hi, I’m dilani rabindran
(she/her) I am an Entrepreneur, Producer, Creative Consultant and Marketing Professional focused on the international entertainment industry. I currently hold the esteemed titles of:
Producer & Founder, Viewfinder Film Productions Inc.
Senior Manager, Marketing Partnerships for Cineplex Entertainment Ltd.
Director of Programming, for the Regina International Film Festival & Awards (non-profit organization)
BACKGROUND - Soon after completing my MBA at McMaster University my lifelong passion for global cinema & the arts led me to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where I held different roles in Marketing and Financial Analysis, specially focusing on the management of government funding. Soon after joining I was also recruited to assist the festival programming team with the selection of South Asian films for the annual festival, on account of my growing reputation as a film critic and columnist for South Indian cinema.
I met National Award Winning Indian filmmaker M. Manikandan when his debut film “Kakka Muttai” (The Crow’s Egg) was chosen to premiere at TIFF14. Soon enough Mani invited me to become a member of his creative team and consult on his work from overseas. After 4 years with TIFF I moved to India to join Mani’s new studio - Tribal Arts Productions – and assist with the production of his third feature film - “Aandavan Kattalai” (God’s Orders).
ABOUT MY COMPANY: It was during this time that I founded Viewfinder Film Productions (VFP) Inc. (formerly Viewfinder Film Consulting), after recognizing the need for a formal voice to speak on behalf of South Asian cinema to the world and guide talented South Asian filmmakers on how to bring their films to international audiences.
VFP is an international firm dedicated to the marketing & production of independent South Asian cinema. Since establishing VFP in 2016 I have consulted on over 45 international films, securing over 120 official selections at some of the world’s most popular film festivals. We have also produced multiple sold out events in Canada featuring South Indian artists. In 2020 I began my producing journey through VFP and have since made 3 award-winning short films - “Theetu” (Untouchability), “Small Wishes” and “Little Wings”. You can read more about all films & their accolades at viewfinderfp.com. My fourth short film “Dinner Party” is currently in post-production and will premiere as well in 2024.
I continued to run VFP after I moved back home to Toronto in 2017, and eventually joined Bell Media in a Project Management role. I then moved onto Cineplex Entertainment Ltd, where I am presently the Senior Manager of Marketing Partnerships. In my current role I manage corporate partnerships for Canada's largest film exhibitor & leading entertainment provider.
ACCOLADES - In 2021 I was also selected as one of 12 candidates from across Canada to be a part of the inaugural Reelworld Producer Program presented by Bell Media, where I sourced new writers and projects to collaborate with on as a Creative Producer. As a result of this program and the 2022 Producer Accelerator program I optioned 3 promising TV concepts via VFP to develop with talented writers from across Canada. In January 2023, I was honoured by the City of Toronto and the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action as one of the ‘Top 40 under 40 Tamils in Commerce” and received my award from former Toronto Mayor, John Tory.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING - Throughout my career I have also programmed South Asian films for the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and in 2019 I joined the volunteer Board of Directors for RIFFA - the Regina International Film Festival & Awards. In 2022 I took on another new role as their Director, Programming, where I currently lead a group of 30+ contractors and volunteers from around the world organizing the in-competition and non-competition sections of the annual festival.
WRITING & MEDIA - Since 2013 I have also been an avid columnist within the South Asian entertainment space, writing for popular websites such as Behindwoods, Fully Filmy and more. I have also written on topics such as entrepreneurship and travel for outlets such as Tamil Culture Magazine and I now occasionally write primarily for The Juggernaut, a U.S. based magazine, about South Indian cinema.
In 2016 I began hosting the “1 by 2 with dilani_r” podcast for Indian media company Raaga.com, which completed its third and final season in 2019.
In my spare time you can find me talking about all of the above, as well as sharing my thoughts on Indian and international cinema on Instagram & Twitter at @dilani_r.