Natesh Hegde’s “Pedro,” Ajitpal Singh’s “Swizerland” (spelled without a ‘t’ for reasons that become evident in the film) and Prithvi Konanur’s “Where is Pinki?” were among the winners at the Film Bazaar project market that concluded on Sunday.
The three projects won free digital intermediate packages from Prasad Labs, and Qube’s Moviebuff Appreciation awards which includes the creation of two complimentary Digital Cinema Packages each, INR 200,000 ($2,790) of trailer play at Qube cinemas and a wallet credit of $500 towards the Qube Wire distribution system.
“Pedro” and “Swizerland” were in the Bazaar’s Work In Progress lab, while “Where is Pinki?” was in the Film Bazaar Recommends section.
Pushpendra Singh’s “The Shepherdess And The Seven Songs” won the VKAAO Work In Progress lab award, which includes a certificate from niche distributor VKAAO and a free theatrical distribution deal with PVR Cinemas, India’s largest multiplex chain. “Arthouse cinema seldom gets released to the normal public,” the film’s co-producer Sanjay Gulati told Variety. “Films are meant to be seen on the big screen. This is a wonderful opportunity.”
The VKAAO Film Bazaar Recommends awards were shared by Achal Mishra’s “Gamak Ghar” and Rajat Kapoor’s “rk/rkay.” Both projects get a 75% discount on theatrical release from VKAAO.
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The 2019 edition of the Bazaar, organized by India’s National Film Development Corporation, saw a surge in numbers, with 1,116 delegates from 36 countries participating. Recently appointed NFDC managing director T.C.A. Kalyani said: “Film Bazaar is a multilingual, multi-national film market that gives a platform to diverse voices from across the region.” It included 268 projects in more than thirty languages and in various stages of progress.