MUMBAI: : Having established the prime time band, Max's focus this year will be to build the afternoon and Sunday blocks.

First to kick off is the `Afternoon Festival' in June with noted actress Madhuri Dixit's ten choicest movies. Romantic, social and family movies will be shown in the afternoon block. "This will mark our first consolidated effort to target and increase our afternoon viewership," says Max business head Albert Almeida.
 
The Dixit festival will start from 20 June and have movies like Khalnayak, Dil, Ram Lakhan, Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam and Beta.

In August, Max plans to launch the Sunday vertical aimed at urban audiences. The block will have a line-up of three thematic and contemporary movies for the family which will be packaged and presented by Max brand icons Mandira Bedi and Sameer Khan. Bedi will watch the movies with a family about whom she will provide information.

"Our focus this year will be to build the afternoon and Sunday blocks while strengthening our existing bands," says Almeida.
 
 

Max managed to create an early evening block with action and thriller movies, riding on a strong prime time band. "In this band, we get young, male audiences mainly from semi-urban and smaller towns. We show action-oriented heroes like Sunny Deol," says Almeida.

As part of the brand building exercise, Max has decided to create a property every month. While Hollywood Hungama is the flavour of the month, afternoon festivals will be the focus in June. "It is dangerous for movie channels to be in the commodity play and be just title driven. We are creating brands," says Almeida.