Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: Ultra will foray into regional movies and is planning to invest Rs 200 million towards this over one year.

The company, whose core business lies in acquiring and marketing of home video rights of Bollywood films, is looking at Marathi and Gujarati movies.

Ultra has plans to produce 10 films by the end of this fiscal. “We are investing Rs 20 crore in the making of these films which will also be distributed by us. The investment amount will encapsulate all the production, marketing and publicity costs,” Ultra Group managing director Sushilkumar Agarwal told Indiantelevision.com.

The company has already completed producing one Gujarati and one Marathi film, which are slated for August and September release respectively. The films will be released across 30 cinemas, most of which will be single screens.

“While the Marathi film, Langda Martai Tangta directed by Pitambar Kale, will be released on 15 August in Maharashtra, Subhash Shah’s Guajarati film Baap Dhamal Dikra Kamal will hit the theatres on 12 September. The film will be distributed and released by us only in Gujrat,” said Agarwal.

Also, apart from distributing its own films, Ultra Group is also looking at acquiring Marathi films from other producers for distribution. “The regional market space, which has a huge growth potential, currently does not have any organized players in this sector. Hence, we have decided to foray into this space for distribution. Presently we are still looking at proposals and have not acquired anything yet,” stated Agarwal.

MUMBAI: US software major Microsoft‘s network for video game advertising Massive, Paramount Pictures and Ubisoft Entertainment have teamed up to create an in-game advertising to promote the upcoming film Tropic Thunder.

The companies have placed an interactive scavenger hunt in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 published by Ubisoft, which encourages gamers to actively interact with the in-game campaign, take action from the clues, and get rewarded at the final stage of the hunt.

Paramount Pictures senior VP interactive marketing Amy Powell says, “This innovative scavenger hunt enables us to reward our target audience and give them a direct call to action to go see Tropic Thunder.

“We’ve had a track record of success working with Massive since the business started. This is taking our in-game advertising campaigns to the next level by making them interactive and actionable. Gamers are motivated to seek out the next ad, which is an amazing way for us to build awareness and excitement for our new release.”

Gamers see a series of nine branded ‘clues‘ within Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, each leading them to the next clue, until they successfully reach the end of the scavenger hunt. Everyone who completes the scavenger hunt will receive an invitation to join Ubisoft’s VIP club and the chance to download a free digital VIP map for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2,and will be entered into two prize drawings.

MUMBAI: Amu, a film based on the ’84 Sikh riots, is being released on DVD by Excel Home Videos. Directed by Shonali Bose and produced by Bedabrata Pain, the movie will be unveiled on DVD by Aamir Khan in Mumbai on 9 August.

The film stars Konkona Sensharma, Brinda Karat, Yashpal Sharma and Ankur Khanna in lead roles.

Amu premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival in 2005. Since then, it has won numerous awards and accolades.

The DVD of Amu has great significance since the film will never be released on television as there is a law that prohibits films with an “A” certificate to be shown on television. With an aim to air the film on TV, the makers reapplied for a new censor certificate but were asked to cut 10 minutes from the film – including any verbal reference to the riots.

Say Bose and Pain, “With such changes, the film is meaningless. As a result we will not be showing the film on Indian television, thus losing a significant audience which we hope to make up with the DVD.”

Amu is the story of Kaju (Konkona Sensharma), a 21-year-old Indian American woman who returns to India to visit her family. She is blocked at every turn when she begins asking simple questions about her past. Aided by Kabir, a young man who is deeply attracted to her and her quest, she embarks on an unstoppable journey to seek the truth. She soon learns that the genocide against the Sikhs in the capital city over 20 years ago, might hold the key to her mysterious origins. The Hollywood Reporter describes Amu as a first rate detective story.

Amu also marks the acting debut of communist leader and activist Brinda Karat, who is playing a key role in the film.

The DVD, has a host of bonus material. Says Excel Home Videos MD MN Kapasi, “We have made the DVD true to the essence of the film with deleted scenes, director’s commentary – recounting the numerous obstacles encountered during the making of the film. The DVD also has stalwarts and actors from the industry including Aamir Khan, Shyam Benegal, Mira Nair, Naseeruddin Shah, Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Ketan Mehta, Gulzar, Aparna Sen, Vishal Bharadwaj, Vivek Oberoi, Shaad Ali and others publicly endorsing the film.”

MUMBAI: UTV has roped in Shoojit Sarkar to direct a film on the legendery playback singer and actor Kishore Kumar.

The script of the film will be penned by Renzil D‘Selva, writer of Rang De Basanti.

The announcement was made by the singer’s family while remembering his 79th birth anniversary.

The movie will portray all the real life incidents from Kumar’s life, encapsulating his journey “from birth till death”.

The project will be officially announced after the casting and other formalities are completed.

MUMBAI: The 3rd annual Estes Park Film Festival, which will be screening around 40 independent films from all across the globe, will commence on 11 September at Park Theatre in Colorado.

This year‘s line-up for the feature film segment includes films like Broken Fences and War Eagle, Arkansas.

Documentaries at the festival include Six Seconds of Freedom, which is about the Angola Prison Rodeo, and RiverWebs, about the world of river ecosystems and the science that explores them.

Beauty Mark, a film that chronicles tri-athlete and marathon runner Diane Israel’s quest to understand both the personal and cultural forces that propelled her to seek physical perfection at any cost, will also be screened in the documentary section along with the film Finding Kraftland.

Some of the others films to be screened during the festival, which ends on 14 September include:

Narrative Feature Films: Yesterday Was a Lie

Feature Documentaries: RiverWebs, Heart & Soil, Six Seconds of Freedom, This American Gothic, Via Bearzi, Finding Kraftland, Beauty Mark, and The Listening Project

Student Films: The Light, Rabia, Coons, Presence, Respect: Start the Ripple, Korea Divided and Loon.

Short Films: Not For Today But For All Time, Teresa, This Bus Everyday, Ropies, Age Inappropriate, No One Island, Alicja Wonderland, Damaged, Ghosts of the West, Mint Flavored Death, MUGS, Sweetie, Merriman‘s Circle, Torture Porn, The Vault, Now You See Me Now You Don‘t, For the Masses, The Quickie, Ride of the Mergansers, The Hit, Circulation, ZAP Girl Makes Toast, One Two Punch, Case & Crowbar and The Job Evaluation.

NEW DELHI: Pyramid Saimira Group has launched Pyramid Saimira Summit Cineplex, a three screen multiplex, in Bukit Merthajam, Malaysia. The multiplex has a combined seating capacity of 703.

With the opening of Pyramid Saimira Summit Cineplex, Pyramid Saimira now own a total of 13 screens with a combined seating capacity of 4215 across its screens in Kuala Lampur, Butterworth, Bukit Merthajam, Melaka, Kluang, Johor Bahru and Seremban.

Pyramid Saimira Group chairman and managing director said, ” We forayed into Malaysia a little over a year ago with the objective of creating a vertically integrated theatre chain in Malaysia. We are very happy that Malaysia has evolved into a huge market for the entertainment industry. Through our screens in Malaysia, we hope to re-define the entertainment options that are available for the people here. Our screens will offer English, Malayalam, Chinese and Tamil content for the viewing masses here.”

Pyramid Saimira is a joint venture between Pyramid Saimira Theatre and Asian Integrated Industries, Malaysia, which was set up in April 2007.

BANGALORE: Inox Bangalore is all set to celebrate its third anniversary with a host of fun-filled activities, events and contests this month.

As a part of the celebrations, Inox will offer prizes ranging from Compaq Laptop, Hewlett Packard desktop, Yamaha Albo, Kuberan Silk Vouchers, Gajanand jewellery vouchers, Quick Heal antivirus software and other gifts worth up to 2.5 lakhs to be won.

Inox has also organised hot-seat promotions where lucky winners will be rewarded with goodies.

MUMBAI: MGM Motion Picture Group has roped in Luke Ryan Group as vice president, theatrical production. Ryan has moved in from MTV Films where he was serving as vice president for the last two years.

Ryan will be responsible in leading the studio’s newly assembled theatrical production operation and for overseeing the production and development of new MGM feature film projects.

In addition to bringing in new material, Ryan will immediately begin working on “priority projects” for the studio, including Cabin in the Woods, RoboCop, Red Dawn and Hot Tub Time Machine.

“MGM’s Cale Boyter first introduced me to Luke, and I was immediately impressed. He really understands great storytelling and with his combined production as well as development experience, he‘ll be able to jump right in and make an impact,” said MGM Worldwide Motion Picture Group chairman Mary Parent.

From 2000-2006, Ryan was an executive at New Line Cinema where he held various creative positions, hired initially as a story analyst, then promoted to creative executive and ultimately being elevated to director of development. Over his six years at New Line, Ryan worked on various projects including the Harold & Kumar franchise for the studio.

MUMBAI: Pyramid Saimira Theatre Limited (PSTL), the movie exhibition and distribution arm of the Pyramid Saimira Group, has posted a net profit of Rs 134.9 million for the quarter ended 30 June 2008, up 30 per cent from the year ago period.

Revenue at Rs 2.5 billion was up 104 per cent from Rs 1.22 billion in the previous corresponding quarter.

Said Pyramid Saimira Group chairman and managing director PS Saminathan, “These results are for the exhibition business alone and do not include the performance of the other subsidiaries. Our distribution, production, post production and overseas subsidiaries contributed 30 per cent towards our total top-line last year and we‘re sure that these businesses will perform better this year with Pyramid Saimira planning to release some movies in the coming quarters. We have focused on optimisation and consolidation of all our resources, to the extent of relieving some unprofitable theatres and have added only 35 screens this quarter.”

PSTL currently manages around 5.09 lakh seats per show and during this quarter PSTL recorded around 60.3 million footfalls. The average capacity utilisation has been 33 per cent lower than expected, primarily due to the impact of IPL and the subsequent delay in the release of some films, says the company.

This has resulted in an EBIDTA of 11.27 per cent, which was expected to be around 18-20 per cent this year for PSTL alone. Also, basic EPS for the quarter ended 30 June 30 was Rs 4.77.

Highlighting on the projections for the fiscal 2008-09, Saminathan added, “We expect significant growth for the second quarter as we have acquired the worldwide distribution rights of Rajini Kanth starrer, Kuselan, which is expected to be India‘s highest grosser. The second and third quarters will witness more films, which will again help in the performance of the company in the coming quarters. We expect to perform as per expectations this year and grow at a steady 30 per cent, based on Q1 performance.”

PSTL owns approximately 7.75 million square feet under operational management and 875 screens globally.

NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker today has received the ‘Contribution to Entertainment with a purpose award’ at the concluding function of the Worldkids International Film Festival here.The award was given away by Michail Maniatis who represents ‘Kids for Kids Global’ organisation in the presence of Children’s Film Society, India chairperson Nafisa Ali.

Over thirty feature, short fiction and animation films for young children from India and overseas were screened at the Festival which had been inaugurated a week earlier by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

The festival has been organised by WorldKids, a brainchild of renowned filmmaker Manju Singh.

Gowariker said that he had attempted in all his films – like ‘Lagaan’, ‘Swades’ or ‘Jodha Akbar’ – to infuse a message.

Ali said the children’s film movement should take strength from private and public organizations to promote the concept of good cinema among children, as these can be vehicles of good culture and traditions among the young.

Maniatis said getting good films for children made by adults was not easy, and this was why his organisation was encouraging children to make films.

Singh said the WorldKids International Film Festival aims to introduce value based entertainment that promotes learning and inculcates a positive influence on young minds through cinema by showcasing some of the best national and international children’s films.

Some of the countries from where the films have come include Italy, the United States, India, Iran, the Philippines, Canada, Germany, Israel, Cuba-France, Latvia and Kenya.