Latest news with #SouthernSitara
Business Standard
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
New Australia-India Film Finance & Production Venture Announced at Cannes to Fund Upcoming Feature Slate
VMPL New Delhi [India], May 23: A new Australian finance and production entity, Southern Sitara, was announced at Cannes today to fund and produce a slate of Australian-Indian feature films. Founded by investment and strategy duo Roshni Pandey and Jagdish Sidhu--who manage a portfolio across Southeast Asia, London, and Australia--Southern Sitara will co-produce with award-winning production company TEMPLE, based at Disney Studios Australia in Sydney. Conceived by filmmaker Anupam Sharma (who previously triggered the Australia India Film Fund), Southern Sitara will provide development funding, production investment, gap financing, and cash flow loans for eligible projects. Targeting films with budgets between AUD 5-11 million, it uses a hybrid capital model combining proprietary funds with co-raised capital, offering structured financing and short to mid-term working capital solutions. Encouraged by the India-Australia co-production treaty and local incentives, the initiative is supported by prominent Indian diaspora figures in Australia. These include Drs Pradnya and Tej Dugal (Maasa, Farewell Amor) via Jhumka Films; London based international media investor Jacqui Miller-Charlton (MBE); Sydney-based investor Dr Chandru Tolani; and angel investor Shallu Kundra--all with prior investment in the Australia-India film space. Southern Sitara has secured first-look distribution deals with ICON Film for English-language releases and Forum Films for Indian-language titles. Legal counsel is Janine Pearce of JP Media Law. Communications will be led by Victoria Buchan of The Lantern Group, with Hema Upadhya handling PR in India. The group has also onboarded a strong lineup of Australian producers and creatives for executive and key creative roles, including Lisa Duff (Last Cab to Darwin), Jannine Barnes (Downriver), Cathy Rodda (Bromley - Light After Dark), Victoria McIntyre Wharfe (The Flood), Ben Ulm (Shark Tank Australia), and First Nations producer Jodie Bell (Doug the Human). Sidhu will oversee finance and compliance, Pandey will lead strategy and investor relations, and Sharma will serve as the creative face of Southern Sitara. Speaking from Cannes, Sharma said: "Australia provides unprecedented support to screen professionals. Southern Sitara builds on this to enable authentic cultural storytelling." From the Gold Coast, Pandey added: "We've been piloting business models to de-risk film investment, and Australia's treaties and incentives have helped us transform the narrative." Sidhu from Singapore said: "Australia's production incentives and treaties offer a uniquely de-risked path to global film investment, aligning with our focus on compliance and strong ROI." The first projects include Anupam Kher's directorial thriller, shot extensively in Australia, and Shadows, a horror film blending First Nations and Indian mythologies. Also on the slate is The Indian Cowboy - a story inspired by India's only country music singer Bobby Cash, who was discovered in Australia. Southern Sitara will also raise investment funds for a slate including Richard Jameson's Bidjara Kumari, which has had development investment from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland; FRAMED, which is being developed with assistance from Screen Australia, Screen NSW, and SBS, and Dr Sanjaya Senanayake's Chilli Chicks and Heart Attacks, written by Victoria McIntyre and developed with assistance from Screen Canberra.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Cannes 2025: How Australian finance and production entity Southern Sitara is abridging the cinematic gap between India and Australia, to present Anupam Kher's new film 'The Return'
This is to aim at a co-production treaty and co-raised investment. One of the projects includes a film called The Return, starring Anupam Kher read more Over the last few years, Cannes has become a festival more about fashion than films. This year, we had the likes of Aishwarya Rai and Aditi Rao Hydari flaunting their gorgeous dresses and making style statements. But it was as much about cinema. The one film that has made the maximum noise is Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa. It received a nine-minute standing ovation. And there's another attempt that has happened at Cannes this year, and it's to abridge the cinematic gap between India and Australia. It has been done by the Australian financial entity Southern Sitara. This was unveiled at the ongoing festival. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is to aim at a co-production treaty and co-raised investment. One of the projects includes a film called The Return, starring Anupam Kher. It is founded by Roshni Pandey and Jagdish Sidhu who manage a portfolio across Southeast Asia, London, and Australia—Southern Sitara will also co-produce with award-winning production company TEMPLE, based at Disney Studios Australia in Sydney. The initiative is conceived by filmmaker Anupam Sharma and he was quoted saying, 'Australia provides unprecedented support to screen professionals. Southern Sitara builds on this to enable authentic cultural storytelling.' Pandey added, 'We've been piloting business models to de-risk film investment, and Australia's treaties and incentives have helped us transform the narrative.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia-India Financing Venture Southern Sitara Bows at Cannes Market With Cross-Cultural Slate (EXCLUSIVE)
The growing appetite for Australia-India co-productions has spawned a new financing entity designed to bridge the two markets with structured investment and cultural authenticity. Southern Sitara, unveiled at the Cannes Film Market, represents the latest effort to capitalize on the bilateral co-production treaty between the two countries, targeting features in the AUD5-11 million ($3.2-7 million) range through a hybrid capital model that combines proprietary funds with co-raised investment. More from Variety Dhanush to Play Former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in Om Raut-Directed Biopic Alibaba's 'Molly' Acquired for Malaysia by U.K.-China Film Collab (EXCLUSIVE) 'Legacies' Star Kaylee Kaneshiro Boards Cult Survivor Horror 'The Rift' From Helmer Colin Levy (EXCLUSIVE) The venture brings together investment duo Roshni Pandey and Jagdish Sidhu — who oversee portfolios spanning Southeast Asia, London and Australia — with filmmaker Anupam Sharma, architect of the Australia India Film Fund. The trio will partner with production house Temple, which operates from Disney Studios Australia in Sydney. 'Australia provides unprecedented support to screen professionals,' said Sharma. 'Southern Sitara builds on this to enable authentic cultural storytelling.' The financing structure addresses familiar pain points in cross-border production, offering development funding, production investment, gap financing and cash flow loans. Pandey emphasized the de-risking approach: 'We've been piloting business models to de-risk film investment, and Australia's treaties and incentives have helped us transform the narrative.' Southern Sitara has assembled backing from established players in the Australia-India space, including Pradnya and Tej Dugal of Jhumka Films ('Maasa,' 'Farewell Amor'), London-based media investor Jacqui Miller-Charlton, Sydney investor Chandru Tolani and angel investor Shallu Kundra. Distribution is handled through first-look deals with Icon Film for English-language titles and Forum Films for Indian-language releases. The initial slate reflects the cultural bridge the entity aims to build. Projects include 'The Return,' a thriller from actor-director Anupam Kher shot extensively in Australia, horror film 'Shadows' that blends First Nations and Indian mythologies, and 'The Indian Cowboy,' inspired by India's sole country music performer Bobby Cash, who was discovered Down Under. Additional titles in development include Richard Jameson's 'Bidjara Kumari,' which has received backing from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, and 'Framed,' supported by Screen Australia, Screen NSW and SBS. The venture has recruited Australian producers Lisa Duff ('Last Cab to Darwin'), Jannine Barnes ('Downriver'), Cathy Rodda ('Bromley – Light After Dark') and Victoria McIntyre Wharfe ('The Flood') for key creative roles, alongside 'Shark Tank Australia's' Ben Ulm and First Nations producer Jodie Bell ('Doug the Human'). Singapore-based Sidhu will handle finance and compliance while Pandey leads strategy and investor relations. 'Australia's production incentives and treaties offer a uniquely de-risked path to global film investment,' Sidhu noted, 'aligning with our focus on compliance and strong ROI.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
