MUMBAI: The Mumbai Film Festival, organised by MAMI, has ushered in business opportunities for the film trade in India.

The first deal has happened with Mumbai-based Enlighten Film Society, a NGO dedicated to the cause of spreading good cinema, buying the home video rights of Antichrist.

Venus, sources say, is in advanced talks with James P. Mimikos, producer-owner of Argovela Films to exhibit Indian films in Greece.

MAMI had introduced the Film Business Centre this year to boost Indian films in overseas markets.

Says Festival director S Narayan, "All that is happening or is going to happen at the Film Business Centre. Deals don't happen all of a sudden, it takes time. Wait and watch!"

The Film Business Centre is a first step towards setting up a full-fledged 'Film Market.' It aims to provide a networking platform for Indian distributors, producers, television channels and the foreign sales agents, festival directors and producers to enhance the international sales of Indian films under the aegis of the Mumbai Film Festival.

Adds Narayan, "The UK Film Council is also using this platform provided by Mumbai Film Festival to launch distribution of British independent films in India. We are also aware that business discussions have been taken place with Japanese companies and other European sales agents. This indicates that the seed which we have sown has started to grow."