GSM Association Press Releases 2007
It's a Wrap - Bollywood Movies Go Mobile With
GSM Association, Roamware & Hungama Mobile Initiative
Mobile Bollywood Film Initiative unveiled today in Mumbai
15th January 2007 - Mumbai, India: It's official - Bollywood is going mobile in a big way. Roamware and Hungama Mobile, have joined forces with the GSM Association (GSMA) to announce the launch of a 'Mobile Bollywood Initiative' to create short movies tailored for mobile devices, taking the world's largest film industry onto mobile devices all over the globe.
In conjunction with the GSMA, Hungama Mobile and Roamware have teamed up with leading Bollywood film maker, Sanjay Gupta, to premiere three Bollywood short movies for the mobile medium. These films will be premiered at the GSMA's 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, which runs from the 12th to 15th of February 2007. The Congress, the largest annual mobile event, is expected to attract over 60,000 attendees from across the global mobile value chain. Bollywood today is the world's largest movie industry, producing more than 1,000 movies a year with an audience of more than 2 billion viewers across 127 countries.
The Mobile Bollywood Initiative builds on the announcement earlier this month that Roamware has become an exclusive sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival: Global Short Film Project, a joint initiative of the GSM Association and the Sundance Institute.
"We are very excited by Roamware and Hungama Mobiles' commitment to bring the spectacle of Bollywood to mobile phones - the fourth screen - at the world's most important mobile industry gathering," said Craig Ehrlich, Chairman of the GSM Association. "The Sundance and Bollywood communities represent some of the most creative, vibrant and diverse talent in the movie world, and we are delighted to be able to showcase these extraordinary films in Barcelona. In doing so, we hope to catalyse a truly compelling mobile entertainment experience for mobile users globally."
"Hungama Mobile has pioneered the delivery of Bollywood entertainment content to the world and has been instrumental in promoting Bollywood in the wireless world. From providing music, imagery, video and games we are now preparing to introduce full features and this project with Sanjay Gupta is a step in the same direction. Hungama Mobile has worldwide exclusive rights to over 70% of Bollywood content on the mobile and digital platforms and this content comes from the world's fastest growing mobile market - India and the most vibrant film industry. We believe it offers tremendous promise as a content category for carriers in over 125 countries." said Neeraj Roy, Managing Director & CEO of Hungama Mobile.
"We are honoured to be part of the Sundance Institute and the GSMA's pioneering vision of the distribution of movies via the mobile phone. Bollywood is a huge force in the global film market, and we look forward to helping the mobile industry realise the potential of this partnership," said Bobby Srinivasan, CEO of Roamware.
"Bollywood is a massive presence in the world movie industry, and South Asia represents the fastest growing mobile market in the world. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved in a project that has a promise and the potential to create a whole new distribution model for Bollywood cinematic entertainment," said Sanjay Gupta, who is well known for directing several super-hit movies including Kaante and Musafir. "Our project 'Dus Kahaniyah' has been made keeping the mobile and digital medium in mind and the fact that today the market for short films has been given a huge impetus as the quality of video experience on mobile has improved significantly."
Bollywood is one of the fastest growing entertainment industry segments and has an appeal not only for the 140 million mobile phone users in India but for markets across all continents. Indian cinema is now dubbed in over 35 languages and accounts for as much as 18% of theatrical business in markets such as UK. Indian films have made it into the top 10 charts in markets such as USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Singapore and South Africa.
About the GSM Association
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as key partners.
The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers. The Association's members serve more than 2 billion customers - 78% of the world's mobile phone users.
About Hungama Mobile
Hungama Mobile is the largest aggregator, developer and publisher of Indian Entertainment Content globally. It has exclusive worldwide rights to nearly 70% of all Bollywood content for all formats of mobile and digital rights. Hungama Mobile has today over 100 content alliances with leading Bollywood, Hollywood and TV studios. Hungama Mobile is the exclusive worldwide licensee to Sony Pictures International for 21 countries, including titles such as James Bond, Spiderman etc.
Hungama Mobile is the only company in the world that has created a mobile and digital distribution platform for Bollywood content in over 30 countries. Today it runs a dedicated channel with networks such as SingTel, O2, Maxis, MTN, Telis etc with over 70 operators and publishers worldwide.
About Roamware
Founded in 2001, Roamware is the leading and fastest-growing global roaming solutions provider, servicing more than 250 networks in over 100 countries servicing 700 million + mobile consumers globally. For more information on Roamware, please visit www.roamware.com
About Sanjay Gupta
Sanjay Gupta has been responsible for such critical and commercial successes as Kaante, Musafir and Zinda. He, along with Sanjay Dutt, founded White Feather Films in 2001. White Feather Films is one of the leading entertainment companies in India with operations encompassing motion picture and ad film production. Drawing upon their dynamic production experience and unique history, Sanjay Dutt and Sanjay Gupta have been providing filmmakers the opportunity to create innovative and ground breaking cinema that challenges, provokes and inspires. Their forthcoming releases include the ambitious Dus Kahaniyaan, Hansal Mehta's tribute to film noir, Woodstock Villa, Apoorva Lakhia's realistic crime drama, Shootout at Lokhandwala, and an expected film from Sanjay Gupta, Alibaug.
For further information contact:
Mark Smith / David Pringle
GSM Association
Email:press@gsm.org
For Hungama Mobile:
Vaishali Killawala at Hanmer & Partners
Tel : +91-98196 30256 or vaishali@hanmerpr.com
For Roamware:
Helen Hopkins or Paul Nolan at Companycare Communications
Tel: +44 118 939 5900 or roamware@companycare.com
Rishar Ravi Raj at 2020 Media Pvt Ltd
Tel:+91-9819825369 or Rishar@2020india.com
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