Vigorous use of India’s soft power resources — films/film stars, music, fashion, cricket, writers, academics — can, over a period, bridge the trust deficit at people-to-people level and goad the decision makers to take the plunge and transform decades of hostility in to neighbourly peace.

The move is an extension of the Bank of China's 2010 credit program with Hengdian film park, regarded as "China's Hollywood," and has been labelled another important step in financial institutions nurturing China's cultural industry.

Youngster across the country are submitting short videos for the ‘India is’ Global Video Challenge in three categories- India Is... Colorful, India Is... Creative, and India Is... Wherever you are till December 31. “Such a competition helps us understand how the youth perceives our country,” says Navdeep Suri, joint secretary of The Public Diplomacy Division.

Cultural diplomacy has become the fourth fundamental pillar of Philippine foreign policy, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Grace Relucio Princesa said. Princesa mentioned this new addition to the three existing fundamental pillars at a press conference in Dubai on Friday, kicking off the first Philippine Film Festival in the UAE — “Our Films, Our Culture.”

Chinese film industry insiders have concluded that Chinese movies are facing three major problems in their attempts to gain worldwide recognition. As one of the major forces within China's cultural industry, the quality and output of movies are considered an important manifestation of the soft power and influence of national culture.

In a pioneering initiative to promote India's soft power, the Public Diplomacy Division of the external affairs ministry has launched a global video contest entitled 'India Is' that is open to anyone in the country and around the world.

Singapore, which has hosted film festivals from Israel and Germany in recent years, is opening its doors to France. “1st Rendezvous with French Cinema”...has been designed as a platform to allow French business and industry players to network with each other in the business-friendly island state.

What character does the U.S. have in the fantastical lands of Bollywood? A handful of recent films have truly absorbed America into their land of dreams. They’ve ditched most of the stereotypes about corrupt, debauched Westerners seen in films from past eras...but they also creatively use American settings for stories that deal with the unique risks and freedoms of the 21st-century world.