Event Coverage
New companies, programs join MIP screenings
MUMBAI: Eight new companies will join the 14 distributors already signed up to showcase product at MIP Screenings, the new screenings format held at MIPCOM. Newly registered companies include: Admira (Argentina), Avrio Filmworks (Canada), Bavaria Media (Germany), G-Tech, NBDtv (UK), Vision Films, KPI and Webchoice (USA). These companies will add eight new titles to the 19 currently listed.
NBDtv, a company specialising in music entertainment profiles; will present the world premiere of Paul McCartney’s Live in the USA. Avrio Filmworks will show Fallen Angels, the story of the four survivors of a terrible tragedy who reunite at their school to film a documentary about that fateful evening. The film stars Esme Elliot (Dead Room), Michael Ironside (The Perfect Storm, Starship Troopers) and Kai Wiesinger (Dracula). Admira will showcase two new telenovelas: Maximo Corazon and Rebelde Way.
G-Tech, a company combining animators, designers and writers will screen Amaz, an animated series that covers major environmental issues featuring an alien who comes from a civilization 10,000 years ahead of Earth. Vision Films will present two feature films at MIP Screenings. Get A Way is a romantic comedy (aka Calvacades), starring Agn Roland, Maxime Desmons, Josy Bernard, Julien Lambroschini, Alain Rimous. Spanish Judges, is an action thriller, starring Vincent D’Onofrio (Men in Black, Full Metal Jacket), Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo, She’s All That) and Valeria Golino (Hot Shots, Rain Man).
French Minister of Culture and Communication Jean-Jacques Aillagon will be inaugurating the 18th MIPCOM on 7 October at 4:30 pm.
Meanwhile, World Wide Entertainment Group chairman John Bertrand, winner of the 1983 Americas Cup, will be attending MIPCOM.
Bertrand is the Australian skipper who took his ship, the Australia 2, to victory over Dennis Connors Liberty to win the 1983 Americas Cup, breaking 132 years of American reign, the longest running record in the history of modern sport. The Australia 2 team victory was voted by Australias Sports Hall of Fame as the greatest team performance in 200 years of Australian sport.
A World Champion and Olympic medallist, Bertrand represented Australia in five America’s Cups and two Olympic Games.
Over his business career, he has successfully established businesses in the marine industry, property development industry and media industries. He is executive chairman of the television production and distribution company World Wide Entertainment. The company currently produces 4 weekly hour sports shows: Sportspage (covering all international sports), Drive, Winning Women and On The Ball. WWE programmes are sold to 400 clients in approximately program 120 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.
