Cannes: On the sidelines of the CII-Bharat Pavilion at Cannes, the Indian Ambassador to France, Jawed Ashraf has expressed happiness about Jammu and Kashmir representing the rich shooting locations of India this year and added that it would be a delight to the global filmmakers to shoot in India.

He further invited global filmmakers to explore the business opportunities in India, and in the Union territory as well.

In his address to the global audience present in the inaugural ceremony of the CII-Bharat Pavilion at the Cannes Film Market, the Ambassador of India to France and Monaco, Ashraf said, "I am delighted that this year Jammu and Kashmir is representing the rich shooting locations of India which would be a delight to the global filmmakers to shoot in India. I hope that there will be lots of business opportunities explored by the global filmmakers with India's participation."

Along with Jawed Ashraf, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Government of India, officially inaugurated the CII-Bharat Pavilion in the centre of the Palais of the Cannes Film Market on May 15.

At the Pavilion's opening, Jaju conveyed his excitement about India's integrated presence at the Cannes Film Market, which provides a wealth of creative, networking, and international cooperation opportunities for filmmakers, producers, and exhibitors.

"I appeal to the foreign producers to explore the country's diverse geography, rich heritage, and lucrative incentives. The robust support provided by the Film Facilitation Office for shooting in India, coupled with the availability of skilled post-production facilities would provide a great experience to the global film-makers to create in India for the world," Jaju said, according to an official release.

At the opening of the CII pavilion, the Secretary announced WAVES (World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit), a global media and entertainment summit being organised on the fringes of the International Film Festival of India in Goa, for the first time and urged the world community to set aside time in their calendars for the same.

CII has been participating in the prestigious Cannes Film Market for the last 22 years providing a platform for small film-makers as well as the state governments to reach out to the global filming community for sales and syndication, international partnerships, co-productions, promotion of shooting locations, etc.

It is also a place for the Indian delegates to meet with their global counterparts.

Participation in Jammu and Kashmir is one of the major attractions at the CII-Bharat Pavilion. Apart from attracting the filmmakers to their beautiful film locales, it is showcasing its newly launched film policy to the global audience, th release read.

"We are disseminating information about the J&K Film Policy which was launched in 2024 in the Cannes Market from our Jammu and Kashmir Stall at CII-Bharat Pavilion and there is a very good response with lots of queries. We are doing our activities with the active support of CII and the Ministry of I&B" said Rehana Batul, Secretary, Department of Information & Public Relations, Government of Jammu & Kashmir.

Around 30 regional filmmakers have also participated with CII in the market and CII is connecting them to the global filmmakers.

CII is projecting the theme of "Create in India for the world" and serving as a hub for independent filmmakers and producers and facilitating collaboration and networking at the pavilion.

Over a hundred business meetings have been lined up over a week which would boost India's connection to the world filmmaking ecosystem.

Various states and union territories such as Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra participated, showcasing India's diverse cinematic landscape at the Cannes Film Market.

This initiative aims to showcase the creative opportunities and abundant talent pool present in India's film industry.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, India will host a Bharat Parv at the Cannes Film Festival, providing a platform to engage with industry stakeholders from across the world.

Moreover, the Bharat Parv will witness the unveiling of the official poster and trailer of the 55th India International Film Festival (IFFI), scheduled to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28. This adds another layer of anticipation and excitement to India's presence at Cannes.

In conclusion, the inauguration of the Bharat Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival marks a significant milestone for Indian cinema, reinforcing its global footprint and fostering international partnerships in the world of filmmaking.

(With Agency Inputs)