Event Coverage
Indian docu makers ESP Films win international pitch at MIPDOC
CANNES: The Indian documentary duo of ‘Harry’ Amarpal Singh Bal and Rishi Rana Bharadwaj has won a fiercely contested pitch at the MIPDOC co-production challenge held at Cannes on Sunday evening.
‘Highway in my veins’, a documentary proposal about truckers in India, was selected as the best among the five shortlisted producers who pitched their ideas to a prestigious international panel of broadcasters at the Noga Hilton, the MIPDOC venue, yesterday. With a cutting edge presentation comprising a promo shot on beta and followed with an exceptional power point presentation made by Bharadwaj, a known name in the voice over circuit in India, the duo swept the decision of the jury and the audience in their favour.
ESP (Entertainment Solutions Providers) Films, the production house floated by Harry and Rishi, have already been approached by Channel Four and Discovery for completing the documentary, shooting for which, is slated to be completed over 60 days between June and December this year. The house has already put in $ 23,000 into the venture and is now looking for an additional $ 125,000 to complete the docu.
ESP Films boasts a team with extensive experience in various genres of international and Indian television programming. Harry, who comes with experience as an editor at Miditech, says the idea for ‘Highway in my veins’ has been in the research stage for nearly one and a half years. The proposed documentary traces the life of the truckers as they criss cross the country’s highways, the humiliations they suffer and their long absences from home. It talks about how their day often ends with release in the form of often unprotected sex. The film plans to trace the life of three truckers from the eastern Uttar Pradesh and Punjab belt, one of whom has tested HIV positive.
Incidentally, this is the duo’s first time at MipTV, and the first time that they participated in an international pitch. Says Indiantelevision Dot Com Pvt Ltd CEO Anil Wanvari, who is the Reed Midem representative in India, “Indian companies are beginning to make a mark at MipTV. This year, we have had an unprecedented presence at the market in Cannes. The fact that ESP Films won the documentary pitch is going to be a further shot in the arm for the Indian TV and documentary producers who want to make a mark internationally.”
Harry says the effort in preparing for ‘Highway in my veins’ has been on shortening the research period by relying less on indirect methods of Internet and archival research, and instead going directly into the field for getting hands on information and interacting with the truckers. ESP Films, which makes TVCs, promo films and corporate films, is also toying with several other documentary proposals at the ongoing MipTV market. These include ‘Bhikshuni’, which traces the life of Buddhist nuns, a film on the unknown facets of sandalwood smuggler ‘Veerappan’, and ‘Floating Lamp on the Shadow Valley’, a film on life in strife torn Kashmir.
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.
