MUMBAI: The third edition of the IndiEarthXChange 2014 - India's trade event for international music, film, and media –gears up to hit Chennai this December 5th - 7th at The Park Chennai, involving important members of the music, film and media industries from around the world and around India. The XChange's film and music festival will showcase a colourful blend of independent music and film talent from around the world.

As India's definitive trade event, the XChange – through a series of conferences, panel discussions, networking sessions, and programming opportunities, as well as unique music showcases and film screenings – is a platform for the industry to meet in one place, know each other and have their say in the growth and future of the industry. The trade event provides a cost effective single point access to the best of India's artists and professionals, enabling different festivals and markets to come together from around the world and do business with Indian industry members.

In addition to the business and networking opportunities provided at the XChange, there will also be conferences and presentations for and by the music, film and media professionals designed at forging a collective voice for setting industry standards for quality and professionalism. Key delegates and media from the industry who will be present include Gerald Seligman who has been the General Director of WOMEX; Simon Broughton Editor-in-chief of Songlines UK; Anita Iyer Executive Editor of Sound Box magazine; Radhika Bordia from NDTV; international venues like L'Astrolabe (France), and programmers from international festivals like Romuald Requena of Sakifo.

The workshops offered are designed at developing practical hands-on skills in different sectors of the art, film, music and performance space, and include SoundLab 2014 – a Digital Music Production workshop conducted by German producers Justus Kohncke and Cee, being organized in collaboration with Border Movement and Goethe Institut; a workshop by Nilotpal Majumdar of DocEdge on the technical aspect of filmmaking; a workshop on using Ableton Live 9 for live performances with German based musician Madeleine Bloom; and a workshop on music journalism with reputed music critic and Editor-in-chief of Songlines UK Simon Broughton in association with the British Council.

XChangewill also include music showcases from all around the world and screenings of some of the best of independent films with top directors at XChange for discussions and Q&As. Artists performing this year include Rajasthani folk master Kutle Khan Project, electro-world artist Arash from Iran and Reunion Island, live experimental electronica composer/producer Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator, Mumbai based ethnotronic duo Filter Coffee, The Zen Pad Experiment (Feat Business Class Refugees), live electronic duo Madboy/Mink from Mumbai, Australian DJ/VJ collective Blak Wax, Calcutta based alt rock outfit Ganesh Talkies, Mexican singer/songwriterGraciela Maria, Bangalore based fusion rock band Parvaaz, German techno DJ/producer Justus Kohncke, German producer/sound designer Cee, renowned Sufi Kathak dancer ManjariChaturvedi,Chennai based hard rock band Grey Shack, German musician/producer/multi-instrumentalistMadeleine Bloom, powerful Maloya musician Nathalie Natiembe nicknamed "the little punk of Maloya", Reunion Island based Maloya songstress Maya Kamaty, Chennai based live electronica artist Sapta, Bangalore based progressive rock act Until We Last, and versatile global fusion composer/producer Vivek Rajagopalan. More artistes to be announced shortly.

With over 22 films being screened, XChange's film program is aimed at showcasing a blend of difficult-to-access, rare films sourced from India's film archives such as Yes, It's On! - to 2014 releases from the wealth of independent artistry across the globe. The selection includes Nishtha Jain's award winning documentary Gulabi Gang, renowned animation artist GitanjaliRao's True Love Story, Anand Gandhi's philosophical masterpiece Ship Of Theseus, Betty Martin's I Wasn't Always Dressed Like This - an intimate portrayal of the thoughts, ideas and reflections of three Muslim women, EarthSync's documentary Covelong Point which tells the story of India's first surfing village, and a fisherman named Murthy pursuing his surfing dream; Korean director YooDaeEol's short comedy The Brass Quintet about Sergeant Shin and his military band, and many others.

Entry to the music and film festivals is free to ensure audience participation in the independent arts. In just the past year alone, IndiEarth has programmed over 160 Indian and International independent artists, and screened over 175 independent films at various IndiEarthplatforms. Indian performers at the XChange 2012 & 2013 - including Ravi Iyer, Teddy Boy Kill, Business Class Refugees, Shaa'ir&Func, Audio Pervert, and Nucleya - were handpicked after their performances by programmers present at XChange, and given the opportunity to perform at international festivals.