Mumbai At the Cannes Film Festival, Academy Award winner Guneet Monga’s Women in Film India program is making its international debut by launching a fellowship for producers, including Tillotama Shome.
The first project, a unique program showcasing three Indian women producers, begins at the famous Cannes Film Festival.
The founder of WIF India, Guneet Monga Kapoor, said, “With WIF India, we’re putting real structure behind the idea of equality – mentorship, access, and leadership pathways.”
“Investing in women is a long-term commitment, not just for today but for the future of the Indian entertainment industry,” she said.
With support from Women In Film Los Angeles (WIF LA), WIF India becomes a part of a worldwide alliance of more than 50 chapters on six continents that strives to promote gender parity in the entertainment sector.
The Women in Film India Fellowship: Cannes Producers Edition, a flagship program created to elevate mid-career women producers by giving them access to the Producers Network at the Marché du Film at Cannes, is being introduced by WIF India to celebrate its launch.
Award-winning actress Tillotama Shome, who just started producing a Bengali feature film called Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), is one of this year’s first scholarship beneficiaries.
The project includes veteran studio executive and creative producer Rucha Pathak, who has produced films such as Paan Singh Tomar, Neerja, Barfi, and most recently Madgaon Express, and independent producer Dimpy Agarwal, who is renowned for socially conscious narratives and was a co-producer on Baksho Bondi. Agarwal has also worked on award-winning films such as Chashma, Umeed, and Monica O My Darling.
Shefali Bhushan, a remarkable female producer in the Marathi film business whose picture Sthal is now showing at the Cannes Film Market, has also received an Accreditation Grant from WIF India.
“Our collaboration with Women in Film, India is a significant step in creating a robust, interconnected community that supports women in all facets of the film industries,” said Kirsten Schaffer, CEO of Women in Film.
“This fellowship is a crucial component of the solution to guarantee that women have equal access to high-caliber television and filmmaking.”
Siddharth Roy Kapur, Karan Johar, Faye D’Souza, Anupama Chopra, Tahira Kashyap, Gauri Shinde, Nikhil Advani, Jyoti Deshpande, Gayatri Yadav, Aparna Purohit, Varun Grover, Kanika Dhillon, Vani Tripathi, Miriam Joseph, Ekta Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, and Guneet Monga Kapoor are among the esteed Board of Directors of WIF India.
