Mandi: ‘Corporate sponsors, crowd-funding needed for documentary filmmaking’
Dipender Manta
Mandi, June 24
On the sidelines of the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), the Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) recently convened an open forum to tackle the pressing issue of documentary funding in India. Speakers from the film industry shared valuable insights, shedding light on challenges and proposing innovative solutions to bolster the financial viability of documentary filmmaking in the country.
Sanjit Narwekar, a V Shantaram awardee and a National Award winner, emphasised the pivotal need for cultivating a paying audience for documentaries in India.
He said a sustainable revenue model akin to fiction films was needed, but funding remained elusive for many documentary filmmakers. Narwekar highlighted the potential of new technologies and streaming platforms such as MUBI in expanding the reach of documentaries, questioning whether Indian filmmakers could emulate international successes like that of Commandant’s Shadow under the current financial constraints. Echoing similar sentiments, Premendra Mazumder, a film critic and author, lamented the limited popularity of documentaries among Indian audiences.
He stressed the role of film festivals like MIFF in fostering a culture that appreciates documentary content. Mazumder drew attention to the global documentary industry being valued at $12 billion, contrasting sharply with India’s minimal share despite a significant number of certified documentary films being created annually.
Dharam Gulati, a producer, director and academician, advocated for dedicated OTT platforms for documentaries. He highlighted how technological advancements have lowered production costs, empowering filmmakers to self-fund their projects. Gulati proposed incentivising corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds through tax deductions for documentary funding and suggested mandating multiplexes to screen documentaries for tax benefits.
Offering a critical viewpoint, Utpal Datta, a writer and academic, critiqued bureaucratic hurdles in accessing government funding and advocated for charging for documentary film festival attendance to underscore value perception among audiences.
Dev Kanya Thakur, an independent filmmaker and writer from the state, underscored the need for documentary filmmakers to explore emerging platforms such as YouTube and OTT services.
She advocated for thematic funding from organisations and the utilisation of corporate sponsorships. Thakur proposed institutionalising documentary filmmaking to attract sustained funding, emphasising collaboration among stakeholders like the IDPA and the Bitchitra collective to establish fellowships and promote crowd-funding.
Moderating the session, Maya Chandra, a film production entrepreneur, highlighted the generational shift in documentary film interest and suggested exploring a separate ecosystem for their promotion.
She noted recent corporate interest in states such as Karnataka and recommended partnerships with theatre chains such as INOX and PVR to cultivate a documentary-watching culture.
The open forum thus concluded with a consensus on the need to innovate funding models, expand audience engagement, and leverage technological advancements to propel the documentary filmmaking sector forward in India.
