Category: Hindi

MUMBAI

: Breakthrough’s 5th Tri Continental Film Festival is screening 28 human rights documentary films from the global south, comprising approximately 20 countries.

The festival, which ends on 25 January, will see 11 Asia premieres, eight India premieres and one World premiere. The four sections in the festival this year are:

Body Public – The section will showcase six films from five countries. Four are from India and two co-productions from Spain/South Africa and Canada/Iran. The films explore the engagements of the human body with the public space.

Not All in Good Faith – Seven films from nine countries will probe and bring to the forefront the indignity and exploitation rendered by neo-liberal development ventures and businesses across the globe.

The Line That Defines – Dwelling on the post-modern subject of border crossing, this section comprises four films from five countries. In different ways, the films trace the role of the political border in the making of a refugee, an exile or an illegal immigrant.

Zones of War – Any area marked by extreme violence can be broadly termed as a war zone. Eleven films from nine countries explore these zones of violence and aggression in various historical and contemporary circumstances around the world.

Speaking on the selection of films, festival director Alika Khosla says, “This year’s selection of 28 films from more than 20 countries not just represent these protagonists but also gives them a voice that we are sure will resonate with our own circumstances close to home.”

The 5th Tri Continental Film Festival jury comprises Aruna Vasudev (India), Nick Deocampo (The Philippines), Madhusree Dutta (India), Amir Muhammad (Malaysia) and Anurag Kashyap (India).

“Watching these documentaries from all over the world is an eye opener. You see the sheer courage of the people in their ordeal to survive. Everyone should watch these films, it’s a rare chance to get a glimpse of the world that we some times don’t know about,” said Anurag Kashyap.

NEW DELHI: The 5th International Children’s Film Festival closed here earlier this week with all participants emphasizing the importance of making meaningful films that were entertaining and yet sent subtle messages that the young could understand.

A major effect of the festival was the large number of children who said they wanted training to be able to make animation and live action films for the young.

Karnataka Secretary for Kannada, Culture and Information B R Jayaramaraje Urs said the very fact that several thousand children from more than 50 schools had attended the festival, and the fact that it had been held in five towns and cities of the state simultaneously, showed how popular children’s films could be.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Festival, he promised all help from the state for promotion of children’s cinema in the state and said the Government was actively considering the subsidy for children’s films from two to four films every year. At present, two films get Rs 2.5 million each per year.

Others present at the closing ceremony included Mr A R Raju who is a former Vice-President of the Film Federation of India, star Ramesh Arvind who stole many hearts with his presence and antics on the stage, and director V Manohar. They made a plea to parents to ensure the young got to see good films and said it was necessary for the government or the exhibition sector to make arrangements for such screenings.

The Festival, organized by the non-governmental Children’s India in five different towns and cities in Karnataka, was aimed at ensuring that children even in remote places got to see good films. The Festival was held simultaneously at Bangalore, Tumkur, Davangere, Bijapur and Hampi (Hospet). The District Commissioners along with local NGOs supported the Festival at all the venues outside Bengaluru and ensured greater participation of children.

Several foreign delegates had attended the Festival. They included Gerardo Nieto who is Director of the Carthagena International Film Festival in Colombia, Bangladesh filmmaker Khalid Mehmood Mithu along with his children Arjo Shrestho and Shiropa Purna who are also filmmakers in their own right, Italian filmmaker Giuseppe Varlotta, and Anis Ben Mohammed who is in charge of International Affairs in the International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Tunisia.

Urs also released the souvenir of the Festival, which apart from giving details of the Festival and having several articles on children’s cinema, also has messages of President Pratibha Patil, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur who had inaugurated the Festival, Karnataka Information Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, and Children’s Film Society, India, CEO Kuldeep Sinha who was the Guest of Honour at the inauguration. The Festival was also attended by Andhra Pradesh Children’s Film Society Chairman M Vedakumar.

In a surprise announcement, Anis announced a proposal for a co-production between Colombia, Italy, Tunisia and India for a children’s film.

N R Nanjunde Gowda, founder of Children’s India, called upon children who had ideas to come forward the way Master Kishen or the two children from Bangladesh were doing. He said his organization would annually organize a workshop for children on filmmaking.

Master Likhit, who has won the Karnataka State Best Child Actor award for his role in the film ‘Naanu Gandhi’ was felicitated on the occasion. The film’s director Nanjunde Gowda earlier received an award from Carthagena International Film Festival in Colombia Gerardo Nieto in the Children’s films (education) category.

More than 40 films from over ten countries including India had been screened at all the venues in the five towns and cities. A seminar on the future of children’s cinema in the age of television, and Open Forum discussions with all the delegates and directors from India and overseas, were also held during the Festival.

The Festival had special packages from Colombia and Bangladesh apart from films from Italy, Iran, Germany, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, China, the United States and other countries. The Festival also paid a tribute to 75 years of Kannada cinema with the screening of nine acclaimed children’s films.

NEW DELHI: Moser Baer Entertainment has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against movie rental company Seventymm Services (Seventymm.com), seeking compensation of Rs 500 million for violating its exclusive video rental rights.

Moser Baer has alleged that Seventymm is offering 434 movies for which it does not have the rights. Moser Baer has acquired the sole and exclusive video rental rights for these films.

The titles include popular Hindi films like Jab We Met, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Yuva, Shaurya, 36 China Town, Garam Masala, Hungama, Halla Bol, Apna Sapna Money Money etc.

Moser Baer is also seeking an injunction preventing the movie rental company from renting the titles further.

When contacted, Seventymm founder Raghav Kher declined to comment.

NEW DELHI: 42 Kms, a film based on the Mumbai Marathon, has failed to get any relief from the Bombay High Court which has asked the producers to go back to the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT).

42 Kms‘s producers, Matrix Media and Nisha Chainani, are locked in a battle with Standard Chartered Bank over amounts lent by the bank. The bank contends that the rights of the film had been assigned to it after the producers borrowed Rs 12.5 million.

Earlier, Standard Chartered had obtained an order of status quo from the DRT on 2 January, which is still continuing.

The court has asked the producers to go back to the DRT and then to the appellate tribunal before approaching it.

NEW DELHI: Breakthrough Films & Television and Six Island Productions have started shooting the new film, A Wake, and expect to wrap it up by 30 January.

Breakthrough Films & Television will be selling and distributing the film, which is scheduled for theatrical and festival releases later this year.

A Wake is a comedic feature that follows six members of a formerly renowned theatre company as they come together for the funeral wake of its infamous director. As the grieving widow begrudgingly welcomes the thespians to her house, the proceedings go awry when old rivalries and jealousies erupt, exposing a myriad of secrets and lies.

The film is being directed by Penelope Buitenhuis of Ashes to Ashes fame.

MUMBAI: Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, which has collected $43 million at the US box office, has bagged ten Oscar nominations this year. Indian musician maestro AR Rehman has won three nominations including one for original score and two other for original song compositions.

Slumdog, which will be released in India on 23 January, has received nominations in categories that include:

Achievement in cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle),
Achievement in direction (Danny Boyle),
Achievement in film editing (Chris Dickens),
Achievement in music – original score (A R Rahman)
Achievement in music – original song, two nominations (A R Rahman)
Best motion picture (Christian Colson)
Achievement in sound editing (Tom Sayers)
Achievement in sound mixing (Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty)
Adapted screenplay (Simon Beaufoy)

Earlier, AR Rahman had bagged the best original score award at the 66th annual Golden Globe Awards for Slumdog Millionaire.

The film had also won the best director award for Danny Boyle while Simon Beaufoy had swept off the best screenplay award. Slumdog was also named the Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globe.

“Slumdog” revolves around the story of an 18 year-old orphan from the Mumbai slums who wins an astounding Rs 20 million on India‘s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” game show.

The 81st Academy Awards will be held on 22 February at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

MUMBAI: Hit by the global recession bug, Warner Bros. Entertainment has announced that that it would cut 800 jobs, or 10 per cent of its worldwide staff.

Despite releasing good revenue earning films like The Dark Knight last year, the company states that the slump in DVD sales and the slow uptake of Blu-ray discs led them to take this decision.

Studio chiefs of Time Warner Inc‘s Warner Bros sent an email to the employees worldwide stating that they would have to cut jobs due to the current economic downturn in the coming weeks.

 

MUMBAI: MySpace has introduced their ‘Black Curtain’ screening programme for its Indian users. Beginning with four times Golden Globe winner Slumdog Millionaire, the programme offers MySpace users a free access to the latest movies prior to public release.

Slumdog Millionaire will be screened for MySpace users at the Fame theatre in Mumbai on 23 January. Also, users will be witnessing interactive games, photo opportunities and celebrity meet-and-greets.

MySpace India‘s country manager Hari Krishnan said, “India has a rich history and a vibrant movie industry and we believe that ‘Black Curtain Screenings’ will not only engage and excite users but also provide a powerful platform for studios to effectively promote their films.”

Following this launch, MySpace will be hosting a series of screenings showcasing the most anticipated Bollywood, Hollywood and new world movies prior to their commercial release across India.

The company is also anticipating collaboration with other movie studios, as with Fox Star Studios on this occasion to continue to roll out entertainment marketing programs for users and movie lovers.

“This platform is aimed at enhancing brand and user engagement, and provides a highly effective marketing method for movie distributors,” said MySpace India director marketing Tarun Tripathi. “The MySpace India community is a highly creative and culturally aware group of individuals who provide an exciting pool of target key opinion formers to build discussion and interest amongst their peers about a new release.”

MUMBAI: Sanjeev Kohli has put in his papers as chief executive officer of Yash Raj Films (YRF). Kohli will, however, continue his association with YRF as a consultant.

“I will continue my association with YRF as a consultant hereafter. This will enable me to find time to indulge in my different pursuits as well as still give me the opportunity to continue to participate in the strategic matters of the company and be a part of its future growth,” Kohli stated in his letter to the company.

Kohli joined YRF as its first CEO in 2000.

In 1995 he joined Yash Chopra in the television business for Metavision, which produced music-based shows for television channels as well as music videos and albums for music companies.

Kohli did his MBA from IIM-Calcutta in 1979 and joined Polydor (now Universal) as its Artiste & Repertoire Manager. In 1984, he joined music label HMV as its general manager (A&R and Marketing).

MUMBAI: Warner Brothers‘ maiden Hindi movie Chandni Chowk to China has collected Rs 450 million at the box office in the opening weekend.

Made on a budget of Rs 800 million, the movie has pulled in Rs 330 million from the Indian market while the remaining Rs 120 million has come from overseas.

“Chandni Chowk to China has got the widest release for a Bollywood film, releasing across over 1500 screens. The film was released across 1400 screens in India while it saw a 135-screen release in the US. Apart from the US, the film has witnessed a good response in the UK and UAE too,” claims Warner Bros India director sales Neeraj Goswami.

Chandni Chowk to China, which has already reached markets like Hong-Kong, Malaysia, Norway and Europe, will now be released in Japan with sub-titles.

“We will be releasing Chandni Chowk to China in Japan on 23 January with sub-titles,” Goswami adds.

The Akshay Kumar-starrer is a co-production between Warner Brothers and Ramesh Sippy that saw a simultaneous release worldwide on 16 January.