How can Armenia attract Indian film industry?

Yerevan, December 1, Amen Press. An advanced film industry is a great tool for a nation to exert its soft power, improve its image, advocate its cause abroad, attract tourists, as well as strengthen relations with other countries at the highest level. It has the potential to serve as an important tool. For these reasons, Armenia needs not only to develop its film industry, but also to establish cooperation with countries where cinematography is already well developed. One such country is India.

The Indian film industry has been ranked number one in the world in terms of annual film production for the past few years. Indian filmmakers are increasingly shooting films outside India, making this a major source of income and tourism for host countries. Top of the list of places Indians travel to is Switzerland. This is mainly due to the large number of films and productions shot in Switzerland. In Serbia, India invested more than 50 million euros in the film industry thanks to generous financial incentives provided by the government.

As the bilateral relations between Armenia and India develop at the national level, it is time to consider the possibility of cooperation in the field of cinematography.

What does Armenia need to do to get Indian filmmakers to shoot or co-produce films in Armenia?

To achieve this goal, the following conditions are important: A well-developed domestic cinematography that can attract international filmmakers. A comprehensive incentive package that provides a roadmap to domestic film production, including available technical and professional support. Huge financial benefits designed to encourage foreign filmmakers. and promoting the country as an attractive overseas film production destination.

Developed nationwide cinematography technology

Before attracting foreign filmmakers, the country should prioritize the development of domestic cinema first and foremost. All countries that have successfully attracted Indian filmmakers have pursued this strategy. Film director and producer Armin Abrahamian said in his APRI Armenian interview: If your country makes famous films that get recognition abroad, filmmakers from other countries will want to collaborate with your filmmakers. ”

Armenia should also prioritize co-productions between Armenian and Indian filmmakers over plans to simply bring Indian filmmakers to Armenia to shoot without working with Armenian producers. Co-production will not only increase Armenia’s profile, but also increase the capacity of local producers and experts.

The first step in the development of national cinematography is to put in place a comprehensive legal framework regulating all issues related to cinematography. Armenia has already made some progress towards this goal by adopting the Armenian Cinematography Law in 2021. However, the problem is that this law is not currently operational as the bylaws regulating the entire process have not been signed. As a result, neither Armenian nor foreign producers can benefit from this law.

“This law creates all the necessary and favorable conditions to promote and promote cinematography in Armenia. This law is aimed at attracting foreign investments and promoting international cooperation, as well as reducing tariffs and customs duties. It also facilitates the process of filming in Armenia by foreign filmmakers, including incentives, legal guidelines on how to co-produce in Armenia. All we have to do is enforce this law. “, said Anna Kostanian, a former member of parliament (7th convocation of the RA parliament) who drafted the RA Cinematography Law and submitted it to parliament.

Comprehensive package with economic benefits

Countries that want to attract Indian filmmakers will also need to come up with a comprehensive package that includes attractive incentives. Analysis of India’s top 12 co-production partners shows that the most successful incentive packages offer tailored incentives, such as simplified visa procedures, granting comprehensive film permits, and assistance throughout the process. It has been shown that they come from countries with a large number of people.

Indian film director Pankaj Kumar Vishwakarma told APRI, “If you decide to shoot a film outside India, you need to get permission from the local authorities to ensure that the shoot goes smoothly without any hindrances.” (He has shot Indian films in Uzbekistan, Egypt, Thailand, and Poland).

A key element of this package is financial incentives. Many governments offer subsidies and other types of economic benefits to companies looking to film in their countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, offers sliding scale financial incentives, with a minimum credit (e.g. 20%) that gradually increases to 25% or 30% for subsequent more expensive works. Norway’s film incentive scheme has also proven that sliding film incentives are successful in attracting filmmakers.

Some countries not only subsidize the budget of Indian films, but also often cover the entire airfare for the film crew, a practice adopted by Turkey. “To attract Indian filmmakers, it is important to have a consistent strategy and offer financial incentives and cashbacks. I have been advocating this for a long time in Armenia.” Rananjay Anand, head of a friendly NGO, told APRI.

Armenia is currently introducing legislation and a new cashback system that guarantees filmmakers rebates of 10 to 40 percent if they shoot their films in Armenia. According to the bill, filmmakers would receive additional reimbursement if their films include scenes identified as Armenian. This legal reform is expected to further encourage international filmmakers to come to Armenia and promote Armenia in their films.

Therefore, there is a need to develop a comprehensive and targeted package to encourage Indian film production companies to shoot and co-produce films in Armenia.

Administrative and HR support

Another important element of this package is the provision of administrative and human support by Armenia to Indian filmmakers. Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia have each established national film commissions that provide logistics support, training, visa facilitation, insurance, legal assistance, and accommodation. These packages are conveniently offered in a one-stop shop where Indian filmmakers can visit our website and find everything they need to know about the Indian filmmaking process. These countries have also established studios that can handle Bollywood-level productions.

Armenia also needs to develop packages that introduce local studios and facilities.

“Armenia has excellent film studios that can meet the needs of Indian filmmakers with better quality and lower prices than many other countries,” Karen, Joint Executive Director of India-Armenia Friendship NGO・Mr. Mkultyan told APRI. According to him, this is an advantage, with locally available technical and artistic equipment and support saving the film crew a lot of effort and money, without having to carry heavy and expensive equipment. This is because we can go to the site with a compact team. with them.

At the same time, large-budget productions will require Armenia to expand its local production capacity. According to Abrahamian, Armenia needs to build larger and more technologically advanced studios to accommodate the big Indian fiction films. Until then, she said, the best strategy would be to work together on art films where we are most capable.

To provide this enhanced level of administrative and logistical support, Armenia will eventually need to establish a national film foundation as envisioned by the Cinematography Act. In addition to overseeing funding for local producers, the foundation will create a one-stop-shop website with all the necessary guidelines for foreign producers shooting films in Armenia. Armenia would also benefit from having a recruitment agency that would provide advice on recruiting experts in the field.

Additionally, Armenia should strive to establish direct flights with India and consider subsidizing flight costs for production staff. A temporary visa exemption policy should also be introduced for producers and staff involved in co-productions.

Promote Armenia as a film destination

Last but not least, countries can succeed in this area by investing in positioning and promoting their countries as filmmaking destinations. In this process, Armenia can take advantage of its beautiful landscape. Many Bollywood movies often depict mountainous landscapes, and Switzerland has traditionally been used as a landscape in India. Cheap and close compared to Switzerland, Armenia could meet the needs of many Indian films by providing mountainous filming locations. “If Armenia invests in the Indian film sector and people see Armenian landscapes regularly, you will reap the rewards in terms of tourists visiting your country. There will be people-to-people exchanges, which will lead to goodwill and support for Armenia in India,” Anand said.

Armenia should also be promoted as an attractive destination for film production. This can be achieved by hosting and participating in film festivals and other events. For example, Uzbekistan has partnered with India on a joint film festival and has also established a joint film academy, resulting in multiple deals for Indian co-producers to shoot films in Uzbekistan. These film festivals included both Uzbek film festivals, such as the 14th Tashkent International Film Festival, and Indian film festivals, such as the 53rd Indian International Film Festival.

The Armenian Cinematography Act specifically mentions the importance of showing international films at Armenian film festivals, as well as showing Armenian films at festivals and other events abroad. Golden Apricot and other film festivals in Armenia may strengthen cooperation with Indian filmmakers, while also hosting contests and exchange programs with Indian filmmakers.

Since promoting a country through film is directly linked to attracting tourists, a comprehensive national strategy must consider developments in both areas simultaneously. A hassle-free visa policy will help the country benefit from the goodwill generated by these films among Indians.

“As reported in a joint study by Booking.com and McKinsey, India is projected to become the world’s fourth largest spender in the travel sector by 2030. The number of tourists from the country is 50 million. “Armenia should work with the Indian tourism industry to bring some of that outflow into the country,” Mkrtyan added.

conclusion

Therefore, in order to attract Indian producers to shoot films in Armenia, Armenia should prioritize co-productions between Armenian and Indian filmmakers, develop its own national cinematography law, and improve the current cinematography law. It needs to be implemented, direct flights with India should be established, and visa and customs procedures should be facilitated. , we also create comprehensive and targeted packages of film incentives designed for production companies. Providing cashbacks and other financial incentives to Indian filmmakers should be a key element of this package. Armenia also needs to be promoted in India through festivals and other events, not only as a tourist but also as a film production destination. All these efforts should be undertaken as part of a unified strategy, as the above elements are mutually reinforcing and will be effective if implemented in a coherent manner as part of Armenia’s broader soft power strategy. should be done.

Nvard Chalikyan, APRI Armenia Researcher

Davit Antonyan, APRI Armenia Associate Fellow