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India is creating ripples at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival with actor Deepika Padukone being one of the jury members at the prestigious event.
India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur led the star-studded Indian delegation on the Red Carpet at Palais des Festivals. India has been named the first 'Country of Honour' at Marche du Film or Cannes Market which runs parallel to the festival. "A historic moment as India the 1st 'Country of Honour' at Marche Du Films @Festival_Cannes gets set to manifest into the 'content hub of the world and the preferred 'post-production hub' for global filmmakers," Thakur tweeted. Thakur said: "I'm delighted to announce today in #Cannes an incentive scheme for audio-visual co-production and shooting of foreign films in India with a cash incentive of up to 30 per cent with a cap of USD 260,000." "India is at the cusp of greatness, this is just the beginning. There will come a day I truly believe where India won't have to be at Cannes, but Cannes will be in India," said Padukone at the inauguration of the India Pavilion at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Thakur inaugurated the India Pavilion at Cannes Film Market 'Marche du Film' with an aim to make India a favorite destination for foreign filmmakers. Talking about the aspects of the incentives Thakur informed that for official co-productions, international film production companies can claim a reimbursement of up to 30 per cent on Qualifying Expenditure in India subject to a maximum of Rs 2 crore. Foreign films shooting in India can claim an additional 5 per cent bonus up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakhs (USD 65,000) as additional reimbursement would be granted for employing 15 per cent or more manpower in India. The schemes will provide an impetus to global collaborations with India and attract investment from foreign filmmakers and help promote India as a filming destination. "While reflecting the values, beliefs, and experiences of the Indian people, Indian cinema has also showcased their hopes, dreams, and achievements. While being rooted in Indian culture, the Indian film industry has grown to acquire a universal character. And while preserving our age-old stories, the Indian filmmakers are innovating in their art of storytelling through the use of technology," the minister added. "Indian cinema is not only the story of a 6000-year-old civilization, not only the story of 1.3 billion tales but also the story of human talent, triumph, and the trajectory of New India narrated through your lens," he said. Thakur said that through the beautiful journey Indian cinema has inspired global filmmakers and also been inspired by them. The 2020s are the best time to make art and films in India. Indian cinema is undergoing a paradigm shift "Over the last few years, the streaming revolution has taken the country by storm, and the popularity of digital/ OTT platforms has changed how films are created, distributed and consumed. Consumers of global and Indian cinema have more choice than ever before," Thakur said. Speaking on the strong intent of the government to make India a favourite filming destination, Thakur said, "We have a strong intellectual property regime, and the digital medium now complements the other more established modes of consumption and dissemination such as theatres and movies. This has brought about a democratisation of consumer choice like never before, and our government is intent on preserving this via support to the creative industries." Crediting India's film restoration work for its scale Thakur said the government has embarked on the world's largest film restoration project under the National Film Heritage Mission and as part of this drive, 2,200 movies across languages and genres will be restored to their former glory. India has been given an opportunity to pitch five selected movies at the 'Goes to Cannes Section'. These movies, part of the 'Work In Progress' lab under the Film Bazaar, are 'Baghjan' by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia-Assamese, Moran, 'Bailadila' by Shailendra Sahu-Hindi, Chhattisgarhi, 'Ek Jagah Apni' (A Space of Our Own) by Ektara Collective-Hindi, 'Follower' by Harshad Nalawade-Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, and 'Shivamma' by Jai Shankar-Kannada. (ANI)
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