Indian Films Shine at Jerusalem Film Festival

The Jerusalem Film Festival saw a full house for Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light'. The event highlighted Indian cinema's global appeal, with screenings of Indian films directed by women. The Indian embassy promoted filmmaking in India, detailing various incentives and successful Indo-Israeli collaborations.

'All We Imagine as Light,' the Grand Prix-winning Cannes title from Payal Kapadia, drew a packed house during its screening at the 2024 Jerusalem Film Festival (JFF). The festival, which commenced on July 18, featured Sandhya Suri's 'Santosh' from the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

'I am proud to say that both the Indian entries - 'All We Imagine as Light' and 'Santosh' - are completely sold out. It is also great to see that both the films have been directed by women,' a JFF official said at an event organized jointly with the Indian embassy.

Written and directed by Kapadia, 'All We Imagine as Light' is an Indo-French co-production between petit chaos from France and Chalk and Cheese Films from India. It features an ensemble cast including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon, and Azees Nedumangad.

The story revolves around Prabha, a nurse, and her roommate Anu, who embark on a road trip to a beach town where a mystical forest becomes a space for their dreams to manifest.

Ahead of the film's screening at the JFF, the Indian embassy hosted a session on 'Incentives for Filming in India' to lure storytellers from Israel and to strengthen collaboration between the two nations. Over 100 film enthusiasts, many of them filmmakers, attended the event to learn about the various incentives available for co-productions or filmmaking in India.

A short video showcasing the Indian film industry's strengths -- one of the oldest and largest with a huge pool of resources, exceptional filming talent, 900 plus animation, visual effects, gaming, and other facilities, and over 1.8 lakh professionals -- was presented.

Deputy Chief of Mission Rajiv Bodwade said the Indian government has significantly enhanced the cash incentives offered to foreign production companies to boost international content collaborations.

He outlined the cashback incentives offered by the Indian government and various state governments, including possible tax rebates. 'There is a readily available ecosystem, and you can easily find a talent pool of technicians, crew members, audio-visual facilities, and various locations ready for filming,' he added.

Under the scheme for foreign productions, up to 40 percent of expenses incurred in India, subject to a cap of USD 3.6 million, can be reimbursed to producers. India has co-production agreements with 16 countries, including Israel. Bodwade announced that the first such collaboration, involving renowned Israeli filmmaker Dan Wolman, is completed and will be released soon. Wolman's film, 'The Murderer with the Purple Hair,' is co-directed by Indian filmmaker Manju Bora and was shot in Assam. It stars Shamin Mannan and Siddhart Goswami, with Seema Biswas and Adil Hussain in guest roles.

Sharing his experience, Wolman said, 'All the papers were prepared very swiftly by the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) and the Israeli Ministry of Culture. Guwahati sounds peripheral, but we found top-notch equipment -- cameras, lighting, recording -- comparable to those in New York, Paris, or Tel Aviv,' the Israeli filmmaker said.

'The crew, Assamese photographers, and other professionals created an excellent experience. The crew in India made us feel at home, like a family,' he added.

Yaron Kastori, another Israeli filmmaker at the event, told PTI that he is looking to collaborate with Indian producers on a project.

(With inputs from agencies.)