Shekhar Kapur Reveals Ambitious Plans for India’s Film Festival

Renowned filmmaker and director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Shekhar Kapur, has unveiled a forward-looking vision for the festival as it prepares for its 56th edition in Goa. Kapur aims to enhance the event’s appeal through technological innovations, audience participation, and a focus on international co-production opportunities.

In a recent interview, Kapur highlighted three main priorities that will reshape IFFI: integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies into the festival framework, evolving the WAVES Film Bazaar into a significant global marketplace, and transforming IFFI into a celebration that prioritizes audience engagement. “We’ve got an AI hackathon festival as part of the WAVES Film Bazaar,” Kapur noted, detailing partnerships with Larsen & Toubro and Google to showcase technology throughout the festival.

Kapur emphasized that AI, while a topic of global debate, offers democratic tools for filmmakers. “AI is becoming such a big controversy all over the world, but it’s so democratic. It’s trying to give more people more tools,” he stated.

In terms of production incentives, India has ramped up its support for international filmmakers, increasing cash rebates from 30% to 40% for productions filming in the country. Kapur cited the British-Indian film Santosh, which recently competed for an Oscar nomination as the U.K.’s official submission, as a testament to the program’s success. “The producer of ‘Santosh’ actually got his 30% back, and he said it was the easiest deal he’s ever made,” he explained, adding that more Indian filmmakers abroad are now looking to utilize these incentives.

The WAVES Film Bazaar, which serves as IFFI’s co-production market and financing platform, is central to Kapur’s strategy. It is designed to facilitate connections between filmmakers and potential investors. “We’re hoping to attract a lot more people to the WAVES Film Bazaar,” he said, pointing to the growing interaction between filmmakers of Indian or Asian origin coming to create films in India as a primary growth area for the festival.

In a notable shift from traditional film festival formats, Kapur has introduced a carnival-style opening ceremony inspired by local Goan culture. This initiative aims to engage the local community and make IFFI more accessible to the general public, rather than limiting attendance to industry insiders. “The International Film Festival of India is the only film festival in the world that is called Indian Film Festival,” Kapur remarked, contrasting it with other city-named festivals like those in Venice, Toronto, and Tokyo.

Currently, IFFI attracts approximately 20,000 attendees, but Kapur expects that number to soar to 50,000 by next year, with a focus on general audiences rather than solely industry delegates.

Kapur also expressed pride in this year’s programming, asserting that it features the strongest selection of films in recent years. With 10 films submitted as Oscar entries from various countries, he believes this is an exceptional lineup. “This is probably the best lineup of international films,” he stated, emphasizing the festival’s efforts to present the finest in world cinema.

Challenges remain for IFFI, particularly in attracting high-profile titles for its competition sections. Films showcased at more established festivals, such as Cannes, often garner greater market attention. Nonetheless, Kapur remains optimistic about the festival’s unique strengths, particularly the growing WAVES Film Bazaar and its production incentive programs.

Kapur has committed to a two-year term as festival director, during which he has paused his filmmaking career to focus on IFFI. The 55th International Film Festival of India will take place from November 20 to 28, 2023, with the WAVES Film Bazaar scheduled for November 20 to 24.