ITV

Category: Hollywood

  • ‘We Love You, You Bastard’ wins Audience Award at Wave Film Festival

    ‘We Love You, You Bastard’ wins Audience Award at Wave Film Festival

    NEW DELHI: Claude Lelouch’s heartfelt family saga We Love You, You Bastard won the Audience Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) new summer film showcase “The Wave Film Festival”.

     

    This first edition of this five-day Festival at Riviera Theatre of Santa Barbara in California focused solely on an eclectic mix of eleven brand new French films.

     

    We Love You, You Bastard (Salaud, on t’aime) is Claude Lelouch’s 44th feature film. French rock icon Johnny Hallyday plays Jacques, a retired war photographer attempting to live a peaceful life in the Alps. With a new girlfriend, Nathalie, he appears content, but his old friend Frédéric, played by another singing idol Eddy Mitchell, knows better. There is a little matter of four daughters, each one from a different conquest, each one estranged from him, and each leaving their shadow on Jacques’ emotional life. Realising that reconciliation is the thing Jacques craves most, Frédéric who is a doctor, concocts a little lie to convince the daughters to visit their absentee father. As the family gathers, accounts are settled through tears and laughter, and the lie gets harder and harder to retract.

     

    SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said, “Due to its success with over three thousand attendees, we have decided to return next spring with a Spanish and Latin America edition, along with the second French Wave next July. I am also thrilled to name long time SBIFF programmer Mickey Duzdevich as The Wave Festival director. As we approach our 30th anniversary, it’s fantastic that we’re able to expand SBIFF’s vision and programming.”

     

    Duzdevich added, “The Wave was a huge success and left patrons with a new joy for French cinema. It was a delight to bring the culture of France to our own Riviera and give the moviegoer an enhanced experience. We look forward to the future of The Wave Film Festival and we’re excited to share the beauty of cinema from all over the world.”

     

    The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is presented by UGG Australia whose Pavilion acts as the core of the Festival and will celebrate its 30th Anniversary from 27 January to 7 February, 2015. Dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema, SBIFF will offer 12 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums that range from American indie films to world cinema and everything in-between. 

  • ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ to be released on 8 August

    ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ to be released on 8 August

    NEW DELHI: The Hundred-Foot Journey directed by Lasse Halstrom, a film about the adventures across the world of a young Muslim who flees Mumbai along with his family after a riot, is set for release in Hollywood on 8 August.

     

    Co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey is based on the 2010 book of the same name authored by Richard C. Morais. The film has Manish Dayal in his debut role as a lead actor. The film also stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri and Juhi Chawla.

     

    Dayal plays Hassan Haji, whose family ends up in southern France after a stint in England. Haji is a chef cooking at his family-run, Indian eatery ‘Maison Mumbai,’ an establishment his father, played by Puri, opens a hundred feet away and across from a Michelin-starred French restaurant helmed by the snooty Madame Mallory, played by Mirren.

     

    A grand culinary battle ensues until Haji’s young cooking ingénue shows her the possibilities for weaving their two culinary traditions together. Haji, a gifted cook who’s fascinated with French culinary tradition, falls for Marguerite, played by Charlotte Le Bon, Madame’s sous chef.

     

    Dayal was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, as Manish Sudhir Patel. He attended George Washington University and after graduation, studied acting at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (formerly The School for Film and Television) in New York City.

     

    The 31-year-old actor now shuttles between New York and Los Angeles.

     

    Speaking to the United Kingdom’s The Gaurdian, Dayal who has a southern accent said he had to first deliver his lines for the film in an Indian accent, transitioning to an Indian learning to speak French, and finally to that of a long-time French resident.

     

    He also took French cooking lessons to prepare for his role. But the actor is no stranger to cooking, as he says it was an important part of growing up in his Gujarati family.

     

    “I think that more movies about South Asian diaspora are going to result from this partnership,” he told the paper. Dayal says he was not a huge fan of Bollywood while growing up, but is open to Indian cinema minus the song and dance. He is best-known for playing the role of Raj Kher in the hit television series 90210, and also appeared in films like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010), Walkaway (2010) and Breaking the Girls (2013).

     

    Prior to actual filming, Dayal and Le Bon also spent a considerable amount of time going to restaurants and observing and learning in kitchens. To sign off on the food featured in the film, producer Juliet Blake consulted an Indian-born chef Floyd Cardoz who has made a name for himself in the culinary world with fusion cuisine.

     

    The film produced by DreamWorks in which India’s Reliance Entertainment is an investor, is the latest among Hollywood films in recent years that have told Indian stories including ‘The Namesake’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, ‘Life of Pi’, ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and the latest ‘Million Dollar Arm.’

     

    Variety magazine, in its review of the film says “The Hundred-Foot Journey is a “genteel, overlong adaptation of Richard C. Morais’ 2010 novel about two rival restaurants operating in a sleepy French village,” accentuated by “a high-energy score by A.R. Rahman, exquisite gastro-porn shot by Linus Sandgren, the winningly barbed chemistry of Mirren and Puri.

     

    “With the formidable backing of producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, the DreamWorks concoction should cater to a broad array of art-house appetites, particularly among those viewers who embraced the similar East-meets-West fusion cuisine of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” the magazine says.

     

    Calling the film “chicken tikka masala for the soul,” The Hollywood Reporter in its review, says “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a movie designed to comfort. “Stimulating taste buds and little else, Lasse Hallstrom’s latest film picks up where his 2000 hit ‘Chocolat’ left off, in terms of the affectionate shaming of provincial Gallic villagers,” the review says. “Top lining Helen Mirren and Om Puri as rival restaurateurs in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France, the film tracks a tension-free lesson in cultural exchange that culminates, predictably, in romance,” it adds.

     

    “But the main course is the dance between Madame Mallory and Papa, however transparent the clash between her carefully composed plates and his bold flavors. Whether they’re filing ridiculous complaints about each other to the unflappable mayor (Michel Blanc), arguing over the proper presentation of ingredients or sharing a cafe table, Mirren and Puri bring an effortless command to their roles.”

  • Visitors to Madame Tussauds in Sydney to get close to Amitabh Bachchan

    Visitors to Madame Tussauds in Sydney to get close to Amitabh Bachchan

    NEW DELHI: As guests enter Madame Tussauds Sydney from October this year, they will be greeted by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, and one of the top-notching stars of cinema internationally  

     

    A wax statue of the star is being placed from October to December in the gallery to enable  visitors of Madame Tussauds in Darling Harbour Sydney to get a chance to get up close and personal with the indisputable ‘King’ of Indian Cinema in an interactive experience set to have everyone practicing their best Bollywood dance moves.

     

    Madame Tussauds Sydney general manager Quinn Clarke said he was delighted to welcome Bachchan to Sydney and remarked, “With his lifetime of professional achievements, it is nothing but an honour for Madame Tussauds Sydney to serve as the temporary home for the wax figure of Amitabh Bachchan.” 

     

    Clarke continued, “Amitabh will add even more colour and interactivity to our attraction, and I have no doubt the amazingly lifelike wax figure will be extremely popular with our guests, particularly the local community. The Bollywood industry is one that is growing exponentially and we are certainly very proud to be able to offer our guests a taste of it right here in Sydney.”  

     

    Bachchan was, for the first time in the history of Madame Tussauds, nominated to be portrayed by fans in a world-wide internet poll. Amitabh undertook a sitting and is portrayed from the year 2000. 

     

    Madame Tussauds Sydney is located on Sydney’s renowned Darling Harbour and is the place to get on stage with the stars, rub shoulders with the most powerful politicians and challenge your favourite sports heroes. Amitabh will join the unique line-up of celebrities already featured at Madame Tussauds Sydney including Captain Cook, Sir Donald Bradman, Albert Einstein, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga. 

  • Wavescape Surf Film Festival is back this July

    Wavescape Surf Film Festival is back this July

    NEW DELHI: A total of 19 films including 12 features are being screened at the ongoing Surf Film Festival in Durban.

     

    The annual festival brings the best of surf culture, spearheaded by the world’s best surfing documentaries and shorts. The festival concludes later this week.

     

    “Our 2014 edition features the most diverse and geographically disparate collection yet,” said Steve Pike (Spike) co-founder of the festival and editor of wavescape.co.za, who will be introducing the films.

    “Of particular interest to our audience are three documentaries featuring pioneering journeys into the wave-rich but unknown wildernesses of Alaska, Russia and Patagonia. Surfers have always enjoyed the spirit of exploration and these should sate that wanderlust”, he added.

     

    Wavescape this year also offered subject matter ranging from gay surfing to extreme ski BASE jumping. Out in the Lineup chronicles the story of gay surfers in the US and Australia who challenge the establishment while travelling the surfing world to hear stories of transformation and hope. 

     

    The story of Shane McConkey, in the film simply entitled McConkey, chronicles the tragically heroic story of the American ski icon who evolved BASE jumping to a thrilling new level when he mixed skiing, BASE and wingsuit flying into a heady, hi-octane mix of adrenaline and acute danger.

     

    Several films focused on women surfing, including South African professional surfer Bianca Buitendag in Disguised in Nature; world champion Stephanie Gilmore in Stephanie in the Water; and 3 Killas y un kiwi – a fascinating look at Latino professionals (and one Kiwi) from South America, said Spike.

    There’s also Tide Lines, about a crew of South African surfers who sail the world collecting garbage, visiting the famous garbage gyre of the Pacific Ocean to highlight the need to conserve our oceans. The Old, the Young and the Sea covers the famous surfing routes of Europe in an eclectic mix of culture, kombis and crisp cold perfection.

     

    “We even have a documentary about alternative rock band Switchfoot, who surf and play gigs on their 2012 world tour to Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Bali,” said Spike. 

     

  • Ten short films for first Iris Prize in Cardiff in October

    Ten short films for first Iris Prize in Cardiff in October

    NEW DELHI: Ten short films will compete at the inaugural Iris Prize British short film festival being held in October.
    Organised by Iris Prize and supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation, the winner of the Iris Prize Best British Short will be announced on 12 October during the festival in Cardiff.

     
    The winner will receive a post-production package to help with the making of their next film, comprising sound mixing, sound track lay and dub plus layback. The package is worth ?14,000 and is sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group.

    “British films have always been well received at the Iris Prize Film Festival and we are delighted to be screening 10 of the best British LGBT shorts this year. I’m delighted that Pinewood Studios has agreed to sponsor this important prize, they represent everything which makes the British Film Industry the envy of the world,” said Festival chairman Andrew Pierce.

    The films will be judged by a five strong independent jury chaired by Judith Noble who is a senior lecturer in Film Production at the Arts University Bournemouth. The full jury is Judith Noble – Senior Lecturer in Film Production at the Arts University Bournemouth; Andrew Leitch – Lead officer on LGBT equalities within Creative Scotland; Lowri Haf Cooke – Arts critic and blogger; Robert Gershinson – Director and photographer, Co-founder of Queer As Film; and Victoria Ashfield – Cross discipline composer.

     The 10 film competing for the 2014 Iris Prize Best British Short are:

     
    • Brace – dir:  Sophy Holland, Alicya Eyo

     

    • Butterfly – dir:  Stuart McLaughlin

     

    • Holly Thursday (The Last Supper) – dir: Antony Hickling

     

    • Middle Man – dir: Charlie Francis

     

    • Playing The Game – dir: Jeremy Timings

     

    • Remission – dir: Christopher Brown

     

    • Siren – dir: Louise Marie Cooke

     

    • Vis a Vis – dir: Dan Connolly

     

    • Wannabe – dir: Marco Calabrese

     

    • We are Fine – dir: Simon Savory

     
    The 2014 Iris Prize Festival will present six main awards:

     

    1. The Iris Prize – Cardiff’s International gay and lesbian short film prize supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation is valued at ?25,000 and remains the only short film prize in the world which allows the winner to make a new film.

     

    2. Iris Prize Best British Short sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group and valued at ?14,000 will be presented for the first time in 2014.

     

    3. Iris Prize Best Feature Award valued at ?1,000 is sponsored by Martin Brigs and presented to the best new feature screened at the festival.

     

    4. Best Actor in a Feature

     

    5. Best Actress in a Feature

     

    6. Iris Prize Youth Jury Award sponsored by Cardiff University and presented to one of the short films as selected by a jury of 10 between the ages of 14 and 17.

  • Iconic video game comes together as classic characters in ‘Pixels’

    Iconic video game comes together as classic characters in ‘Pixels’

    NEW DELHI: An extraordinary number of iconic video game companies, whose classic characters – including PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Galaga, Frogger, Q*bert, and Space Invaders – will be featured in the highly-anticipated action comedy Pixels by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

     

    Pixels stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Brian Cox, and directed by Chris Columbus. The film will be released in the United States on 15 May next year.

     

    In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. 

     

    President Will Cooper (James) has to call on his childhood best friend, 1980s video game champion Sam Brenner (Sandler), now a home theatre installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders (Dinklage and Gad) to defeat the aliens and save the planet. Monaghan plays the team’s unique weapons specialist. 

     

    The action-comedy is directed by Chris Columbus from a story by Tim Herlihy and a screenplay by Tim and Timothy Dowling, based on the original short film of the same name by Patrick Jean. The film is produced by Adam Sandler, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, and Allen Covert.  Executive producers are Barry Bernardi, Michael Barnathan, Jack Giarraputo, Heather Parry, Tim Herlihy, Steve Koren, Patrick Jean, Benjamin Darras, Johnny Alves, Matias Boucard, Seth Gordon, and Ben Waisbren. The film, a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with LStar Capital, is a Happy Madison / 1492 Films production in association with One More Production. 

     

    Companies with classic arcade games that are teaming with Sony Pictures on the film include Atari Interactive: (Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede and Missile Command); Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Frogger); BANDAI NAMCO Games Inc. (PAC-MAN, Galaga, and Dig Dug); Nintendo (Donkey Kong)’ Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. (Q*bert); Taito Corporation (Space Invaders); and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Joust, Defender, Robotron and Wizard of Wor).

     

    Commenting on the announcement, the film’s director Chris Columbus said, “There would be no way to make the movie without these legendary characters – they are as important to the film as the roles that Adam, Kevin, Michelle, Peter, Josh, and Brian are playing.  It was a real thrill to see everything come together exactly as we envisioned it, and we’re grateful to have all of these fantastic companies on board.”

     

    Producer Allen Covert added, “These classic characters are part of the DNA of the project, so it was critical that we work together to bring them on board.  Fortunately, they were all extremely receptive.  We approached them with a deep love for their characters and a respect for the elements that make them unique and iconic, and we’ve worked with the companies to incorporate those elements into the film.” 

     

     “There’s no better way for the core Comic-Con audience to interact with the movie than to get a hands-on refresher on the games that will be a part of it,” concluded Sony Pictures president, theatrical marketing Dwight Caines. 

  • Francis Lai to receive lifetime achievement award

    Francis Lai to receive lifetime achievement award

    NEW DELHI: Renowned French composer Francis Lai is all set to receive the world Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th World Soundtrack Awards’s focus on France.

     

    The 14th World Soundtrack Awards and Concert will take place on October 25 at Kuipke in Ghent on the concluding day of the 41st Film Fest Gent which will begin on October 14 and will focus on France. 

     

    Francis Lai (born in 1932 in Nice) became world famous with A man and a woman (1966) which is his first score for a film by Claude Lelouch, for whom he went on to compose over 30 scores during the next four decades.

    The Oscar winning film A man and a Woman launched the career of Lelouch and made Lai a celebrated French film composer with an international career. Thanks to the ‘chabadabada’ tune, the music of A man and a woman topped the music charts. In this film, as well as in the follow-up Live for Life (1967), he introduced the authentic use of both English and French chansons sung by Pierre Barouh and Nicole Croisille, which became an innovative, refreshing and romantic sound in French film music.

    In 1970 Lai scored his biggest international hit with the soundtrack of the phenomenal blockbuster Love Story (1970) by Arthur Hiller. He achieved his biggest cult success with the film Bilitis (1977) by softcore sex photographer David Hamilton. Other acclaimed films for which he composed the music are Rider on the Rain by Rene Clement, Anima Persa by Dino Risi, My New Partner by Claude Zidi and Dark Eyes by Nikita Mikhalkov.

    During the WSA concert a selection of his work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic and conducted by Dirk Brossé.

    In addition, Jeff Neve’s captivating music for the prestigious Flemish drama series In Flanders Fields will also be receiving some deserved attention that evening. With this score, Jef Neve proved that he is not only a gifted jazz musician but also a very inspiring composer of many talents. He will be performing a selection of the music he wrote, accompanied by footage from the series.

    Confirmed central guests and performers at the World Soundtrack Awards are American composer Cliff Martinez (Drive, Only God Forgives, Contagion and Spring Breakers) and 2013 WSA Discovery Award winner Dan Romer (Beasts of the Southern Wild).

  • French director Agnes Varda to receive the Pardo d’onore Swisscom at 67th Locarno Film Festival

    French director Agnes Varda to receive the Pardo d’onore Swisscom at 67th Locarno Film Festival

    NEW DELHI: Renowned French director Agnes Varda is set to receive the Pardo d’onore Swisscom during 67th Locarno Film Festival.

     

    The Festival is being held from 6 to 16 August and Varda will be present at the Festival to interact with her fans at a public conversation. Varda is the second woman to be awarded the Pardo d’onore, following Kira Muratova in 1994.

     

    The Festival del film Locarno’s tribute to her will be accompanied by screenings of a selection of her films: the features Cleo from 5 to 7 (Cléo de 5 ? 7, 1962), The Creatures (Les Créatures 1966), Lions Love (…and Lies) (1969), Documenteur (1981), Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi, 1985), The Gleaners and I (Les glaneurs et la glaneuse, 2000) and The Beaches of Agnes (Les Plages d’Agn?s, 2008), the short film Oncle Yanco (1967), as well as the five episodes of the TV series Agn?s de ci de l? Varda (2011).

     

    After working as a theater photographer, Varda began directing in 1954 with the feature-length film La Pointe Courte, with Philippe Noiret. The film, which was edited by Alain Resnais, made an immediate impact as one of the most influential works from the French young generation whose tastes and characteristics soon became defined as the Nouvelle Vague. With a career spanning a range of techniques and styles, fiction and documentary, Varda established herself as one of the most important figures in French and world cinema.

     

    Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian said, “I am particularly delighted to welcome Agnes Varda to Locarno and be able to retrace her career in the program. Both narrator of, and witness to, so many of the events that marked the 20th century, Varda has made formal experimentation and freedom an invariable hallmark of her work. As much in her best-known films (Cléo de 5 ? 7, Sans toit ni loi) as in those that deserve rediscovery (Lions Love (…and Lies), Documenteur), in her fiction films featuring famous actors as in her documentaries (Les glaneurs et la glaneuse), Agn?s Varda reminds us that film is a creative act that implicates the subject behind the camera –or directing it – both emotionally and politically. At a Festival that aims to be the home of independent cinema, awarding the Pardo d’onore to Agn?s Varda is not only a well deserved recognition of a major figure in modern cinema but also a clear signal of a route to follow.”

     

    The Pardo d’onore, supported by Swisscom for the sixth consecutive year, is the Festival del film Locarno’s acknowledgement of a major filmmaker in contemporary cinema. Previous recipients include masters of such distinction as Samuel Fuller, Jean-Luc Godard, Ken Loach, Sidney Pollack, Abbas Kiarostami, William Friedkin, JIA Zhang-ke, Alain Tanner and, in 2013, Werner Herzog.

  • ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ to release on 25 July in India

    ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ to release on 25 July in India

    NEW DELHI: After receiving tremendous acclaim overseas, the extravagant and artistic star-studded The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson is slated for release in India on 25 July. 

     

    The movie recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars; and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting; a raging battle for an enormous family fortune; and the sweetest confection of a love affair – all against the backdrop of a suddenly and dramatically changing continent.

     

    Fox Searchlight Pictures in association with Indian Paintbrush and Studio Babelsberg are presenting this American Empirical Picture based on a story by Anderson & Hugo Guinness. 

     

    The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and Owen Wilson.

     

    Director Wes Anderson says his eighth feature film comes from a mix of inspirations including the pre-code comedies of the 1930s and the stories and memoirs of Viennese writer Stefan Zweig.

  • Djordje Kadijevic to receive lifetime achievement award at Grossmann Festival

    Djordje Kadijevic to receive lifetime achievement award at Grossmann Festival

    NEW DELHI: Serbian writer and director Djordje Kadijevic, author of numerous unforgettable cinematic masterpieces and pioneer of fantastic cinema in ex-Yu region will receive the Honorary Vicous Cat Award for lifetime achievement on the closing day of the 10th Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival.

     

    The festival which began on 15 July will conclude on 19 July at Ljutomer, Slovenia.

     

    Kadijevic already had got a place among the giants of cinema with his debut feature, the gloomy wartime drama A Festivity (Praznik), a multi-layered masterpiece set in World War 2. Among the fans of the fantastic he is most known for his cult TV film She-Butterfly (Leptirica), the first Yugoslavian horror film. He is also an art critic, essayist, publicist and art theorist.

     

    Kadijevic was born in Sibenik, Croatia, in 1933. An art historian by education, he started making in the late 1960s. His next films The Trek (Pohod, 1968), The Fiery One (zarki, 1970) and The Colonel’s Wife (Pukovnikovica, 1971) were also dealing with war. Very soon he also began working for television, his first TV film being medieval drama A Miracle (Cudo, 1971).

     

    In 1973, he made three groundbreaking fantastic films for the TV series entitled Tales of Mystery and Imagination: She-Butterfly, which was initially received with shock and panic, grim gothic romance A Maiden’s Music (DeviCanska svirka) and metaphysical dark fantasy The Protected One (Sticenik). He continued his career on televison with splendid movies such as The Oath (Zakletva, 1974) and The Death of Karadjordje (Karadordeva smrt, 1983), and award-winning TV Series Vuk Karadzic (1987-1988). Gothic horror A Holy Place (Sveto mesto, 1990) was his long awaited return to a film made for cinemas.

     

    A special retrospective will include his films A Miracle, She-Butterfly, The Protected One and A Holy Place.