Mumbai: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced the extension of the submission dates of projects for the first-ever Doc Film Bazaar which is being organised alongside the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF). The deadline, which was earlier March 31, 2024, has been extended to April 10, 2024 for the ease of submission of projects by filmmakers working in geographically remote areas of the country.

The Bazaar will be held from 16th to 18th June 2024, in Mumbai. The Doc Film Bazaar aims to be a first-of-its-kind comprehensive platform designed to promote and support documentary, short films and animation content showcasing talent in filmmaking, production and distribution.

The key segments of the Doc Film Bazaar consist of Doc Co-Production Market (Doc CPM), Doc Viewing Room (Doc VR) and Doc Work-In-Progress Lab (Doc WIP) for which the filmmakers are invited to submit their films. Doc Co-Production Market (CPM) is a platform exclusively designed to find artistic and financial support from the global film fraternity. It is a segment to facilitate partnerships between filmmakers and potential producers or co-producers globally. It provides a platform for collaboration, co-productions and funding opportunities for documentary and animation film projects.

Filmmakers can pitch their projects and explore avenues for financial support and collaboration from both domestic and international level. The selected projects from the Doc Co-Production Market will get an opportunity to pitch their project in an Open Pitch session as well as a dedicated space to have One-to-One meetings with the producers, distributors and financiers. The Viewing Room (VR) is a platform for filmmakers to showcase their documentary, shorts and animation film. It is a restricted space where registered delegates are granted access to view a curated selection of the films and this platform is ideal for films seeking world sales, distribution partners, co-producers, finishing funds and screenings at film festivals.

The Work-In-Progress Lab (WIP) is a closed door lab for films in a rough-cut stage where the selected project representatives get mentorship, feedback and an opportunity to interact with industry professionals. The lab is open only to documentary and animation films above 30 minutes. The only criteria is that the film to be submitted should be in its rough-cut stage or just before the final edit and the film should not have begun with their post production processes like DI or final sound design.

Speaking about the initiative, Joint Secretary (Films) and MD, NFDC, Shri. Prithul Kumar said, "The main focus of Doc Film Bazaar is to provide access to the opportunities that showcase genuine and compelling stories on an international scale. This platform will help filmmakers gain valuable insights into the current trends, market demands, distribution strategies and audience preferences. Doc Film Bazaar will enable the selected projects to receive valuable feedback, insights and suggestions from the industry experts and experienced filmmakers, while giving them the much-needed opportunity to find collaborators who can buy their films or help them to complete the projects."

More details on the submission process is available on the MIFF website. at www.miff.in 

Source - PIB