65 Indian films to hit screens in Cannes

New Delhi: Sixty-five Indian films will hit screens in Cannes, France, this year, courtesy the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

This is the fourth consecutive year that a CII-sponsored film extragavanza is taking place at Cannes.

The 10-day Cannes Film Market begins on May 17 and will seek to project the development of Indian cinema over the years positively.

Apart from the 65 films, there are 35 new projects that are likely to be put on display.

Over 80 companies and 18 exhibitors from India will position themselves at Cannes to showcase their product and projects at the India Pavilion, which is back once again on the seafront along the ritzy Croisette.

The India Pavilion, organised by CII, at the Village International has representation from across the country and participation include production companies, line producers, post production studios and exporters.

Film and TV Guild of India, Film Federation of India, Indian Film Exporters Association and South Indian Film Exporters Association are also part of the India Pavilion.

The India participation also includes over 40 independent filmmakers and producers across the country looking out for new ventures and collaboration.

The agenda for Indian showbiz companies this year is clear focus on business at the world's largest film market.

"Cannes is an excellent platform for Indian film industry to selling products, collaborate with global showbiz community and understand international production and distribution market scenarios better,'' said Bobby Bedi, chairman of the CII National Entertainment Committee.

CII has brought out India the Big Picture book-- an essential guide to connect with the movie business and this will be released at Cannes on May 17.

"This is the first step in a larger framework of activities designed to get the major entertainment players of India to come together and collaborate with international players by participating in film markets like Cannes, AFM and Berlin,'' said Bedi.

The objective this year is to promote India as a shooting and post production hub, facilitate India pavilion members to meet sales agents and producers, promote International Film Festival of India, Goa (November 23 to December 3, 2006) and Goa Film Bazaar (November 24 to 28, 2006). Several roundtables and network meetings are also planned at the India Pavilion.

Indian market screenings at Cannes this year include Ali Larter, Salman Khan starring Marigold, UTV's Rang De Basanti, Jagmohan Mundra's Provoked, The Last Monk by Sudipto Sen, Mixed Doubles by Rajat Kapur, Nine Emotions (Navarasa) by Santosh Sivan among others.