Film Bazaar 2024, organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), is known to bring together cinematic innovation and international collaboration under one roof, with the who's who of industry stalwarts (including Jerome Paillard, former head of the Cannes Market and now an advisor to Film Bazaar), emerging filmmakers, and global partners congregating to foster new creative ventures of storytelling.
Over the years, Film Bazaar, the film market which runs concurrently with the International Film Festival of India in Goa, has become a vital platform for discovering, supporting, and showcasing South Asian content and talent. It continues to be a dynamic hub for collaboration and growth within the global film industry. The Variety magazine reported: Film Bazaar 2024 "enjoyed a more than 20% increase in delegate numbers to some 1,500, hailing from 31 countries and territories (up from 20 last year.) Similarly, the market hosted ten new national pavilions and 14 pavilions representing India’s state film promotion organisations."
In a major announcement during the event, casting director Mukesh Chhabra spoke about his collaboration with Film Bazaar on two Co-Production Market (CPM) projects. The first, Baaghi Bechare (Reluctant Rebels), is a CPM feature film for which he will cast talent for free. The second, 'Chauhan's B n B Bed and Basera' (or Pondie-cherie), is a CPM web-series that will also benefit from Chhabra's expertise in casting at no cost. This collaboration highlights Film Bazaar’s continued commitment to nurturing creative talent and strengthening industry partnerships.
The event also announced exciting new landmark partnerships such as a collaboration with Final Draft for screenwriting development, engagements with the Film Independent Episodic Writing Workshop to foster episodic storytelling and a partnership with SAAVA & ATF IP Accelerator, which recognised Kothiyan- Fishers of Men in the CPM.
Apart from these initiatives, Work in Progress (WIP) Awards were given to the following films: Kaatti Ri Raatti: Hunter’s Moon by Ridham Janve received the Prasad Labs Award for 50 hours of free 4K DI (digital intermediate).
Shape of Momo by Tribeni Rai was awarded a DI package worth Rs 6 lakh by the Nube Studio Award.
Special Mentions included The Good, the Bad and the Hungry and The Red Hibiscus, which received a 50 percent discount on 50 hours of DI from Prasad Labs.
Reflecting the vibrant and inclusive spirit of the event, the top three winners in the Film Bazaar Recommends (FBR) category were each awarded Rs 3 lakh in sponsorship and promotional benefits.
And the 2024 Film Bazaar Winners are...
Viewing Room Film Bazaar Recommends (FBR) – Movie Buff Awards
Angammal, directed by Vipin Radhakrishnan, who adapted Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's story Kodithuni. The film premiered in India at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in October and next screens at International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in December.
House of Manikanta, written and directed by Pinaki Janardhan
Laptein (Flames), written and directed by Ravishankar Kaushik
In addition to the financial rewards, the winners will receive several additional benefits. This includes Rs 2 lakh worth of trailer promotion in up to 300 QUBE Cinema theatres, along with other promotional opportunities to help elevate their projects to a broader audience.
The winner of the Student Producer Workshop Pitch Awards was announced to Deadly Dosas by Anusree Kelat, while the Runner-up award went to Lakad Haara by Punjal Jain.
In a first for Film Bazaar, the event introduced the Co-Production Market Feature Cash Grants category, recognising outstanding pitches from filmmakers.
Co-production Market Winners
The category's First Prize, comprising a cash grant worth $10,000, was awarded to Kurinji (The Disappearing Flower), directed by Payal Sethi and produced by Thanikachalam SA. While Sethi, the Stuttgart-based director, was not present in person, producer Thanikachalam made the pitch for the Malayalam-language film, which bagged for Sethi the Kompagnon-Förderpreis Fellowship from Perspektive Deutsches Kino and Berlinale Talents Project.
The feature, on Gulf migration that tells the story of millions of women left behind, perhaps for the first time, unspools with the point of view of a Kerala housewife (Laly), whose migrant labourer-husband lives in the Gulf disappears throwing Laly's life into a turmoil. The film stars Malayalam actress Santhy Balachandran.
The Second Prize (cash grant worth $5,000) went to Kothiyan - Fishers of Men, directed by Sanju Surendran and produced by Pramod Sankar. The film also bagged the ATF Partnership award.
The Third Prize (cash grant worth $5,000) was given to All Ten Heads of Ravana, directed by Pranjal Dua and produced by Bich-Quan Tran.
Additionally, a Special Mention for Best Pitch was awarded to Baaghi Bechare (Reluctant Rebels), directed by Sumit Purohit and produced by Chippy Babu and Abhishek Sharma. On Instagram, Babu expressed gratitude to Chhabra for his free casting services and the Film Bazaar jury:
In a special initiative, the French Institute of India was also honoured for its consistent efforts to promote French delegates’ participation in the Film Bazaar. The evening concluded with a teaser for WAVES 2025, offering a glimpse into the exciting future of Film Bazaar.
The ceremony featured addresses by Shri Prithul Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and MD, NFDC, and Ms Vrunda Manohar Desai, Joint Secretary of Films at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Also present were Jerome Paillard, Advisor to Film Bazaar, renowned actor Avinash Tiwary, and acclaimed casting director Mukesh Chhabra.
The event reaffirmed its legacy as a global hub for storytelling and innovation, setting the stage for Film Bazaar 2025. With excitement already building, next year's edition promises to deliver another year of ground-breaking achievements and dynamic cinematic collaborations.
(With inputs from Press Information Bureau)
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