I&B min planning audio-visual co-production agreements

Aiming to promote the country as an international filming destination, Information and Broadcasting ministry is planning to enter into audio-visual co-production agreements.
At the Berlin Film Festival currently underway, I&B Secretary Bimal Julka in his discussions with participants from various countries said India's co-production agreements were unique as they offered multiple benefits to foreign film producers.
Officials said that while several such pacts have been signed, the broad framework of outlining such agreements had been shared with a number of countries.
Any agreement to this effect enabled foreign producers to harness the strengths of India's film prowess like its technically-qualified manpower, pool of talented actors and a multitude of shooting locations, he said.

He said that co-production agreements also enabled the films to be treated as national films and thereby become eligible for National Film Awards and the Indian Panorama Section of IFFI.
Julka said the release of such films through Indian distribution network enables co-production to open up to Indian consumer market to the foreign producers. The Indian films industry also benefit by the profiling of shooting locations, generation of direct employment and encouragement to film tourism, he added.
In his interaction with various film bodies and makers, Julka also gave an overview of the single window clearance mechanism for obtaining permission for film shooting in India.

Ten Indian films are being screened at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.