The 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Goa, saw a spotlight on Australian filmmaking and filmmakers. Australia was chosen as the ‘Country of Focus’ which celebrates the contribution of Australian cinema to the global film industry. This celebration reflects a strengthening relationship between Indian and Australian film industries. This festival focus follows the signing of an Audio Visual Co-production agreement between India and Australia, aimed at enhancing Indian-Australian co-productions.
This is an important step to bring two film industries closer together through filmmaking incentives through grants, loans, and tax offsets. This agreement recognises the cultural impact of both the Indian and Australian film industries and creates vulnerable opportunities for collaboration and creation.
This connection between Indian and Australian filmmaking and filmmakers, is further highlighted through My Melbourne, an anthology film from 2024 which is due for cinematic release later in the year. My Melbourne presents an authentic anthology of diverse short stories exploring race, gender, sexuality and disability. This production was unique in its filmmaking approach with four established Indian filmmakers mentored new talent through each stage of this production.
Each of these narratives are based on real lived experiences and together paint a portrait of life in today’s multicultural Melbourne, highlighting the strong cultural and industry relationship between Australia and India. Soundfirm proudly supported the film throughout its extensive post-production phase and worked collaboratively with the many excellent creatives involved.
Soundfirm CEO Roger Savage attended the 2024 International Film Festival of India and supported the collaborative effort of My Melbourne.
‘IFFI’s focus on Australian films in 2024 was a true highlight of the festival. It is so remarkable to see the relationship between Australian and Indian film industries blossom and grow. “It was such a pleasure to work on My Melbourne and to watch the collaborative filmmaking process celebrated on the big screen. It was very rewarding being a part of a production that is so committed to uplifting new voices and celebrating diversity, especially in our home town. We are very proud to be a part of this wonderful film and to celebrate its well earned success with the world”.
– Roger Savage, CEO, SOUNDFIRM.
My Melbourne was selected as the opening night film at its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, drawing a full house and receiving an ovation. Since then, the film has gone on to receive much love and support from various festivals, all across the world and has been selected to open the 30th UK Asian Film Festival in London later this year. Most memorably, the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival spotlighted the film at the historic Nandan Film and Cultural Centre, selling out the 960 seat theatre in just over an hour.
The film was further celebrated throughout this festival as the heritage Kolkata tram was adorned with My Melbourne imagery. This highlights the film’s unmistakable bond between two cities, united by a unique connection through trams. This special kinship is explored within the film, which added a layer of significance to this experience.
Most recently, PVR, India’s leading cinema chain, has set up My Melbourne for a large cinema release across the country. Due to the film’s strong critical reception and audience response, the film now has a much larger release than initially expected. They now plan to release the film to over 20 cities across the country. This is the first Australian film since 2016 to be released theatrically in India. This historical achievement further highlights the rich and strengthening relationship between the Australian and Indian film industries and paves the way for more creative collaborations in the future.