CANNES : The vote is out: yes it can. At least that's the view of a cross section of film makers in Cannes. But a few things will have to be put in place for that to happen.

One, according to Tous les Cinemas du Monde head Serge Sobczynski, Indian film makers will have to work on doing co-productions with European companies. "In that way," says Serge. "There's a lot of excitement around the film in Europe and there are many people talking about it, making it imperative for the festival authorties to take a closer look at it."

Serge said some of the films which are being featured in the Tous les Cinemas du Monde India section could actually have made it to the official selection had they not been premiered earlier.

Reliance Entertainment chief Amit Khanna

Reliance Entertainment chief Amit Khanna said "The film maker has to be willing to premier the film at Cannes. He has to plan in advance, have his film ready for the festival."

He reasoned that a new breed of film makers is emerging who are willing to make movies for the world, rather than just for India.

Both Bobby Bedi and Khanna said that Indian cinema was already doing well at film festivals world over. "Some 400 Indian films were screened at 70 to 80 film festivals world wide last year," said Khanna. "Armenia and Korea have taken to Indian cinema since screenings took place there."

Tous les Cinemas du Monde head Serge Sobczynski

Serge pointed out that India needs a world class festival which will help position
it better globally. "You have the "International Film Festival in Goa. But it is too nascent, very young. It has to stabilise," he said. "It is a bit like Cannes was in 1949."

Khanna believes that the old theory that if you make a movie for the film festivals it will not find any takers on the distribution front and at the box office is no longer relevant. "My company is more than willing to back anyone who comes out with a film that can make it at the festivals," he said.

Young film makers, now you know where to go!