Description about the project

THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT OR CIRCUS ? Film festivals - while extending cultural lineage and upholding curatorial duties - have become businesses. Worldwide, 1000+ festivals jostle for supremacy….competing on scale, prestige and glamour. But one thing’s common: Money. Distribution deals, release strategies and box-office grosses hinge on the whims of festival directors, and audience reactions. Lobbying is common - deals scribbled on napkins in discreet bars sometime decide film selections. SO, WHAT\'S IT REALLY ALL ABOUT? In a word, exposure. For filmmakers, a festival screening’s the only way to demonstrate to distributors how audiences and critics will receive the film. ART V COMMERCE The studios and festivals share an uneasy but symbiotic relationship. Stars attract media coverage which attracts sponsors - the lifeline of most festivals. Indeed commerce, rather than culture is the driving force behind film festivals. This entire jamboree of film festivals was unknowingly creating a gap between good cinema and it’s audiences in far flung towns of India. This was where we saw an opportunity to create a platform to take cinema beyond the conventional metros.