By IANS
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday announced that India will be the official ‘Country of Honour’ at the upcoming ‘Marche’ Du Film’, organised alongside the Cannes Film Festival, in France.”It is the first time the Marche du Film has an official Country of Honour, and this special focus will continue annually with different nations in the spotlight at future editions,” he said.Noting that France and India are marking 75 years of their diplomatic ties, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris and meeting with President Emmanuel Macron takes even more significance in this context.”It is in this significant diplomatic backdrop that India has been chosen as the ‘Country of Honour’ at Marche Du Film at the Cannes Film Festival,” he said.Thakur said that the Country of Honour Status’ thereby ensured India’s presence as focus country at the opening night of Marche Du Films being organised at the Majestic Beach with spotlight on India, its cinema, its culture and heritage.”Adding Indian flavor to this night would be special performances by Indian Choir bands along with folk music and fireworks. The cuisine served would be Indian as well as French,” he said.The Minister noted that India is also a ‘Country of Honour’ at the Cannes Next’, under which five new startups would be given an opportunity to pitch to the audio-visual Industry and 10 professionals will participate on the Animation Day networking.Another highlight of India’s participation at this edition of Cannes Film Festival is the World Premier of the movie ‘Rocketry’ produced by R. Madhavan. The movie would be showcased at the Palais des Festivals of the market screening on May 19.India has been given an opportunity to pitch five selected movies at the ‘Goes to Cannes Section’. These movies, part of the ‘Work In Progress’ lab under the Film Bazaar, are ‘Baghjan’ by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia – Assamese, Moran, ‘Bailadila’ by Shailendra Sahu – Hindi, Chhattisgarhi, ‘Ek Jagah Apni’ (A Space of Our Own) by Ektara Collective – Hindi, ‘Follower’ by Harshad Nalawade – Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, and ‘Shivamma’ by Jai Shankar – Kannada.Thakur also said that a cinema hall called the ‘Olympia Screen’ has been dedicated to India on May 22 for screening aUnreleased Movies’.India’s celebration of centenary of Satyajit Ray continues at Cannes as remastered classic “Pratidwandi” will be screened at the Cannes Classic section Cinema de la plage. A dedicated India Forum, one hour conference is being organised at the main stage, comprising leaders of the entertainment sector who would position ‘India as the content hub of the World’.On the features of India Pavilion this time, the Minister said that the pavilion will have the sole focus of branding India as ‘Content Hub of the World’. The pavilion would be inaugurated on the morning of May 18.”It will showcase Indian cinema across linguistic, cultural, and regional diversities of the country and will serve as a networking platform for delegates from across the global community, aiming to establish international partnerships in film shooting, distribution, production, script development, technology, promoting film sales and syndication,” he added.