Is finance the only criterion that separates a studio from an independent film? Is it merely a question of the work being ‘distribution-driven’ or can there exist a market for creative filmmaking? Can the independent production ever be commercially viable? Should we be looking to the American indie film scene for answers?

Warner Bros. has set up a parallel unit solely dedicated to furthering American Independent initiatives with the aim of creating a home for director-driven films that don't fit into, or are simply not suited for, the distribution patterns, marketing budgets and commercial pressures that are inherent to mainstream studio films.

In theory this sounds like the perfect marriage of mind and market, but does (and, if so, how) this work in reality? A parallel cinema should be able to engage the mainstream in a national or even international debate. A considerable part of Indian cinema during its peak of independent film-making (called the Indian New Wave) ran parallel to the mainstream. What went wrong with this Indian New Wave? Why did it die down in the early 90s, was (and still is) the commercial lure of Bollywood too overpowering for a truly Indie scene to exist and flourish in India?

Taiwanese cinema enjoyed two successful ‘new waves’ in the 80s and 90s, abandoning conventional narrative structures for distinctive cinematic innovation. Yet, today many of these directors are either making commercials or looking elsewhere (Hollywood, France) for financial support, and local audiences know of them mostly by reputation.

Date 16 July 2006, Sunday
Time 11:30am – 1:00pm
Venue Siri Fort Auditorium 4