Event Coverage
MIPTV announces documentary producer Brian Lapping as guest at Cannes
MIPTV (International Television Program Market) has announced that award winning documentary producer Brian Lapping is MIPDOC 2002’s special guest. MIPTV claims to be the spring’s leading international television program market.
He will appear in MIPDOC’s interview Talking with. The interview session will be held during the MIPDOC documentaries screenings at Cannes from 13-14 April. This will be followed by MIPTV from 15-19 April.
At MIPTV Brian Lapping will look to tie up with broadcasters for Tackling Terror, an official release states. This is a new two-hour documentary investigating the political decisions made in the wake of 11 September events.
The principal shooting of Tackling Terror will commence in April. The UK’s Channel 4 originally commissioned the program. Since then 15 networks around the globe have signed up as co-producers, the release states.
The documentary is scheduled to be broadcast on the first anniversary of the attacks. The program examines the change in the American psyche, and its allied governments following the attacks of last September, the fall of Kandahar in Afghanistan and the creation of an interim government in Afghanistan.
Lapping’s has an impressive resume that includes producing The Second Russian Revolution, Watergate and the Death of Yugoslavia.
In 1988, Lapping set up his own company, known as Brook Lapping Productions. Its first production, Countdown to War, a drama based on letters, memoirs and official papers, starred Oscar nominee Ian McKellen (Gods And Monsters) as Hitler.
In 1994 the company’s Watergate won for Discovery Channel in the US its largest audience ever for a documentary series. In 1995, the The Death of Yugoslavia series was broadcast in more than 30 countries and won over a dozen prestigious awards.
Last year MIPTV featured 11,049 executives, 2,827 companies from 90 countries including 1,228 exhibiting companies on 481 stands, and 2,167 buyers the release states.
MIPTV is organised by REED MIDEM a world class organizer of top-level international trade events in Cannes and overseas which have become essential business platforms for key industry players.
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.
