Event Coverage
BidSlate offers film buyers, content-owners negotiation platform
CANNES: What if filmmakers didn’t have to rely solely on film markets and sales agents to sell content? And international film buyers had continuous access to a 24/7 international marketplace populated by an ever-growing catalog of content? Revolutionizing the process of transacting global media rights and distribution, BidSlate® offers both buyers and sellers a secure, transparent marketplace to negotiate, buy and sell film rights. With partner companies helping to simplify the sales process even further, BidSlate officially launch this October, just prior to MIPCOM. The announcement was yesterday made by co-founders Roland Rojas and Jesse Scolaro.
Each year, thousands of high-quality independent films, documentaries, shorts, and series are produced. But the current international sales model leaves many independent distributors and filmmakers out of the loop due to excessive costs and a cumbersome, opaque process. Backed by several years of research and development and created by longtime film industry veterans, the user-friendly BidSlate platform looks to transform the process of negotiating and transacting rights by facilitating the process.
Secure, convenient and accessible for both global buyers and content owners, BidSlate verifies all members through a quick and simple registration process. Once approved, sellers can upload their media and metadata; and, through a dynamic search engine, buyers have access to a broad content library searchable by specific purchasing needs. Transparency between parties follows, with BidSlate further simplifying the process by generating a transaction-specific, industry-standard distribution agreement, and selecting a globally-trusted cross-border payments company, Payoneer, for escrow.
For filmmakers, BidSlate offers an A-to-Z solution, easily paving the road to distribution. And with the ability to sell territorial rights on an a la carte basis, revenues can be maximized geographically. BidSlate is in the process of finalizing agreements with some of the best post-production and delivery partners in the industry. BidSlate also offers filmmakers a one-stop solution for delivering their content to global buyers, making the entire process seamless and comprehensive.
For buyers, BidSlate means instant access to an international film marketplace that never closes. With thousands of annual film festivals, it’s nearly impossible, costly and inefficient to access, track, negotiate and purchase content easily. But BidSlate offers content distributors numerous easy-to-use tools certain to simplify the entire rights purchase process: immediate streaming of entire films anywhere and anytime; contact sellers via the in-platform messaging system with purchase-specific questions; make bids and secure deals with sellers directly from the platform.
“Working hand-in-hand with both buyers and sellers, we’ve spent several years working on the BidSlate platform in order to offer a secure and efficient marketplace for global film sales”, says Rojas. “Given our varied experiences in indie films, we understand the importance of supporting filmmakers and getting their films in front of the widest possible audience. Though we may be viewed as an industry disruptor, our objective is to offer a simple, transparent and cost-effective alternative to the current industry model.”
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.
