India has made a strong impression at the 78th Cannes Film Festival with the official inauguration of the Bharat Pavilion, establishing a significant platform to promote Indian cinema on the global stage and foster international collaborations.
The inauguration ceremony, held on Thursday, was attended by several distinguished personalities including acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who serves as the Festival Director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), veteran actor Anupam Kher, and Anne-Louise Mesadieu, Paris Region elected official and Special Delegate for Diplomatic Relations.
In his inaugural address, Kapur emphasized the transformative power of cinema and highlighted India’s growing influence as a creative powerhouse on the global stage. “The art of storytelling is not the art of story-telling, it is the art of teaching others how to listen to your stories,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of cultural exchange through film festivals.
The event featured several significant launches, including the unveiling of the IFFI 2025 poster and trailer. Gautam Bhanot, GM of Film Promotion at NFDC India, explained that “IFFI’s new poster is a reflection of ‘convergence of creativity and technology.’ India is ready to embrace technology and play a dominant role in the Global content creation space.”
Another highlight was the introduction of the India Film Guide, which provides comprehensive information about India’s filmmaking talent, incentives for international co-productions, and filming locations across the country.
The Bharat Pavilion has been organized by NFDC and FICCI under the aegis of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. This year’s pavilion theme is “Create In India,” focusing on promoting India as a destination for film production and creative collaboration.
“The Bharat Pavilion serves as a vibrant platform for promoting Indian cinema on a global scale, connecting filmmakers, distributors, and audiences from around the world under one cultural umbrella,” said a representative from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Mesadieu welcomed the Bharat Pavilion to Cannes and expressed admiration for India’s rich cinematic history. She emphasized the importance of cultural bridges in fostering global understanding and diplomacy, adding that the French government is available to facilitate co-productions with India.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival, running from May 13-24, 2025, features French actress Juliette Binoche as jury president for the main competition. While no Indian films are in the main competition this year, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia is serving on the main competition jury, and several Indian celebrities are attending the prestigious event.
The Bharat Pavilion’s presence at Cannes underscores India’s commitment to strengthening its position in the global film industry while creating opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange through the universal language of cinema.
