Mumbai’s Red Lorry Film Festival is widening its role beyond exhibition into industry collaboration, launching a new French IP Market while simultaneously presenting a lineup of more than 120 films during its third edition from 13-15 March.
The marketplace will connect French rights holders with buyers across India and Southeast Asia interested in developing local versions of film, television, animation and digital properties. Supported by France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Institut français, the platform will revolve around in-person engagement through curated pitches, one-to-one meetings and case-study discussions focused on successful adaptations.
Fifteen French companies including Goodfellas Films, Le Pacte, Banijay Kids, MK2, La Belle Télé, France Films TV, Mediatoon, Matriochkas, Lukarn, PitStop Studio, Fayard, Robert Laffont, Habebo Studios, Maremako and Astier Pêcher, will present catalogs spanning cinema, publishing and screen entertainment. Distributors, broadcasters, streamers and literary agents from across the region are expected to participate as demand grows for proven international intellectual property adaptable for local audiences.
Ashish Saksena, festival director of Red Lorry Film Festival and COO Cinemas at BookMyShow, said, “The French IP Market aligns perfectly with Red Lorry Film Festival’s ambition to be a meaningful industry platform for Asia. France has an extraordinary depth of storytelling and IP that travels well across cultures. By creating a focused marketplace within the festival, we are enabling concrete conversations between creators and buyers, and helping accelerate collaborations that can translate into compelling local adaptations for Asian audiences.”
Mathieu Béjot, attaché for audiovisual, cinema and digital content at the French Institute in India, added, “Partnering with Red Lorry Film Festival allows us to place French creators and rights holders at the heart of one of Asia’s most dynamic content markets. The French IP Market is designed to foster long term creative and business relationships while showcasing the diversity, strength and adaptability of French IPs.”
Alongside the industry initiative, the festival will screen over 120 titles including Bradley Cooper’s directorial Is This Thing On?, Safe House, Nino, Rental Family, Case 137, Fantasy Life and Wrangler. Cannes selections such as The Love That Remains, Fatih Akin’s Amrum, Redland, A Pale View of Hills, Leave One Day and Peak Everything are also part of the lineup.
A ‘Legacy Rewind’ section will spotlight tributes, classics and restored films that have influenced Indian cinema, while a dedicated celebration of Marathi cinema will showcase both upcoming and acclaimed regional titles. The festival also continues its partnership with Alliance Française de Bombay through the Rendezvous With French Cinema program.
Saksena said the programming direction reflects changing viewing habits, said, “thoughtful curation and delivering a festival experience that reflects the evolving tastes of Indian cinephiles while championing cinematic voices.” He added, “Red Lorry Film Festival was created with the intent of offering Indian audiences access to carefully curated global cinema in a theatrical environment. Over the last two editions, we have seen a growing appetite for international storytelling across cultures and genres. As we enter the third edition,”
Beyond screenings, the festival will host masterclasses, panel discussions and gala red-carpet events, with additional details expected closer to the event dates.
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