ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Big Home Entertainment signs licensing deal with Paramount

    MUMBAI: Big Music and Home Entertainment, the Reliance ADAG company, has entered into a licensing agreement with Paramount Home Entertainment.


    The deal provides Big Music and Home Entertainment, the exclusive home video distribution rights for Paramount Home Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc and DreamWorks Pictures in India and Sri Lanka.



    BIG Music and Home Entertainment will market and distribute home video products from the libraries of Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Vantage, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.



    Paramount’s library consists of titles such as The Godfather films, The Ten Commandments, Roman Holiday, the Mission Impossible series and Transformers.



    DreamWorks Animation’s titles include the Shrek series, Shark Tale and Madagascar while DreamWorks Pictures’ catalogue includes A Beautiful Mind, American Beauty and Munich.



    BIG Music and Home Entertainment CEO Kulmeet Makkar said, “Paramount Home Entertainment Global is one of the largest home entertainment brands in the world. BIG Music and Home Entertainment, with its expertise, focus and resources, will work toward tapping into the huge potential that Paramount’s library offers in India and Sri Lanka.”



    Paramount Home Entertainment Asia Pacific regional director Zubair Hassan added, “We recognise the developments taking place in the Indian marketplace and the opportunity they provide for our titles. Given the breadth and quality of our film slate, Paramount is confident that Big Music and Home Entertainment will help to ensure that our titles are made available to our Indian and Sri Lankan consumers.”



    Big Music and Home Entertainment has already announced licensing agreements with Warner Home Video and Universal Pictures, to market and distribute their home video products.

  • Inox launches 2nd multiplex in Bangalore

    BANGALORE: Inox Leisure Ltd. (Inox) will launch on 29 September its second multiplex in the Garden city, at the Sri Garuda Swagath Mall in Jayanagar.

    Inox Jayanagar is Jayanagar‘s first multiplex and has 3 screens and 793 seats.


    Says Inox COO Alok Tandon, “Inox was amongst the first few national multiplex chains to open in Bangalore and the city has grown by leaps and bounds since then. Our new cinema is strategically located in the midst of the premium residential locality of Jayanagar. This will ensure that more and more Bangaloreans choose Inox to watch their movies.”



    Tandon also took the opportunity to announce Inox‘s expansion plans in Karnataka. “By the end of 2010, Inox will have approximately 9 multiplexes in Karnataka with 47 screens. We will open 4 more multiplexes in Bangalore city and 1 each in Mangalore, Hubli & Belgaum.”


    In Bangalore, Inox already has a 5-screen multiplex at Garuda Mall, Magrath Road whixh is now an important landmark in the city and is at a short distance from MG Road, Bangalore‘s key commercial artery.



    Nationally, Inox has 26 multiplexes and 90 screens in 18 cities across India.

  • Relativity Media, Universal Pictures expand funding partnership

    MUMBAI: Relativity Media and Universal Pictures in the US recently extended and expanded their co-finance partnership through 2015, which will cover the majority of Universal‘s slate up until that time.

    Building on the success of their already established equity partnership, which has funded recent films such as Mamma Mia!, The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the expanded partnership is expected to fund 10-15 films per year and will provide billions of dollars of financing during the term.


    Relativity Media CEO Ryan Kavanaugh says, “We‘ve had tremendous success with Universal. Our deal has been very profitable to date and the Universal creative, marketing and distribution team is unparalleled. They are true partners.”


    The agreement represents a significant long-term commitment by Relativity Media to Universal Pictures, as its financing entity Relativity Capital Holdings will co-finance approximately 75 per cent of Universal‘s upcoming releases.


    Universal Pictures executive VP Michael Joe says, “Universal is pleased to further expand its existing relationship with Relativity. We have had a genuine collaborative partnership to date, and we look forward to expanding on our ambitions together in the future. Their commitment to us means that we can continue to do what we do best: Develop quality movies that appeal to filmgoers across the globe.”

  • Movie rental service Seventymm celebrates World Tourism Day


    MUMBAI: Online movie rental service Seventymm will offer movies that can take one far and wide on the occasion of World Tourism Day (27 September).

    These include movies like Yojimbo (Japan), Two English girls (France), Fallen Angel (China), Seven Samurai (Japan), Shoot the Piano Player (France) and The Soft Skin (France).


    Seventymm is also offering English movies like Around the World in 80 Days and The Mummy.



    One can also take the quizzes on movies, while others can update their knowledge on travel and movies by watching the videos on www.seventymm.com.

  • MGM, Weinstein terminate distribution deal


    MUMBAI: MGM and the Weinstein Company (TWC) are parting ways from their distribution agreement.


    As per the deal between MGM, TWC paid for marketing and prints while MGM took distribution fee for booking theatres.


    The deal was set to expire on 31 December, but TWC signed its own deal with Showtime which led to its early split with MGM.


    TWC will take back its titles namely Zack and Miri Make a Porno and The Road from MGM. However, MGM will continue to distribute Sol Men and Hurricane Season.

  • Fame Kolkata gets recognition as multiplex complex


    MUMBAI: Fame India Ltd has announced that West Bengal government’s Special Secretary and Ex-offico Director of Films has recommended ‘Fame’ Kolkata for being considered as ‘multiplex theatre complex’.


    With the recent move, the company will be entitled to avail the benefits and facilities as per provisions of “Section 3 of West Bengal Act XI of 2003”.


    As per Section 3, the company shall be entitled to retain the amount of entertainment tax as collected against the value of ticket for admission at Fame – south city multiplex for four years or till such date when the total amount of entertainment tax retained by the company does not exceed the total amount invested for the purpose of making the new multiplex theatre complex.


    The company said in a statement that the entertainment tax paid by the multiplex from 14 March till 22 September is Rs 17.3 million.

  • Short films get recognition in IFFI competition


    NEW DELHI: For the first time, the forthcoming International Film Festival of India in Goa will not only have competition for short films but also a unique business platform for short and documentary films to give impetus to the short film movement.

    Created by the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and the Directorate of Film Festivals, the Short Film Centre’s business platform is being organised from 23 November to 1 December as part of the 39th IFFI.


    The platform will bring together 5,000 industry professionals through a series of events. Registration is open through www.reelport.com and www.shortfilmcenter.org. The last date for registration is 15 October.


    The SFC will have film buyers, film funding agencies, film festival organisers and film makers.


    ESG Chief Executive Officer Manoj Srivastava told indiantelevision.com that SFC will have two competitions – International competition for shorts under 30 minutes and another on shorts and documentary films on environmental issues – that will compete for the Vedanta Sesa Goa and the Vasudha Awards with a combined prize money of approximately $30,000.


    This is in addition to the National Film Development Corporation’s Film Bazaar at Marriott Resort in Goa from 26 to 29 November.

  • Adlabs crosses 10,000 shows on 2K digital cinema format

    MUMBAI: Adlabs Films Limited, a member of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has crossed the milestone of over 10,000 successful shows in the true 2K Digital Cinema format.

    The record was achieved with the 5:05 pm screening of Welcome to Sajjanpur on 22 September at Adlabs’ Imax cinema in Wadala, which was Mumbai’s first multiplex to convert entirely to 2K Digital Cinema in April 2008.



    Adlabs was the first cinema operator in India to start rolling out digital cinema using Hollywood-standard DCI-grade projectors and servers, when it commenced its digital test bed network in April this year.



    Adlabs Digital Cinema adds that it has also established a world first by becoming the first and only operator in the world to-date to commercially distribute digital cinema films over the optic fiber cable (OFC). Using the network of Reliance Communications, over 2000 digital cinema shows to-date have come from digital copies delivered via OFC on a weekly commercial basis.



    Films are encoded at Adlabs Digital Cinema Mastering Facility at Film City in Mumbai and sent over a 200Mbps connection to its Content Distribution and Logistics (CDL) Hub at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) in Navi Mumbai, from where they are sent further via dedicated 100Mbps OFC to cinemas as far as Ahmedabad. OFC allows for transportation of digital cinema films that is faster, more reliable and more secure than any other form of delivery.



    Adlabs Digital Cinema COO Patrick von Sychowski says, “The Adlabs Film City complex – which includes the Digital Cinema Mastering facility – is the first facility in Asia to receive the prestigious international FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) accreditation. Using fiber for end to end delivery, we are able to offer unparalleled picture and sound quality and we are proud to have offered that to our patrons for over 10,000 screenings of both Bollywood and Hollywood films.” These screenings have also included regional Indian films as well as Hollywood films shown in BIG Digital 3D format.



    Adlabs Films CEO Anil Arjun says, “Adlabs is implementing globally recognized Digital Cinema technology standards and processes and is, at the same time, pushing the envelope by introducing distribution technologies such as OFC. We intend to be an end-to-end world class service provider covering mastering to delivery on site; and are looking at significant expansion in this space aimed to cover 500 screens in the initial phase.”

  • Pyramid Saimira pulls out of Hindi film distribution biz; shuts 33 screens


    MUMBAI: Pyramid Saimira Theatre Ltd (PSTL) is trimming down operations as inflation and an economic slowdown is beginning to hit entertainment spending in India.


    The Chennai-based company has decided to pull out of the Hindi film distribution business and is withdrawing from its exhibition business in western and northern India where it has shut down 33 screens.


    “A decision has also been taken to discontinue the distribution of Hindi films in view of the unviable cost structure of the Hindi film industry. The management has decided to wind up its exhibition division in Western and northern parts of India in particular by closing down 33 screens,” PSTL said in a statement.


    PSTL has also decided to slow down its overseas growth plans and will not be pursuing with acquisitions in UK and Europe.


    However, in the view of profitability, plans in Malaysia and USA will remain stable. Operations will be expanded in China in view of the joint venture with the Ministry of Culture and ceding of entertainment business in Mainland China, the company said.


    These changes, the company believes, will consolidate the business and focus will now be in on its core strength in the South Indian media and entertainment industries.

  • NFDC Film Bazaar to promote co-production market at IFFI 2008

    NEW DELHI: During the forthcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008 in Goa, NFDC‘s Film Bazaar will provide an interactive platform. The Film Bazaar will promote co-production market by facilitating collaboration among potential domestic and international partners.

    To be set up by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) at Marriott Resort in Goa from 26 to 29 November, the Bazaar aims at creating opportunities for networking and business for producers, filmmakers and distributors from across the world.

    Fifteen pre-selected film projects and ten documentary projects are the new feature that will be introduced this year at the Film Bazaar.

    In addition, a screenwriting workshop will be organised by Binger Filmlab, an Amsterdam-based international feature film development centre, under the mentorship of global film makers. Another new feature ‘Work-in-progress Lab‘, will be an added attraction for filmmakers to screen rough cuts or assembly edit of their films-in-the-making to a panel of eminent filmmakers and critics for their feedback and suggestions.

    A Film Conclave will also be held in association with “Screen International” to conduct panel discussion and round tables on global trends in the industry and scope of partnering with India.

    Leading international sales agencies as well as notable producers whose work has won them critical acclaim and commercial success in the past will be attending the Film Bazaar as guests. There will be a Business Lounge open throughout the day for the meeting, video screening, in order to enhance collaboration in the field of co-production and distribution.

    Registration for Film Bazaar is now open online on NFDC’s website.