Member since: 2019
Contact:
Shashi Bala, Chief- Business Development, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai,
chief.bdd@mcgm.gov.in
Related Links:
Mumbai City of Film
About the Creative City:
With more than 12 million inhabitants, Mumbai is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India, seen as one of the world’s top 10 centres of commerce. Formed by the union of seven islands, the capital city of Maharashtra is also the country’s prominent location for the world's largest film industry. Nearly 50% of all Indian films and TV shows are shot and produced in Mumbai, including the first Indian movie produced in 1913. Today, the city is the centre of a vibrant film industry known as Bollywood and home to India's biggest movie and television stars and directors, as well as major international production companies such as Fox Star and Walt Disney. Providing employment opportunities for over 4,000,000 people, Mumbai’s film sector contributes over US$ 15.6 billion to India’s Media and Entertainment industry.
Referred as the "City of Dreams”, Mumbai is seen as a land of opportunity for artists and talent from across the country. Due to its importance within the film industry, the city hosts a plethora of festivals and exhibitions, including the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), which showcases a variety of cinema genres such as independent and art house films, alongside movies from Bollywood and Hollywood. At the forefront of progressive cinema, Mumbai also holds Kashish, the Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Attracting close to 8,500 visitors every year, Kashish is the first Indian LGBT festival, and emphasizes Mumbai’s stance towards supporting and encouraging greater visibility of Indian and international queer cinema.
As a film hub, the city has set up a number of private and public initiatives to support, develop and nurture artists. Free Film Screenings for Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) School Students is a programme devised to expose public school students to the best of international cinema and generate interest for films and allied arts. As well as raising awareness, the State government is also implementing numerous reforms to support Mumbai’s Film City strategy, through which the city aims to become a centre of world-class pre- and post-production facilities, bringing greater economic benefits and promoting cine-tourism.
Added Value:
As a Creative City of Film, Mumbai envisages:
- strengthening Mumbai's place in world cinema through sharing and exchanging creative assets with sister UCCN cities and achieving selected Sustainable Development Goals through the Network by organizing the UCCN Cities Film Festival, amongst other initiatives;
- making films more accessible to the general public and inculcating a sense of belonging with the sector among them;
- providing short-term technical training and assistance to people involved in informal sector of filmmaking through partnerships with institutes, corporate houses and government agencies;
- devising policies and regulations to ease film making process and include transparency in approval processes; and
- creating cultural hubs and public places dedicated to film related activities through public-private partnerships.