India mulls hosting animation film festival

The I&B Secretary said India was among the few countries that provided cash incentives to foreign companies for making AVGC content in the country.

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra on Thursday met Annecy Festival Director Michael Marin to explore the possibility of hosting an animation film festival in India.

Chandra led the Indian delegation at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France to showcase India's prowess in creating animation and VFX (visual effects) content for global audiences.

"The Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects and Comics (AVGC) Sector in India is making progress with the adoption of world-class techniques and innovative technologies, coupled with a pool of immensely talented professionals," Chandra said.

He said India was among the few countries that provided cash incentives to foreign companies for making AVGC content in the country.

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"The incentives are the same as for shooting films in India. This is a huge opportunity for companies to benefit from this. As a country, we are committed to providing incentives to the industry, as well as supporting pre and post-production activities in India," Chandra said.

At the festival, Chandra met Marin and discussed the possibilities of strengthening India's engagement at Annecy, a city in southeastern France.

He also discussed the potential of collaboration between the two countries to host an animation film festival in India.

Chandra inaugurated the India Pavilion, which has been designed on the theme of the Saraswati Yantra, and also interacted with the Indian creative community who have won entries into the prestigious Annecy festival competition in 2023.

Over the course of its 60 years, the Annecy Festival has established itself as a global event dedicated to animation, bringing together professionals from the sector to celebrate animation's creative and diverse styles and techniques.