The virtual India Pavilion at Berlinale’s European Film Market (February 10-17) will provide Indian delegates (filmmakers, content owners, service providers) with an opportunity to meet and conduct business with leading members of the global film fraternity thus creating a global footprint for Indian Cinema.

Bracing mid-pandemic environments, global film industry representatives are looking forward for better times in the months ahead of 2022. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in association with Confederation of Indian Industry, is participating in the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival and European Film Market, to project Indian cinema, facilitate syndication, market Indian films, shooting locales and film services in India. India Pavilion is already listed in the online European Film Market website (http://www.europeanfilmmarket.com) and you can request for meetings during EFM.

The 2022 edition of the European Film Market will take the form of an online market, providing a marketplace for film production sales and serves as one of the industry’s most important platforms for international sales agents, distribution companies, festival programmers and producers. The 72nd Berlin Film Festival will take place in physical format (for the sections Competition, Berlinale Special, Encounters, Panorama, Forum, Forum Expanded, Generation…)

India at EFM 2022

The objective behind India’s participation at European Film Market is to promote Indian films across linguistic, cultural and regional diversity so as to forge an increasing number of international partnerships in the realms of distribution, production, filming in India, script development and technology, thereby accelerating the growth of the film sector in India. The focus is to facilitate meetings between various stakeholders, production services and promote filming in India to the global producers.

In addition to the interactive sessions and select film screenings, the India spotlight at Berlinale will celebrate the best works of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray as part of his centenary year and screen few of Ray’s films to EFM delegates.

Some of the focus of the India participation at EFM would include — Co-Production Treaties, partnerships and invite global delegates for the 53rd edition of IFFI (November 20-28, 2022), ease of shooting films in India through Film Facilitation Office (FFO), that facilitates Single Window Clearance for filmmakers and provides the platform for ‘film tourism’ in India.

Presentation of market exhibitors

Once again, participants from all over the world will attend the EFM in Online platform. Global sales companies present their current film lineups and their upcoming films. Promotion agencies advertise films and talents from their countries, institutions provide information on funding options, and film commissions bring shooting locations and infrastructure into focus. These exhibitors will also be central to the digital market format. Market visitors receive access to the Participants Guide, digital newsstand (India focused Pickle Berlinale/EFM edition will be part of the digital newsstand) and the digital booths that contain the companies’ programme and events, and can make contact with the exhibitors. Exhibitors can use their preferred video conference systems for meetings.

EFM Industry Sessions: Comprehensive conference programme and EFM podcast

In addition, this year the market will also include a comprehensive conference programme: This will take place online on the EFM website (http://www.efm-berlinale.de) on all seven days of the market as a cooperative programme by Berlinale Series Market, EFM Industry Sessions — Shaping Change, Diversity & Inclusion, Sustainable Development and discuss the most pressing questions of the Future.

The Industry Sessions are thematically aimed at all representatives of the groups and sectors already established at the EFM: producers, distribution, documentary and series. The Sessions will dive deeper into relevant topics creating cutting-edge and interactive talk formats, workshops, matchmaking events and other networking opportunities all online within more than 70 events. Various networking formats will provide opportunities for targeted initiation of new business contacts. Some of the live streams will be accessible on demand after taking place.

The EFM podcast 2022 will reflect on one of the most urgent issues of our time: social sustainability in the film, TV and media landscape – with a specific focus on diversity & inclusion. “We will hear from hands-on activities and actions, new impulses and pathways. In addition, the second season wants to shine a light on the pressing question of how to foster a resilient industry, creating the necessary framework for a healthy life balance, reorganization, education and rethinking of the modus operandi that has already lasted for a long time in the film and creative industries,” says the EFM website.

EFM Startups

The eighth edition of EFM Startups will present innovative, international entrepreneurs working in the area of production, development and distribution in the film and audio-visual media industries at the online EFM 2022. The companies selected to participate in EFM Startups were carefully curated to showcase new ideas in the intersection between media and technology – be it in development, production, distribution or marketing – which are essential to the industry’s survival and future growth in a rapidly changing landscape.

Twelve companies participating in the EFM Startups 2022, will be invited to pitch their Startup to an audience of producers, programmers, financiers, sales agents and distributors; virtually attend a series of matched 1:1 with producers and other industry professionals and take part in selected EFM online market screenings and events.