Published 18:26 IST, May 15th 2024
India Pavilion Opens With New Name ‘Bharat Pavilion’ At Cannes Film Festival
Representing the country, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, along with the Ambassador of India to France attended the event.

The inauguration ceremony of Bharat Pavilion at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival took place on Wednesday, May 15. Representing the country, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, along with H.E. Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India to France attended the event.
Hosted each year at Cannes by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India, Bharat's participation is spearheaded by the National Film Development Corporation as the nodal agency and FICCI as the industry partner.
Why was India Pavilion renamed to Bharat Pavilion?
Explaining the rationale behind the renaming, Sanjay Jaju said, “It symbolises the country's assertion of its traditional storytelling practices while it actively looks for collaborations with the rest of the world.”

"India is the sutradhar (narrator) of the world. The large Indian presence in the festival is a recognition of that status,” the secretary added.
What is Bharat Pavilion about?
The pavilion marks India's continued commitment to showcasing its rich cinematic heritage and fostering international collaborations with the global film fraternity. Many states/UTs like Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra among others are present representing India at Cannes Film Market this year.

The inauguration was attended by Cannes Film Festival deputy artistic director Christian Jeune, Indian-Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta (best known in India for the web shows Delhi Crime and Poacher) and Jawed Ashraf, Indian ambassador to France. The official poster and trailer of the 55th India International Film Festival (IFFI), to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, will also be unveiled at the Bharat Parv.
Updated 18:26 IST, May 15th 2024