India’s Film Bazaar, South Asia’s largest film market, has selected a range of projects from around the world for its annual co-production market, which will be held in-person this year after two years of being online due to COVID-19.
Though the 20 selected projects are from 11 countries, and most are already structured as co-productions, they are all South Asian-themed. Michael Radford, best known for BAFTA and Oscar-winning film “Il Postino,” has Spanish-language Spain-India project “The Princess of Kapurthala,” which he will co-direct with Manuel Estudillo (“Caso Urquijo”). Juan Antonio Casado and Davide Cottarelli of Pok Production are producing.
Gautam Arora’s Hindi and English-language film “The Last Lane” (India) is being produced by Kite Rabbit Films, the production company of Shaunak Sen, whose “All That Breathes” won best documentary at both Sundance and Cannes this year.
Gogularaajan Rajendran’s Tamil and Malay-language project “Depth of Darkness” is being produced by Malaysia’s Fourth Frame Studios. Machindra Yongya’s Nepali-language “Changing Sky” is being produced by Underground Talkies Nepal.
Sohil Vaidya’s Marathi-language film “Premordial” is produced by Bijon Imtiaz and Arifur Rahman’s Bangladesh-U.S. outfit Goopy Bagha Production (“Kingdom of Clay Subjects”).
Kaushik Ray’s English, Bengali and French-language film “A Life A Rose” is an India, France, U.K., Germany co-production produced by Jean-Baptiste Babin of BackUp Media and Pooja Chauhan of Taran Tantra Telefilms. Rohan Kanawade’s Marathi-language “Arms of a Man” is an India, U.K. co-production from Lotus Visual Productions.
Anupam Sharma’s English and Hindi-language film “Honour” is an Australia, India, Canada, U.K. co-production from Casting Temple.
Bhaskar Hazarika, whose “Aamis” premiered at Tribeca in 2019, is back with Hindi-language project “Insectum,” produced by Shyam Bora for Metanormal Motion Pictures.
Michael Graf of Makadam Films, who was formerly with sales agent Bankside, is producing Shalini Adnani’s Hindi and English-language film “Kollam,” an India, U.K. co-production.
Another India, U.K. co-production, Sridhar Rangayan’s Hindi, Tamil and English-language “Dreams Such as Ours,” is produced by Solaris Pictures and TNV Films, while another project between the two countries, English-language “Punishment,” is from Isher Sahota and Jon Tarcy, who have just completed “The Effects of Lying.”
Arfi Lamba and Katharina Suckale’s Bombay Berlin Film Productions is backing Sasha Singh’s Hindi and English language “Oranges Smell Like Turpentine.”
India-Japan Hindi-language project, Savita Singh’s “A Ballad of the Circus” is produced by Kyoko Dan, while Shazia Khan’s Hindi, Kashmiri and English-language film “Snow” is produced by noted filmmaker Onir for his Anticlock Films.
Rohin Raveendran’s Hindi-language “Smart City,” which was at Busan’s Asian Project Market, is produced by Vikramaditya Motwane for India’s Andolan Films, while Mragendra Singh’s English and Hindi-language film “Still Here” is an India, U.S. production.
Among the other projects, acclaimed actor Anjali Patil has a Hindi, French and Marathi-language directorial project “Touch Me Not” in the market; Judhajit Bagchi and Ranadeep Bhattacharyya have Hindi, Bengali and English-language film “The Nor’Westers”; and Alok Rajwade has Marathi, Hindi and Gondi-language “Three Bikes Four Days.”
The Film Bazaar (Nov. 20-24) is operated by India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
“[The] Co-production market has been and continues to be the most important segment of the Bazaar. The market allows the international producers to understand the current trends in cinema from India and South Asia. We are enormously proud of this year’s selection that showcases some of the most diverse, inclusive and groundbreaking stories from Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, U.K., U.S. and India. We wish them all the best and hope that all these projects will find fitting co-production match for their forthcoming journey towards a successful completion,” said Ravinder Bhakar MD, NFDC.
