The 55th International Film Festival of India, popularly known as IFFI, ended on 28 November. India’s own film festival had been exhaustive and exploratory this year, with many new, innovative things for cine goers from across the world. India’s renowned film maker ShekharKapur was the new festival director and the mammoth steering committee included the industry’s reputed names Bobby Bedi, Khusboo Sundar, Prasoon Joshi andJerome Pillard. I was also a member of the steering committee. The 18th edition of the Film Bazaar this year, which is presently the largest film market of South Asia, had 350 film projects featured in the various verticals of the Film Market.The Bazaar team worked tirelessly under the guidance of Pillard, ex-Market Head of ‘Marche du Cannes’, who has taken over as the Advisor of Film Bazaar.

Many producers participated in Film Bazaar, which was about mentoring mid-career success level producers on how to pitch a film, budget it and make it a global success. This year’s Film Bazaar was one of the largest yet. The bazaar was a buzz, bringing in about 2,000 delegates. Countries including Australia, Bhutan, Belarus, Hong Kong, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United Kingdom were represented, demonstrating the broad international appeal of the event. These nations, with their unique filmmaking cultures and approaches, underscored the importance of cross border collaboration in a rapidly evolving industry. The participation of these countries highlighted Film Bazaar’s role as an international platform that not only facilitates dialogue but also promotes industry exchanges that are key to the growth and sustainability of cinema worldwide. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including film policy development, filming incentives, and the economic benefits of film production, ensuring that all participants, both international and local, could contribute to shaping the future of global cinema. Better Man, one of the biggest global releases of this year, was the opening film for the festival. The semi biographical film about British pop singer Robbie Williams, directed by Australian film-maker Michael Gracey, will release in theatres on 26 December. The closing film was........

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