Seven documentaries on socially significant subjects were presented to corporate leaders in a first-of-its-kind initiative in the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), at festival venue at NFDC – FD premises, Pedder Road, Mumbai today. The documentary makers looking for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding, co-production, sponsorships and collaborations with corporates spoke about their projects in the special session on ‘Leveraging Documentary Films to Strengthen Brand and Promote CSR Initiatives’. These films pitched for corporate funding focussed on issues related to women empowerment, arts and culture, environment and sustainability, healthcare and sports.
This was followed by a panel discussion panellists Krishna Vilasini, Director- Corporate Affairs and Engagement, L’oreal India; Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer and Group General Counsel, Marico Limited; Prasanth Venkatesh, Marketing Director, Brand Unilever; and MIFF Festival Director and MD, NFDC Shri Prithul Kumar.
Speaking on the importance of documentary film-making, Shri Prithul Kumar said that such films have the power to become a part of our history as they touch upon issues which concern present-day society. “Documentaries are always very important for the kind of impact they have”, he added. These documentaries are a powerful tool to highlight an issue or crisis and also light up a path towards the solution. He further said, corporates can benefit by sponsoring these documentaries on social issues and thereby promote their brand’s image. The Festival Director further informed that viewership of documentaries has definitely gone up in the last few years. Though documentaries are not commercially released in theatres in India, in many foreign countries this also happens, he added.
Krishna Vilasini, Director- Corporate Affairs and Engagement, L’oreal India advised documentary film-makers to find out about social issues being endorsed by a brand, and then accordingly pitch their subjects to the prospective companies. “Open up and look at what brands are doing”, she said. Explaining this, she added that different brands support different causes, which may range from education, empowerment and environment to issues like mental health issues, standing up against street harassment etc. Hence, they may like to back a subject which is in alignment with their brand image. She opined that documentaries also bring to the fore the unheard and less-spoken about subjects, other than pressing social issues. Hence, there can be ‘synergies’ between a good documentary and a corporate ready to sponsor it or a brand ready to endorse it, she stated. In this context, she also said that reputation matters the most for brands as it is built over years and hence they would support subjects that help maintain it. In this context, Ms. Krishna Vilasini also said that purchase decisions of millennials and Gen-Z are driven by the content they consume about a brand.
Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer and Group General Counsel, Marico Limited, said documentaries are highly researched works which highlight topics coming from remote parts of the country and are often not much talked about. He also informed that as per the government regulatory framework, corporates cannot invest their CSR funds for causes which have an implication on their business. He further commented that nowadays many brands are trying to build a purpose for themselves and showcase a larger communication centred on it.
Prasanth Venkatesh, Marketing Director, Brand Unilever, remarked, “In a country like India, with our diversities, varied ethnicities and culture and sub-cultures, there are many stories to tell”. Documentaries are raising awareness and also lead us to solutions, he further said. Speaking about what kind of documentaries a brand may endorse, he said, “True stories about work done create a lot of impact. Good story telling can help brands to increase impact”. Authentic, powerful storytelling is always in demand, he added.
Speaking about the impact documentaries may bring to a brand, Ms Krishna Vilasini said, “Visual forms like documentaries can showcase the truth and also the potential. If you show a true story, it should inspire the others, including beneficiaries to do more”. She appreciated MIFF for providing a stage to bring together stakeholders like government, corporates, consultants, film-makers and film students. Shri Amit Bhasin said that this can be a first step for collaborations between all these stakeholders.
The session was moderated by Chandrashekhar Mantha, Partner in the Risk Advisory (RA) practice in Deloitte India where he leads the Media & Entertainment industry portfolio. He informed that documentaries form a market and medium which is growing. Around 11 billion documentaries are made in a year and the number will increase to 16 billion soon.
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