A new Rs 40 million (approximately $42,000) co-production fund for feature films aimed at emerging independent Indian filmmakers has been launched by Humans of Cinema and Safarnama Pictures, with renowned filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj and Oscar-nominated director Shaunak Sen joining as leaders.
Sen will also serve as executive producer of the projects ultimately selected for support.
The jury for the fund includes actor Imran Khan, director Arati Kadaf (‘Cargo’, ‘Mrs.’), ‘All That Breathe’ producer Aman Mann, and festival director Aseem Chhabra.
Harshit Bansal, founder of Human of Cinema, said the initiative was born out of his connection with Nazim Momin, a US-based engineer and producer who runs Safarnama Pictures, after Momin approached him on Instagram. The duo aim to support films that resonate with local audiences while also being produced for international audiences. Sen’s production company Kiteravit Films is also contributing to the fund.
“Independent cinema survives because there are people who choose to believe in their voices before the world discovers them. I am happy to support initiatives that hope to discover and nurture India’s next generation of fearless filmmakers,” Bhardwaj said.
“Today, the path to independent film is rapidly fading, but we are delighted that Humans of Cinema has established a seed fund for filmmakers. We are excited to work with selected scripts,” Sen added.
“There is a critical need for efforts to discover and develop the next generation of filmmaking talent, and we are excited to support the HOC Film Fund,” said Khan.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the young voices and stories that we meet through this venture and hope that it will go from strength to strength in the coming years and that many bright and radical voices will find support in this ecosystem,” Kadav added.
“This will be a great opportunity for young filmmakers who want to make their first feature films and submit them to international film festivals. Initiatives like this are essential if we want to take Indian cinema to the next level in the global market,” Chhabra said.
“Our aim is to find the next distinct filmmaking voice from this country and provide them with the funding, production and industry support they need to not only get their films made, but also find the right festival and distribution support,” Bansal added.
Eligibility is limited to Indian citizens who are 18 years of age or older and have directing credits for at least two short films or one feature film.
