MUMBAI: French Tourist Office in India Maison de la France in collaboration with Film France, Ile de France Film Commission, Rhone-Alpes Tourism and Cannes Tourist Board, participated in Cinemascapes 2008 on 16 – 17 October.
The prime objective of participating in Cinemascapes was to showcase France as a viable film destination, to a huge congregation of decision makers from the Indian film fraternity. Having a potent creative environment for film and television, France stands strong as a perfect backdrop for Indian films.
Bollywood’s romance with France is slowly on the rise with more and more Indian filmmakers venturing to new, unexplored regions of France. From Paris’s numerous iconic landmarks, to the breathtaking scenery of Frances countryside, to the timeless magic of its monuments, France continues to beckon Bollywood to revisit and truly explore France. The picturesque landscapes testify to typical romantic Bollywood masala reenacted with energetic and romantic dance sequences that are straight out of starlight drama.
Indian commercial cinema is transiting and gearing to take bigger leaps to greater phenomenal success. Recognizing this growing potential and increasing demand for international location shooting, Film France, responsible for promoting film development and production in France, along with Maison de la France organized a trip for the Indian film fraternity called "Sangam Tour" – a tribute to the 1964 film created by Raj Kapoor, the very first Indian film shot in France. During this trip, Indian producers were escorted to the various regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes, with the purpose of using France as a location for their future shoots.
"Helping the Indian film fraternity discover the various regions of France- and the diversity in landscapes it has to offer, has allowed us to broaden the Indian producer’s perception, and put us one step further in our endeavor to make France one of the leading destinations for the film industry. In this manner we will be able to increase the number of Indian film shootings in France," said Film France deputy director Franck Priot.
France has requisite desired infrastructure in place to assist international filming crews with their desired shooting needs and demands. Recent movies like Don and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom were shot in France.
"Promoting France to the Indian film producers is the current important project we are working on and which is fundamental for our strategy in this market. In India, Cinema and Tourism are intimately linked to each other, and France truly recognizes the potential and dimensions of international location shooting and the value it adds to the destination," said Maison de la France India director Karim Mekachera.
