Event Coverage
Reed Exhibitions – Sichuan Broadcasting to announce collaboration at MIPCOM
MUMBAI: Reed Exhibitions Singapore and Sichuan Broadcasting Group will be announcing their collaboration at the upcoming MIPCOM 2004.
Reed Exhibitions, the organizer of Asia Television Forum (ATF), will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sichuan Broadcasting Group, the organizer of Sichuan TV Festival at the forthcoming MIPCOM on 5 October.
The inking seals a long term partnership which includes an array of cross-promotional activities ranging from the recruitment of market sellers and participants to both events to the value-added collaborative exchanges between the Gold Panda Award and Asia Television Award winners, states an official release.
In addition, both organisers will be leveraging on each other’s strengths and experiences in their TV program market, conferences, forum and workshop production.
“Reed Exhibitions’ strategic move to forge an alliance with Sichuan TV Festival arises from its continuing and uncompromising effort to bring to ATF’s participants the various new market opportunities. In this case, we are bringing key media industry players from China one step closer to ATF and exposing ATF participants further to the potential Chinese business partners at the Singapore event. In addition, ATF participants will also get the opportunity to be at the Sichuan TV Festival in year 2005 where they will again get to know more Chinese players, as Reed Exhibitions will be forming a ATF Pavilion at the Sichuan show,” said Reed Exhibitions president Ed Ng.
“This collaboration will present ATF participants to a wider window of opportunity in co-production, programme financing and technology exchange with the China market. China is viewed as a large emerging market in the media industry, and this collaboration with Sichuan TV Festival will result in a 100-strong Chinese delegation at ATF. This is definitely an added boost to our strong pool of quality buyers and sellers at the event,” he added.
ATF is Asia’s leading media event for TV programming where international television programme sellers converge to network and do business with Asian buyers and partners. Over 100 cable/satellite/free to air broadcasters, distributors production houses will be showcasing their latest TV programmes at the upcoming 2004 edition which will be held from 1 December – 3 December in Singapore. The Asia Television Award is one of highlights at ATF, designed to recognize and reward creative excellence in Asia. Some 40 awards were presented at last year’s award ceremony, says the release.
The biennial Sichuan TV Festival is one of Asia’s leading markets for international television program, radio and television equipment, and audio visual products. It also features one of the most important selections for international documentary programme. The 8th edition of Sichuan TV festival will be held from 18 – 20 November 2005 in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province. The 3-day event will feature an International Gold Panda Award for Documentary to recognise excellence in documentary production.. The 2003 Gold Panda Award had received over 370 entries from 21 countries.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
