Filmmaker and producer Kunal Shah in conversation with the reporter / Photograph by Mutika Victor
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Indian documentary filmmakers and their struggle for funding
Indian documentary filmmakers and their struggle for funding
At present, Indian commercial films are budgeted for over Rs 300 crores. Independent documentary filmmakers on the other hand are struggling to get funds as producers take little interest in this genre.
To understand the importance of documentary filmmaking in the Indian context, one has to look back on the early post-independence era. After India's independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru established the Films Division of India (FD) to promote nation-building through documentary films.
In a country where a significant percentage of the population is illiterate, FD focused on producing films that dealt with agriculture and hygiene. Their motto was to educate, spread awareness and develop a national conscience. These films were produced as a part of the State's positive propaganda to develop the young nation. The independent filmmakers outside the FD were also part of this mission.
At a movie screening organised by the Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad, Jennifer Alphonse recalls her seven-year journey and the struggle to get the funding for her documentary film — Gussadi. She got funds from crowdfunding and government sources, which amounted to 40% of the budget; the additional 60% was from her pocket, which she earned through commercial work. This is much like what other filmmakers in the industry do.
Indian documentary filmmakers are exploring various possible channels for funds — investors, sponsorship by NGOs and production houses, grants, film festivals and crowdfunding. If nothing works out, they often go for self-funding to meet the required budget to produce a documentary. Bhanvi Sharma, a Bengaluru-based filmmaker, says, "Unlike commercial films, documentaries have a niche audience, and in India, they aren't screened in theatres. So, this considerably impacts the funding of documentary films as people consider commercial films as a form of entertainment, and they make money."
"Unlike commercial films, documentaries have a niche audience, and in India, they aren't screened in theatres. So, this considerably impacts the funding of documentary films as people consider commercial films as a form of entertainment, and they make money."
Commercial film vs documentary film
Commercial film vs documentary film
In India, commercial films have a vast market, as they can provide entertainment and have a big star cast that guarantees returns, which is not possible with documentaries. In comparison, the budget of most independent documentaries does not cross lakhs, while a commercial film like RRR is being made with a budget of Rs 550 crores. Many production houses and studios in India produce commercial feature films. However, there are only a few dedicated studios and production houses when it comes to documentary filmmaking.
According to Pavan Atukuri, founder of Open face Media, Hyderabad, "Putting together a team of talented people for a small budget documentary [in India] is the biggest challenge for any filmmaker."
The independent documentary filmmakers are still struggling to get the required funding, even to pay for the equipment rentals. A similar situation was also faced by an independent documentary filmmaker, Divya Bharati, and she chose to rely on crowdfunding. Today, upcoming filmmakers are also trying their luck with online crowdfunding apps. "There is a whole industry for commercial cinema. But, the documentary filmmakers work in a very informal industry where finding a producer is very difficult," says Geetanjali Gurlhosur, filmmaker and independent journalist.
Documentary and crowdfunding
"I have tried crowdfunding on ImpactGuru, and all the funds I have received are mostly from family, friends and relatives. Most online crowdfunding applications promote human interest stories like medical emergencies," says Ashish Kant Tatla, a New Delhi-based filmmaker who made a documentary on rickshaw pullers.
Novice filmmakers usually do not get much attention from donators on the fundraising platforms, and it affects the total amount to be fundraised. In contrast, the established filmmakers can easily get the attention, which will positively impact their fundraising.
"Crowdfunding doesn't always work," says Bhavya Vemulapalli, filmmaker and student at Monash University.
"[You find funding] if the central theme of your film is sensational or is based on an ongoing issue, which can connect to the audience's emotions. Or it can create a sense of danger and thrill. Then the producers will be interested in funding that project, as it can bring a good amount of profits."
Sensational topics attract more funding
Producers think in terms of business and profits. So, the producers or the production houses prefer to fund a film that deals with a sensational topic, as documentary films do not have any lead actor who can guarantee the returns. The idea or the theme is the main interest in a documentary film, so producers prefer to produce a highly newsworthy subject. But, the themes selected by the filmmakers may not deal with a burning issue, which makes the filmmakers' job of collecting funds more difficult. Tatla says, "If the central theme of your film is sensational or it is based on an ongoing issue, which can connect to audiences' emotions or it can create a sense of danger and thrill. Then, the producers will be interested in funding that project, as it can bring a good amount of profits."
Funding from NGOs and government grants
Non-government organisations (NGOs) fund films to spread awareness in society; they use films as a tool to spread and promote their message — institutions related to anthropology fund documentary films to document the culture of the society. Sometimes, the Ministry of Tourism from the central or the state governments issue grants to the filmmakers.
Alphonse has received some help from the Ministry of Culture and Language as her documentary dealt with the tribals' life in Adilabad of Telangana.
Finding funds is a battleground / Photograph by Markas Winkler
Film grants and film festivals
Film grants and film festivals
Usually, new filmmakers lack knowledge about film grants, and they may not know how to approach the organisations that offer grants. The internet has made this process easier. Besides grants, film festivals also offer cash prizes to the filmmakers, which they can use for their future projects. However, Jennifer Alphonse says "Rewards received in film festivals are not enough to produce a documentary."
The private and government institutions offer grants to filmmakers under different categories, including those for novice filmmakers and established filmmakers. But, applying for these grants is a tedious process and involves a lot of paperwork. Alphonse says, "Every institution has its format, depending on what kind of grant you want, and you will have to go through a time-consuming process of a very detailed project breakdown. And they ask you like hundred questions about why you want the grant."
"Every institution has its format, depending on what kind of grant you want, and you will have to go through a time-consuming process of a very detailed project breakdown. And they ask you like hundred questions about why you want the grant."
Also, each institution has its own set of rules in offering grants to filmmakers; some institutions offer grants only for pre-production, while others provide for the production and the post-production. A filmmaker has to pay an application fee, and it may vary based on the institution they are applying to. Moreover, the problem with film grants is that filmmakers do not possess any rights of the film, in case the majority of the fund is from grants.
Another challenge for the filmmakers is a platform to publish their content. If the content is good enough to grab the audience's attention, OTT and other streaming/ or broadcasting services will buy it. Otherwise, the filmmakers will have to choose other broadcasting platforms where they may not get paid for broadcasting.
A filmmaker has to pay a fee for the jury to review the film if they want to air it on public broadcasting service. Documentary films have their market in India, but it is not as big as the commercial industry. Also, viewership plays an essential role in deciding the profits of a documentary, which will further affect the funding of other documentary films.
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