ITV

Category: Movies

  • Foster likely to direct Gibson in ‘The Beaver’

    MUMBAI: Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson are in talks to join the indie comedy The Beaver about a man who wears a beaver puppet on his hand that he treats as a real person.

    Moreover, Foster, who had last directed Home for the Holidays in 1995, is certain to direct this film as well. The script of the film has been written by first-time writer Kyle Killen.


    Anonymous Content, the company that is developing the project, has been trying to get this pushed into production quickly but has been struggling to find the right selection of actors and director.


    They‘re eager to make the movie



    this year and could finance it independently if no studio picks it up.


  • Lynn Shelton’s ‘Humpday’ in theatres

    MUMBAI: Lyn Shelton‘s Sundance smash Humpday released last weekend after generating strong early notices for its compelling story.

    Magnolia picked up the film shortly after its world premiere screening and it‘s been hopping across the globe since then.


    Humpday has since gone to numerous festivals and events including Cannes, Edinburgh, Provincetown, Seattle, Los Angeles, and recently Rooftop Films in New York City, before settling down into the upcoming theatrical release.


    It was heard that Shelton‘s idea for Humpday emerged from a conversation she had with fellow filmmaker Joe Swanberg who was apparently gushing about some of the gay films he‘d seen at Seattle‘s Hump fest.


    Similarly in Humpday, the two guys (filmmaker and actors Duplass and Leonard) decide to shoot and enter their straight-gay porn film in the Seattle festival. As a result of the experience, Sheldon naturally, has a lot to say about making quality films that don‘t break the bank.

  • Ambika Soni exhorts organising retrospectives in small towns

    NEW DELHI: The Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni has asked the Directorate of Film Festivals to organise retrospectives of eminent filmmakers in smaller towns and remote corners of the country instead of concentrating on the metros.

    Inaugurating the three-day retrospective of Shakti Samanta films in the Capital, the minister said that she would soon have more such mini-film festivals organised in Meghalaya, Jammu and every corner of the country.


    Commenting on Samanta, the minister said that the government was fortunate to have made use of the talent of the noted filmmaker for seven long years when he headed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).


    Director and son of the late filmmaker, Ashim Samanta related some anecdotes of his father‘s life. He pointed out that his father had set examples like recording 12 songs in a single day or shooting a whole song in one shot.


    Earlier, Film Festivals director SM Khan said that the Directorate had decided to clear the backlog of the National Film Awards wherein awards for 2007 and 2008 would be announced within the current financial year.


    Others present at the inauguration which concluded with the screening of Amar Prem included I&B secretary Raghu Menon.

  • Lindsay Lohan floats production company

    MUMBAI: Lindsay Lohan and her fashion-line partner are hoping to create some unforgettable TV and movie content after floating a new production company.

    Lohan and Kristi Kaylor, who runs Lohan‘s 6126 brand, named for Marilyn Monroe‘s birthday, have created Unforgettable Prods.


    The duo is developing several projects including a TV show called Faux Real described as ‘Entourage‘ for the fashion world.


    There‘s also a game show involving dating tentatively called That‘s What Friends Are For and a “docu-cause” TV show the pair will produce in conjunction with a charitable organisation.


    Kaylor said they‘re also in the midst of optioning a couple of books — one for film and the other for TV.


    Before her career in fashion, Kaylor was senior vp of Pacific Motion Pictures and had a producing deal with Longbow Prods. In 1999, she partnered with Jennifer Aniston for Voxxy, an online destination for girls that eventually was turned into a magazine catalog and sold.

  • Gibson to star in Foster film

    MUMBAI: Mel Gibson is in talks to play the lead role in a film directed by Jodie Foster.

    Foster will also co-star in The Beaver the story of which is about a depressed man who finds solace in his beaver hand-puppet.


    Earlier both of them starred together in the 1994 comedy Maverick.


    The film will mark Gibson‘s second acting role since 2003. Foster has previously directed 1991‘s Little Man Tate and Home for the Holidays in 1995.


    Producers Steve Golin and Keith Redmon are hoping to start filming in September in New York. The Beaver previously attracted the attention of a number of high-profile names in Hollywood, including director Jay Roach and actors Steve Carrell and Jim Carrey.

  • Sneak peek of Korean vampire tale ‘Thirst’ at HIFF

    MUMBAI: While the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) prepares for its 29th edition in mid-October, the Festival is presenting a special advance screening of Park Chan-Wook‘s “scandalous vampire melodrama Thirst.

    This special screening, provided with the courtesy of Focus Features, is open to current HIFF Ohana members only. The HIFF Ohana screening will take place on 26 July at Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 theatres.


    As a rare treat to local cineastes and Korean film lovers, director Park will be in attendance to introduce the movie.


    In addition, HIFF will have the honour to present Park with the ‘Vision In Film‘ Award, an award that is given at the Festival once in two years, honouring directors who have contributed to the global film oeuvre. Past recipients have been Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou.


    Thirst is scheduled to open in local theatres on 14 August.

  • Long Island International Film Expo on in Bellmore

    MUMBAI: The 12th Annual Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE) that starts this week will feature Independent films and shorts both from Long Island and around the globe will go underway at the Bellmore Movies (222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore) from 9 – 19 July. It will also feature panels, a cheese and wine reception and an award ceremony.

    “These are some of the best independent films in the world,” says director of the Nassau County Film Office, Debra Markowitz. “This year, the selected films to be screened come from 23 different countries and include 146 shorts and 24 feature-length films, she said.


    The Nassau County Film Commission and the Long Island Film/TV Foundation, an organisation set-up to help promote Long Island film production, were both involved in putting LIIFE together as well.


    With each passing year LIIFE has grown from screening just 40 films and has presented up to 170. This year some of the standouts include Tapped, a documentary about the bottled water business and Hope Deferred, a documentary about the importance of stem-cell research.


    Among other must-see flicks is a comedy about men who are in the business of making wedding videos called The Video Guys. The movie was written and directed by Dan Brennan and has already won numerous technical awards.


    Then there is Night for Day, a vampire movie, thriller and love story rolled into one. It is written, directed and produced by Russ Camarda who also acts in the film. Despite the differences in mood and genre, these films were both shot entirely on Long Island, directed by native Long Islanders, and share a similar cast of actors.


    A technical award ceremony is scheduled for 17 July as well as a closing and a star-studded award ceremony on 19 July. Among those honoured will be actress Nikki Blonsky, (of Hairspray fame) who will be receiving the Creative Achievement Award.


  • UTV World Movies to telecast Jafar Panahi films

    MUMBAI: UTV World Movies is set to showcase films directed by Jafar Panahi from 11 July. The films will be screened every Saturday at at 10.30 pm.

    These include The Mirror, The Circle, The White Balloon and Offside.


    “Indians audiences have always been fond of Iranian cinema due to shared culture, focus on familial relationship and dramatic emotions. Panahi‘s cinema already has a solid steady audience here,” said UTV World Movies programming head Manasi Sapre.


    Panahi‘s work defines the aesthetic of Iranian cinema with his ‘neo realist‘ approach.


    His movies deal with universal themes and humorous critiques of modern Iranian society. His film career began when he served as assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami‘s Through the Olive Trees.

  • Whistling Woods to set foot in Spain

    MUMBAI: Subhash Ghai is taking his film educational institute overseas. Whistling Woods International will set its foot in Spain.

    Mukta Arts CMD Ghai signed on Thursday an agreement with the Provincial Government of Valencia, represented by Spain Minister of Culture Jose Luis Villenueva, to set up the institute for Asian and European students at Alicante Film City.


    As per the agreement, Whistling Woods International would provide expertise, knowledge and programmes to the Spanish Film City which in turn would provide infrastructure, technology and facilities to all international students in the film city.


    Said Ghai from Spain, “This is a part of our expansion plans of setting up Whistling Woods Institutes in various countries to educate and develop software for the international market.” “Through this alliance, students from Asia and India will be exposed to world cinema and multimedia very soon. It will be also serve as a great platform for them to be in the international market.”

  • Disney sets up first ever 3D panel

    MUMBAI: Disney is dishing out what it‘s calling Comic-Con‘s first ever 3D panel, unleashing footage from Disney‘s A Christmas Carol, Alice in Wonderland and Tron.

    Avatar director James Cameron, Carol‘s Robert Zemeckis and Alice director Tim Burton will make the trek to the Con for the first time. Producers Sean Bailey and Steve Lisberger will represent Tron.


    The two panels, set for 23 July in the cavernous Hall H of the San Diego Convention Center, will mark the first time any panel has screened reels in 3D, highlighting just how important that slice of the industry has become.


    Apart from the high-level interest in Avatar and Tron Hall H might also see a repeat of last year‘s female fan frenzy with Summit‘s presentation of New Moon. In the programme lineup unveiled Thursday by Comic-Con International, the Twilight sequel panel takes place after the Avatar session.


    All those eye-popping sizzle reels will require retrofitting to be done in the hall, including work on the projection system and the screen. Thousands of pairs of 3D glasses also will be needed. Fox and Disney are sharing the costs. It is unclear whether Bold and Comic-Con are participating in the cost-sharing.