T45-member to 'market' India at Cannes

NEW DELHI: Government is planning to market India as a prime film destination during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival with an aim to attract well-known Hollywood and European studios.

Top officials in the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting today said that a 45-member Indian delegation led by ministry officials and consisting of representatives from industry body ASSOCHAM would be leaving for Cannes, where the festival starts on May 12.

Secretary I&B Raghu Menon would be part of the delegation to the 63rd edition of the prestigious festival and his presence underlines the importance being attached to the event by the ministry.

"The aim behind the strong government presence is to promote India aggressively as a film destination in Cannes and invite US and European film makers to shoot their films here," a senior ministry official said.

Being a prestigious film event, it is attended by stalwarts of Hollywood and European film industry.

Though there have been collaborations between Indian and foreign film makers in the past, the delegation is looking forward to further the interest of Hollywood filmmakers in India, sources said.

With ASSOCHAM representatives also part of the delegation, sources said there services would be used in preparing a film marketing strategy for wooing foreign players to India.

As India is already a signatory of various co-production treaties with several European nations, these could act as an added benefit for marketing India as a film destination at Cannes, sources said.

India centric films have been doing well in the past few years with the surge of interest in the country after the huge success of Danny Boyle's multiple Oscar winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' which was a collaboration between Hollywood and Indian film technicians.

Noted Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur will serve as a jury member as this year's festival.