Think out of the box to recover money from movies: filmmakers

Filmmakers of various countries have advocated thinking out of the box for marketing their films in order to recover the money spent on making it.

Targeting academic circles, secondary markets and digital platforms were some of the suggestions offered by the filmmakers during the ongoing second Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF) here.

Taking part in an open forum discussion at the GIFF here on Saturday, the filmmakers also lamented the lack of government support in promoting independent movies.

"We need to think out of the box at the beginning of making a film. But unfortunately, we start thinking about it only after the film is ready. From writing the script to the final product, a film usually takes two years to be completed," Indian producer-actor Shahnaab Alam said.

The filmmakers put enormous effort in making a film, but never tries hard for marketing the same, he rued.

"There is a space for every kind of film. Since each film is different from the other, so every film has to be marketed differently," Alam said.

The US-based famous filmmaker-rapper praCh Ly gave an example of a documentary he had made and how he recovered the investment.

"It was about my home country Cambodia. So, we targetted the Cambodian demographic audience in the US. Then we took it to academic circles and sold DVDs in the universities and colleges," he added.

Ly, a well-known Cambodian filmmaker, also said that there is stiff resistance against documentaries, which face strict censorship, at home.

Indian film marketeer Shiladitya Bora said filmmakers should explore both theatrical and non-theatrical options to sell their films across the world.

"There is also a secondary market, where people of a different region or country watch the films from another place. For example, our film 'Dhanak' was screened for 11 weeks in Singapore," he added.

Bora also highlighted the option of recovering money by screening the films on digital platforms like Hotstar, Amazon Prime and Netflix.

"We can also target the airlines. It is a big revenue generating way. Another option is to explore international co-production. That will always open up new markets for a film," Alam said.

Estonian filmmaker Maie Rosmann-Lill said government support is important in promoting an independent film and it is available in her country.

"Making a movie is like marriage. Take the risk, even if small. It may work or may not work. Distribution is hard. Recovering money is important," Ly said.

The second GIFF began with much fanfare on Thursday with a platter of 108 acclaimed films from 52 countries that is likely to attract nearly 5,000 domestic and foreign delegates in one week.

The Assam Government-owned Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society is the organiser of the festival in association with the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute.