Directors Guild of India (DGI)

Overview

The Directors Guild of India (DGI) is a professional association representing film directors working across India's multiple regional language industries. Founded in 2003, the DGI complements the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) by focusing on uniting directors across the country's diverse language sectors: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and others.

India produces more films per year than any other country, across at least 20 language industries. Professional representation for directors has historically been organized along regional lines, with different associations serving different language industries. The DGI represents an effort to provide a unified national platform connecting directors across these regional boundaries.

If you are a director working in Indian cinema, particularly outside the Hindi-language Mumbai industry, the DGI provides a national-level professional network. However, for directors working primarily in Hindi cinema or television in Mumbai, IFTDA is the primary trade union with mandatory membership and concrete dispute resolution mechanisms.

IFTDA: The Primary Mumbai-Based Directors Association

The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) is the more established and practically significant directors' organization in India. Founded in 1959 as the Indian Film Directors' Association (IFDA), it was renamed IFTDA on December 23, 2007, when it expanded to include television directors. IFTDA is affiliated with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

IFTDA Membership Fees

Payment is accepted by cash, online transfer, or cheque in the name of IFTDA. The organization has approximately 10,000 members pan India, with its office at G-8/9/10, Crescent Towers, Near Morya House, Off New Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 053.

IFTDA Covered Categories

IFTDA enrols the following categories of members:

• Directors
• Assistant Directors
• Creative Directors / Head Creative Directors
• Associate Creative Directors / Assistant Creative Directors
• Casting Directors / Assistant Casting Directors

IFTDA Membership Rules

• The membership card must be collected in person or through an authorized person within 10 days of approval. Courier charges are payable in advance.
• The card has a validity period printed on the back and must be renewed on time. A penalty is charged after 2 years of non-payment.
• The card must be available while on duty and produced on demand by authorized IFTDA or FWICE representatives.
• Voting rights are granted to regular members after one year of enrolment.
• Three years of enrolment is mandatory for seeking election to the Executive Committee.
• IFTDA formed an Internal Complaints Committee under POSH (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal Act 2013) guidelines on October 25, 2018. All members must comply with POSH guidelines.

IFTDA Services

IFTDA provides several concrete services to members:

• Dispute Settlement Committee: Resolves disputes between members and producers, including recovery of remuneration dues
• Medicare Welfare Committee: Assists members with medical needs for critical illness, operations, and medicines
• Membership Committee: Reviews applications to identify applicants with genuine passion for filmmaking
• Events Committee: Organizes master classes with established directors and "Baatcheet" sessions for members to share experiences
• Workshops: Training for assistant directors in various crafts including writing, editing, cinematography, and commercial graphics

IFTDA states that its membership is mandatory for directors working in the entertainment industry. The current president is Ashoke Pandit, who has held the role for multiple terms. Past presidents include K.A. Abbas, Basu Bhattacharya, Ramesh Saigal, Mahesh Kaul, and Mohan Segal.

Regional Industry Diversity

Indian cinema's linguistic and geographic diversity creates distinct professional environments for directors across different industries:

Directors working within these regional industries face different financing models, production structures, and creative environments. The DGI's multi-regional scope acknowledges this diversity, while IFTDA's Mumbai base reflects the concentration of Hindi-language production and television in that city.

Industry Regulatory Context

The DGI and IFTDA operate within India's complex film industry regulatory environment:

• Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC): Governs theatrical certification. Commonly known as the Censor Board. IFTDA has historically defended members whose artistic expression faces CBFC challenges.
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: Oversees industry regulation and national film policy
• Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF): Manages India's national and international festival programs, including the National Film Awards
• Film and Television Producers Guild of India: The primary producers' body that interacts with director associations on industry issues

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Directors Working in Hindi Cinema or Television

IFTDA membership is effectively mandatory for directors, assistant directors, and creative directors working in Mumbai-based Hindi film and television. The Rs. 25,001 one-time fee is the entry cost. IFTDA's Dispute Settlement Committee is the primary mechanism for recovering unpaid remuneration from producers, which is a common problem in the Indian industry. Apply through directorsiftda.com.

For Directors Working in Regional Industries

The DGI provides a national-level professional network that crosses regional boundaries, which is valuable in an industry where professional networks tend to be organized along regional lines. However, regional industries also have their own informal and formal associations. Directors in Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam cinema should research whether their specific industry has a regional directors' body with dispute resolution mechanisms similar to IFTDA's.

For International Co-Productions with India

For international productions co-producing with Indian partners, understanding which directors' association is relevant depends on the language and location of the production. For Hindi-language productions based in Mumbai, IFTDA is the relevant body. For regional language productions, the DGI may provide broader context. The CBFC certification process applies to all theatrical releases in India regardless of language.

See Also

For the Hindi-language directors association operating alongside the DGI, see IFTDA in this directory. For the national film awards that recognize directors across all Indian language industries, see National Film Awards India in this directory. For IFTDA membership details and application forms, visit directorsiftda.com. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to estimate production costs for Indian co-productions.