THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) has launched the first edition of Kerala Film Market (KFM), an initiative aimed at expanding the avenues for filmmakers, both upcoming and veteran, and promoting Malayalam movies globally.
The KSCA launched the three-day event in association with the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) during the 28th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), currently underway in Thiruvananthapuram. The programme aims at tapping the possibilities of promoting global film careers and marketing Malayalam films across the world.
KSFDC chairman Shaji N Karun told TNIE that even after 25 years of IFFK, the state failed to tap into the film market.“The digital revolution has taken the film industry by storm over the past decade. This impacted the creative and marketing sides of the industry. We need to explore potential avenues in marketing.
For that, we need to streamline the process as well as sensitise people in the industry,” Shaji said.
KFM will feature several sessions, including an introduction to script labs, screenplay fellowships, and emerging opportunities for screenwriters. Classes and lectures on writing web series, pitching the project, introduction to co-production, related challenges and opportunities, lectures on what film curators look for and more are also on offer.
“KFM will help professionals in the film industry upgrade their knowledge. Only enlightened creators can come up with insightful creations. In the next three or four years, we want curators from across the world to come here and pick Malayalam movies,” Shaji said. Officials said around 40 professionals have enrolled for the three-day programme.
Filmmaker Shambhu Purushothaman, the KFM coordinator, said the first edition will focus on sensitising and upgrading the knowledge of professionals from the industry. “This is just a humble beginning. We will scale things up from next year. Absence of knowledge is a huge challenge and we are holding sessions to sensitise participants so that they get better ideas and exposure about filmmaking and marketing,” Shambhu said.
The organisers, who aim to bridge the gap between the Malayalam film industry and the global film market, are expecting increased participation from next year. Golda Sellam, Shaji N Karun, Pan Nalin, Rohit Ved Prakash, Ashish S Kulkarni, Kanu Behl, Anjum Rajabali, Kiki Fung, Ravi Kottarakara, Sudip Sharma are among the experts from the film industry who would handle various sessions at the KFM.