On the sidelines of the ongoing 18th Mumbai International Film Festival, the Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) organized an Open Forum on the topic ‘Creating New Opportunities for Documentary-funding’ where panelists discussed way forward for financial viability and whether a dedicated streaming platform for documentaries would give added fillip to the genre.

Opening the discussion, Sanjit Narwekar, a V. Shantaram awardee and National Award winner, emphasized the importance of developing a paying audience for documentaries in India.

According to a synopsis of the session put out by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, organisers of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), Narwekar noted that until such a culture emerges, documentary films cannot be made financially viable.

He pointed out that while people are ready to finance fiction films, the lack of a revenue model hampers funding for documentaries.

“Some filmmakers finance their own films which gives them artistic freedom. We have seen government, corporate and crowdsourcing funding for documentaries, but none has really worked for filmmakers. People who spend their money always have some strings attached to it,” he explained.

The veteran filmmaker also added that new technology and streaming platforms like MUBI are providing more screening avenues for documentaries. He posed the question whether Indian documentary filmmakers could conceive a project like ‘Commandant’s Shadow’, screened at MIFF, given the current financial constraints.

Premendra Mazumder, a film critic, author and organizer, pointed out that Indian audiences do not have a popular culture of watching documentaries, and a paying audience base must be established first.  He noted that film festivals like MIFF play a crucial role in this regard.

Mazumder highlighted the global scale of the documentary film industry, valued at around $12 billion, but lamented that India’s share is minimal.

“With approximately 18,000-20,000 films receiving certifications annually in India, only around 2,000 are feature films. Rest are documentary films. But we are not seeing this whole chunk of films being screened anywhere. Organizations like NFDC (National Film Development Corp under MIB) go a long way in promoting work of new documentary filmmakers”, he opined.

Dharam Gulati, a producer, director, director of photography and an academician, pointed out the need for OTT platforms dedicated to documentary films.

He observed that modern technology has reduced the cost of documentary filmmaking, enabling filmmakers to self-fund their projects. Gulati stressed that commitment as not just financial gain is crucial for documentary filmmakers.

He proposed that the government provide tax deductions to corporations using CSR funds for documentaries and mandate multiplexes to screen documentaries in exchange for tax benefits.

Sharing a differing perspective, Utpal Datta, a writer and an academic at Assam Down Town University, highlighted the challenges of complex bureaucratic processes in obtaining government funding. He emphasized that people value paid content over free offerings and suggested that documentary film festivals should always charge for attendance.

Dr. Dev Kanya Thakur, an independent filmmaker and freelance writer, emphasized the need for documentary filmmakers to evolve and explore emerging platforms like YouTube and other OTT services.

She suggested seeking funds from organizations with specific themes and utilizing corporate funds, proposing institutionalizing documentary filmmaking to attract funding and recommended that different stakeholders, such as IDPA and the Bitchitra Collective, collaborate to finance documentaries and establish fellowships for aspiring filmmakers.

She also highlighted the potential of crowdfunding and the importance of creating compelling content to attract viewership. Thakur noted the increasing number of women documentary filmmakers are helping to close the gender gap in the industry.

The session was moderated by Maya Chandra, a film production entrepreneur, who observed that youngsters seem less passionate about documentaries compared to feature films. She called for discussions on establishing a separate body or ecosystem for documentary film promotion.