Easing Filming at the click of a button ~

The Film Facilitation Office (FFO) set up by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting under the operational aegis of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), has been working towards easing filming in India and promoting the country as a preferred shooting destination.

In an endeavor to further reach out to the filming fraternity across the globe, the Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore launched the FFO web portal on 20th November 2018 at the inaugural ceremony of the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here in Goa.

Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore launches the FFO web portal

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, set up the FFO in the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) with a view to promote and facilitate film shootings by foreign filmmakers in India. The services rendered by the FFO have now been extended to Indian filmmakers as well.

It acts as a single-window facilitation and clearance mechanism that eases filming in India, as well as endeavouring to create a film-friendly ecosystem and promoting the country as a filming destination. The institution of the ‘Most Film Friendly State’ Award, which was won by the State of Gujarat in 2015, the State of Uttar Pradesh in 2016 and the State of Madhya Pradesh in 2017, is a unique initiative in this direction.

The portal will not only enable online submission of applications for international filmmakers, but also list India’s co-production treaties and guidelines of key central government Ministries/departments. In addition to this, the portal will showcase a Locations directory, provide a database of the talent available in the Indian film industry, its filming hubs, and also integrate with other such portals developed by State governments.

It is envisaged that the portal will help International filmmakers weave India into their narratives, and also lead to greater international collaborations. It would be a catalyst for States and other key central government stakeholders such as the Archeaological Survey of India (ASI), Ministry of Railways etc. to market their locations as destinations.

In view of India’s rapidly growing entertainment industry, the portal endeavours to provide information on facilities available in the country for animation, VFX, and post-production, thus, positioning India as a global production hub.

The FFO portal has been designed and developed with a view to be a single point for all filming related information in the country, leading to greater ease of navigation, and thereby easing filming in the country.