International
Stars zoom into Cannes Film Festival with Renault
MUMBAI: Automobile manufacturer and marketer Renault has been the exclusive vehicle supplier to the Cannes Film Festival for 30 years, chauffeuring movie stars to the red carpet. This year Renault will supply more than 200 vehicles to the 66th Cannes Film Festival which runs till 26 May.
The automobile brand will also take advantage of the Cannes Film Festival to show off its latest models to the stars. This year, the all-new Renault Captur SUV will be on display with eight vehicles joining the official vehicle fleet. As was the case last year, Renault will be showcasing its electric vehicles on the Croisette in Cannes.
A fleet of 15 Twizys and two ZOE models will be supplied to the Cannes Film Festival. The official vehicle fleet of 37 Latitude and 55 Espace models will be escorting the stars alongside an additional fleet of 16 Latitude and 85 Espace models for the Festival‘s other partners. Renault will also be celebrating with the winners of competitions organised in the run-up to the Festival. The couple who won the ‘Inter-Country Battle‘ on Renault‘s Facebook page will enjoy a VIP experience in a personalised Renault Captur.
And the winners of the competition held to mark the release of Un Prince (Presque) Charmant (‘(Almost) Charming‘) will hit the Croisette in a ZOE. The two winners announced at the French Business Council Gala Dinner in Dubai will also be in attendance.
1983 was the first year Renault supplied 15 Renault 30 models to escort the stars to the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival. Previously some stars were known to walk to the event. In 1992, Cannes played host to the unveiling of Safrane and 45 cars were included in the official vehicle fleet to replace the Renault 25.
To mark the 10-year anniversary of Renault‘s partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, a special ‘Palme d‘Or‘ edition of Safrane was released in 1993. In 2011, Renault Latitude replaced Vel Satis as the official vehicle alongside Espace. The Cannes Film Festival organisers are exacting in their requirements for comfort on board the official vehicle fleet, calling for more than two weeks of meticulous preparation work prior to the event. ‘Official Partner of the Cannes Film Festival‘ branding is then applied to the vehicles together with special flag-holders. Each year, once the cars have been used to escort the world‘s greatest movie stars, the Renault network sells the vehicles to fans and film-buffs.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
