Cannes 2019: Anurag Kashyap On How Young Filmmakers Can Make The Most Of Their Festival Experience

Anupama Chopra (AC): You're a Cannes and a festival veteran – I don't know how many festivals you've gone to, as a jury member, as director, writer, producer – what are the three things that you would advise for young filmmakers? I have seen that, very often in a festival, they get completely lost. Their films are in the festivals but they have no idea where to go, whom to talk to, what to do. The festival invites them for 4 days, and those 4 days are gone and it's over. So what is your advice, how should they make the most of this opportunity?

Anurag Kashyap (AK): I think the most important thing is that if your film goes to a festival, you have to find out how to maximize the distribution of the film. You need a sales agent. Whenever Indian films travel to festivals, they never have a sales agent.

AC: Correct. So how do you get this sales Agent?

AK: Sales agent—when your film goes to a festival, you'll get mails, sometimes. And sometimes, you have to reach out. You have to sit down and do your homework. Go on to the internet, look at the list of sales agents, write emails to all of them, show your film to all of them. Generally, what happens is that when you have a sales agent, the festival also takes you seriously.

AC: Right.

AK: Second, they need to understand, that when you're making a film that is difficult to make, that is difficult to find exhibition for, festivals have various stages. Reach out from that stage. Development funds – every festival has a development fund which gives you money so that without depending on anyone, you can independently complete your script. There are post production funds; for when you don't have money to finish your film. So, various funds across the world.