Experiencing the Marché du Film at Festival de Cannes 2016

Gousul Alam Shaon: 
"This year, Cannes was very exciting and more of an eye opener for us. Films have a universal language, which creates an appeal for the mass audience. It creates a platform that allows us to learn and improve ourselves in every aspect of the work that we do. The festival is not only about making a film to win an award; it has a wider business perspective to it as well, which we were very much unaware of. VR (virtual reality) as a format is creating much buzz in the industry now. Paris already has a VR theatre, where we visited to experience the hype. Not only will the French Riviera act as an added bonus to the festival, but the business opportunities waiting for us should surely put Cannes as a high priority, must-go event each year."

Amitabh Reza: 
"Last time I attended Cannes with a film maker's point of view, but this time I went as a co-producer to explore the film market and our feasibility in it. We wanted to find the right blend of ingredients so that our films could transit to the international market with prosperity. I am glad to say that we have learnt a lot. It was an amazing experience. There is the competitive section, for the film makers, where the "Big Films" win awards, but the remaining are solely for commercial purposes, many of which are not even screened, but the producers have a stall to sell them. In this arena, non-English films are in demand, like French, Italian and even Marathi. There are many channels that buy these foreign films. Our aim is to build a foundation for Bengali cinema in this platform, where we have just set foot, and showcased 'Aynabaji', and Impress Telefilm screened 'Oggatonama'.  In the coming future, if more of our movies can be presented, it won't be long till our talents get international recognition. The first few years may not be promising, but participating will help us comprehend the market better and we can operate accordingly. That being said, the film makers must strictly emphasize to keep their stories original and meaningful, and also abide by the standards to participate internationally."

Ziauddin Adil: 
"I was very eager to attend the Cannes Film Festival. What intrigued me was the availability of various viable platforms that allow the opportunity for business. One such example was the VOD (video on demand) platform. Earlier, cinema was for the theatre or TV, but now it's changing and adapting for devices like laptops or cell phones through services like Netflix. VR was also one of them, for which they dedicated a good amount of space. Another interesting fact I noticed was that the attendees' curiosity towards Bangladesh as a new player at Cannes. It's the right time for the film makers of Bangladesh to capitalize on this "window", which unfortunately, won't last long. A few entrepreneurs at the festival suggested us to submit short-films from Bangladesh in the respective category. Thereby, it will shed some light on the creative younger generation and create a short-term platform for longer journeys."

Transcribed by Minam Haque