New Delhi [India], December 6 (ANI/ATK): Vevek Paul, founder of The Great Indian Film Festival (TGIFF) and CEO of the production house Cinemaddicts9, was recently honoured at the 15th Edition of Asia Africa Business & Social Forum 2021 (AABSF).
He was awarded with the title of ‘Asia’s Most creative Entrepreneur’ and ‘Asia’s Most Innovative platform for Short Films & Documentaries’ for his innovative and inclusive platform for short films, The Great Indian Film Festival.
“I feel humbled to receive the award for Asia’s most creative entrepreneur at the Asia Africa Summit Dubai, I feel creativity is an innate part of every entrepreneur and business owner’s life in today’s dynamic world and it’s rather a very important facet to reach out to the global markets,” Vevek said about the recognition of his vision.
Vevek is a dynamic talent who started his career as a young finance hotshot. But he found his true passion and calling in the world of cinema. To realise the true potential of his passion for filmmaking, Vevek started his own production company, ‘Cinemaddicts9’, which has gone on to produce award-winning shows like ‘Science of Stupid’ starring Maniesh Paul and ‘Animals Gone Wild’ featuring Jaaved Jaaferi. He has also backed several short films and music videos in collaboration with domestic as well as international artists.
He is also delighted that the value and potential of TGIFF are being realised beyond the film community. “The Great Indian Film Festival started as a small initiative from Gurugram in India, and today it has reached its third year as a global celebration of short-form cinema. As the founder, I feel a sense of pride receiving the award as Asia’s best platform for short films and documentaries. We have a mission to give every short film and documentary maker, a global platform.”
As a young filmmaker, Vevek found great success with his short films, winning several awards at prestigious events like the Vancouver Film Festival. This success sparked a fire in him, to give back from what he received and hence, his brainchild, The Great Indian Film Festival, was conceived.
TGIFF is a one-of-its-kind touring film festival for short films and documentaries, providing an excellent platform for young and experienced filmmakers alike to come together and share their creations. TGIFF aims to travel around the world, bringing together a global audience to a cultural extravaganza, and providing a unique red-carpet experience to the filmmakers.
The 2021 edition of The Great Indian Film Festival, originally destined to be in Mumbai, was delayed due to the pandemic and was eventually organised with great aplomb in New Delhi. Hundreds of cinephiles fled into PVR Cinemas, one of the premier cinema chains in India, and the attendees included the likes of, the guests of honour H.E. Hayet Talbi (Ambassador of Tunisia to India), Anthony Miranda (Counsellor of Foreign Affairs, US), celebrity host and actor Maniesh Paul, actor and playwright Sohaila Kapur, social media sensation Ssumeir Pasricha and AAFT founder Dr Sandeep Marwah.
The day-long event screened over 60 films from over 12 nations, including the Oscar-winning short film, ‘The Neighbor’s Window’, and the Oscar nominees, ‘Brotherhood’ and ‘Sister’. The event also had special screenings of Maniesh Paul’s ‘Hichki’, ‘Spotless’ starring Sonu Nigam, ‘Dream 1’ featuring Manjot Singh and ‘Decoding Shankar’, a documentary which gives an up and close look at the life of Shankar Mahadevan.
“As a producer, I look for new opportunities and collaborations with filmmakers and storytellers to create content that is meaningful as well as visually innovative and entertaining,” Vevek informs. TGIFF not only aims to provide a very accessible platform to filmmakers but also looks to promote filmmaking at the grassroot level. Another one of his unique initiatives, ‘Rising Stars’ challenges young students across the country to try their hands at filmmaking, with the best entries getting reviewed by the acclaimed TGIFF jury and the winner getting featured in the festival line up. The best entry from last year, ‘Gone Too Soon’ by Shaurya Babbar of Lotus Valley Intl School, was also showcased amidst the best short films on the big screen.
Vevek has gone out of his way to contribute to the world of cinema, from producing to promoting short films, and his contributions and efforts have been duly noted at the AABSF. Vevek will be taking the next edition of his touring film festival TGIFF to the glamorous Middle East at the Dubai Expo in 2022.
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