Event Coverage
Rai Com & Castalia deal will take All’Opera to LATAM
CANNES: All’Opera, the ambitious programme to bring the best Italian opera productions to cinema audiences all over the world, continues to broaden its footprint, with ink drying on a new theatrical distribution deal for Latin America signed by Rai Com with Castalia Communications at MIPTV.
With this deal, Castalia, headquartered in Atlanta and with offices in Mexico City and Lima, Peru, becomes the exclusive distribution partner for All’Opera for the whole of Latin America for the upcoming seasons of the project.
Castalia founder and president Luis Torres-Bohl comments: “We see All’Opera as highly desirable content for our theatrical partners all over the continent. There definitely is a niche market for high-quality cultural content, especially if it comes with the impeccable degree and top-notch production values of All’Opera. This is something we firmly believe in and are willing to make a long-term commitment to.”
Rai Com’s head of international sales Mattia Oddone adds: “Capturing the thrill of a night at the opera is the core of All’Opera’s concept of a live event in your local cinema. We are very happy to partner with a specialist in the market such as Castalia to extend the reach of All’Opera to South America; a project that encapsulates so many of the best things Italian culture has to offer to the world.”
All’Opera is the best of the Italian Opera season, selected and produced by Rai in the highest quality to be broadcast live or near-live from the temples of Il Bel Canto to movie theatres all over the world.
The All’Opera series is not only an essential part of the Italian cultural heritage, renewed year after year through the talent and vision of renowned artists. It is also a great tool to communicate the quality and dynamism of Italy culture today.
Performances are captured with the highest audiovisual quality standards: Up to ten cameras recording HDR images in 4k and over 50 microphones with Dolby Surround sound.
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.
