Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: Paramount Digital Entertainment, a division of the Hollywood studio major Paramount, has announced that the Iron Man: Aerial Assault game for the iPhone and iPod touch is available on the Apple App Store.

The game is based on the 2008 Marvel Studios film, released by Paramount Pictures.

The game gives players the opportunity to play as Iron Man and engage in aerial combat and challenges that require quick maneuvering and accurate shooting. As players navigate through high altitude battles, they will soar through 12 different levels of airborne combat where menacing enemies will not rest until they have conquered the skies. To aid in the mission, players have access to high-powered weaponry and strategic flying mechanisms that will serve to eliminate those that stand in Iron Man‘s path.

Using an upgradeable, high-powered armor developed by Stark Industries, players will hone their skills by using a variety of weapons to battle through wave after wave of enemy units. With the touch of a thumb, players can access, charge and fire an arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons including repulsor blasts, missiles, and the devastating Unibeam.

Developed by doublesix, the game utilises the innovative technology in iPhone and iPod touch.

MUMBAI: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has shortlisted 15 films as semi-finalists for the achievement in visual effects category for the 81st Academy Awards.

These 15 films include Australia, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Cloverfield, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Hancock, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones and the, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Quantum of Solace and The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Early January, the members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, who voted for these semifinalists, will narrow the list to seven. The committee members will then be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven short-listed films on 15 January, post which they will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

The final nominations will be announced on 22 January.

MUMBAI: At next year‘s Oscar Awards, comic actor, director, writer and producer Jerry Lewis will get the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The award, an Oscar statuette, will be presented to Lewis during the 81st Academy Awards ceremony on 22 February.

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis says, “Jerry is a legendary comedian who has not only brought laughter to millions around the world but has also helped thousands upon thousands by raising funds and awareness for those suffering from muscular dystrophy.”

Lewis first found fame as part of a nightclub act with his partner, Dean Martin. The comedy team of Martin and Lewis made their screen debut in My Friend Irma in 1949 and starred in 16 films together through 1956. Lewis went on to star in more than two dozen films, including The Bellboy, The Ladies’ Man and The Nutty Professor.

MUMBAI: The Screen Actors Guild (Sag) in the US has announced that strike authorisation ballots will be mailed to paid-up members on 2 January and will be tabulated on 23 January.

A yes vote by 75 per cent of members voting is required to pass the measure, which would authorise Sag‘s national board of directors to call a strike, if and when the board determines it is necessary.

Sag national president Alan Rosenberg said, ”Sag members understand that their futures as professional actors are at stake and I believe that Sag members will evaluate the AMPTP’s June 30 offer, and vote to send us back to the table with the threat of a strike. A yes vote sends a strong message that we are serious about fending off rollbacks and getting what is fair for actors in new media. I am encouraged by the response of the capacity crowd at our Los Angeles town hall meeting Monday night.”

Sag national executive director and chief negotiator, Doug Allen added, ”We want SAG members to have time to focus on this critical referendum, so we have decided to mail ballots the day after New Year‘s. We will continue our comprehensive education campaign and urge our members to vote yes on the strike authorization. I am confident that members around the country will empower our negotiating team with the leverage and strength of unified Screen Actors Guild members. Our objective remains to get a deal that Sag members will ratify- not to go on strike”.

MUMBAI: The fifth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, which kicked off on 11 December with the screening of the political biography film “W” about US President George Bush, will showcase 179 films from approximately 60 countries. These include features, documentaries and short films.

The eight-day festival, which aims to act as a platform for showcasing good Arab films, will see 38 Arab films and 41 films from Asia and Africa compete for the Muhr Awards in the categories of features, shorts and documentaries.

In 2006 the organizers introduced The Muhr Awards for Excellence in Cinema with an aim to recognize Arab filmmakers both regionally and internationally.

Additionally, the festival will give away its lifetime achievement award to three directors – Terry Gilliam from the United States, Tsui Hark from Hong Kong and Rachid Bouchareb from France.

MUMBAI: Actress Nandita Das’ first directorial venture Firaaq, which talks about sectarian violence in Gujarat, has bagged the best film award at the Asian Festival of 1st Films in Singapore.

The film, co-written by Nandita Das, also won the best screenplay and Foreign Correspondents Association Purple Orchid award.

Dante Nico Garcia swept away the best director award for Ploning. China‘s Jia Xuhua took away the best actress award for The Mountain and the Song while Bosco Francis was named best actor for playing a magician in My Magic.

The Asian Festival of 1st Films showcases first time documentaries and films across award categories including producers, directors, actors, screenplay writers and technicians.

NEW DELHI: The Japanese Film Festival, which commenced as a part of the Second Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF), is set to screen children’s film Summer Days with Coo, directed by Hara Keiichi.

The film is about a mythological character in Japanese folk tales.

The other films that are to be screened during the festival include The Village Album by Mihara Mitsuhiro, The Professor and His Beloved Equation by Koizumi Takashi, Memories of Tomorrow by Tsutsumi Yukihiko, What The Snow Brings by Negishi Kichitaro, and Heaven Can Wait, Maybe… by Toki Yoshitaka.

The Japanese film festival, which opened with the screening of I just didn’t do it by Suo Masayuki, will be followed by two festivals from 11 December – the much awaited screening of the 26 features in the Indian Panorama screened recently at Goa, and the ‘Twilight’ Competitive Film Festival of student and professional films, and a three-day Children’s Film Festival from 22 December.

The Indian Panorama has been organised by the DIAF in association with the Directorate of Film Festivals. Opening with the screening of ‘Little Zizou’, the inauguration will have director Sooni Taraporevala, actor Imad Shah and Shernaz Patel.

Simultaneously, the Twilight Film Festival, organised by the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication exclusively meant for short films in India, will open at the India Islamic Culture Centre in Delhi. The festival will close on 15 December with the eminent Shyam Benegal giving away the prizes for the competitions of students’ films and professionals’ films. The screenings of around 60 films are being held in Alliance Francaise.

The film segment of the DIAF concludes with the screening of six children’s films at Sirifort II from 22 to 24 December. This is DIAF’s outreach programme for schools and children including street-children. Children will have an opportunity to interact with the directors and filmmakers.

Apart from the Film Festivals being held as part of the DIAF, the 4th India International Women Film Festival started from 7 December and will continue till 14 December with films and seminars on the subject of women empowerment, women behind the camera, and portrayal of women on screen.

The Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) was started last year to highlight the “rich and diverse cultural heritage” of the national capital.

MUMBAI: The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) has selected Disney’s Wall-E as the best movie of 2008. It has also picked The Dark Knight as runner-up. The LAFCA awards will be given out on 12 January.

NEW DELHI: NDTV Imagine Film Company has joined hands with South-based production house Wide Angle Creations to produce a Tamil action film ‘Madhurai Sambhavam’.

In addition, NDTV Imagine Film Company has partnered with various other film makers and currently has over 30 projects in various stages of development. The film company also plans to produce and release six to eight films in a year.

NDTV Imagine Film Company director Sameer Nair, “Film making is a collaborative effort, we are extremely happy to have partnered with Wide Angle Creations to mark our foray in the Tamil Film Industry. The team at Wide Angle Creations has created some very good and award winning films in the past, and we are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

Currently in the production stage, the film stars actors like Harikumar, Anuya Bhagwat and Karthika in the lead.

The action-based film is being shot in the city of Madurai and is being directed by Youreka who has also written the story, screenplay, dialogues and lyrics of the movie. The music of the film has been composed by John Peter.

“The Tamil film industry is seeing an increased level of participation from corporates who bring with them a much broader platform via which our movies are presented. In NDTV Imagine we saw a likeminded partner who not only understood the sensibilities but is equally passionate about cinema. As we get into action with ‘Madhurai Sambhavam’ we have simultaneously started nurturing high concept entertainers with NDTV Imagine. We could hope to see an interesting bouquet of movies rolling out in time to come,” said Wide Angle Creations partner George Pius.

South-based production house Wide Angle Creations is managed by two partners, Suresh Balaje and George Pius.

MUMBAI: Warner Bros is pumping up its movie business in India. In a fresh deal aimed at increasing the Bollywood slate, the company has inked a three-film production and distribution deal with People Tree Films, a production house set up by Mukesh Talreja (producer of Tere Naam) and Nikhil Advani (director of Kal Ho Na Ho).