At the market place!

When we watch a movie on screen we seldom think about whatgoes into making an independent movie and the process that follows. Whatactually happens to the movie once it is made? How does it find its way toviewers around the world? And how does a film bazaar help aspiring directors toget their movie out there?

Chris Patton who is Senior Vice President, Acquisitions andDevelopment at Fortissimo films says the film bazaar is exactly the kind ofplace where distributors like Fortissimo films come to look for fresh and buddingtalent. They come to the bazaar to source new product, continue the developmentof current projects and look for new production opportunities. He says, “Thebazaar is a co- production market where the NFDC has made a selection ofprojects that are at a level where there is a certain amount of funding inplace already. There are different sections here as well. There is the scriptwriter lab, a whole different variety of sections of film makers presentingprojects, pitches and so on. The projects that have been selected for theco-production market, for which buyers like myself or other foreign producersthat have been invited, have most of their elements in place.”

So what do these sales agents or buyers actually look for ina movie? He says, “What you don’t really have is Indian Independent cinema.This new wave of fantastic talent is being nurtured by the NFDC. Those moviesare not yet on the international spectrum. You see a few that are selected forfilm festivals and so on, but then the idea is that they’ll have crossoverpotential. This was a good year because we have had our films, from FortissimoFilms, ‘Ms Lovely’ that was presented as a work in progress at last year’s NFDCand ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in another part of the festival. So it is a good yearfor independent cinema because I don’t think there was anything the yearbefore.”

What also makes a bankable film is when a film has anoriginal voice. Buyers look for that special something that would touchaudiences in some way. He explains, “It’s the same as trying to scout somethingthat you, the audience, will like. It has to touch us in some way, has toresonate within the audience and needs to be a little different. You don’t wantsomething that is attempting to emulate a Hollywood movie when they have theresources to make that kind of film much better. For instance, Delhi Belly didwork in certain other territories but most of those movies that are huge hereare only huge in this part of the world.”

Independent movies are still trying to find a voice inIndian cinema today and in order to change that a lot depends on the media aswell. Chris Patton concludes, “People need to be educated and be aware thatsuch movies actually exist, that there are other options aside from Hollywoodor Bollywood. They require the support of the media as you ultimately stillhave to have an audience. To be educated you need to have journalists andcritics on board, you need to have cinema chains that are behind this and offerpackages to get people into the cinema to see these films. It is a challengeand it is my understanding again that Bollywood cinema sees that as a kind of athreat to their revenue, so it’s not in their interest to support thoseinitiatives.