Ride Hailing Service inDrive Fires Up Film Biz Initiative in Central Asia (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Anna Marie de la Fuente In what signals a new source of financing for Central Asia’s nascent film industry, Mountain View, California-based tech company inDrive, best known for its bid-based ride hailing service, is getting into the film business.

The tech giant, founded by CEO Arsen Tomsky, has launched Alternativa Film Project, a global non-profit film initiative aimed at supporting emerging filmmakers from less developed film industries, starting with Central Asia this year.

With each subsequent edition targeting a different region, the program comprises three strands: an awards ceremony acknowledging the impact of local features, animated films, documentaries, and shorts; funding via cash prizes to winners; and the training of upcoming filmmakers.

The maiden project will be headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the cultural epicenter of the Central Asian region. It kicks off with the free Teen Lab bootcamp aimed at fostering young, emerging talent in film and the Impact Lab, described as “the first program outside the global North designed to teach working producers how to create more impactful, sustainable, inclusive films by partnering with NGOs and state institutions.“ Other activities will include public film screenings, networking events, pitching workshops, and “edutainment” shorts for social media. “Film is a powerful tool for social change, and there are so many undiscovered creatives and trailblazers who aren’t acknowledged by traditional systems,” said Tomsky, adding: “As a disruptive start-up from outside the global North driven by the desire to create a more equitable world, we appreciate and recognize the work of similarly pioneering creatives in the screen industry.” inDrive previously backed the film.