ITV

Category: iWorld

  • Skyesports and MOGO partner for Rs ten lakh collegiate Esports championship

    Skyesports and MOGO partner for Rs ten lakh collegiate Esports championship

    Mumbai: Skyesports, India’s leading Esports tournament organizer, has partnered with collegiate Esports platform, Mobile Global Esports Inc. MOGO to host the country’s biggest collegiate Esports tournaments. The ‘MOGO National Championship’ with a prize pool of more than Rs ten lakhs is set to culminate with its LAN Finals, hosted by Skyesports, from 18 to 22 September at the Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, India.

    The MOGO National Championship is an initiative to bridge the gap between traditional sports and Esports while making competitive gaming a major part of collegiate events. Following exhilarating qualifiers that took place across all major national colleges, 16 teams will be competing in the Valorant title at the grand LAN Finals inside the state-of-the-art 2,000-seat arena in the LPU.

    Commenting on the partnership with the MOGO National Championship, Skyesports’ founder and CEO, Shiva Nandy, said, “Having a well-developed ecosystem for collegiate Esports is important to nurture talent and grow Esports from the grassroots level. The MOGO National Championship is doing just that with its pan-India format targeting all major colleges and the LAN Finale at the LPU. All the best to the 16 college teams competing in the inaugural Finale and I look forward to working together with MOGO to bring more events at the collegiate level.”

    The MOGO National Championship featured a rigorous qualifiers stage, with over 100 teams registering to compete in the event. The qualifiers were split into four divisions: West, South, North, and Central to ensure regional penetration across Indian colleges. The 16 qualified colleges will be competing across a single-elimination bracket to determine the champions with the winners of the LAN finals being rewarded with Rs four lakhs in prize money.

    “MOGO is thrilled to be part of this exciting collaboration with Skyesports for the MOGO National Championship,” said Mobile Global Esports Inc. CEO Dave Pross “Our mission has always been to foster the growth of Esports at the collegiate level, and this partnership exemplifies our commitment to making competitive gaming a major part of collegiate events. We’re excited to witness the talents of these 16 college teams on display and look forward to many more such collaborations that will continue to elevate Esports in India.”

    According to the “Windows of Opportunity” report on India’s Media and Entertainment industry by FICCI-EY, Esports teams in India grew by ten per cent, from 100,000 in 2021 to 110,000 in 2022, and they are estimated to reach 125,000 in 2023. This partnership between Skyesports and MOGO to host one of India’s biggest Esports tournaments at the collegiate level will provide aspiring teams the perfect platform to make a name for themselves in the Indian Esports community.

    The list of esteemed colleges competing in the finale are MIT WPU, Mumbai University, Pune University, SIES, JECRC University, DIT University, Poornima University, VIT Bhopal, Francis Xavier, SRM KTR, Manipal University, IIT Madras, Chandigarh University, IGNOU, Chitkara University, and Lovely Professional University.

    Fans from across the nation can tune into the electrifying Esports action live on the Skyesports and MOGO Loco, Rooter, and YouTube channels.

  • Swagger Sharma: ‘Lucky Guy’ stands out for its core human emotions

    Swagger Sharma: ‘Lucky Guy’ stands out for its core human emotions

    Mumbai: Amazon miniTV, Amazon’s free video streaming service, recently released a fantasy drama, Lucky Guy, an ode to family, friendship, love, and fortune. It narrates the story of a young boy, following his journey of luck and emotions where his life changes after receiving a locket. Featuring Swagger Sharma in the lead, portraying the character of Lucky, a college-going student with big dreams and good luck the show is a slice-of-life drama that entertains viewers with its unique storyline and endearing characters.

    Commenting on the script, Swagger stated, “I actually wrote the script so didn’t have the experience of reading it fresh but when I first saw the fully-edited version in one go, I got goosebumps during the climax. Even though I wrote it, after seeing the edited version I gave myself a pat on the back for creating something good and worthwhile.”

    Additionally, Swagger outlined the unique element of the show, making it a must-watch for viewers, “While on the face it’s a fantasy tale, where a boy receives a locket bringing him immense luck and changing his life, for me the show’s true USP is its portrayal of core human emotions. We have depicted the bond of a boy with his family and his grandmother whom he is so close to. It showcases the typical Indian family where he and his father don’t talk much with each other, a best friend whom he unknowingly annoys every time and then his love story in college. Everything we go through in college, along with studies, love interests, and how things get tangled if not handled properly, impacts his life and career. We have tapped into this human life and the real-world scenarios in the show. Viewers would surely resonate with some or the other characters and relationships in Lucky Guy.”

    Embark on the journey of good fortune with Lucky Guy, streaming live on Amazon miniTV, for free within the Amazon shopping app, on Fire TV and on the Play Store.

  • Creative Monkey Games wins Best Gaming Startup of the Year Award by FICCI

    Creative Monkey Games wins Best Gaming Startup of the Year Award by FICCI

    Mumbai: Creative Monkey Games, a leading mobile gaming platform, has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Best Gaming Startup of the Year’ Award at the FICCI-Bionic enabled – Future Innovation Reskilling Start-up Transformation (FIRST) 2023 Summit and Awards. This recognition underscores Creative Monkey Games’ exceptional contributions to the gaming industry and its commitment to providing immersive and innovative gaming experiences.

    The FICCI-FIRST Summit and Awards, held in Chennai, celebrated Creative Monkey Games for its remarkable journey in the world of mobile gaming. The Company has gained worldwide acclaim, boasting over 40 million downloads globally and a diverse collection of more than 50 games.

    Creative Monkey Games CEO, co-founder & technology entrepreneur Deepak Aravind, expressed his excitement about receiving the award, stating, “This recognition by FICCI is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team at Creative Monkey Games. Kavitha and Me founded this Company with a vision to offer the best mobile gaming experiences globally, and I am thrilled to see that vision come to life. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of mobile gaming with innovative ideas and captivating content.”

    Creative Monkey Games has emerged as a frontrunner in the cricket gaming category, with titles such as World Cricket Battle 2 and Cricket Gangsta™ gaining immense popularity among players worldwide. These games offer fun-filled gameplay, cutting-edge graphics, intuitive controls, and dynamic features that redefine the mobile gaming experience. Furthermore, Creative Monkey Games is set to revolutionise the e-Sports industry by introducing Gully Cricket, a move that is expected to elevate the gaming industry to new heights.

    Creative Monkey Games operates on a Freemium model, allowing users to download games for free from both the App Store and Google Play Store. The company generates revenue through in-app purchases, subscriptions and advertisements, making it accessible to a wide range of gamers.

  • Jagran Film Festival reveals star-studded jury for features and shorts

    Jagran Film Festival reveals star-studded jury for features and shorts

    Mumbai: The 11 editions of the Jagran Film Festival (JFF), recognised as the world’s largest travelling film festival, have revealed its panel of judges for the feature film and short film segments. In a distinctive approach, the festival will have distinct jury members for each category – Feature Films and Short Films. With its 11 seasons, the festival has enlisted highly experienced figures from the industry as jury members. The distinguished jury for this year comprises celebrated Indian directors, editors, screenwriters, and film critics.

    The ‘Best Feature Film Award category’ will have its feature films evaluated by a panel consisting of Rahul Rawail, known for directing and editing Indian classics like Love Story, Betaab, Arjun, Dacait, Anjaam, Arjun Pandit, and the recent release Jo Bole So Nihaal. Additionally, Girish Kasaravalli, a well-established Kannada film director with a remarkable tally of fourteen national awards, and Juhi Chaturvedi, the accomplished screenwriter behind acclaimed Bollywood hits such as Vicky Donor, Piku, October, and Gulabo Sitabo, will be part of the panel.

    The assessment of short films will be undertaken by a distinguished panel of jurors, including A. Sreekar Prasad, a renowned film editor from the Telugu and Tamil film industry, with a remarkable nine national film awards to his credit. Joining him is Haobam Paban Kumar, an accomplished filmmaker honoured with the National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation, and Baradwaj Rangan, a respected film critic and editor-in-chief of Galatta Plus, who formerly served as an editor at film companion (South). Following their review of the films, the jurors will proceed to select the recipient of the Best Short Film award category.

    Both categories are dedicated to honouring and celebrating the outstanding achievements of directors and filmmakers who bring remarkable narratives to life through the medium of feature and short films. It’s a platform designed to recognize the exceptional storytelling and creative prowess that these artists exhibit within their respective formats, highlighting their significant contributions to the world of cinema.

    Jagran Prakashan Sr VP, strategy, brand and business development Basant Rathore, said, we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our esteemed jury, entrusted with the challenging task of choosing the best amongst equals. Anticipating some exciting times as the festival marches ahead in its journey.

    Jagran Film Festival has gained immense popularity and each year it attempts to present a treat for cinema lovers by showing unique and popular movies during the show. Some prominent sections of the festival are In conversation, World Panorama, Homage, Country Focus, Asia Premiere, World Premiere, and the Retrospective of Films.

    The world’s largest travelling film festival is all set to enrapture audiences with an exceptional array of world-class films from all around the globe. The Jagran Film Festival started in Delhi on 3 August and has travelled through Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Bareilly and will travel to, Dehradun, Hisar, Gurgaon, Ludhiana, Patna, Darbhanga, Ranchi, Raipur, Indore, and Siliguri. For registration log on to: www.jff.co.in. The award ceremony will happen in Mumbai on 15 October 2023.

  • Red FM’s South Side Story Season 5 – Mumbai edition: An immense success

    Red FM’s South Side Story Season 5 – Mumbai edition: An immense success

    Mumbai: 93.5 RED FM, India’s leading private radio and entertainment network’s event ‘South Side Story Season 5’ – Mumbai edition proved to be a tremendous success. The event held at Richardson & Cruddas, Byculla witnessed an incredible turnout, with music lovers braving the rain to be a part of this unforgettable experience.

    South Side Story season five featured exceptional performances by Aattam Kalasamithi ft The Theikkinkaadu Band, Maalavika Sundar, Sean Roldan & Friends, Arivu, Agam, and Thaikkudam Bridge. Beyond the captivating music, attendees had the opportunity to indulge in a sumptuous spread of Sadhya and other South Indian delicacies, and refreshing beverages.

    In light of the tremendous success of the Mumbai edition, Red FM is thrilled to announce the next stop in Delhi for the musical journey. South Side Story Season 5 – Delhi Edition is set to take place on 16 September 2023, at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. This edition promises a unique blend of hip-hop, rap artists, and playback singer and composers like Thirumali, Arivu, Humankind, All OK, Neeraj Madhav & Sithara’s Project Malabaricus who will take the stage to deliver unforgettable performances. The Delhi edition will be headlined by Karthik.

    Speaking on this announcement, RED FM, and Magic FM director & COO Nisha Narayanan stated “Our vision to introduce diversity in the regional music space has appropriately translated into South Side Story. The Mumbai edition was a testament to the colossal celebration of our humble effort to bring the south of India to the metros. We were delighted to witness a massive turnout of our audience that even the torrential rains were not able to cease the spirit of the festive season. By joining in wearing traditional South Indian attire and celebrating the various ingredients of the South, the Mumbai audience came through. We are eagerly awaiting to recreate or take the celebrations a few notches higher in Delhi.”

    Mark your calendars and prepare to immerse yourself in the colors, sounds, and flavors of South India. The tickets are available on Skillbox.

    https://bit.ly/SSS2023_PressRelease

  • WhatsApp collabs with Star Sports to highlight its privacy features’ power

    WhatsApp collabs with Star Sports to highlight its privacy features’ power

    Mumbai: Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster, has unveiled an insightful social-first collaboration with WhatsApp, ‘Privacy Unplugged’- a captivating five-part short-form content series, facilitated by Starcom, that underscores the paramount significance of privacy features within today’s digital realm. This exclusive property presents poignant and personal narratives of our much-loved sporting champions, intricately woven around the central tenet of privacy.

    The line-up features eminent cricket stars including Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, prodigious cricket talent Jemimah Rodrigues, hockey icon Rani Rampal, and accomplished footballer Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Each athlete’s unique story serves as a powerful catalyst for widespread awareness, highlighting the advanced privacy features introduced by WhatsApp, and further emphasizing the platform’s unwavering commitment to user safety and data protection.

    Speaking about the association with WhatsApp (Meta), Star Sports head – ad sales Kingshuk Mitra said, “This marks our third collaboration with Meta, and we’re excited to be associating with WhatsApp for the ongoing ‘Privacy Unplugged’ series. We’ve brought on board a few highly regarded sports stars to emphasize the importance of privacy in today’s interconnected world. Star Sports’ extensive reach of 30 million fans across social media platforms enables WhatsApp to effectively spread the campaign’s message. This content series also lays the groundwork for potential collaborations with other brands, allowing us to craft compelling stories that deeply connect with our audience.”

    Meta strategic media planning lead APAC Natasha Kapoor said, “We’re thrilled to associate with Star Sports to highlight the importance of secure and private messaging, through the personal stories of some of India’s top athletes. It’s a great privilege that millions of Indians trust WhatsApp to deliver their personal messages everyday. This series reinforces the role that WhatsApp’s multiple privacy features play in enabling our users to stay connected with their loved ones, have meaningful conversations and even express their authentic selves, privately.”

    Chief operating officer Niti Kumar said, “Starcom discovered that India’s beloved athletes, respected by millions, hold an exceptional talent for safeguarding the most critical aspects of their lives even as they artfully define their individual understandings of ‘privacy’. This insightful discovery enabled Starcom to bring about a strategic partnership between WhatsApp and Star Sports, which aims to unravel the narratives around privacy in the lives of India’s premier athletes.”

    The Privacy Unplugged series spotlights the need for privacy in the lives of athletes. Each story underlines how WhatsApp’s built-in layers of privacy help create a safe space for our champions to express themselves freely and have their most private conversations.

    Content Showcase

    Rishabh Pant: Recovery in Private: After a life-threatening accident, Rishabh Pant’s private recovery journey becomes the focal point. WhatsApp’s End-to-End Encrypted platform empowers him and gives him a safe space to share his progress securely with family, friends, mentors, and coaches.

     

     

    Shreyas Iyer: Finding confidence in Private: Shreyas Iyer uses WhatsApp’s ‘View Once’ feature to share his favorite magic tricks, fostering private conversations that encourage young cricketers to open up about their challenges in a space they feel comfortable in.

     

     

    Jemimah Rodrigues: Being herself in Private: WhatsApp’s ‘Chat Lock’ feature help’s Jemimah Rodrigues secure her private conversations with a select group of friends, allowing her to maintain her public image while being her homebody self in private amongst her girl tribe.

     

     

    Gurpreet Singh Sandhu: Finding focus in Private: As India’s top goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu relies on WhatsApp’s ‘Silence Unknown Callers’ feature to cut out the white noise and eliminate spam, preserving his mental focus during rigorous training.

     

     

    Rani Rampal: Training in Private: Rani Rampal leverages WhatsApp’s ‘Online Presence’ privacy feature to stay connected, mentor and give dedicated time to the next generation of girls aspiring to play hockey for India, offering them a secure and personal space for learning.

     

     

  • TakeTen is back for its second edition, but with a twist!

    TakeTen is back for its second edition, but with a twist!

    Mumbai: The first successful edition of the Take Ten initiative, a workshop and competition by Netflix and Film Companion to discover and support emerging Indian creators from varied backgrounds, provided a stage for 10 new filmmakers to shine.

    This year, we are again partnering up with the aim of finding and nurturing the talent of five new series creators.

    The new batch of storytellers will be given an exciting opportunity to:

    • Attend exclusively curated workshops by some of the best creative talent in the industry like Prashant Nair, Raj Nidimoru, Gazal Dhaliwal, Varun Grover, Utsab Nath, Tanuj Chopra, Sanyukta Kaza, Pranav Thakkar and Sidharth Meer.
    • Make a fully funded pilot for a series with a grant of Rs.12 Lakhs each.
    • Get a chance to be featured on Netflix India’s Youtube channel

    The competition is open for submissions at the official Take Ten website: https://www.taketen.in/  

  • One of the most diverse experiences I’ve ever had: Josh Lucas on Lionsgate Play’s Black Demon

    One of the most diverse experiences I’ve ever had: Josh Lucas on Lionsgate Play’s Black Demon

    Mumbai: Man vs. beast at its finest! Lionsgate Play presents Black Demon starring the charismatic Josh Lucas in the lead role as he takes a work-family vacation. However, lurking in the shadows is an ancient curse, cast by vengeful deities, that threatens all that dare cross its path. This malevolent curse spares no one, as a solitary Megalodon circles the El Diamante oil rig, unleashing its fury upon anyone who dares to venture too close. Joining Josh Lucas in this heart-pounding Lionsgate Play thriller are the talented Fernanda Urrejola, Julio Cesar Cedillo, and Venus Ariel. Catch the exclusive premiere of Black Demon on 8 September exclusively on Lionsgate Play, and prepare for a showdown like no other.

    Talking about his character, lead actor Josh Lucas said, “I play Paul Sturgis, who is an oilman. In the sense, he’s an inspector of oil rigs. He is also a guy who goes on a family vacation slash work trip down to Baja… he takes his family there for a kind of mix ‘work and pleasure weekend’ as he’s doing an inspection of an oil rig called El Diamante. So yes, his job is to inspect the rig and make sure that everything’s running safely.”

    Further elaborating on his experience as a filmmaker, “It’s been one of the most diverse experiences I’ve ever had from a filmmaking standpoint, which is one of the things I love most about getting to travel and work with people from all over the world.”

    Watch the curse of nature be brought on men, as Josh Lucas stars in Lionsgate Play’s Black Demon.

  • Team Top-G wins DOTA 2 NESC 2023

    Team Top-G wins DOTA 2 NESC 2023

    Mumbai: Displaying exceptional teamwork and stellar gameplay, Team Top-G prevailed in the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2023, organized by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), and qualified for the regional qualifiers of the Global Esports Games (GEG) 2023. The team will now battle it out against Malaysia and Mongolia in the regionals to secure their berth in the global finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Under the leadership of Manav Kunte (mnz), the squad comprising Krish Gupta (Krish-), Khaja Hussain (Pinkman), Ketan Goyal (Evil-ash), Vishal Vernekar (Hbk) and substitute Darshan Bata (A35) toppled The Mob by 2-0 in the best-of-three finals. Team Top-G had also represented India in the Asian qualifiers of DOTA 2 for the 15th World Esports Championships earlier this year.

    Expressing his enthusiasm for the victory, Top-G team captain Manav Kunte said, “Winning the NESC 2023 for the second time this year is a surreal feeling. Securing our spot in the regional qualifiers for GEG23 is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and skill set of every team member. We want to express our gratitude to ESFI for providing the platform for us to represent India on the global stage and we are determined to make our nation proud.”

    The first game of the finals witnessed both teams going neck-to-neck with Top-G edging out their opponents by 51-32 to take the lead. The second game however was thoroughly lopsided and Top-G comfortably overpowered The Mob by 24-6 to be crowned champions. The squad’s prominent players Vishal and Ketan were also part of the historic DOTA 2 team that clinched the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in 2022.

    “We congratulate Team Top-G on their brilliant performance in the NESC 2023. By successfully qualifying for the regional qualifiers of two of the biggest Esports tournaments in the world, they have established themselves as the best DOTA 2 team in the country. We are confident that their remarkable talent will help the country ace the regional qualifiers and make their mark in Riyadh,” commented Esports Federation of India director & Asian Esports Federation (AESF) VP  Lokesh Suji.

    The Global Esports Games 2023 (GEG23) is scheduled to take place from  11 to 16 December and will feature a total of four major titles: DOTA 2, Street Fighter, eFootball 2023, and PUBG Mobile with all participants being above the minimum age of 18, to ensure a fair and competitive environment. India will be participating in three of the four titles in the Open category – DOTA 2, eFootball 2023, and Street Fighter 6.

    One of the country’s top sports and esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will continue its support to the Esports Federation of India as their official communication partner.

    Following the conclusion of the national qualifiers for DOTA 2, the qualifiers for eFootball 2023 and Street Fighter 6 will kick off on 9 September.

    The NESC’23 will be played in a double-elimination format. The exciting action from the Championships will be streamed live on ESFI’s official YouTube and Facebook pages.

  • Monk Entertainment expands in South India, adds top talent

    Monk Entertainment expands in South India, adds top talent

    Mumbai: Monk Entertainment (Monk-E), a content marketing and creator management company, is all set to expand its footprint in talent representation and digital marketing in South India by onboarding the core team of Fabsquad Media. Aju Philip,ex-COO will now be looking after the creator program and Aishwarya Gunjal, ex-CFO will be looking into the business operations in the south division.

    After successfully backing and supporting some of the biggest names from South India in the content creation industry like Niharika NM, Madan Gowri, and Kishen Das, among others, Monk Entertainment will enable and strengthen creators like Chaithania Prakash, Mabu Sherif, Shaz Mohamed, to name a few.

    Armed with their proficiency in four key South Indian languages (Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada), the newly recruited team will ensure a strong presence for the company in those markets. By establishing a South division, Monk Entertainment aims to nurture and collaborate with talents in the region to boost the creator economy across India as part of its larger vision.

    Monk Entertainment co-founder and CEO Viraj Sheth said, “Our vision entails a future where creators from South India not only present their unique culture, diversity and skills through their content but are also justly compensated like their peers in Mumbai and Delhi for the value that they create. We also intend to work in tandem with the brands and companies operating in this region to help them unleash the power of content and influencer marketing.”

    With this strategic expansion, Monk Entertainment is primed to work with creators to help bridge the gap between regional acclaim and nationwide recognition and with brands in this market to help them unlock the potential of content marketing with the help of creators.