Agra: The Indo-Europe Film Fellowship programme is currently in full swing, fostering collaboration and the exchange of films between countries.

The 3-month Bollywood Film Fellowship initiative has commenced, with participants from India, Switzerland, Los Angeles, Germany, the Netherlands, and more coming together, Agra-based Suraj Tiwari programme director said.

During the programme, Director Suraj Tiwari, serving as the moderator, shared details about upcoming projects in India and extended invitations for collaboration. Swiss actress and model Aura, actor Vincent, cinematographer Walter, and musician Bertrand have expressed keen interest in working within the Indian film industry, with Glamour Live Films offering support and promotion.

Suraj Tiwari said “Films are an important means of conveying cultural and political stories of the times. In their narrative construction and storytelling, they create a public pedagogy. As popular culture texts, films contribute to reshaping the public debate around education because they speak directly to a wide viewing audience.”

“Movies are very different texts than books, for better and for worse. Distilling messages in a visual way that tells a compelling story often connects with wider audiences much more powerfully than rationally based arguments. Storytelling, especially in film, changes in response to the time's social, cultural, and political concerns and interests, as it also shapes that environment. The most powerful films reflect the world to us and therefore they can become a battleground over interpretations of the social world,” he adds.

In a reciprocal gesture, Indian music composer Shruti and her Swiss colleagues have invited Suraj Tiwari to Switzerland to collaborate on a film to celebrate the cultural exchange between the two nations, creating new opportunities for filmmakers on both sides.