Manasi Parekh, who made her debut at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year, says representing the Gujarati film industry at the Marche Du Film Cannes (Cannes Film Market) has been “an incredible experience.” She adds, “It was three days immersed in cinema — interacting with filmmakers from across industries, attending screenings, showcasing our Gujarati films at the market, being part of the screening of Laalo, and doing extensive networking. From 9am to 1am each day, I spent every moment absorbing the experience, exposure, and energy all around.”
Wanted to Showcase Gujarati Cinema on a Global Platform
Manasi and her husband Parthiv Gohil’s production house showcased several Gujarati films at the Cannes Film Market. Manasi explains, “We planned this a few months ago, when Parthiv and our other team members decided that we should take our films to Cannes, because until now we were only making films for our local audience. Considering the kind of work our industry is doing across diverse genres and productions, we felt it was important to showcase it on an international platform as well. Cannes serves as a major hub for buying and selling films, so we wanted to dream big and represent Gujarati cinema in the presence of global filmmakers and audiences.”
She adds, “However, I missed Parthiv during this whole experience. It was his idea to come to Cannes, but he couldn’t make it due to prior commitments. After returning to India, I am going to discuss things with him, considering the valuable learnings and contacts that have been successfully established. While networking was my primary focus at Cannes, I managed to carve out some time for a few screenings. I attended the screening of The Fast and the Furious and seeing Vin Diesel along with the entire cast was truly surreal. I also had the opportunity to attend John Travolta’s Propeller One-Way Night Coach.”
We Are Keen to Take More Gujarati Films to Such Festivals
Talking about her takeaways from the festival, Manasi shares, “The key takeaway is that one must think out of the box. You have to think high-concept — if you create a film that resonates globally while staying very local at heart, then the sky's the limit. I met people from Japan, Germany, America, Norway, and London. Many of them do not know much about Gujarati cinema, but we spoke to as many people as possible about what we are doing and showed them films made by other makers too. We are truly excited about the next phase of Gujarati cinema and from next year onwards, we hope to take not only our own films but also the works of fellow filmmakers from Gujarat to these festivals.”
Film Festivals Offer Sense of Community for Artistes
Asked about the importance of film festivals, Manasi says, “Film festivals create a strong sense of community for everyone connected to the industry — whether directors, marketers, buyers, sellers, producers, or distributors. Often, countries end up working in isolation while creating their content, but at global festivals, you realise how many representatives from around the world share similar experiences, perspectives, and challenges. Every industry faces similar difficulties.”
She elaborates, “For instance, I met a Hollywood producer who shared how they had set up a production and cast an actor who later demanded an exorbitant fee, knowing the film had to go on floors immediately and took advantage of the situation. I realised that this closely mirrors our experience as producers here. That’s when you realise that we’re all navigating similar experiences, and the sense of community that festivals like this create is truly incredible. You also gain an understanding of the international perspective — what global filmmakers expect and look for when they seek a film from India. All these conversations, screenings, mixers, and parties have truly broadened our vision, and I’m excited to channel this experience into creating something meaningful and impactful for our industry. I had the opportunity to meet Guneet Monga, who invited me to the Women in Film (WIF India) party she will be hosting. I also had a conversation with Ashutosh Gowariker about cinema and the representation of regional films at Cannes.”
