How Cannes Lions awarded Jindal Steel film, explains Film Craft Jury President Prasoon Pandey

Cannes: Early Man Film won a Silver and a Bronze Lion for the ‘disputed’ Jindal Steel's ‘The Steel of India’ campaign in the Film Craft category on Day 2 of Cannes Lions 2024.

Although the campaign was submitted by Early Man Film, the entry credited Kondurkar Studio, a creative boutique founded by former Wieden + Kennedy employee Amrish Kondurkar, for the idea creation. 

Notably, Kondurkar is not the original creator of the campaign; the concept originated at W+K, a Delhi High Court order on April 24 suggested. 

W+K and Jindal Steel later opted to settle the matter out of court.

When such entries win at Cannes, it raises questions about the credibility of the awards and sets a troubling precedent.

Prasoon Pandey, the Film Craft Jury President, Director, and Founder of Corcoise Films, said, “Even though I was aware of the matter, as jury president and in adherence to the judging policy, I wasn’t allowed to discuss it with other jury members and superseded the Cannes Lions authorities. I could only take up the matter with the award organisers.”

Therefore, there wasn’t anything he could do, Pandey added.

Pandey further told BestMediaInfo.com that he ensured to send material regarding the issue, which he received from both Early Man Films and Wieden + Kennedy, to the festival authorities. “Ultimately, it was their choice to disqualify or approve for judging,” he commented.

"The choice was in the festival's hands to decide between a commercial call and the message they sent to Wieden + Kennedy Global," commented Pandey.

The jury eventually figured out the issue with the Early Man Film entries “because every now and then I was asked to come out of the jury room to speak to the organisers. However, I was told not to discuss the matter with other jurors,” added Pandey. 

Watch the full interview here: 

Talking about the challenges ad film production is facing in India, Pandey said the biggest challenge for Indian ad production houses is the lack of adequate preparation time for commercials.

“Clients consume 95% of the time in the initial stages of commercial preparation. By the time the commercial reaches the production house for execution, there's already a rush. Directors often have just a week to conceptualise an ad, which inevitably affects the final outcome. Quality work only emerges when there's enough time to refine it,” he explained.

India winning a Bronze and Silver in Film Craft is a significant achievement, as only 150 commercials are shortlisted out of over 1600 films worldwide, according to Pandey. 

"The biggest challenge Indian entries face at Cannes Lions is due to language barriers. That said, while I am the Film Craft Jury President at Cannes Lions, awards are not the end-all, but your own audiences. Take awards results with a pinch of salt," said Pandey.

Pandey further emphasised that the Indian advertising ecosystem was performing better ten years ago compared to now. "We are sliding down a slippery slope," he said.

He continued, "One big disaster Indian advertising is facing is that everything has become celebrity-centred, and the idea takes the back seat."

Commenting on the impact of artificial intelligence on the ad production world, Pandey said, "We must not give it the importance we are giving now. It’s just a tool; it can’t give ideas." 

He also spoke about the lack of women's representation in the ad production world and held the entire ecosystem collectively responsible for not making the work culture comfortable for women to choose ad direction or production as a profession more often.