films

 PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Vani Tripathi Tikoo, an actor and a producer by profession is one of the youngest-ever members of the Central Board of Film Certification. Apart from being a socio-political activist she has been closely involved in theatre, films and television, and has about 50 plays, 40 TV serials and 6 films to her credit. After graduating in political science from Delhi University, she learnt acting at the Living Theatre Academy of Drama.

She currently analyses issues related to broadcasting and cinema and has been part of the core steering committee for the International Film Festival of India, Goa (IFFI) for the past four years.

Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, composer and producer. His directorial work includes the internationally acclaimed Shakespeare Trilogy - 'Maqbool', 'Omkara' and 'Haider'. He has received seven National Awards for his feature films. In 2014, Vishal began his stage career by directing the opera "A Flowering Tree" by John Adams in the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris.

Shobu Yarlagadda is the CEO, and co-founder of Arka Mediaworks which has produced several critically acclaimed television shows and films including S.S Rajamouli's two-part Indian epic, 'Baahubali'.

Shobu serves as member of the National Committee of Media & Entertainment, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and was recently elected a Member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY.

Day 2

22nd Nov, 2019

(10am - 1pm)

 Session: Film Bazaar Recommends -

Filmmakers of FBR films are invited to Film Bazaar to pitch their first look trailers/film clips and to introduce themselves to the market delegates

• Deepti DCunha, Film Programmer

22nd Nov, 2019

(2:15pm - 3:15pm)

 Session: Eye on India - A Global Perspective of the Indian Film Industry

It is important to understand how the world views the dynamic and vibrant Indian film Industry. A global perspective on contemporary trends in Indian cinema will enable greater international collaborations. This becomes imperative given the emergence of the VOD platform as a key medium for production and consumption of content. India’s soft power comes from its diverse cinematic culture and the depth in its filmic resources. It is, therefore, important for Indian filmmakers to get an insight on how the global film fraternity views this vibrancy.

Moderator

• Rick Ambros, International Media & Entertainment 16
• Consultant

Speakers

• Kilian Kerwin, Head of Production, South Asia and Latin America, SK Global Entertainment
• Kayvan Mashayekh, Co-Chairperson, International Committee, Producer’s Guild of America
• Marten Rabarts, Festival Director, New Zealand International Film Festival
• Kyoko Dan, Festival Advisor, Asian Cinema

 PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Rick Ambros is an executive producer, consultant and former studio executive with an emphasis on international and local language film, television and digital production, co-production, business development and financing across Asia, Europe and North America. For the past decade, he has focused his attention on the rapidly growing media and entertainment industries in Asia, particularly China and India. Rick served as an Advisor to German media funds and private investors providing production financing for Universal, Warner Bros. and Paramount (‘The Hangover’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, ‘Sex and the City’, ‘Mission Impossible 3’). Rick is also on the executive board of the Asian World Film Festival.

Kilian Kerwin is the head of Production (South Asia and Latin America) for SK Global Entertainment, where he oversees local language projects in various territories along with international English motion picture and television ventures. Kilian is the Executive Producer of two Hindi projects streaming on Netflix, ‘Delhi Crime’ and ‘Ghoul’, as well as a third which in post-production, ‘Betaal’.

 Attorney turned filmmaker, Kayvan Mashayekh, began his career by writing, producing and directing an epic, independent feature film called, ‘The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam’, which premiered at the Moscow Film Festival in 2005. Since June 2018, Mashayekh serves as Co-Chairman of the International Committee for the Producers Guild of America.

 Marten Rabarts is Head of EYE International, the international arm of the EYE Film Institute, Netherlands. EYE is the museum for film and the moving image in the Netherlands. They combine a world-renowned film collection with expertise in restoration, educational programmes, exhibitions, international promotion and marketing. EYE International is the department responsible for the international promotion of Dutch cinema.

 Speaker: Kyoko Dan – Programmer, Tokyo Film Festival

Kyoko Dan works as the distributor (all rights), the publicist, the coordinator for film businesses and has also been a consultant for film festivals for 30 years in Japan. She is currently working as the curator for programming screenings of World Cinema, Indian Classic Films, Indian modern films and Central Asian films etc. at the National Museum of Ethnology, Japan.

22nd Nov, 2019

(4:15pm - 5:00pm)

 Session: Beyond borders - Exploring the Exciting New World of International OTT/VOD Business with Wendy Bernfeld

Get set for a riveting session where Wendy takes stock of the current business of OTT/VOD, and how filmmakers can go beyond local borders and traditional big players (such as Netflix/Amazon). In the session, Wendy will cover the most recent digital sector trends from abroad and also list many alternative VOD platforms from across the world that have an increased appetite for ready foreign programming. She will also address some pragmatics such as how to reach these platforms and hybrid distribution and present a brief snapshot for radar screen on various blockchain VOD buyers and VR, too.

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Speaker: Wendy Bernfeld – Founder, Rights Stuff

Born in Montreal, Amsterdam-based Wendy Bernfeld has an experience of over 30 years in the film, tv, digital industries. Wendy is the founder and Managing Director of Rights Stuff which, when acting on the platform/channel side, provides content strategy, and negotiates deals in pay tv/VOD, blockchain and VR for international traditional and digital media services.

When acting on the producer/rightsholder side, she assists with digital strategy/distribution including (S)VOD platform deals beyond just the Big5, creative ''windowing'', hybrid distribution, VR, & originals/alternative funding. Wendy is on the advisory board of several film festivals and industry associations including IDFA, IFFR, The Film Collaborative etc., she was named as one of the “Brave Thinkers of Indie Film, 2010” by Oscar-winning independent producer Ted Hope.

22nd Nov, 2019

(5:15pm - 6:15pm)

 Session: The Changing Landscape of Indian Cinematography

Owing to the growth of various platforms and screens on which content is consumed, Cinematographers are constantly pushing the boundaries of visualisation and so as image-making to suit the different screens and formats. Consumption definitely is driving innovation in the world of cinematography today. What is pushing this innovation further is, newer and more sophisticated technology that is being introduced almost every day. The key  topic of discussion in this session will be what does this change mean for practitioners, for the designers and manufacturers of related technology and more specifically what it means for consumers and distributors of cinema.

Moderator

• Sanjay Suri – Actor, Producer

Speakers

• Shanker Raman, Cinematographer
• Tapan Basu, Cinematographer
• Fowzia Fathima, Professor & Head of Cinematography Department, KR Narayanan National Institute for Visual Sciences and Arts, Kerala

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Acclaimed National Award Winning Producer-Actor Sanjay Suri is credited with 42 fiction features including series as an Actor & 7 features as a Producer. His filmography includes acclaimed films like 'My brother Nikhil', 'Jhankaar Beats', 'I AM' (NETPAC Award-Best in Asian Cinema) and 'CHAURANGA' (Four Colours) (Best film IFFLA, 2015, MAMI India Gold, 2014 & Incredible India Award). Sanjay has participated at various International Co-Production markets, labs and was selected by Rotterdam Producers Lab, CNC at Marché du Film Festival de Cannes 2012 & 2013.Jury member at MAMI (2012) & at DIFF (2013) ‘Muhr Arab’ feature Section. His sales & distribution vertical under KAHWA Entertainment successfully represented ‘Village Rockstars’, 'Bulbul Can Sing' for SAARC and he released Palme d’Or winner & Oscar-nominated 'Shoplifters' along with ‘Ash is the Purest White’ & ‘Yomeddine’ in India.

 Shanker Raman is a graduate from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and a two-time National Award-winning cinematographer, writer, producer and director. His directorial debut film ‘Gurgaon’, won the best project at the NFDC work-in-progress lab in 2015. Shanker recently collaborated as a director on his first TV series, ‘Leila’ a Netflix Original.

Tapan Basu, an alumnus of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, has cemented his place as an accomplished cinematographer, working with the biggest names in the industry. His debut feature film ‘Kahaani 2’ received rave reviews for its cinematography. His second feature, ‘Romeo Akbar Walter’ (RAW) produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures was appreciated by critics for its narrative style.

Fowzia Fathima is an intuitive practitioner of cinematography and is a founder member of “Indian Women Cinematographers Collective”, a forum founded in 2015 that functions as a peer group for practicing professionals. An alumna of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Fowzia is currently a professor and head of the department of Cinematography at KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kerala.

DAY 3

23rd Nov, 2019

(10am - 12:30pm)

 Session: Filmmaker’s Pitch

Filmmakers whose feature films (in-progress or completed) are in the Film Library section of Viewing Room and Industry Screenings are given the opportunity to pitch their first look trailers/film clips.

23rd Nov, 2019

(12:45pm - 1:15pm)

 Session : Celebrating 50 Years of IFFI

In its 50th edition, this year marks the grand golden jubilee of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which will be celebrated between November 20 – 28, 2019 in Goa. IFFI is reckoned as one of Asia’s oldest and India’s biggest film festival.

Right from its inception in 1952, IFFI has been committed to bringing the best of world cinema to India for the benefit of film professionals and film enthusiasts in the country. The idea is to nurture and inspire Indian cinema and to introduce it to not just the world outside, but also to the many audiences that coexist in this vast and diverse country. IFFI also contributes to the understanding and appreciation of different film cultures through its diverse film selection. Each year IFFI carefully curates the latest critically-acclaimed films as well as engaging masterclasses and discussions etc. by renowned personalities and celebrities in the film industry, both national and international.

IFFI is organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Goa, through the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), and the Indian Film Industry.

Moderator:

• Vikramjit Roy - Vikramjit Roy, Head of Film Felicitation.

Speaker

• Shri Chaitanya Prasad, Director IFFI, Additional Director General, Directorate of Film Festival.

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Vikramjit Roy is the Head - Film Facilitation Office (FFO), India's version of the Film Commission, set up in NFDC by the Ministry of I&B, to facilitate the mechanism that eases filming in India and positions India as a film-friendly destination.

As General Manager at NFDC, he has led the development and production of more than 20 films across 11 Indian languages introducing 13 debut directors. As Head of Marketing, a position he held simultaneously, Vikramjit played a key role in establishing NFDC’s multi-platform distribution & monetisation label, Cinemas of India, building the global reputation for Film Bazaar and launching NFDC’s OTT platform.

Chaitanya Prasad joined Civil Service in 1991, he belongs to the Indian Information Service. Currently serving as an Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, he is Additional Director General (News), Prasar Bharti (DDNews), and also Additional Director General, Directorate of Film Festival.

He has designed communication strategies on new flagship programs of the government and important policy initiatives since he joined the civil service. He has also served in several capacities looking after the publicity of key ministries in the government. In his earlier stint with Health Ministry, he had collaborated extensively with UN and international agencies such as UNICEF, WHO, USAID, UNFPA on policy issues related to Health and Development. He has been recognized as a key strategist for the communication needs of institutions, governments and policy practitioners. His areas of interest include Branding, Strategic Communication and Social media outreach.

23rd Nov, 2019

(2:15pm - 3:15pm)

 Session 3: Decoding Co-productions: International Partnerships and Film Funds

Securing funding for independent cinema is a tricky business. The idea is to not just get liquidity in terms of funds, but also to attract different resources from across the globe without compromising on the creative freedom of a film. Film festivals and markets bridge this gap between filmmakers and buyers/aggregators and Co-production markets are an ideal place for filmmakers to understand the various avenues available to them, worldwide, that can help them achieve their vision. Co-production treaties between India and 14 other countries are an example of such kind of support.

 Moderator

• Naman Ramachandran – Asia Correspondent, Variety

 Speakers

• Anup Singh, Writer & Director, The Wandering Film Company
• Aditi Anand, Promoter, Director, Little Red Car Films Kulmeet Makkar, CEO, Producers Guild of India
• Teresa Hoefert de Turégano, Film Funding Executive Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Naman is the South Asia Correspondent for Variety, a film critic with Sight & Sound, and a world cinema columnist for The Hindu. He has written and co-produced the first Netflix Asia Original 'Brahman Naman'. His work as an author includes 'Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography' (Penguin) and 'Lights, Camera, Masala: Making Movies In Mumbai' (IBH). Naman programs the London Indian Film Festival, is on the advisory board of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and is a trustee of the Satyajit Ray Foundation. He is also a BAFTA member. He has previously worked with the British Film Institute, Cineuropa, HBO Asia and MTV India.

Anup Singh set up The Wandering Film Company in Mumbai, India, in association with writers & producers in the UK and Switzerland. He is the writer-director of three internationally acclaimed, award-winning films, 'The name of a river', 'Qissa' and 'The song of scorpions'. He has been working in Geneva, Switzerland, for almost twenty years now and teaches cinema at various universities and film schools.

 Aditi Anand has been a Senior Creative and Production Supervisor with The Times Group, Walkwater Media, UTV Motion Pictures and her filmography includes, ‘Tere Bin Laden’, ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ and ‘Chillar Party’. In 2012, she launched an independent film and media production house, Little Red Car Films and has produced ‘The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir’ an official Indo-French-Belgian co-production, directed by Ken Scott.

 Teresa Hoefert de Turégano is a Funding Advisor for International Co-productions, Documentary and Experimental Projects at the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg in Germany. The Medienboard is the main regional film funding source in the capital region of Germany and has an annual budget of approximately 26 million USD. She has worked for Eurimages and the European Audiovisual Observatory at the Council of Europe.

23rd Nov, 2019

(3:30pm - 4:15pm)

 Session: Navigating Film Festivals

All emerging filmmakers dream of showcasing their film at a festival but it’s important to understand that not all films are suited to all festivals. There are many options besides the big festivals like Berlin, Cannes, Venice or Toronto, which cater to different kinds of programming, press and audiences. During the course of this session, festival directors will reveal what is it they are looking for when programming Indian films, how they see Hindi and regional-language cinema developing, how Indian content fits into their selection, and what filmmakers can do to support their film at a festival when it has finally been selected.

 Moderator

• Liz Shackleton  –  Screen International, Asia Editor

 Speakers

• Nashen Moodley, Director, Sydney Film Festival
• Marten Rabarts, Festival Director, New Zealand International Film Festival
• Hussain Currimbhoy, Artistic Director, Red Sea International Film Festival
• Christina Marouda, Founder, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Based in Hong Kong, Liz Shackleton is Asia Editor for Screen International, which is the leading film industry resource covering the international film markets. She oversees Asia-related content across the publication’s website, monthly print editions and daily magazines at international film festivals & markets.

 Nashen Moodley is the Director of Sydney Film Festival, a role he has held since 2012. During his eight years at the helm, Sydney Film Festival has grown vastly. 2019, the event’s 66th year, marked the highest ever attendance at the festival. He has been a jury member at various film festivals worldwide, including the San Sebastian, Busan, Toronto, Rotterdam, Durban and Tokyo film festivals.

 Marten Rabarts is Head of EYE International, the international arm of the EYE Film Institute, Netherlands. EYE is the museum for film and the moving image in the Netherlands. They combine a world-renowned film collection with expertise in restoration, educational programmes, exhibitions, international promotion and marketing. EYE International is the department responsible for the international promotion of Dutch cinema.

Hussain Currimbhoy is the Artistic Director for the Red Sea International Film Festival. He has worked in festival curating since 2004; as a documentary programmer for Sundance Film Festival, as director of programming at the Sheffield Doc/Fest, and as a programmer with the Melbourne and Adelaide Film Festivals in Australia. Hussain has written and directed several short films, many of which have played at international film festivals.

 Christina Marouda is the founder of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) where over the past 18 years she has developed and expanded the film festival into a creative and business portal between the Indian and American entertainment industries. Ms. Marouda started her career in the New Media and Marketing department at Lions Gate Entertainment.

23rd nov. 2019

(5:15pm - 6pm)

 Session: The Evolving Narrative - A View From the Writer’s Desk

In this session we explore how the narrative structure of storytelling has evolved, given the new dynamics of content production and the emergence of diverse consumption platforms. Does the format - of set up, confrontation and resolution — limit expression, creativity and the key proposition? Is it better suited to some genres than others?

And as the narrative and format changes - moving beyond cinema into episodic content for example, how does screenwriting come of age? In the session, there will also be an attempt to understand to what extent does the audience’s appetite and attention span influence narratives.

Moderator

• Udita Jhunjhunwala – Film Critic

Speakers

• Kanika Dhillon, Author and Screenwriter
• Atika Chohan, Screenwriter
• Sharat Katariya, Filmmaker

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Udita Jhunjhunwala is a Mumbai based entertainment and lifestyle writer, film critic and author with over 20 years of journalistic experience. Former entertainment editor of Mid Day and Hindustan Times newspapers, she is now a contributor to leading publications including Vogue, Screen International, Mint, Scroll.in, Firstpost, The Quint and AFP. A member of the Film Critics Guild, Udita was a contributing author to Women in Indian Film (Zubaan books) and Bollywood’s Top 20 Stars (Penguin). She was also the film festival curator for the 2017 Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and the 10th Jagran Film Festival.

Kanika Dhillon is an author and screenwriter known for her fierce, intelligent and entertaining screenplays for films like 'Manmarziyaan', 'Kedarnath' and 'Judgemental Hai Kya'. Her debut book, "Bombay Duck is a Fish" was a bestseller. Dhillon earned a spot on Film Companion Disruptors, 'Top 30 under 30' by HT Annual Youth Summit and was awarded India Today’s Woman Writer of the Year, 2018.

Based out of Mumbai, Atika Chohan is a screenwriter actively working in the industry for a decade. She has writing credits on films like ‘Margarita with a Straw’ (2015) and ‘Waiting’ (2016) and has co-written the upcoming film ‘Chhapaak’ with director Meghna Gulzar which stars Deepika Padukone. Chohan studied screenwriting at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune and originally hails from Old Delhi.

Born and brought up in Delhi, Sharat, has an eye for minute details and his ear to the ground of our country. His first film, 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha', won the National Film Awards. His second, 'Sui Dhaaga', touched hearts with it’s authentic performances. Sharat Katariya is carving his own unique space in Hindi cinema and his distinct voice has made him a force to reckon with.

DAY 4

24th Nov, 2019

(10:15am - 11:15am)

 Session: The New Matrix of OTT Business

There is no denying that the OTT platforms have played a huge part in the content boom in India. But what exactly is it that these platforms look for when they are programming content for their audiences. Today, more and more filmmakers are writing for a series format rather than a film script and are looking at releasing their film on OTT platforms instead of a theatrical release. This session tries to analyse the magnitude of the disruption caused by the growth of numerous VoD platforms. Is this going to be the way forward for indie films?

 Moderator

• VIKRAMJIT ROY , Head – Film Facilitation Office,National Film Development Corporation. Ministry ofI&B, Government of India

Speakers

• Aparna Acharekar, Programme Head, ZEE 5 India
• Aashish Singh, Director - Original Film, Netflix
• Atul Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India
• Swaroop Chaturvedi, Film Producer & Film Syndications, Aggregation & Licensing Specialist

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

A content aficionado, Aparna Acharekar is the Programming Head at ZEE5, where she is leading the content team for the platform. Aparna holds certifications from YouTube for audience growth & development and digital rights management. She is also a certified mentor from Harvard. She is an avid mentor to students of bachelors, PG of Journalism (Print and Digital) and media management.

Aashish Singh is the Director, Original Film at Netflix, India. A film industry veteran, Aashish, along with his team, is responsible for building Netflix’s original film catalogue in India. Prior to this, Aashish was the CEO, Motion Pictures at Balaji Telefilms and Vice President, Production at Yashraj Films. Aashish is a commerce graduate from Mumbai University.

With over two decades of experience in television programming, content acquisition, syndication and licensing, Swaroop Chaturvedi started his independent journey as a producer after his extensive work experience with Star India and Sony PIX. Swaroop is a consultant with, National Film Development Corporation, Consulate General of Israel, Prasar Bharati Board and other independent content studios & distributors - managing their licensing/ syndications & acquisitions for opportunities across platforms in the Indian subcontinent for English, Hindi, Marathi & Bengali films.

 Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari is a civil servant who belongs to the 1990 batch of Indian Administrative Service borne on the Karnataka Cadre. Besides studying History, Political Science and Economics, he has done an MBA in Public Service from Birmingham (UK), M.Phil. in Social Science from Panjab University, and recently L.L.B from Delhi University. He has handled various assignments in the State of Karnataka, particularly, in Industries & Commence, Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance, and Health and Medical Education with many accomplishments to his name. He is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting since April 2019 handling matters relating to Broadcasting, Communication, Community Radio, Films, FM Radio and Vigilance.

24th Nov, 2019

(11:30pm - 12:15pm)

 Session: Cinemas of India - Many Stories, Many Nuances, Many Languages

India is a minefield for storytellers and filmmakers. With a diverse populace that speaks various languages and follows different customs, there is no dearth of stories emerging from every nook and corner of this country. With the correct guidance at the production stage and right positioning after the film is made, these local narratives hold the power to resonate with a large audience base, across the world. The audiences are now used to seeing a multitude of films in various Indian languages in many international film festivals and across diverse VoD platforms. This is perhaps the right time for the Cinemas of India to light up screens across the globe.

Moderator

• Shubhra Gupta, Film Critic  & Columnist, The IndianExpress

Speakers

• Anupam Kaushik Borah, Filmmaker, Assam
• Adinath Kothare, Actor, Director, Maharashtra
• Abhishek Shah Director, Producer & Writer, Gujrat
• Ajit Rai, Senior Film Critic

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Shubhra Gupta is film critic and columnist with The Indian Express.Through her trenchant and impartial writing, she is known as one of India's best-known and well-regarded film critics.She has been covering film festivals nationally and internationally for more than twenty years, and has served on several prestigious juries. She has been a regular visitor at the Film Bazaar, having seen it grow over the years to the platform it has become today, vital for all stake-holders in the creation and business of cinema.

 Anupam Kaushik Borah is the producer, writer and director of 'Bornodi Bhotiai' (Love, By The River) - the commercial and critical hit Assamese film which premiered at MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival 2018. He is a National School of Drama graduate, who, as an actor, has worked in more than 100 theatre play productions and 7 feature films.

Abhishek Shah is the writer, director and co-producer of ‘Hellaro’, the first-ever Gujarati film that won the National Award for Best Film (Swarna Kamal). He is a prominent name in Ahmedabad theatre circuit and plays written and directed by him have received numerous awards. He has also written TVCs, social media films, radio scripts, TV show scripts and corporate films.

Adinath Kothare is an Indian film actor, director and producer. He has acted in over 15 feature films. His directorial debut feature film titled ‘Paani’ (Water), is ready for release. Based on a true story, ‘Paani’ has been produced by Priyanka Chopra and also features Adinath as the film’s lead protagonist. The film has already created a mark in the International Film Festival circuit.

Ajit Rai is a leading film/theatre critic and cultural journalist in India with an experience of more than 30 years in leading national newspapers, reputed journals and electronic media as well in cinema, theatre, literature and cultural discourses. With about 3000 published articles, some of his innovative reports have been debated in the Indian Parliament. He is presently working for Jansatta for The Indian Express.

24th Nov, 2019

(2:15pm - 3pm)

 Session: Harnessing the power of engagement - the FFO model

A discussion on how the Film Facilitation Office has been working with various State and Central Government agencies towards creating an effective filming ecosystem in the country. With continual engagement with all key stakeholders, understanding ground realities, and finding amicable solutions, the FFO has been taking steps towards empowering both the producer as well as the permitting authority through its web portal.

Moderator

• Nyay Bhushan, India Representative, The Hollywood Reporter

Speakers

• Richard Sharkey, International Producer
• T.C.A. Kalyani, Managing Director, National Film Development Corporation
• Vikramjit Roy, Head of Film Felicitation.

 PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Co-founder of India's first magazine on global entertainment, CONNECT, Nyay Bhushan has been tracking the entertainment business since the early nineties. He is the India and South Asia correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter covering all aspects of the industry with a global perspective, focusing on film, television, digital and lifestyle. He has also contributed to THR affiliate publication Billboard covering the music business. Nyay is also an award-winning fine art photographer with numerous international honors to his credit.

Richard Sharkey recently produced two seasons of 'Warrior' for HBO, and two seasons of ‘Marco Polo’, for Netflix. He Line Produced the Golden Globe-winning production ‘John Adams’ (in Europe) for HBO and then moved on to Australia as UPM on ‘The Pacific’, a WWII mini-series – also for HBO/Playtone, both executive produced by Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg. ‘Shantaram’ for Paramount TV, to be distributed by Apple TV, is his current focus in India & Australia.

Smt. T.C.A. Kalyani belongs to 1991 batch of the Indian Civil Accounts Services. She has had a varied experience after joining service. She has put more than two decades in different Ministries/Departments of Government of India. While working in various Ministries, she has contributed immensely towards the development of Art and Culture, women empowerment, Social Justice & Empowerment. She strives for continued excellence with good listening ability and by always being open to new ideas. She is presently posted as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and is handling National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in the capacity of Managing Director as one of her assignments. She, along with her team, is taking effective steps to promote Indian Cinema.

24th Nov, 2019

(3:15pm - 4pm)

 Session: Hitting the right notes - A Guide to Music Rights

A good musical score can be the difference between a good film and a great film. This does not necessarily mean that indie filmmakers need to start from scratch and produce new music for their film. With a large library of existing music, big music labels can be a godsend for a filmmaker, but it is important to understand the various music rights and how you can go about acquiring them. This session aims at demystifying these music rights for emerging filmmakers.

Moderator

• Hrishikesh Kannan – Radio Producer

Speakers

• KJ Singh - Audio Engineer, Music Producer, and Consultant in Mumbai, India
• Blaise Fernandes – CEO & President, IMI
• Atul Churamani – MD, Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

 PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Hrishikesh Kannan, popularly known Hrishi K, is a producer and presenter on the nation's biggest breakfast radio show - 94.3 RadioOne. He is a podcast creator and anchor on the online platforms ‘Moneycontrol.com’ and ‘Book My Show Jukebox’. He is a multiple Rapa and Promax award-winning radio host and voice artiste. Hrishikesh was recently felicitated with the Afternoon Newsmakers Achievers Award in the category Best Radio Personality and an EEMAX Global Award 2019 for Best Awards Ceremony Emcee/Compere.

Music producer, sound engineer, musician and a composer, KJ Singh has over three decades of experience in the music industry. His sound design work for the film ‘Omkara’ garnered him a National Award and a Filmfare award. For the past seven years, he is the Big Chief and Owner of an independent music label ‘Asli Music’ that curates new talent.

Blaise Fernandes is a media and entertainment industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in this field, of which 23 years have been as the head of Warner Bros South Asia. He currently serves as the President and CEO of IMI and is also an independent board member of Gateway House, a Mumbai based foreign policy think tank.

Atul Churamani joined the Indian music industry in 1987 and has worked with music labels such as Magnasound India Ltd, Virgin Records and Saregama India Ltd. He has been on the board of the Indian Performing Rights Society and the Phonographic Performance Ltd. Atul is now Managing Director of Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt. Ltd., a company he founded, which helps independent artistes publish and self-release music.

 24th Nov, 2019

(4:15PM - 5PM)

 Session: The Multiple Hues of the LGBT Narrative in India

Cinema is a double-edged sword in the sense that it can both, perpetuate as well as dismantle harmful stereotypes. For several years there has only been a token representation of the LGBT community in mainstream Indian films, and that too has been riddled with caricature. In this session, there will be discussions on how the films, the narrative and characters have evolved to become more inclusive and how have they moved on from stereotyping. Exclusive festivals focusing on queer content and the OTT platforms have also nudged viewers into accpeting these narratives.

Moderator

• Namrata Joshi – Associate Editor, Cinema, The Hindu

Speakers

• Swami Laxminarayan Tripathi – Human Rights Activist
• ONIR – Director, Editor, Producer
• Arjun Mathur – Actor
• Sridhar Rangayan – Film Director

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Namrata Joshi is associate editor-cinema and film critic with The Hindu Mumbai. She has contributed pieces to multiple anthologies on Indian cinema and has recently come out with her first book, Reel India: Cinema off the Beaten Track.
A member of FIPRESCI, the international federation of film critics based in Munich, she has been on the Fipresci critics’ jury at multiple film festivals across the world, and has been on the selection committee for films at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, 2008 and 2012. A Charles Wallace Trust fellow and a Chevening scholar, she won India’s National Award for Best Film Critic in 2004

Swami Laxmi Narayan Tripathji is Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, she is a trailblazing transgender and human rights activist. Having represented the Asia Pacific region in the UNAIDS civil society task force, she is also the founder member of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network.

As a subject matter expert, she is on various committees established by the Ministry of social justice and empowerment GOI, National AIDS control Organisation GOI, Women and Child Policy drafting group Govt of Maharashtra, and several international groups.

Onir is an Indian film and TV director, editor, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his film 'My Brother...Nikhil', one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships. He won the National Film award for Best

Film (Hindi) for the anthology 'I AM' in 2011. He has won 13 film awards.

Arjun Mathur is a British-born Indian actor who was first discovered by Mira Nair and Farhan Akhtar through their respective short films for the 'Aids Jaago' project, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, 2007. He was last seen in Zoya Akhtar's Amazon original series, 'Made In Heaven', which has proven to be Arjun's breakthrough project.

Sridhar Rangayan is filmmaker, writer, activist and festival director. His award-winning films such as 'The Pink Mirror', 'Yours Emotionally' and 'Project Bolo' are at the forefront of India’s emergent queer cinema movement. He is the Founder Festival Director of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, which has become the biggest LGBTQ film festival in South Asia.

24th Nov, 2019

(5:15pm - 6:15pm)

 Session: The new leadership dimension - Women Producers

The business of Indian cinema has largely been male-dominated, but this trend seems to be changing for the better. Over the years incredible women have emerged as successful producers and are crafting the new narrative of the business. In this session, we discuss the journeys of women producers and also throw light on what is it that they bring to the table that is different from their male counterparts. We will also explore whether they feel it's their responsibility to include more 'woman' talent behind the scenes.

Moderator

• Baradwaj Rangan, Film Critic

 Speakers

• Soundarya Rajinikanth - Managing Director, May 6 Entertainment
• Nandita Roy Producer, Director, Windows Production
• Shareen Mantri Kedia, Founder - Director of Namah Pictures
• Dominique Welinski, Founder & Head of  Production, DW

 PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Baradwaj Rangan is a National Award-winning film critic and editor, Film Companion (South). His writings on cinema, music, art, books, travel and humour have been published in various national magazines like Open, Tehelka, Biblio, Outlook and Caravan. He has co-written the screenplay for the Tamil romantic-comedy, 'Kadhal 2 Kalyanam'.He has contributed to various anthologies, including an essay in "Subramaniyapuram: The Tamil Film in English Translation", and an analysis of Rajkumar Hirani in "Behind the Scenes: Contemporary Bollywood Directors and their Cinema". His first book, "Conversations with Mani Ratnam", was published by Penguin in 2012. His second book, "Dispatches From the Wall Corner", was published by Westland in 2014.

Nandita Roy is the Producer and Director at Windows Production and has directed and produced many television programmes. Windows started producing their own films from 2013 and till date they have produced 15 films, out of which 9 were directed by them and the rest by newcomers. She is currently producing National award-winning Director Kaushik Ganguly's ‘Lokkhi Chhele’.

May 6 Entertainment is the brainchild of Soundarya Rajinikanth dedicated to producing Independent Films, Original Series and Documentaries. Soundarya also started Ocher Studios in the year 2005 and partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment to produce and distribute South Indian films with the first film being 'Goa', directed by Venkat Prabhu.

 Shareen founded Namah Pictures along with her partner Kishor Arora. Her first project, ‘Beyond the Clouds’ with the internationally acclaimed Director, Majid Majidi is a true testament of a project Made in India! Presently she’s developing an eclectic mix of content, ranging from a war epic depicting the life of tribal revolutionary Birsa Munda, to a small town quirky romantic comedy.

In February 2012, after more than 20 years in distribution, Dominique Welinski founded DW, a production company. In 2013, she developed the concept of Factory to pair international promising filmmakers to co-direct short films. The first edition was Taipei Factory, then Nordic, Chile and South Africa Factory, Lebanon and Tunisia. All the Factory opened Director’s Fortnight in Cannes. Next Factory will be South Eastern Europe Factory.

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