New Delhi :-
It is essential to strike a balance between the passion for cinema and the business of Cinema: Sunitha Tati
New filmmakers need to explore innovative methods to bring their films out: Prithul Kumar
Festival Director Prithul Kumar joins Shariq Patel, Firdausul Hasan, Sunitha Tati to shed light on producer’s financial wizardry
Mumbai
An In-Conversation titled ‘Raising Finance – Bringing Creative Visions to Life’ which discussed the various aspects of a film producers’ role – from conceptualization to the final creation of a cinema, was held at IFFI 54 today in Goa.
MD of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Festival Director of IFFI 54 Prithul Kumar joined film producers Shariq Patel, Firdausul Hasan and Sunitha Tati and deliberated on financing of films.
On being asked about the process of selection for producing a film by NFDC, Prithul Kumar said “The process of evaluation is elaborate and laid down because it is the taxpayer’s money which is being utilized to fund these projects. For the last 10 years, the number of film produced by NFDC has been generally lower because the financing has been coming from other sources and the industry has been growing rapidly and do not require such funding. Speaking about funding for film production by Government of India, he mentioned “with the requirement of content increasing from cinema exhibitions and OTT, the Government of India is stepping in and the financial support has increased 10-fold”.
Prithul Kumar also spoke about how filmmakers of today’s generation should explore various innovative methods to put their film out, be it using platforms such as YouTube or associating them with brands. He stressed on the importance of platforms like Film Bazars and Festivals for having better value proposition.
While interacting with young filmmakers, Shariq Patel said “Loses will happen, this is a business where success ratio is extremely low but to make profits, one must keep at it, keep enhancing their skills.”
He also said that it is a continuous hustle and one must possess the passion and drive to carry on. Emphasizing further Sunitha Tati added, “Making films that do not perform well acts as a learning experience to make successful films in the future.”
Speaking about creating an identity in the business of filmmaking, Firdausul Hasan said “it is a passion driven profession, it is the person behind the script and not the script that matters. I make films to create an identity and not to make money alone. Money is required to sustain but primary focus is to make a good film and it is to create an identity, identity for the production house, the director, actor and actress”.
Sunitha Tati also threw insight on why it is essential to strike a balance between the business of cinema and one’s passion. She stated “we are in this business for the passion for cinema but we also take time in understanding the business of cinema. These are completely two different verticals and to sustain in this industry, one must understand the business of cinema, no matter how much passion one has”.
The segment was moderated by Senior Journalist Komal Natha and witnessed a full house attendance.
About the Speakers:
Firdausul Hasan is a film and television producer and distributor. His production Mayurakshi won the 65th National Award for Best Bengali Feature Film. More recently his films Aparajito and metaphysical have won many accolades and awards
Sunitha Tati is the Founder and CEO of Guru Group. Popularly known for Oh Baby! And Saakini Daakini, she is now getting ready to produce her first international feature Chennai Story.
Shariq Patel, Chief Business Officer – Zee Studios spearheads the Movies business of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. and is responsible for various aspects of the value chain viz. movie production/ acquisitions as well as monetization, across all markets (Domestic & International).
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