Paid Proposition

While veteran filmmaker Mrinal Sens Khandar is being screened under the Classics Section of the Cannes Film Festival,you dont necessarily have to be as prolific...

Written by Debesh Banerjee

May 13, 2010 02:10 AM IST

4 min read

While veteran filmmaker Mrinal Sens Khandar is being screened under the Classics Section of the Cannes Film Festival,you dont necessarily have to be as prolific,or as acclaimed,to have your film screened at the Cannes film festival. This year,Chennai based banker Kalyan Seervis short film Gulli Danda,which is the cinematic adaptation of Munshi Premchands short story Gilli Danda,has found a place in the Short Film Corner of the Festival. The 18-minute Hindi film with English subtitles,which evolves around the contrast of the simplicity of yesteryears to contemporary lives,is Seervis debut project. So how did he make the cut? Simple: He paid 95 euros (Rs 5,523) to the organisers to have his film screened in that particular segment at the festival. Seervi is not the only one though. A group of 25 Indian filmmakers have opted for the pay and screen section at the Festival,a non-competitive segment of the festival. I was looking to enter the film in a festival that is recognised globally. Since this festival was around the corner I chose to screen it here, says 30-year old,who finished shooting in March.

Screenings are held in one of the three mini-screening rooms with an audience of five to six professional filmmakers. The perks: hobnobbing with the cream of the international film fraternity,and a listing of your film on the Digital Film Library of the Festival. Held annually since 2004,this section serves as a platform for short film professionals to network and develop their career,according to Alice Kharoubi,project manager. We have over 1,700 registered entries this year,with 25 films from India alone, says Kharoubi.

For 28-year-old Delhiite,Abhishek Joshi,Cannes was the perfect avenue for his two-minute and two-second long Crowded Lives,an abstract depiction of how an individual reacts to crowded situations. When I finished the film,the Cannes Festival was near. Since I had nothing to lose I registered my film and fortunately it got selected, says Joshi,who quit his job with a software solutions firm to take up filmmaking. While Joshi might be an amateur,Nagaland filmmaker Vikeyeno Zao has over 15 documentaries to her credit. Her entry,the 15-minute Last of the Tattooed Headhunters,captures the traditions of the remaining handful of Konyak head-hunters of Nagaland. It took me two years to convince the tribes men to participate in the film. I overcame resistance from the Church for this film, says Zao,hoping the Festival finds her international buyers. Even Rima Amarapurkars award winning short,Jananee,which was awarded at last years IFFI,Goa will be at the Festival. It is an important achievement,says Amarapurkar,since this is the mecca of cinema. I want to reach out to the market through this.

The films in this section cover a wide range of topics and are selected after an initial screening process. But in case of Bell Bajao,the one-minute ad commercial about preventing domestic violence,the producer Sonali Khan,of Breakthrough Productions,was given a direct passport to the Festival. This campaign received special mention at the Speak Out category of the Expresion Corto International Film Festival,Mexico,last year. Since they are part sponsors of the Short Film Corner we were given a direct entry into the festival, says Khan.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

Kolkata talk

Paid Proposition

While veteran filmmaker Mrinal Sens Khandar is being screened under the Classics Section of the Cannes Film Festival,you dont necessarily have to be as prolific...

While veteran filmmaker Mrinal Sens Khandar is being screened under the Classics Section of the Cannes Film Festival,you dont necessarily have to be as prolific...