Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), would be launching a delegation of Indian film directors, producers and financiers, to the American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, California over the next few days - a move that is to be followed by similar delegations from the broadcasting world too, according to CII sources.

CII has tied up with major Hollywood players, financial investors, legal counsel and the international press and media to meet up with the visiting delegation.

The delegation is scheduled to be in Santa Monica from Wednesday, 19 February to 26 February 2003. The CII initiative is supported by Cine Blitz, a film magazine.

According to a statement from CII, the objective of going to the AFM is to promote the Indian film industry in an international context - amongst producers, distributors and exhibitors of films both in Hollywood and around the world.

CII believes that, by establishing a link with the American Film Marketing Association (AFMA), which hosts the AFM, and other groups like it, the Indian film industry would be able to significantly increase its exposure and expand its business possibilities. Additionally, a delegation such as this could also focus on core learnings from the international industry, with special thrust on production processes, corporate procedures and legal policies.

CII is providing this platform to the Indian Film Industry to enable them to market their products and services in the international arena. The CII delegation aims to increase international visibility for the Indian film industry, and to create significant business opportunities and give momentum to this initiative around the world.

The AFM is the largest motion picture trade event in the world, featuring more than 7,000 individuals from the film industry conducting business of over $500 million in production and distribution deals.

UTV's Biren Ghose, who is also the chairman of the Media & Entertainment Committee, believes that this Film Industry delegation would not only be able to network during the visit, but also be able to generate business for itself.

"Cine Blitz has supported this CII delegation to reinforce its commitment to the Indian film industry", stated Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman of the UB Group. He added that "The American Film Market is one of the most respected events in the business of filmmaking, and we hope that a strong Indian presence will increase the scope and reach of our industry. We will continue to support Indian filmmakers in a growing international context."

The delegation comprises producers, directors and other film industry personalities including Rajat Barjatya, Meghna Ghai, Deepak Tijori, Munnish Puri, Nirja Shah, Rahul Puri, Rajesh Jog, Rupali Mehta, Mihir Parikh, Farokh Balsara, Pooja Shetty , Kandaswamy Bharatan and Rajal Pitroda.