A living bridge · India × Cannes

Cannes Connection

Where Indian and French cinema find each other —
not just during the festival, but all year long.

Cannes
French Riviera
Mumbai
India
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Where This Comes From
It started not with a business plan,
but with the feeling of being between two worlds —
and realising that's exactly where something new gets built.
— Samal Shrikant, filmmaker & founder · Côte d'Azur

Cannes Connection grew out of a simple reality: an Indian filmmaker living on the French Riviera, moving between film sets and festival accreditations, production crews and creative conversations — and noticing how rarely the Indian and French creative worlds truly connect in a lasting, human way.

Not through a conference. Not through a LinkedIn post. But through a shared dinner after a screening, a WhatsApp thread that keeps going after the festival ends, a line producer in Mumbai who needs one good contact in Cannes, a director in Marseille who keeps thinking about shooting in Kerala.

These connections already exist. They just need somewhere to live year-round. That's what this is.

What This Is
01
🎬
A Creative Network, Not a Corporate Directory
This is not a formal institution or a startup platform. It's a community of filmmakers, producers, crew, students, festival-goers, and creative professionals who share a genuine interest in the India–France creative axis. The connections are real. The conversations are honest.
02
🌍
A Year-Round Bridge, Not a Once-a-Year Rush
Cannes happens in May. But cinema doesn't stop. Cannes Connection stays active all year — with calls, discussions, screenings, collaborations, and introductions happening continuously between India and the French Riviera.
03
🤝
A Space for Co-Productions & Real Collaborations
From co-productions and festival strategies to location scouting, crew connections, and cultural exchange — this is where practical filmmaking relationships between India and France are built. Not promises. Actual work.
04
💬
A Community for Professionals & Emerging Voices
Senior producers and first-time directors sit at the same table here. Film students, festival enthusiasts, working crew, established names — all welcome. The only requirement: genuine curiosity about cinema and this particular bridge between cultures.
The People Behind It

Cannes Connection is emerging through real relationships — filmmakers, producers, actors, and creatives across France and India who are already collaborating, already in conversation, already part of this world.

These are some of the people at the beginning of this.

S
Samal Shrikant
06 Média · Founder
Indian filmmaker and director based on the French Riviera. Moving between production, DIT work, advertising, and independent cinema across Cannes, Mumbai, and beyond. The origin of this project.
🇮🇳 🇫🇷
D
Dibya Chatterjee
Handykraft Pictures · India
Producer and creative force behind Handykraft Pictures in India — part of the broader production ecosystem that Cannes Connection bridges toward.
🇮🇳
V
Vikrant Chopra
Bridging The Gap Films · UK / India
The name says it all. A filmmaker and producer working at the intersection of cultures, production realities, and creative ambitions across borders.
🇬🇧 🇮🇳
B
Bastien Leblanc
France
Creative and production professional in France — part of the early circle of people who saw what this could become before it had a name.
🇫🇷
V
Victoria Roblin
France
Filmmaker and creative voice in the French ecosystem — bringing an independent sensibility and genuine international curiosity to the project.
🇫🇷
B
Ben Vandendaele
Belgium / France
A presence across the Belgian and French creative and production world — one of the early people whose involvement helped this project feel less like an idea and more like a real thing.
🇧🇪 🇫🇷
V
Vansh Luthra
Czech Republic / India
Actor and creative spanning the Indian entertainment ecosystem and the European independent scene — bringing a rare dual-continent perspective to the network.
🇨🇿 🇮🇳
L
Lilli-Hannah Hoepner
Germany / International
A filmmaker and creative with a strong European footprint — bringing a German independent sensibility and a genuine investment in cross-cultural cinematic exchange.
🇩🇪
Many others are already part of this circle — filmmakers, producers, creatives, and collaborators across France and India — whose names will be published here soon. Cannes Connection is in its founding phase. The room is filling up.
Where We Stand
Currently being established as a French association.
Founding Phase · May 2026

Cannes Connection is in the process of formal registration in France as an association under French law. Registration is planned for the end of May 2026 — right as the festival season opens.

This structure allows the project to operate transparently, access cultural grants and institutional partnerships, and build a genuine organisational foundation — without becoming a bureaucratic machine. The association structure is chosen deliberately: it reflects a community-first, non-profit-minded philosophy, not a commercial platform.

For now: the founding circle is forming, conversations are ongoing, and the first members are being welcomed. What happens next is built collectively.

From June 2026 Onwards

The festival ends. The community doesn't.
Starting June 2026, Cannes Connection runs year-round — live sessions, open conversations, filmmaker talks, and industry discussions between India and France.

📹
YouTube Live Sessions
Open conversations with filmmakers, producers, and festival insiders — broadcast live and archived for the community.
🎙️
Filmmaker Discussions
Honest conversations about the craft, the industry, the journey — from first films to festival circuits, from Mumbai to Marseille.
📞
Private Network Calls
Smaller, invitation-based calls for members working on co-productions, seeking introductions, or developing cross-border projects.
🎓
Open Sessions for Students
Regular access sessions for film students and emerging voices in both countries — demystifying Cannes, the industry, and the path forward.
🎞️
Screenings & Discussion Events
Curated screenings — in-person on the Riviera and virtually for India — followed by structured, unscripted conversation.
🔗
Industry Introductions
Direct, human connections between members — the kind that lead to real projects, not just follows on social media.
This evolves with the community. What it becomes depends on who joins.
Who This Is For
For anyone with a genuine stake in the India–France creative conversation — professional, emerging, or simply curious.
Filmmakers & Directors
Indian directors navigating European festivals. French filmmakers drawn to India. Anyone making work that doesn't fit neatly into one cultural box.
Producers & Production
Line producers, co-production scouts, production service companies, and anyone building the practical infrastructure of cross-border cinema.
Crew & Craft
DOPs, editors, sound designers, DIT operators, art directors — the working professionals who actually make the films happen.
Festival & Cultural World
Festival programmers, cultural attachés, film commission contacts, and industry professionals who move through the international circuit.
Students & Emerging Voices
Film school students, early-career directors, first-time producers — people at the beginning of something, looking for context and connection.
Film Enthusiasts
Curious, committed film lovers who care about cinema beyond entertainment — and want to be part of a genuine creative community.
Join the Circle
We're building this
with the right people first.
That might be you.
Cannes Connection is launching during Cannes 2026. If you have a genuine connection to French and/or Indian cinema — as a professional, an emerging voice, or a committed enthusiast — we'd like to hear from you.

This is a curated first circle. No fee, no pitch. Just a real conversation.
"A smaller, honest bridge between India and Cannes is worth more than a large platform that means nothing to anyone."
Founding Member
Help shape the platform from day one
Creative Force — France
Based in France, active in the community
Creative Force — India
Based in India, active in the community
Participant Member
Attend sessions, engage as available
Audience / Enthusiast
Follow the work, join open sessions
Noted. Thank you.
Your expression of interest has been received.
We'll be in touch as Cannes Connection takes shape.

Good timing — Cannes season is here.