Film festivals business regain after pandemic, Kalakari event to happen soon

It's no wonder that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown our economy into disarray while keeping us cooped up inside with few options for amusement. COVID-19 has put a stop to filming, pushed back release dates, and has not spared the Indian film industry. OTT, on the other hand, came to the rescue.

Prior to the pandemic, India's film industry was a major contributor to the country's economy. The last ten years (2010-2019) have been nothing short of spectacular. With a 25.53 percent increase in box office earnings in 2019, 2019 was a strong year for movies. However, the current situation has raised numerous worries regarding the present and future of India's vast film industry.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, an increasing number of film creators have chosen to broadcast movies on OTT platforms, gaining acceptance among consumers in the country.

Several new Over The Top (OTT) platform companies arose as a result of the circumstance, spreading their reach across India. Previously, OTT platforms were restricted to specific cities. However, it is now available in every nook and cranny of the world, even communities. And the results are on display for all to see.

When people were confined to their houses and couldn't go to the cinema, they turned to apps like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+, Zee, Voot, and others.

Meanwhile, the film festival circuit has also been hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Major events on the calendar have either been pushed back or have been cancelled. The prestigious Cannes Film Festival has been postponed. While several major events, such as the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, are still on schedule, concerns persist concerning international participants' travel arrangements and screening safety standards.

However, this year with the end of second wave of COVID-19, things have started to resume and with that the Kalakari film festival by Rishi Nikam (KFF) on Tuesday announced the line-up of Indian and international feature films, documentaries, and shorts films with various genre that will be screened during Kalakari 2021 edition.

Having received entries from almost every continent, kalakari 2021 film selections include feature films that showcase interesting world regions and cultures.

International film experts, press and professionals will have the opportunity to watch 50 great Underrated  films selected for kalakari film festival in FEB 2021. The 6th edition of the kalakari film festival will take place in Feb 09 2022 as an in-person event.