Industry Connect 2025: Garden City University Hosts a Star-Studded Celebration of Indian Cinema
Bangalore | July 10, 2025 — The campus of Garden City University lit up with creativity and excitement on July 8, 2025, as it hosted Industry Connect 2025 — a grand event celebrating innovation, excellence, and collaboration in Indian cinema. The event brought together film professionals from the Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi industries to engage with budding media students and celebrate those who are reshaping the future of the industry.
One of the major highlights of the evening was the felicitation of key contributors to Indian cinema. Among those honored was JJ Sharma — filmmaker, educator, and founder of Filmkar.com — India’s first dedicated film-tech networking platform that has been making waves across the country.
“Filmkar.com was born from the real struggles I saw in the industry,” Sharma said. “It’s built to empower creative talent—regardless of background or location.”
Filmkar.com: Redefining Film Industry Networking — One Year Strong
Officially launched nationwide on April 9, 2024, on the eve of Ugadi, Filmkar.com has grown into a revolutionary digital ecosystem for filmmakers, actors, casting directors, and technicians. What started as a simple concept in 2019 has evolved into a powerful tool that connects and uplifts thousands across India’s film industry.
With a background in cinematography and editing in the Kannada film space, JJ Sharma has long been committed to nurturing young creative minds. His earlier ventures — Macwin Studio & Cine Academy (2014) and Cinemandi.com (2017) — laid the digital foundation that helped shape Filmkar.
From Vision to Impact
After its pilot launch in 2021, Filmkar.com gained strong traction across Karnataka in 2023, earning support from cinema legends like P. Sheshadri, V. Manohar, Jayamala, and B. Suresh. Their endorsement accelerated the platform’s national rollout.
Key Benefits Offered by Filmkar:
- Verified Opportunities: Artists can create professional profiles, showcase their work, and apply to genuine casting calls.
- Smart Talent Discovery: Casting professionals can find talent using advanced filters for age, skills, location, and more.
More Than a Platform — A Digital Movement
Filmkar.com stands apart as more than a casting site. It’s a comprehensive, industry-focused network designed to foster real collaborations among actors, editors, producers, DOPs, agencies, and other professionals across departments.
“It’s not about who you know—it’s about what you can do. That’s the core belief of Filmkar,” Sharma emphasized.
The Future: Filmkar + AI = Smarter Cinema
With one successful year behind it, Filmkar.com is now preparing for the next phase of growth. Sharma revealed that the platform is actively working on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to further streamline processes in both film production and industry networking.
Planned upcoming features include:
- AI-Powered Cloud-Based Post-Production Tools
- Live, Real-Time Casting Call Integration
- Expanded AI-Driven Industry Network for Seamless Matchmaking
- Automated Talent Suggestions & Portfolio Analysis
“We believe AI will be a game-changer for the film industry,” said Sharma. “From editing workflows to intelligent talent matching, our goal is to bring the future of filmmaking to the present.”
Driven by its mission to democratize access and opportunity, Filmkar.com continues to break barriers and connect talent from every corner of India.
“This is only the beginning,” Sharma concluded. “Filmkar is ready to transform Indian cinema—with technology, transparency, and talent at the center.”
For more information or partnership inquiries, visit 👉 www.filmkar.com
For more information or partnership inquiries, visit 👉 www.filmkar.com
For more information or partnership inquiries, visit 👉 www.filmkar.com
