| Canada-India Film & Television Forum |
Promoting Canada-India collaboration in film & television production
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Event sponsor
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The first-ever Canada-India Film & Television Forum organized by Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) was a stupendous success highlighting the need to have an on-going dialogue on the tremendous potential in collaboration between Canada and India in the entertainment sector.
The theme for the forum was Promoting Canada-India Collaboration in Film & Television Production. Industry representatives from both the countries participated in the forum that explored the regulatory framework, the institutional avenues and support available to filmmakers here in Canada and in India and it was divided into two panel discussions.
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David Rocco, bestselling author & celebrity chef and producer of
David Rocco's Dolce India
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David Rocco, the bestselling author and celebrity chef & producer of David Rocco’s Dolce India kicked off the proceedings with a riveting keynote address that symbolized the cooperation between Canada and India and resonated with audience because his India story transcended borders.
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Bollywood & Beyond panelist (l to r): Vinay Virmani, Madeline Ziniak,
Ken Naz, Binoy Thomas, Hari Srinivas
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Moderated by Bobby Sahni, partner and co-founder of Ethnicity Multicultural Marketing, and with participation from industry heavyweight that included Vinay Virmani, film actor; Ken Naz, President & CEO, Eros International; Hari Srinivas, President, Ethnic Channels Group; Madeline Ziniak, National Vice President, Rogers Omni TV; and Binoy Thomas, Editor Weekly Voice; the panel that discussed Bollywood and Beyond highlighted the globalization of Indian entertainment industry and the power of Indian storytelling to reach out to non-traditional audiences.
The panelists agreed that this new-found ability had found a new niche that while appealing to the Indian audiences had changed the content and made it Indian Diaspora centric. This has opened new avenues for Indo-Canadian talent in content creation.
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Partners in Success panelists (l to r): Raj Shoan, Kristine Murphy,
Tracey Jennings, Randy McLean
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The second panel comprising Raj Shoan, Commissioner, CRTC Ontario; Tracey Jennings, Partner, PwC; Randy McLean, Acting Film Commissioner, City of Toronto; Kristine Murphy, Director, Industry Development, Ontario Media Development Corporation; and moderated by Kasi Rao, Vice President of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada; discussed the nuts and bolts of the co-production treaty, the role of the regulatory authority, the tax credits and promotional measures by the province and the city in promoting the entertainment sector.
The panelists pointed out that the heightened interest in Canada-India collaboration in the entertainment was despite the absence of a co-production treaty. The signing of the treaty would herald a new beginning.
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Moderators Kasi Rao & Bobby Sahni with ICCC President Naval Bajaj
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In Canada, the sector contributes over CA$20.4b to the national GDP, is a major exporter earner (CA$2,4b), and an important source of tax revenue for both federal (CA$2.8b) and provincial (CA$2.4b) governments. In addition, the sector generates over 200,000 jobs and CA$12.8b in labour income, and annually produces nearly CA$280m worth of computer animation and CA$435m worth of visual effects. Over CA$160m is the annual expenditure of Canadian film festivals.
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ICCC President Naval Bajaj presenting memento to Randy McLean of City Toronto, the official sponsor of the evening
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The Indian entertainment sector has enviable volume. India is the biggest movie ticket market in the world, with 3.3b tickets sold every year. India's movie industry is in transition from being a US$3.2b industry until two years ago, towards becoming a US$5b industry in the next two years. The sector industry in the country is poised to become a US$5b industry in the next two years and contributes about US$640m to the Indian economy annually. The combined sector (including music, television, radio, film) sector grew by 12.6% and has a CAGR of 15.2% to reach $26.7b by 2017.
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