NEW DELHI: Fire in the Blood directed by Dylan Mohan Gray has won the 2013 DOXA Feature Documentary Award, the main prize at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival, which concluded recently in Vancouver.
"Fire in the Blood is truly outstanding. The real story of the struggle to make HIV and AIDS drugs available and affordable for the world’s poor, is nothing like the headlines we have read. It is both a heart-breaking and a heart-warming story all in the same film and it is elevated by exceptional access to captivating moments of deep humanity and emotion", the jury said.
It added: "In exploring the macrocosm of big industry and the microcosm of individual people Fire in the Blood makes clear that we are all responsible for this crisis and there is something we can do to influence change. It is a wakeup call and a call to action for all of us to take back our health care rights from the pharmaceutical companies who only care about their bottom lines, and our world leaders who allow big pharma to let millions die in the name of profit."
Fire in the Blood also received the Justice Matters Award at the 27th Washington DC International Film Festival last month.
The film will be screened in Geneva next month in conjunction with the World Health Assembly (WHA), with events and panels sponsored by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and UNAIDS. There will also be a screening and panel discussion hosted by the Royal Society of Medicine in London on 28 May.
Category: International
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Film on HIV/AIDS gets award at Vancouver Documentary Film Festival
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Founding member of ‘The Doors’ Ray Manzarek passes away at 74
MUMBAI: The co-founder and keyboard player of rock band ‘The Doors‘, Ray Manzarek, has left for heavenly abode after a long battle with cancer. He was 74.
The legend, who suffered from bile duct cancer – for many years, was surrounded by his wife Dorothy and brothers in hospital in Rosenheim, Germany, when he passed away.The Doors‘ guitarist Robby Krieger said in a statement: "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I‘m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him."
After the split of the band in 1973, Manzarek remained busy in its aftermath playing with artists including Iggy Pop and Echo and the Bunnymen.Manzarek grew up in Chicago and moved to LA in 1962 to study film at UCLA, where he first met ‘Doors‘ singer Jim Morrison and later, they formed the band together.
Manzarek is survived by his wife, two brothers, a son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.
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MPAA unveils site to help audiences find movies, TV shows online legally
MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has announced the launch of www.WheretoWatch.org, a new site that will serve as a resource for audiences to access movies and TV shows seamlessly and legally. Today‘s media landscape offers audiences the opportunity to watch movies and television shows in more ways than ever before, an environment created in part through a copyright system that empowers creativity and promotes innovation.
MPAA chairman, CEO Senator Chris Dodd emphasised the importance of delivering content in new, creative ways saying, "Audiences want seamless access to film and TV shows. Our industry has listened, and we are now delivering more choices than ever before.
"There have never been more ways to access movies and television legitimately online, and those platforms continue to grow and develop thanks in large part to a copyright system that encourages innovation, risk and growth. The companies I represent are committed to continuing to create and develop the best ways for audiences to enjoy the entertainment they love."
The website, at www.WheretoWatch.org aims to makes it easy for audiences to watch content online by breaking the various services into relevant categories and summarising what each platform provides, including what content is available, how it is supported, and what devices are compatible. The list is an aggregate based on services available in the US, and although the set of services offering movies and TV shows differ by country, several services are available in multiple countries.
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Stars zoom into Cannes Film Festival with Renault
MUMBAI: Automobile manufacturer and marketer Renault has been the exclusive vehicle supplier to the Cannes Film Festival for 30 years, chauffeuring movie stars to the red carpet. This year Renault will supply more than 200 vehicles to the 66th Cannes Film Festival which runs till 26 May.
The automobile brand will also take advantage of the Cannes Film Festival to show off its latest models to the stars. This year, the all-new Renault Captur SUV will be on display with eight vehicles joining the official vehicle fleet. As was the case last year, Renault will be showcasing its electric vehicles on the Croisette in Cannes.
A fleet of 15 Twizys and two ZOE models will be supplied to the Cannes Film Festival. The official vehicle fleet of 37 Latitude and 55 Espace models will be escorting the stars alongside an additional fleet of 16 Latitude and 85 Espace models for the Festival‘s other partners. Renault will also be celebrating with the winners of competitions organised in the run-up to the Festival. The couple who won the ‘Inter-Country Battle‘ on Renault‘s Facebook page will enjoy a VIP experience in a personalised Renault Captur.
And the winners of the competition held to mark the release of Un Prince (Presque) Charmant (‘(Almost) Charming‘) will hit the Croisette in a ZOE. The two winners announced at the French Business Council Gala Dinner in Dubai will also be in attendance.
1983 was the first year Renault supplied 15 Renault 30 models to escort the stars to the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival. Previously some stars were known to walk to the event. In 1992, Cannes played host to the unveiling of Safrane and 45 cars were included in the official vehicle fleet to replace the Renault 25.
To mark the 10-year anniversary of Renault‘s partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, a special ‘Palme d‘Or‘ edition of Safrane was released in 1993. In 2011, Renault Latitude replaced Vel Satis as the official vehicle alongside Espace. The Cannes Film Festival organisers are exacting in their requirements for comfort on board the official vehicle fleet, calling for more than two weeks of meticulous preparation work prior to the event. ‘Official Partner of the Cannes Film Festival‘ branding is then applied to the vehicles together with special flag-holders. Each year, once the cars have been used to escort the world‘s greatest movie stars, the Renault network sells the vehicles to fans and film-buffs. -
Star Trek into Darkness appreciated at the Hollywood premier
MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures‘ Star Trek into Darkness, an American science fiction action film creates a lot of excitement at the Hollywood Premier. Stars like Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Alice Eve, Karl Urban, Peter Weller and John Cho hit the silver carpet at the Dolby Theatre on Tuesday, reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Directed by J.J. Abrams and co-written and produced by Damon Lindelof, walked the carpet and shared their excitement about returning to the U.S.S. Enterprise. Zoe Saldana stole the audience‘s attention with her supernova-like appearance in her sheer, brown dress. She praised Abrams, who is signed on to direct the next Star Wars film.
The movie‘s suspense challenges the viewers as it‘s not one of those movies where the person get‘s an idea what is going to happen next.
One of the reasons that motivated director Abrams to make the sequel was the star cast. Their work was very well appreciated by the audiences in the past and he wanted to work with them again.
Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the summer blockbuster, was the last to hit the carpet and said he loved this cast and called them a great group of people with a strong commitment to their work.
Star Trek into Darkness opens nationwide in IMAX 3D on 16 May. -
Kevin Spacey to present MacTaggart lecture at Edinburgh international TV festival
MUMBAI: The academy award-winning actor and artistic director of the Old Vic theatre Kevin Spacey will deliver the annual MacTaggart lecture at Edinburgh international TV Festival reports the Guardian.
Spacey believes this is the time of huge chance, innovation and creativity for all of us who live to tell stories and engage audiences in his speech to senior UK TV industry executives in late August. He added that as a newcomer to the TV industry and an "Edinburgh TV festival virgin," he had no idea what he was letting himself in for.
The executive festival chair Elaine Bedell, said: "Kevin Spacey has been at the centre of cultural life both here in the UK and in the States for many years – and now with House of Cards, he has shown that he is also at the forefront of new ways of delivering television content to audiences."The MacTaggart traditionally opens the festival, now in its 38th year, and sets the tone for debate on issues confronting the industry during the event.
The festival will take place between 22 and 24 August.
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Leonardo Dicaprio part of Luhrmann next Hamlet
MUMBAI: Director Baz Luhrmann, who recently worked with Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Great Gatsby‘, wants to cast the star in ‘Hamlet‘. The 50-year-old Luhrmann has already worked with DiCaprio twice before and he now wants him in his next project as well.
According to The Hollywood Reporter Luhrmann said, "To me, Gatsby is the American Hamlet. What else could we possibly do as a follow-up?" He admits that it‘s presently just wishful thinking, but tackling Shakespeare‘s most complicated male character would be a fitting third entry for the actor/director duo.
Hamlet has been a staple of the theatre, and in turn, the cinema since the early days of film. The classic 1948 version saw Laurence Olivier become the first person to direct himself to a best actor Oscar.
Recent versions include Kenneth Branagh‘s breathtaking 242-minute 1996 adaptation, a 2000 modernized version starring Ethan Hawke, and Disney‘s The Lion King, which draws heavily from the play‘s story beats. On the TV side, Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has noted the connections between his biker show and Hamlet, while a number of networks are currently in developments on their own Shakespearean series riffs.
The Great Gatsby is slated for a release in the US on 10 May and in UK on 16 May. -
Filmmaker Ryan Coogler to be honoured with Sundance Institute’s Vanguard Award
MUMBAI: Sundance Institute in the US has announced filmmaker Ryan Coogler will be honoured with the Vanguard Award, presented by Tiffany. Actress Kerry Washington will present the award to Coogler at the third annual ‘Celebrate Sundance Institute‘ benefit on 5 June, 2013 in Los Angeles.
As previously announced, the benefit will also honour the life and work of beloved journalist and film critic Roger Ebert with the Vanguard Leadership Award in Memoriam, in recognition of his advocacy of independent cinema. The award will be presented by Sundance Institute president and founder Robert Redford and accepted by Ebert‘s wife, Chaz Ebert.
The benefit is chaired by institute trustee Lyn Lear and her husband, Norman, and institute trustee Cindy Horn, and her husband, Alan.
Director Ryan Coogler‘s first feature film, ‘Fruitvale Station‘, was selected for Sundance Institute‘s Feature Film Programme Screenwriters Lab and Artist Granting Fund and went on to win both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Fruitvale Station will screen in the "Un Certain Regard" section at Cannes this month and will be released by The Weinstein Company in July 2013.
The Vanguard Award, presented by Tiffany comes with a cash grant and mentorship from industry professionals and Feature Film Program staff. Coogler will be the second recipient of the Vanguard Award. The first was presented last year to Benh Zeitlin, director of Beasts of the Southern Wild, whose film went on to receive critical acclaim and accolades worldwide. The Vanguard Awards were founded in 2011 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program and its founding director, Michelle Satter.
Sundance Institute executive director Keri Putnam said, "Ryan Coogler makes an extraordinary directorial debut with Fruitvale Station, in which he tells a heartbreaking story with courage and conviction. His talent and promise make him a fitting recipient of our Vanguard Award, and we look with great anticipation to the release of his film this summer as well as his future work in years to come."
Sundance Institute will remember and celebrate journalist and film critic Roger Ebert by honoring him with the Vanguard Leadership Award in Memoriam, in recognition of his advocacy of independent cinema.
Sundance Institute president and founder Robert Redford said, "Roger Ebert was one of the great champions of freedom of artistic expression. When the power of independent film was still unknown and few would support it, Roger was there for our artists. His personal passion for cinema was boundless, and that is sure to be his legacy for generations to come."
Also at the benefit, Sundance Institute will spotlight some of the talented artists it has supported since its founding in 1981 by Robert Redford. The evening will feature Sundance Institute-supported artists at each table, where they will discuss their creative journeys and the invaluable role the Institute has played in bringing their stories to life.
Sundance Institute relies on the generosity of donors who share a commitment to nurturing new artists, supporting unique and diverse creative voices, and furthering the reach of independent feature and documentary films around the world. The event will raise funds to offset the non-profit Institute‘s year-round programmes for artists, including Labs, grants and the Sundance Film Festival.
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Film on battling Somali pirates to get worldwide release in October
NEW DELHI: ‘Captain Phillps‘ directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks with Catherine Keener, will be released worldwide on 11 October.
Tom Hanks is a two-time Oscar winner and Oscar nominee Greengrass is director of the Bourne series of films.
‘Captain Phillips‘ is an action thriller from Columbia Pictures produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.
It is the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
The film is based on a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, ‘A Captain‘s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea‘, by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. -
Hollywood’s special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen passes away at 92
Mumbai: Ray Harryhausen, the genius who brought characters alive long before computer generated imagery (CGI) ruled visual effects, passed away on 7 May.
The award winning animation master who created monsters in several well known movies like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Clash of the Titans (1981) and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) was 92 years old and breathed his last in London.
Born in Los Angeles, Harryhausen had dedicated 40 years of his life to the movies. Some of the biggest filmmakers today- James Cameron, Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg have been influenced by his creations.
The legendary special effects artist created awe, shock and amazement through his wonderful and magical creations. He will always be remembered for his creative brilliance.