Amit R Agrwal walks his 50th Red Carpet @ 78th Cannes Film Festival
Amit R Agrwal, cult filmpreneur, as he prefers to call himself — walked his 50th Red Carpet at the recently concluded, 78th Edition of Festival de Cannes or Cannes Film Festival, as it is better known across the world.
Agrwal was at Cannes Film Festival 2025 presenting Talennt Ka Maha Utsav Season 1 curated films to a global audience and distributors from far and wide — Agrwal presented 6 shorts, 1 docu-feature and a series of fashion-reels to film buyers. He also promoted luxury Indian jewelry brand, Gem Mines to international actresses and fashion influencers at the 22.3 Edition of #BNHAF Awards and Festival held on the sidelines of Cannes Film Festival in the city of Cannes. #BNHAF 22.3 Edition saw Anne Marie of HGB Group take home the Best Hospitality Award, Zarina Asghari, an Iranian-Afghani actress win the Best Actress Award for her Iranian film, Madar (Mother) and Rach Narula of Benetone Films, Thailand take home Best Film Company Award at Cannes.
On walking the famed Cannes Red Carpet, Agrwal said that anyone with a ticket can walk the red carpet, “but getting ticket isn’t easy. It is my 13th year in Cannes and my 50th Red Carpet; practically it means, I did four red-carpets during each of the editions I attended. Ask anyone, it is both very tough and time consuming to do it”.
Agrwal even shared a picture of himself on the Red Carpet from the 2012 edition, the 65th Cannes Film Festival.
Agrwal said that when he started attending Cannes Film Festival from 2010 onwards, there were only about 50 Indians. “Gautaman Bhaskaran, a veteran journalist, said that in 1989, there were only TWO INDIANS at Cannes, this year there are 500 Indians — can you simply see the exponential growth — Cannes has seen around Indians”.
On being asked what he felt about various news-articles denouncing ‘influencers’ masquerading the Cannes Red Carpet, Agrwal gave a very logical take, “Cannes is known for a very carefully curated film section, giving access to influencers is definitely beneficial to the organization from commercial point of view — but at the same time both the festival and the Red-Carpet loses it’s exclusivity that Cannes Film Festival is long famed for!”
On being queried about the future of Cannes Film Festival — Agrwal said that a line will surely be drawn and soon be drawn, about access of influencers to the festival, because the festival is called “Cannes Film Festival’ and not ‘Cannes Influencer Festival’.
The correction is of course only ticking to happen! Till the time this correction comes, influencers can surely bask on the sidelines of the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ glory!
