Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 25 Jun: A one–day workshop on “Development of the Filming Ecosystem in Uttarakhand” was organised today at a hotel on Sahastradhara Road, here, with the aim of establishing Uttarakhand as a premier destination for film production. The workshop was jointly hosted by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and the Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC).
The workshop commenced with the ceremonial lamp lighting by UFDC CEO Banshidhar Tiwari, Joint CEO Dr. Nitin Upadhyay, Film Director Shilpa Rao, and NFDC General Manager Ajay Dhoke.
The event witnessed participation from leading producers, policy experts, senior government officials, and key stakeholders from the film industry. The discussions centred around policy reforms, infrastructure development, talent promotion, and creating an enabling environment for filmmaking in the state.
UFDC CEO Banshidhar Tiwari highlighted that under the guidance of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Government of India, continuous efforts are being made to establish Uttarakhand as a film production hub. He noted that the state’s film policy encourages regional language and culture, with subsidies for regional films increased from ₹25 lakh to ₹2 crore. Incentives are also offered for filming at lesser-known locations (5% additional subsidy) and employing local artists.
Further, a one-time subsidy of ₹25 lakh is available for setting up single-screen cinema halls in hill regions to increase cinema infrastructure. Plans are underway to launch a dedicated digital portal integrating information on locations, logistics, equipment, artists, and local resources for filmmakers.
Shilpa Rao, Director (Films), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, emphasised the need to promote quality content, talent, and technology to position India as a global cinema hub. She stressed on reviving community-level film viewing culture by encouraging low-cost cinema halls in rural and semi-urban areas.
NFDC General Manager Ajay Dhoke and India Cine Hub representatives provided insights into central government schemes, film subsidies, and the integrated permissions process via the India Cine Hub portal.
Dr Nitin Upadhyay, UFDC Joint CEO, in his presentation, described “Talent, Training, and Technology” as the three pillars of Uttarakhand’s film model and shared details on single-window clearances, production subsidies, support at locations, and plans for film institutes and multiplexes.
The workshop concluded with a Q&A session at which participants’ queries on policies and incentives were addressed by senior NFDC and UFDC officials.
Senior officials including Ashish Tripathi (Additional Director, Information), Shruti Rajkumar (VP & Head, India Cine Hub), Mayur Patel (Manager, Film Bazaar, NFDC), Nachiket Shirolkar (Advisor, International Promotion & Festivals, NFDC), and Abhay Kumar (Project Manager, Unicops) were present on the occasion.
