Event Coverage
Factual programming: History gets contemporary
CANNES: Gone are the days when the classic black and white documentary was enough to take viewers into the innards of history, consumers today are demanding multi layered entertainment even from their factual programming leading to a sea change in the way it is created.
The session Programming Outlook 2010 for Factual Programming discussed the new trends that were emerging in history based programming. The panelists were Alliance Atlantis exec VP for Programming Norm Bolen, WGBH International Director Tom Koch, AETN Intl VP for programming Michael Katz and Eagle Rock Entertainment Worldwide MD Peter Worseley.
Necessity is the mother of all invention they say and the need for content creators to connect with the consumers has led them to invent some great new concepts which are cross breeds of genres like Docu Dramas, Reality TV – Documentary, Documentary and CGI Animation etc.
”We are seeing a blurring of genres in factual programming like the Mission to Mars, which was a Drama Documentary. The new kind of factual content has to include interactivity and entertainment elements to make it engaging for the viewer. The breadth of factual programming is widening” remarked Bolen.
”The classic documentary well produced will always have older viewers but youngsters want fast paced multi faceted programming” he added.
”There was a time when audiences made allowances for niche channels. Those days are gone. We are now competing with the entertainment channels with big programming and marketing budgets,” pointed out Koch.
The panelists opined that the emphasis was shifting towards edgy and gritty realistic programming as opposed to romanticised narration.
Giving some examples Tom shared, ”Pioneer Life, which had two couples participating to experience the lives of great pioneer couples had great ratings. Another experience based show where participants could relive the second World War got 20,000 applicants.”
“When HBO came out with Rome, we did a Roman engineering techniques special on History Channel which was a hit with the youngsters” said AETN’s Katz.
Gradually as audiences are demanding more from the content, the budgets are skyrocketing. The growing trend is to internationally co-produce big budget history based shows which would have relevant to the audiences of all of the co pro partners.
Going ahead, History it will be but the treatment will be contemporary.
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.
