Samir Sarkar - Producer & CEO
Samir Sarkar has produced 5 feature films and more that 50 TV commercials, documentaries and music videos under the banner of MAGIC HOUR FILMS, an award winning film production company he founded in 2008. He has worked on over a 100 film productions in different capacities in a career, now spanning over 25 years
“My keen interest in the art of film, photography & music along with my managerial & organisational skills drove me to believe that film production could encompass my key interests and strengths, thus allowing me to express myself in a wholesome, successful manner “ says Samir who was born in Singapore and grew up in Pondicherry, a former French colony in India where he was educated at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. He further obtained a scholarship to study film production at the national film school of France, La FEMIS in Paris. He then trained himself in the field of advertising at Contract (a WPP group advertising agency).
Between 2018 & 2020 Samir produced 4 feature length films in 4 different Indian languages:
Arun Karthik’s “Nasir” (Tamil), Samir’s latest feature film production was nominated for the coveted Tiger Competition at the 49th International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2020 and went on to win the prestigious Netpac Awards for best Asian film. It received positive reviews from several international trade magazines including the Hollywood Reporter, Screen and Variety.
His other feature Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s critically acclaimed “Jonaki” (Bengali), an Indo French Singaporean co production, traveled to several international film festivals and won the Silver Gateway award at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2018. It is now streaming on Netflix.
A psychological horror movie “Nirvana Inn” (Hindi) starring Adil Hussain (Life of Pi) that premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2019 and “Kalla Nottam” (Malayalam), a yet to be released film are Samir’s other movie productions.
Samir offered production support and consultancy on Ang Lee’s Oscar winning feature film “Life of Pi” and was associated on the project for over 8 years, working with several reputed Hollywood directors attached to it including M Night Shyamalan & Jean Pierre Jeunet.
Samir, who speaks 7 languages, has played the pivotal roles of Executive and Line Producer on several international feature length projects including a feature film for ARTE (France): “Alexandra David Neel – J’irai au Pays des Neiges”, “The Science of Compassion” a feature length documentary by internationally acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur, and a docu-drama “Kalachakra” featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
His documentaries for National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Channel News Asia and others have won him several accolades. “Danger Zone Kabul” directed by Aditya Thayi won of the Best Documentary at the Asian Television Awards in 2015. India’s first Mega Factory episode for NGC featuring the “Hero” factory was produced by his company Magic Hour Films.
Samir has also produced TV commercial for several multinational brands such as Volkswagen, Honda, BMW, Nissan, Fiat, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Diageo, FedEx, PUBG Mobile amongst others. His TVC ” Warrior Princess” for Forest Essentials won 2 awards at the Abbys in 2015.
Before taking on the role of an entrepreneur, Samir worked, for over 10 years, in several capacities, on diverse major productions in the Indian film industry (Bollywood) where he was closely associated with some of the finest names in the the industry including Shekhar Kapur, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Mani Rathnam, Santosh Sivan, M F Hussain, Farah Khan, Ram Gopal Varma, Shahji Karun, Nagesh Kukunoor amongst others. His flair for languages and his keen interest in travel also got him involved in important roles on several international advertising, documentary, and feature film projects including Gaumont’s “Hanuman” and Pandora Films’ “Samsara”.
Samir Sarkar on IMDB – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0765278
Samir Sarkar on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/samirsarkar
Samir Sarkar on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/samirsarkar
Film in India
Film in India
From the snow clad mountains of the Himalayas to the azure seas of the Andaman islands, from the golden desserts of Rajasthan to lush green backwaters of Kerala, the Indian subcontinent has a location for every occassion. With a unique mix of the old and the new, it offers you ancient palaces in Gujarat along with modern skyscrapers in Mumbai. India is diverse, India is mysterious, India is breathtaking, but ultimately India is what you want to make of it. And that is why India is Magic.
We at Film in India, a subsidiary of Magic Hour Films Pvt. Ltd., are here to help you capture that Magic creatively, efficiently and cost effectively. Film in India is a film service production company. We line produce feature films, tv commercials, documentaries, corporate films, music videos and photography campaigns.
It is a known fact that India is the largest film producing nation in the world and we at Film in India work with some of the best who work in it. Our offices are in Mumbai, a mega filming hub to cater to the western regions; New Delhi a television production hub to facilitate shoots in the northern and eastern parts of the country and Pondicherry, 160 km south of Chennai, to handle productions in the south. With offices in the three corners of the country, we are a one stop solution for all your shoots in this diverse subcontinent.
We have produced for some of the most reputed production companies from across the globe including FOX, ARTE, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Independent Films, Gang Films. We have also worked with many acclaimed directors from diverse backgrounds including Oscar winning director Ang LEE, BAFTA winners Shekhar KAPUR & James W. GRIFFITH, popular Bollywood director and choreographer Farah KHAN. Film in India is committed to providing you transparency, efficiency, flexibility, commitment and skill in all its services.
With the aim of offering you the most competitive quotes, Film in India offers you a complete package for your shoot in India.
We would be delighted to serve you on your next shoot in the Indian subcontinent.
India Facts
- India is the largest film producing nation in the world. At over a 1000 films a year India produces almost double the number of films as Hollywood does.
- Ramoji Rao studios in Hyderabad is the largest integrated studio complex on the planet. It is spread over 2000 acres of land and houses 47 soundstages.
- There are more than 600 TV channels in India.
- Indian cinema is over a 100 years old.
- India is the largest democracy in the world.
- India is the world’s largest, oldest, continuous civilisation.
- India is the 7th largest nation area wise in the world.
- India has more than 7500kms of coast line.
- India has 94 national parks.
- The mainland consists of four well-defined regions: (i) The great mountain zone, (ii) The Indo-Gangetic plain, (iii) The desert region and (iv) The Southern Peninsula.
- India’s Hindu Calender has 6 season – Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Autumn, Winter and Prevernal.
- Indian Time Zone – +5.30 GMT.
- Indian Currency – 1 US$ = @Rs. 67; 1 Euro = @Rs. 75.
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PRE PRODUCTION SERVICES
We give productions a head start by providing in-depth research and transparent budgeting. We then assist in permits, location scouting, multicity casting, travel & visas.
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PRODUCTION SERVICES
We source the right multilingual crew & technicians for the job. We have access to state of the art film equipment, production design & studio spaces.
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POST PRODUCTION SERVICES
We work with the finest post production houses in the region. We provide offline and online editing, special effects, animation, dubbing, sound engineering and music.
Locations & Studios
India is known for its diverse shooting locations: mountains, forests, deserts, beaches, rivers, backwaters, waterfalls, palaces, skyscrapers and various kinds of studios – we have it all. These locations can stand in for almost any desired location on the planet. What locations cant provide can be filled in by skilled crafts in one of the many state of the art studios spread across the country
India has some of the largest sound stages in the world sized upto 30,000 sq feet (2800 sq meters) for big set ups as well as various other sizes of studios for visual effects & photography shoots.
The largest number of studios are found in Mumbai in the west as well as Chennai and Hyderabad in the south. New Delhi, a gateway to the north, which is also India’s television hub has its share of studios too.
Permisions & Visa
In order to shoot in India you need a permission from the Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting for Feature Films and from the Ministry Of External Affairs for commercials, documentaries and music videos. Both Ministries are located in New Delhi. The permission process will take between 2 and 4 weeks depending on the kind of project and the content of what you are shooting in India.
Through our representatives we will help you with the permission process and obtain all necessary clearances including those that adhere to state and local permits.
All foreigners need a visa to enter India. The correct visa type for filming purposes is a ‘J’ Visa and for Business is a “B” Visa. Processing times to obtain visa can vary from between 2 working days to 7 working days. A shooting permit from the Government of India is required before you can apply for your “J” visa. A “B” visa can be obtained through a letter of invitation.
We are here to facilitate the visa procedures for you.
More details for obtaining permission to shoot in India can be found in the two links below:
India Film Commission – https://indiafilm.org/
Guide to shooting your feature film in India – https://mib.nic.in/WriteReadData/documents/flm1.pdf
Budgeting & Scheduling
India offers you some of the best quality to price ratio allowing you to put more money on the screen. From equipment to crew, locations to set building, hotels to travel India is value for money.
Labor in the Indian film industry is highly skilled and cheaper than most western countries and therefore labor intensive budget lines like set building and costumes are executed at a much more affordable rate here. Indian art directors can be compared to the best in the world and have earned their stripes on several reputed Bollywood, Hollywood & international projects
We at Film in India will analyze and break down your script, work out a transparent and precise budget and help you with your scheduling. We will negotiate, where required, the most economical rates in the various areas of our services. We are on your our side.
Cast & Crew
Film in India is your partner in assisting to find the appropriate local cast and crew for the job.
The Indian film industry offers world class professionals, including actors, line producers, cinematographers, sound designers, art directors, editors and other crew who work to the highest standards at the fraction of the cost to their western counterparts.
We carefully screen our crews. Having worked on international productions they are experienced, committed, skillful and multilingual. We will help you contract and negotiate the best possible deals with them.
History has given India a diverse gene pool allowing projects to tap into a vast wealth of faces and body types that cater to various kinds of plot lines.
The past decade has seen Indian actors breakthrough into the international arena. They are technically trained, agile and creatively support the directors vision.
Film in India will assist you through the entire process of casting.
Equipment & Post Production
Film in India has partnered with the most reputed rental companies from across the country to provide you with the latest, well maintained, state of the art gears that include camera, sound, light and grip equipment.
Being the largest film producing country in the world, India has no dirth of choice for film and video equipment. The list includes Arri Exela Xt Cameras, Panavision Cameras, Cook & Prime Lenses, Russian Arms, Giraffe Arms, Panther & Magnum Dollys, Drones, a range of Kino Flow and Arri Lighting packages. Therefore importing of equipment into India for your shoot can be greatly reduced.
In case you have a need to import gear for your shoot, we will facilitate the process by helping you obtain an ATA carnet that will allow you temporarily import your equipment into the country duty free and tax free.
India offers post production facilities along with highly skilled technicians that are at par with the best in the world. From offline editing on the Avid and Final Cut Pro, online editing on the Smoke and the Flame, DI on the Luster, visual effects, subtitling, dubbing, sound engineering and music, Indian studios provide it all.
Weather
India has a large number of climatic regions. A tropical climate in the south to temperate and alpine in the northern Himalayan regions.
India’s weather is mainly warm during most of the year and offers warm bright sunlight with significant variations from region to region.
The elevated Himalayan regions receive snowfall in the winter months. The Thar Desert attracts the south west monsoons between the post summer months of June and September, providing India most its rainfall, except in the southern state of Tamil Nadu where the north east monsoons bring rainfall between October to December.
Post monsoon seasons generally bring clear skies and comfortable temperatures. The coolest weather lasts from around the beginning of November to the beginning of March, with fresh mornings and evenings, and mostly sunny days. Depending on the exact region the really hot weather, when it could be dry and dusty, is between March and June.
The lighting conditions are the best in India between the months October and March.
Production Services Showreel
Home
What We Do
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Feature Film & TV/Web Series
Our latest production: "Nasir" - Nominated for the Tiger Competition at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2020, and winner of the prestigious Netpac Award.
Magic Hour Films has produced 4 feature films in 4 different Indian languages & 1 Television Movie in French.
Our feature length productions, diverse in genres, have premiered at top international film festivals across the world, winning many awards and receiving positive reviews from reputed international trade magazines.
We have exciting web series and feature films in development and coming your way.
Our aim is to find intriguing stories, develop them into scripts and finally transform them into unforgettable experiences on the silver screen.
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TV Commercial
With over 50 ad films as part our showreel, Magic Hour Films has produced TV commercials for several reputed international brands & top advertising agencies, winning us several accolades. Our productions feature a wide range of industries including automobiles, telecommunications, FMCG & beauty products.
Our hand picked roster of talent comprises of both Indian and International directors as well as other key crew including directors of photography, art directors and editors.
By mutually selecting the best talents to suit your ideas and execute your script, our goal is to transform the clients vision into fully realised ground breaking work.
Send in your script and trust us to take it forward.
Production Services
A subsidiary of Magic Hour Films, Film in India is a full production service company. We have successfully line produced more than 25 international jobs across the Indian subcontinent. These include feature films, TV commercials, documentaries, music videos, corporate videos & photography campaigns.
We provide preproduction, production, and post production services.
Our clients include several reputed production companies from across the world. Fox (US), ARTE (France), Independent Films (UK), Gang Films (France) and Bang Productions (Singapore) are some of them
Supported by an experienced multilingual crew & state of the art equipment that the highest international standards.
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Documentary
Our passion for producing documentaries won us “Best Documentary Programme” & “Best Director” awards at the famed Asian Television Awards.
Magic Hour Films has been commissioned to produce documentaries for several reputed producers & leading broadcasters including National Geographical Channel, Discovery Channel, France 2, Channel News Asia & PBS.
Our team of researchers & directors, whose films are made with precision, style and integrity at their core, have an in depth knowledge of the region. We attempt to capture the truths and facts beneath the surface with an unrelenting commitment. Our cutting edge documentaries aim to work on peoples right to know.
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Corporate & Viral Films
With our expertise in producing both TV commercials and documentary films; long as well as short formats, the process of creating corporate films and viral videos comes naturally to us.
Magic Hour Films has produced both story based as well as technical audio visual content. We have created high end corporate films for brands such as Volkswagen, Diageo, Hero Motors, Ramdev Foods Products amongst others.
Our corporate films rely on thorough research and precise scripting. Our team is chosen with careful meticulousness as we believe that corporate filmmaking must have the appearance and precision of a TV commercial yet amalgamate the sensibility and progression of a documentary film.
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Photography
We at Magic Hour Films compliment our film production with our photography works and represent a roster leading Indian and International photographers.
We have worked with renowned photographers such as Mario Testoni, Alex Rank, Mino La Franca, & Colston Julian for clients including Dove, Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan, Park Avenue & Urban Ladder. Our photography portfolio includes two awarded launch campaigns for the VW Passat & VW Jetta.
We produce both creative and commissioned projects which includes photography for advertising campaigns, movie posters, magazines covers, websites and independent creative work. We aim to make our pictures speak a thousand words.
WHO WE ARE
Established in 2008, MAGIC HOUR FILMS Pvt. Ltd., and its production services division, FILM IN INDIA, are award winning production companies with offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Pondicherry & Singapore.
Magic Hour Films has produced 5 Feature Films and more than 50 TV Commercials, Documentaries, Music Videos and Photography Campaigns. Through its subsidiary Film in India, we have provided production services and support on more than 25 international film projects.
Magic Hour Films has worked and collaborated with some of the most acclaimed talents, reputed brands and respected production companies from across the globe. We represent a group of world class talent that excel in their diverse approaches to storytelling, visual styles, performance genres. Our experienced, skilful & committed production team strives to support these talents, known for their creative excellence and award winning work, and get the best out of them enabling to transform a vision or an idea into reality on image.
The promoters of Magic Hour Films represent a perfect blend of creativity and business and have more than 25 years of experience in the profession.
PRODUCTIONS
Feature Film:
- Arun Karthik’s political drama “Nasir” (Tamil) an Indo Dutch co production is India’s first recipient of the prestigious NFF-Hubert Bals production fund. It was nominated for the coveted Tiger Awards at the 49th International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2020 and won the Netpac Award. It is also one of India’s two feature films to be selected as part of We are One, the historic online global film festival. Nasir received positive reviews from several international trade magazines including the Hollywood Reporter, Screen, Variety, NDTV & Film Companion (click on publication to read review)
- Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s critically acclaimed “Jonaki” (Bengali) an Indo French co production travelled to film festivals around the world including Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Sydney, Barcelona, Warsaw before winning the Silver Gateway Award at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2018. It is now streaming on Netflix.
- “Nirvana Inn” (Hindi) a psychological horror directed by Vijay Jaypal and starring Adil Hussain is recipient of the Asia Cinema Fund. It had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in 2019 before traveling to several other film festivals.
- “Kalla Nottam” (Malayalam), an experimental social drama directed by Rahul Ruju Nair is slated for release in 2020.
TV Commercial:
- Magic Hour Films has produced over 50 TV commercials for several international brands such Volkswagen, Honda, BMW, Nissan, Fiat, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Diageo, Viber, FedEx amongst several others.
Documentary:
- Magic Hour Films has produced documentaries for reputed producers & leading broadcasters. Amongst them are “Hero” India’s 1st megafactory episode for National Geographic Channel & “Danger Zone – Kabul” for Channel News Asia and winner of “The Best Documentary Programme” at the Asian Television Awards
Production Services:
- Magic Hour Film has provided production services on more than 25 international film projects. These include a feature film for ARTE (France): “Alexandra David Neel – J’irai au Pays des Neiges”, “The Science of Compassion” a docu-feature by internationally acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur, another docu-feature “Kalachakra” featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the music video “P.O.W.A” for Grammy and Academy award winner MIA . We also provided production support on the Oscar winning feature film “Life of Pi” directed by Ang Lee.
MANTRA
Our aim is make a project and its vision “the best it can be” – through an experience that is smooth and enjoyable but with results that are unique, successful and momentous.
Together with experience and skill; strong inherent values such as integrity, trust, commitment, and powerful work ethics are Magic Hour Films’ mantra.
We believe in choosing our projects, talent and team keeping these objectives in mind.
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
- 2020 – Winner – “Nasir” – Netpac Award for Best Asian Feature Film
- 2020 – Nominated – “Nasir” – Tiger Awards for Best Feature Film at IFFR 2020
- 2019 – Winner – “Jonaki” – Jury Award for Best Feature Film at Thrissur International Film Festival 2019
- 2018 – Winner – “Jonaki” Silver Gateway Award for Best Feature Film at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2018
- 2018 – Special Mention – “Jonaki” Best Film on Gender Equality at MAMI Mumbai FIlm Festival 2018
- 2018 – Nominated – “Jonaki” – Netpac Award for Best Asian Feature Film at IFFR 2018
- 2015 – Winner – “Danger Zone – Kabul” Best Documentary Program at The Asian Television Awards 2015, Singapore
- 2015 – Winner -“Forest Essentials – Warrior Princess” TVC Silver Abby for Best Production Design at Abbys 2015
- 2015 – Winner – “Forest Essentials – Warrior Princess” TVC Bronze Abby for Best Cinematography
From the snow clad mountains of the Himalayas to the azure seas of the Andaman islands, from the golden desserts of Rajasthan to lush green backwaters of Kerala, the Indian subcontinent has a location for every ocassion. With a unique mix of the old and the new, it offers you ancient palaces in Gujarat along with modern skyscrapers in Mumbai. India is diverse, India is mysterious, India is breathtaking, but ultimately India is what you want to make of it. And that is why India is Magic.
We at Film in India, a subsidiary of Magic Hour Films, are here to help you capture that Magic creatively, effectively and cost efficiently. Film in India is a production services and fixer support company. We have successfully line produced over 25 international film projects including feature films, tv commercials, documentaries, corporate films, music videos as well as photo shoots.
Featured Works
The Blog
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My ‘Life of Pi’ Journey
“Life of Pi,” the movie adaptation of Yann Martel’s 2001 award-winning novel, is not only a journey on screen but off screen too – a long and…
Contact Us
+91 - 97866 65556
+91 - 98701 10789
info@magichourfilms.net
samir.magichourfilms
Send us a message or query here:
HEAD OFFICE
Mumbai
“Ganga Smruti”, 1st Floor,
opp Dilkush II Apts,
St. Dominic Rd extn, off St. Pauls Rd,
Bandra (W), Mumbai – 400 050
Phone: +91 98701 10789
OTHER OFFICES
Singapore
162 Langsat Road,
Singapore – 426786
New Delhi
N-3A, 3rd Flr, Jangpura Ext.
New Delhi – 110014
Pondicherry (Regd. Office)
“A Toi”, 5 rue Sri Aurobindo
Pondicherry – 605001
The Blog
My ‘Life of Pi’ Journey
“Life of Pi,” the movie adaptation of Yann Martel’s 2001 award-winning novel, is not only a journey on screen but off screen too – a long and…