ITV

Tag: Indian documentary

  • Indian docu makers ESP Films win international pitch at MIPDOC

    Indian docu makers ESP Films win international pitch at MIPDOC

    CANNES: The Indian documentary duo of ‘Harry’ Amarpal Singh Bal and Rishi Rana Bharadwaj has won a fiercely contested pitch at the MIPDOC co-production challenge held at Cannes on Sunday evening.

    ‘Highway in my veins’, a documentary proposal about truckers in India, was selected as the best among the five shortlisted producers who pitched their ideas to a prestigious international panel of broadcasters at the Noga Hilton, the MIPDOC venue, yesterday. With a cutting edge presentation comprising a promo shot on beta and followed with an exceptional power point presentation made by Bharadwaj, a known name in the voice over circuit in India, the duo swept the decision of the jury and the audience in their favour.

    ESP (Entertainment Solutions Providers) Films, the production house floated by Harry and Rishi, have already been approached by Channel Four and Discovery for completing the documentary, shooting for which, is slated to be completed over 60 days between June and December this year. The house has already put in $ 23,000 into the venture and is now looking for an additional $ 125,000 to complete the docu.

    ESP Films boasts a team with extensive experience in various genres of international and Indian television programming. Harry, who comes with experience as an editor at Miditech, says the idea for ‘Highway in my veins’ has been in the research stage for nearly one and a half years. The proposed documentary traces the life of the truckers as they criss cross the country’s highways, the humiliations they suffer and their long absences from home. It talks about how their day often ends with release in the form of often unprotected sex. The film plans to trace the life of three truckers from the eastern Uttar Pradesh and Punjab belt, one of whom has tested HIV positive.

    Incidentally, this is the duo’s first time at MipTV, and the first time that they participated in an international pitch. Says Indiantelevision Dot Com Pvt Ltd CEO Anil Wanvari, who is the Reed Midem representative in India, “Indian companies are beginning to make a mark at MipTV. This year, we have had an unprecedented presence at the market in Cannes. The fact that ESP Films won the documentary pitch is going to be a further shot in the arm for the Indian TV and documentary producers who want to make a mark internationally.”

    Harry says the effort in preparing for ‘Highway in my veins’ has been on shortening the research period by relying less on indirect methods of Internet and archival research, and instead going directly into the field for getting hands on information and interacting with the truckers. ESP Films, which makes TVCs, promo films and corporate films, is also toying with several other documentary proposals at the ongoing MipTV market. These include ‘Bhikshuni’, which traces the life of Buddhist nuns, a film on the unknown facets of sandalwood smuggler ‘Veerappan’, and ‘Floating Lamp on the Shadow Valley’, a film on life in strife torn Kashmir.

  • Discovery to air Indian documentary to shore up viewership

    MUMBAI: One of the best ways to build viewer cachet is to showcase programmes that are easy for them to identify with. Keeping this in mind, Discovery is stepping up efforts to bolster its Discover India content.

    From October, the channel will air around 15 films made by aspiring Indian documentary filmmakers, in the Discover India slot, 8-10 pm, on Saturday.

    The channel sources claim that almost 1600 films were received when they invited entries for specials. According to the channel, the criteria for choosing were depth and quality of the research done as well as the entertainment value that the programme had. Therefore, it was important that the filmmakers take a fresh and invigorating approach toward their subject matters.

    One of the specials Akash Yodha from Kunal Verma explores the role of the Indian Air Force during the Kargil war. Another special Khallsa is is scheduled to air on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. Other subjects will include the Kumbh Mela, Indian railways with a special emphasis on Darjeeling.

    Indiantelevision.com spoke to a channel spokesperson this morning on the sidelines of a screening ofNefertiti Revealed., which will premiere on 7 September. In order to create awareness and generate curiosity among Indians, about the special on the famous Egyptian queen, front-page ads will appear not just in national but also in regional dailies.

    The channel has also held parties for the media fraternity in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. SMS alerts and mailers were also sent to reinforce the message.

    As far as the filmmakers whose work was chosen was concerned, the spokesperson hinted that while there was a wealth of content that had been generated through the endeavour the channel might consider commissioning them projects in the near future.

    “In November, we will have a major global special World Wedding Day. A marriage in South India will feature. The Discovery crew were in Bangalore in May for over a week shooting the different ceremonies that precede a marriage. Our aim as same as was withWorld Birthday’s , to show the thread of commonality in the midst of diverse cultures and traditions” said the spokesperson. ” Other countries that will feature include Vietnam, Italy, Brazil, Rwanda and New Zealand.”

    The spokesperson added that in October a series of specials under the brand Extreme Engineering Challenges would air. The specials will focus on the most complex and demanding of engineering tasks throughout the globe.

    “Our focus on India has paid off handsomely. For instance the two-part episode Between Two Worldsthat aired on 26 July saw us become the highest rated international channel for that slot on that day. We managed to beat the likes of Star Movies, HBO. The special dealt with the life of Ravi Shankar and the different phases he went through” the spokesperson added.

    The Nefertiti documentary grippingly recalls the days of the queen who would later become a Pharaoh. The scientific elements are lucid and fortunately not boring for the layperson. The story traces the efforts of Dr Joanne Fletcher to identify the mummy she believes is the queen and this is interspersed with stunning footage of actors playing the queen and her family. The parts depicting the conflict between the queen and the Egyptian high priests, which would ultimately lead to Nefertiti’s downfall are particularly enthralling and eerie at the same time.

  • Discovery to air Indian documentary to shore up viewership

    MUMBAI: One of the best ways to build viewer cachet is to showcase programmes that are easy for them to identify with. Keeping this in mind, Discovery is stepping up efforts to bolster its Discover India content.
    From October, the channel will air around 15 films made by aspiring Indian documentary filmmakers, in the Discover India slot, 8-10 pm, on Saturday.
    The channel sources claim that almost 1600 films were received when they invited entries for specials. According to the channel, the criteria for choosing were depth and quality of the research done as well as the entertainment value that the programme had. Therefore, it was important that the filmmakers take a fresh and invigorating approach toward their subject matters.
    One of the specials Akash Yodha from Kunal Verma explores the role of the Indian Air Force during the Kargil war. Another special Khallsa is is scheduled to air on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. Other subjects will include the Kumbh Mela, Indian railways with a special emphasis on Darjeeling.
    Indiantelevision.com spoke to a channel spokesperson this morning on the sidelines of a screening of Nefertiti Revealed., which will premiere on 7 September. In order to create awareness and generate curiosity among Indians, about the special on the famous Egyptian queen, front-page ads will appear not just in national but also in regional dailies.
    The channel has also held parties for the media fraternity in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. SMS alerts and mailers were also sent to reinforce the message.
    As far as the filmmakers whose work was chosen was concerned, the spokesperson hinted that while there was a wealth of content that had been generated through the endeavour the channel might consider commissioning them projects in the near future.
    “In November, we will have a major global special World Wedding Day. A marriage in South India will feature. The Discovery crew were in Bangalore in May for over a week shooting the different ceremonies that precede a marriage. Our aim as same as was withWorld Birthday’s , to show the thread of commonality in the midst of diverse cultures and traditions” said the spokesperson. ” Other countries that will feature include Vietnam, Italy, Brazil, Rwanda and New Zealand.”
    The spokesperson added that in October a series of specials under the brand Extreme Engineering Challenges would air. The specials will focus on the most complex and demanding of engineering tasks throughout the globe.
    “Our focus on India has paid off handsomely. For instance the two-part episode Between Two Worlds that aired on 26 July saw us become the highest rated international channel for that slot on that day. We managed to beat the likes of Star Movies, HBO. The special dealt with the life of Ravi Shankar and the different phases he went through” the spokesperson added.
    The Nefertiti documentary grippingly recalls the days of the queen who would later become a Pharaoh. The scientific elements are lucid and fortunately not boring for the layperson. The story traces the efforts of Dr Joanne Fletcher to identify the mummy she believes is the queen and this is interspersed with stunning footage of actors playing the queen and her family. The parts depicting the conflict between the queen and the Egyptian high priests, which would ultimately lead to Nefertiti’s downfall are particularly enthralling and eerie at the same time.