Category: Movies

MUMBAI: The Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) has announced that it will be organising the IDPA Awards for Excellence 2007 in Mumbai this April-end.

The categories that will be introduced this year are films on environment and “cell stories,” films shot exclusively on a mobile phone which may be submitted on a CD in wmv, mov or wav formats.

Any film or video produced in India between 1 July 2006 and 31 December 2007, of any format or length will be eligible for entry. The entries will have to be submitted only on DVD, in PAL or NTSC format, and the films must be subtitled in English or have an English or Hindi narration or dialogue.

Through this event IDPA, an association of producers of documentaries, animation films, advertisement films and TV programmes, aims to promote the Indian short filmmakers in the field of documentary, short fiction, animation, advertising, corporate films and student productions.

BANGALORE: Distributor of Hollywood films Paramount Films of India Ltd (PFIL) announced the lineup of films slated for release in 2008.

The Universal Studio release lineup includes movies such as Definitely, Maybe, which is the story of a daughter who wants her father to be happy; Wanted by the Russian visualist director Timur Bekmambetov of The Night Watch and The Day Watch fame. Wanted tells the story of one invisible drone’s transformation into a dark avenger; Forgetting Sarah Marshall by the makers of 40 Year Old Virgin is another release expected this year.

Mama Mia, a feature film adaption of the musical, is a story of a girl who wants to make her wedding a prefect one by having her father lead her down the aisle. The problem is that her mother is not sure which of the three men she slept with is the real father – Meryl Streep plays the mother and Pierce Brosnan one of the probable fathers. The movie is inter-spiced with popular ABBA songs such as “Mama Mia,” “SOS,” “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money Money.”

With over 700 VFx shots, Mummy 3 – Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is another release on the cards for 2008. The action shifts to Asia this time, China to be more precise. Brandon Fraser returns as explorer Rick O’Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor played by Jet Li, who has been awakened from a 2,000-year old curse and threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service.

In Hellboy II – The Golden Army, the saga of the world’s toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold. An animated film on, well a heroic mouse – The Tale of Desperaux – is another film on the anvil for a 2008 release.

From the Paramount and Dreamworks stable are Oscar winner No Country for Old Men; a fantasy adventure based on the series of books of the same name comes The Spiderwick Chronicles; Marvel Entertainment’s adaption of Ironman will launch into theaters on 2 May. Owen Wilson stars in (and as) Drillbit Taylor. The movie is slated for release on 21 March. Featuring a Panda who just loves that martial art is Dreamworks animated film Kung Fu Panda.

Dreamworks also brings back all the characters – Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippo with Madagascar – The Great Escape. An all-new explosive action-packed episode of The Incredible Hulk, will feature Bruce Banner/Hulk struggle to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis General Ross (William Hurt) and the military machinery that seeks to exploit his power.

On 22 May, Harrison Ford will be back on cinema screens probably for the last time as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The movie also features Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Shia LeBeouf, who also reteams with Disturba director DJ Caruso in Eagle Eye, also to be relased in 2008.

“Ninety per cent of these films will be released in India. Some of them such as Definitely, Maybe and No Country for Old Men have already been released elsewhere, including in some Asian countries. India is an important market for us,” said Paramount Films Singapore regional director for sales and marketing (Asia) Han Seng Lim, while speaking with indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of the event.

“With globalisation and rising literacy levels, the demand for international cinema is growing,” says PFIL GM Sarabjit Singh.

“The sound and well-heeled urban Indians, especially from the growing mid- and high-income sections, are rediscovering the magic of cinema in plush multiplexes. Also, the increase of multiplexes in A, B & C class centres has helped us to tap wider and newer markets. This has enabled us to release more titles with increased number of prints. The enhanced acceptability of dubbed films in India has widened the mass appeal for Hollywood films,” added Singh.

According to a Paramount release, the Hollywood films market in India is estimated to be around Rs 2 billion. An average of 70 English films, several of them dubbed into regional languages, are released in India every year.

MUMBAI: Percept Picture Company (PPC) has rescheduled the release date of Khuda Ke Liye for 4 April 2008. Directed by Shoaib Mansoor, the Pakistani film was initially slated to release on 28 March.

Sony BMG will be releasing the audio of the film on 14 March 2008.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com, PPC film distribution head Ashok Ahuja said, “We had to postpone the release date of Khuda Ke Liye because the audio release got delayed. Sony BMG will be launching the audio of this film on the 14th of this month.”

PPC plans to release the film, which describes a struggle between fundamentalists and liberal Muslims post the 9/11 tragedy, not only in the multiplexes but also in the single-screen theatres across the nation.

“We are talking not only to all the multiplexes but also to the single-screen theatres. Once the audio of the film is released, we will fasten the process,” Ahuja added.

When asked whether the film would do well in the Indian market, being the first Pakistani film to enter Indian theatres, Ahuja said, “Content always speaks. The film has already been hugely appreciated at the Goa Film Festival last year and with the content that the film contains, the film will definitely do well in the Indian market.”

Khuda Ke Liye (For God‘s Sake) is a low-budget film starring Pakistani actors Shaan in the role of Mansoor and Iman Ali as Maryam/Marie.

Indian actor Naseeruddin has a special appearance in the film. He plays the role of a Muslim cleric named Maulana Wali. Apart from Pakistan, the film has already been screened in Dubai and London.

NEW DELHI: Separate film festivals of acclaimed films from Australia and Spain are to take place in the capital this month which will later be taken to some other cities in the country.

The Spanish film festival, the third to be held here, represents the best in the latest films from that country. It will be held in Delhi from 6 to 10 March and in Thiruvananthapuram from 11 to 15 March.

While all the other Spanish films will be screened at the Indian Habitat Centre, the festival in Delhi will conclude on 10 March in Sirifort Auditorium with the screening of Fados, a film based on the popular musical form of that name. The screening in Delhi will include a conversation with its maker Carlos Saura and renowned film critic Aruna Vasudev. Fados was the closing film at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in November-December 2007.

La Noche De Los Girasoles (The Night of the Sunflowers) by Jorge Sánchez-Cabezudo is the opening film in both Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi.

The other films are El Camino De Los Ingleses (Summer Rain) by Antonio Banderas; Los Dos Lados De La Cama (The Two Sides of the Bed) by Emilio Martínez Lázaro; Salvador by Manuel Huerga; El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan‘s Labyrinth) by Guillermo del Toro; Vete de mí (Go Away From Me) by Víctor García León; Alatriste by Agustín Díaz Yanes; and Caotica Ana (Chaotic Ana) by Julio Medem.

The film Yo Soy La Juani (My Name is Juani) by Bigas Luna will be screened in Thiruvananthapuram but not in Delhi.

The Spanish film festival has been organised by the Cultural Centre of the Spanish Embassy and Casa India in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals.

Organised by the Australian High Commission in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals, the Australian film festival, Australian Visions, will open in the capital at Sirifort Auditorium on 6 March with Jindabyne by Ray Lawrence. Other films are The Caterpillar Wish by Sandra Sciberras, Three Dollars by Robert Connelly, Swimming Upstream by Russel Mulcahey, Ned Kelly by Gregor Jordan, Dirty Deeds by David Caesar, Somersault by Cate Shortland, La Spagnola by Steve Jacoba, and The Rape in Placid Lake by Tony McNamara.

The festival will later travel to Hyderabad from 8 to 10 March and Bangalore from 14 to 17 March, where some other Australian films will be screened. These are Lantana by Ray Lawrence, Harvie Krumpet, The Tracker by Rolf De Heer, and Australian Rules by Paul Goldman.

MUMBAI: UFO Moviez has installed digital cinema technology in 1000 cinemas across the country.

UFO Moviez CEO Rajesh Mishra says, “Digital Cinema heralds a new era for the cinema industry.The Indian film entertainment industry is poised to grow from the present size of Rs 96 billion to Rs 175 billion by 2011, implying a 16 per cent cumulative annual growth over the next five years. We hope that the advanced technology that UFO Moviez brings with it will help the Indian film industry in all the spheres including film production, film exhibition and marketing.”

UFO Moviez has released in digital format about 600 movies in 17 Indian languages and has completed installations in 21 screens across Nepal, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

“We plan to provide our consumers flexible programming and high-quality viewing experience,” adds Mishra.

UFO Moviez is now venturing into Hollywood films with its first release Rambo IV opening in 98 theatres.

MUMBAI: Eros International has announced the release of Heyy Babyy on blu-ray high-definition disc format. This will be the first global release of a Bollywood film on this format.

Heyy Babyy has been mastered directly from the negative digital source with upgraded picture and sound. In addition to the film, the disc includes extra features and a four hour documentary that explains the methods of making a big budget Bollywood film.

“The blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience,” commented Eros International India, President Sunil Lulla.

After Heyy Babyy, Eros will release Farha Khan‘s Om Shanti Om on blu-ray disc format.

“We will soon be releasing Om Shanti Om and many of our all time classics that will appeal to the ever growing market of Bollywood and Indian film fans around the globe,” said corporate development & Eros New Media EVP Marcus Stuart Vannini.

The Heyy Babyy blu-ray discs are on sale and available immediately through erosentertainment.com and will be available in retail stores throughout India, Canada, United States and United Kingdom.

MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures can now screen Jodhaa Akbar anywhere across the country. The company has won the case in the Supreme Court on 4 March leading to the lifting of the ban on the film not only in UP but nationwide till 14 March.

“Even in the smallest local areas and regions the film can be screened now. We have won the case in the Supreme Court and as per the verdict, the film will be immune to any ban anywhere in the country,” said UTV Motion Pictures director Siddharth Roy Kapur to Indiantelevision.com.

UTV motion pictures had moved the Supreme Court on 3 March following the ban on Jodhaa Akbar in UP.

Before the SC hearing took place, Roy Kapur had told Indiantelevision.com, “There‘s no point fighting the ban from one state to the other. Hence, we finally decided to move the Supreme Court on Monday.”

The UP government had banned Ashutosh Gowariker‘s controversial film on Saturday siting law and order problems in the state, where the film met with some protests.

UTV had earlier moved the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to lift the ban on the screenings, and in both courts it had won the case.

The film has already faced ban in parts of Haryana and Uttaranchal following protests over the alleged wrong depiction of some historical characters in the film.

MUMBAI: In order to completely lift the ban on Jodhaa Akbar nationwide, UTV Motion Pictures, the producer of Jodhaa Akbar, has finally moved the Supreme Court on Monday.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, UTV Motion Pictures director Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “We took this decision after the UP government banned Jodhaa Akbar in the state on Saturday. It‘s no point fighting the ban from one state to the other. Hence, we finally decided to move the Supreme Court on Monday.”

The UP government had banned Ashutosh Gowariker‘s controversial film on Saturday stating that the decision to ban the film was taken to maintain law and order in the state.

“The hearing is at two o‘clock in the afternoon today and we are confident that we will be winning it,” added Kapur.

UTV had earlier moved the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to lift the ban on the screenings of Jodhaa Akbar, which ultimately led to its victory. The film has already faced ban in parts of Haryana and Uttaranchal following protests over the alleged wrong depiction of some historical characters in the film.

The petition filed by UTV to the Supreme Court states that the on-going controversies have been causing a lot of financial loss to it.

Some days back, around 300 members of the Shiv Pratishthan were lathi charged by the police in Sangli town in western Maharashtra following a protest that the mob had launched against the screening of the film.

MUMBAI: Inox Nariman Point has announced a special morning offer that allows its patrons to experience the ambience and all the comforts of its luxurious auditoriums at just Rs 100.
This new pricing would be available from Monday through Thursday on all morning shows. On weekends, patrons will be able to catch the morning show of the latest flicks at Rs 120.

Besides, Inox at Milan Mall, Santacruz, has a special morning show price of Rs 69 only.

Commenting on this new pricing, Inox Nariman Point GM Arun Bhatia says, “With its new morning show pricing, Inox aims to offer its patrons the benefits of its flexi-pricing policy and break modern myth that watching a movie at a multiplex is an expensive outing.”

Inox also offers easy and convenient modes of ticket booking. Patrons can book their movie tickets from the Inox box office, from their mobiles by sending an SMS (“Inox”) to 575757, online at www.inoxmovies.com, or get them home-delivered by calling (022) 66595959.

MUMBAI: National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) will be submitting Parthiban Shanmugam‘s You‘re Rejected to Cannes as India‘s entry.