ITV

Category: Movies

  • Salman dethrones SRK in Forbes list

    Salman dethrones SRK in Forbes list

    MUMBAI: The Forbes 2014 India celebrity list is out. And this time, it has a new leader.

     

    After enjoying the top rank in the list for three consecutive years, Shah Rukh Khan has been replaced by Salman Khan. The reason behind SRK going down from the coveted spot to number 3 position is lack of any film release (except a cameo) between 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014.

     

    Meanwhile, Salman topped the charts, both in terms of revenues and fame.

     

    At number two place, it’s Amitabh Bachchan, who has moved up by three positions in 2014. Big B’s charisma was enhanced by his nearly 12 million Twitter following.

     

    The top 10 celebs and the money made by them:

     

    1. Salman Khan: Rs 244.50 crore

    2. Amitabh Bachchan: Rs 196.75 crore

    3. Shah Rukh Khan: Rs 202.40 crore

    4. MS Dhoni: Rs 141.80 crore

    5. Akshay Kumar: Rs 172.00 crore

    6. Virat Kohli: Rs 58.43 crore

    7. Aamir Khan: Rs 80.47 crore

    8. Deepika Padukone: Rs 67.20 crore

    9. Hrithik Roshan: Rs 85.00 crore

    10. Sachin Tendulkar: Rs 59.54 crore

  • Anurag Kashyap on the jury of MyFrenchFilmFestival 2015

    Anurag Kashyap on the jury of MyFrenchFilmFestival 2015

    MUMBAI: Come January, celebrated filmmaker Anurag Kashyap will be seen as a part of the jury of an online French film festival – MyFrenchFilmFestival 2015. Kashyap, who is known for all things niche – especially the films he makes and likes to watch – was a part of the festival’s international jury last year.

     

    Bringing the young generation of French filmmakers to the rest of the world, the festival will feature 10 French feature films and 10 French shorts. Beginning from 16 January 2015, the month long online festival will have these films available for viewing to Indian users who can visit VoD platform www.halfticket.tv to catch all the films, free of cost.

     

    “If there is any language I would learn, it will be French,” said the Dev-D director while talking about his love for French cinema and the upcoming film festival. “The people in France, they support cinema, and the liberation from the moral codes in France makes me envious. French films have always taught me to be brutally honest without any fear. I will never miss any chance to watch any film, being a jury is just an excuse to watch all the films of these new filmmakers. And last year I was a jury of MyFrenchFilmFestival in France so why not now in India?”

     

    While talking about the reaction he expects from these films being made available free of cost in India, Kashyap quipped, “I expect the traffic is so much that the VoD platform Halfticket.tv crashes, and after MyFrenchFilmFestival they have to rebuild their website to show more French and international films.”

  • The cast of ‘Main Aur Mr Riight’ on promotion spree

    The cast of ‘Main Aur Mr Riight’ on promotion spree

    MUMBAI: Continuing promotions in full swing for their upcoming film Main Aur Mr Riight, the cast was spotted in Jaipur, Delhi and Chandigarh during the week. Producer Pooja Gujral, director Adeeb Rais, actors Barun Sobti, Shenaz Tresury along with singers Jaspinder Narula, Jasbir Jassi and Shibani Kashyap had fun promoting it in these cities.

     

    At Jaipur, the team visited Bhiyani College of Science and Management where they had a good time with the students, talking and dancing with them. The cast kept the students entertained with their anecdotes while the students were thrilled to have a chance to spend some time with the stars. Next the team went to Delhi, where they were a part of media interactions and interviews followed by a musical concert at Hype Lounge. The cast performed to songs from the film at the concert along with Shibani Kashyap’s band, the band Astitva and singer Jasbir Jassi, who has sung the song ‘Desi Daru’ from the film.

     

    Their last stop was Chandigarh where a press conference was held at Wave Cinemas. The city also saw the performance. Later the lead couple, Barun and Shenaz, also took part in a photo-shoot. Overall, the promotions for Main Aur Mr Riight were busy and entertaining, giving the cast a sneak-peek into the excitement of fans for the film.

     

    Directed by Adeeb Rais and produced by Pooja Gujral and Aseem Rais, Main Aur Mr. Riight  is presented by Madmidaas films. The music has been given by renowned singer/musician Bappi Lahiri and many more. The movie is slated to release is on 12 December 2014.

  • Debra Messing gets Shining Star award in the Bahamas Filmfest

    Debra Messing gets Shining Star award in the Bahamas Filmfest

    NEW DELHI: American film and television actress Debra Messing, who is often compared to fellow redhead and physical comedienne Lucille Ball, has been honoured as the Shining Star at the ongoing Bahamas International Film Festival.

     

    The Festival also screened her film Like Sunday Like Rain. The Bahamas International Film Festival is dedicated to providing the local community and International visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world, educational programmes, and forums for exploring the future of cinema.

     

    Immediately following its 10th annual festival, the Bahamas International Film Festival will travel to Eleuthera for a continuation of this year’s celebration to be known as ‘The Best of the Fest Eleuthera’. During its visit to Harbour Island and Governor’s Harbour, a full programme of films and festivities will be offered including daily film screening at Seagrapes, Harbour Island and the Globe Princess Theater in Governor’s Harbour and Closing Night Film and Farewell Party. Visiting Filmmakers will be on hand for panel discussions, seminars and training sessions.

     

    Messing landed her first television job in a recurring role on the hit drama NYPD Blue in 1994. Her career advanced steadily from there, with guest spots on shows such as Seinfeld and a series of film roles: Keanu Reeves’s wife in A Walk in the Clouds (1995), a bit part in Woody Allen’s Celebrity (1998), and Mary Magdalene in the miniseries Jesus. Messing took her first star turn as comedic lead Stacey Colbert in the sitcom Ned and Stacey, opposite Thomas Haden Church. The show ran from 1995 to 1999.

     

     In 1998, Messing landed the role that would make her a household name – that of Grace Adler, a neurotic interior decorator sharing an apartment with her gay best friend in the hit sitcom Will & Grace. Before accepting the role, Messing ensured she would have the freedom to make her character “funny and unusual in a way that tickled me and surprised me,” she recalled. “I didn’t want to be the pretty straight woman. I knew I would not be happy. I grew up watching Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett with curtain rods in her arms, falling down stairs. To me, that’s funny.” Will & Grace, one of the first major network programmes to feature gay characters in starring roles, was considered rather controversial at the time in the late nineties. But audiences immediately took to the brash banter between Messing and co-stars Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes. “As much as this is an extraordinary premise because two of the four main characters were gay and we’d never seen this before, it was really a universal theme and that was friendship,” Messing said of the show’s success. The show remained a popular staple of NBC’s prime-time lineup for eight seasons.

     

    When Will & Grace was not filming, Messing continued to act in movies. She took roles in The Mothman Prophecies, Along Came Polly and The Wedding Date. She also played Woody Allen’s girlfriend in the famed director’s 2002 film Hollywood Ending, a role she viewed as a dream job. “I erupted!” Messing said, recalling the call from her agent telling her that Allen wanted her for the part. “This scream came from the lower depths of my body. I don’t know how I didn’t get into a car accident. It was as if I went blind for a minute with joy and shock.” 

  • US$100 million media fund launched at the Singapore Media Festival

    US$100 million media fund launched at the Singapore Media Festival

    MUMBAI: During the Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore, a US$100 million media fund was jointly launched to enhance China’s media and entertainment industry.

     

    The memorandum of understanding was signed by three parties namely China film industry tycoon Yu Dong, private equity firm Tembusu founder and chairman of NASDAQ-listed Bona Film, Singapore PE fund Tembusu Partners and local media entrepreneur Calvin Cheng.

     

    Minister for culture, community and youth and the second minister for communications and information, Lawrence Wong was also present at the occasion to witness the launch.

     

    The Singapore-based private equity media fund will be the first such non-reminbi dominated fund to invest in China’s media and entertainment Industry. It will be based in Singapore and will leverage on the country’s legal framework and status as a financial hub to attract investors from and outside the region. The US$100 million closed-end five-year media fund will be formalised on 31 March 2015, with fund raising to begin shortly after. Anchor investors are likely to include Bona Film Group as well as Thailand’s Chia Tai Group. The fund will focus on the Chinese market, home to the fastest growing media industry in the world. It will target media companies, content and technologies as investment targets. The promoters will also promote international cooperation opportunities between China and countries such as Singapore and the United States through co-productions or joint-ventures.

     

    Yu Dong commented, “Singapore is the perfect place to launch this fund as it is not only a financial capital of the world, but also as the place where East meets West. This fund will allow foreign investors to participate in the fastest growing media and entertainment market in the world. China’s media and entertainment industry is forecast to overtake Japan’s by 2018, and become the second-largest in the world, behind only the US. It is already the second-largest film market in the world, and China’s TV industry is set to surpass the UK and Germany by 2016 to also become the second-largest behind the UKThis phenomenal growth in China will create many exciting investment opportunities.”

     

    Tembusu Partners chairman Andy Lim said, “Tembusu Partners is proud to partner Yu Dong and Calvin Cheng in taking advantage of the exciting opportunities of the Chinese media and entertainment industry. Now investors in and outside the region will be able to participate in the exciting growth of this industry.”

     

    Calvin Cheng, who put the deal together, said, “I am excited about the establishment of this fund in Singapore and the boost it will bring to Singapore’s media industry. The existing Film and TV co-production agreement between Singapore and China opens up opportunities for the Fund to invest in projects that involve Singapore-based media companies. In addition, we will be looking at media companies globally that have a ‘China-story’; with the convergence of traditional media with the internet, there will be many exciting new opportunities that will emerge from the vast Chinese landscape, and we will be looking to invest in the best of them. ”

     

     “The establishment of this media fund in Singapore is a testament to the country’s position as a regional centre for the financing, production, management and distribution of compelling content. This fund will create an opportunity for Singapore’s media companies and talent to participate in the fast-growing media market in China,” said MDA assistant chief executive (Industry) Angeline Poh.

     

    “We are glad that the partners have chosen to launch the fund at the Singapore Media Festival (SMF) as we strive to establish SMF as the choice platform in Asia to foster international media partnerships and deals,” she said.

  • Emraan Hashmi starred ‘Tigers’ to release next year

    Emraan Hashmi starred ‘Tigers’ to release next year

    NEW DELHI: The Emraan Hashmi starrer ‘Tigers’ directed by Danis Tanovic will be released in India on 6 March next year.

     

    Produced by Prashita Chaudhary of French company Cinemorphic and co-produced by Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment apart from Anurag Kashyap and others, Tigers is a true story of the salesman who blew the whistle on the baby food scandal in Pakistan.

     

    It also stars Geetanjali Thapa, Supriya Pathak and Khalid Abdalla. The film’s music has been composed by Pritam. A salesman working in the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, discovers its truths, while selling baby formula products, and tries to fight against the system.

     

    “I’m curious to see how Indians react to Tigers. I’m very happy with the response at the festivals. The theatrical release is the next frontier,” said Tanovic.

     

    The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September this year followed by a screening at the San Sebastian Film Festival. 

  • Revolution wins the Green award at the 2nd Voices from the Waters

    Revolution wins the Green award at the 2nd Voices from the Waters

    NEW DELHI: Eminent British filmmaker Rob Stewart’s film Revolution has won the Green award at the 2nd Voices from the Waters held in Sweden.

     

    Commenting on the film which has already won more than 50 awards, the jury said: “The Green Award goes to Revolution, an inspiring film about humans’ destructive impact on the environment, which bereaves all life in the ocean a future. We get to follow Rob Stewart on his travel around the globe to try to find an answer on what that has to be done to save the planet. He meets environmental activists and visionaries and their fight is inspirational. Something has to be done and we have to engage our self in the ocean. Revolution is a strong story about an uncertain future, which with the tools of film, activates and moves us.”

     

    A true life adventure following director Rob Stewart in the follow up to his smash hit Sharkwater, Revolution is an epic adventure into the evolution of life on earth and the revolution to save us.

     

    Discovering that there is more in jeopardy than sharks, Stewart uncovers a grave secret threatening our own survival as a species, and embarks on a life-threatening adventure through four years and 15 countries into the greatest battle ever waged.

     

    The film brings some of the most incredible wildlife spectacles ever recorded and audiences are brought face to face with sharks and cuddly lemurs, into the microscopic world of the pygmy seahorse, and on the hunt with the deadly flamboyant cuttlefish. From the coral reefs in Papua New Guinea to the rainforests in Madagascar, Stewart reveals that all of our actions are interconnected.

     

    Through it all, Stewart’s journey of encouragement and hope meets activists and individuals all over the world that are winning the battle to save the ecosystems we depend on for survival.

    Presenting the most important information on human survival and inspiring people all over the world to fight for life, Revolution is essential viewing for everyone. Startling, beautiful, and provocative, Revolution inspires audiences across the globe to start a revolution and change the world forever.

     

    Revolution premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and has already gone on to win numerous awards, including the audience award for best documentary at the Atlantic Film Festival, most popular environmental film award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the audience award at the Victoria Film Festival and the social justice award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. 

  • ‘Action Jackson’ reports Rs 29.1 crore at BO

    ‘Action Jackson’ reports Rs 29.1 crore at BO

    MUMBAI: Action Jackson has proved to be one of the worst films, content wise and the opening response has been poor for a top star film. The film has been able to put together a poor Rs 29.1 crore for its opening weekend.

    Sulemani Keeda too failed to find audience. Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain collected a symbolic Rs 70 lakh in its first weekend at the box office.

    Ungli has been poor; managing just Rs 14.8 crore in its first week at the box office. Zid which collected Rs 5.9 crore for its first week, is poor.

    Zed Plus, a satire on security to VIPs has failed to create ripples as it collects a poor Rs 55 lakh in its first week.

    Happy Ending too has failed miserably. The film has collected Rs 1.25 crore in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 14.75 crore.

    Chaar Sahibzaade continued to be rock steady as it added Rs 7.7 crore in its fourth week to take its four week total to Rs 30.8 crore.

    Kill/Dil has run its course adding just Rs 30 lakh in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 33.87 crore.

     

  • Daniel Craig to return as James Bond 007 for fourth time in ‘Spectre’

    Daniel Craig to return as James Bond 007 for fourth time in ‘Spectre’

    NEW DELHI: The 24th James Bond adventure ‘Spectre’ will feature Daniel Craig in his fourth film as Ian Flemings James Bond 007.

     

    Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and directed by Sam Mendes, the film is all set to begin production.

     

    This announcement was made at 007 Soundstage, Pinewood Studios in London. The film, from Albert R. Broccolis EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment begins principal photography on 8 December and is set for global release on 6 November next year.

     

    The other cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear as well as introducing Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Andrew Scott.

     

     Mendes also revealed Bonds sleek new Aston Martin, the DB10, created exclusively for ‘Spectre.’

     

    A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind ‘Spectre.’

     

    The 007 production will be based at Pinewood Studios, and on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco.  Bond will return to the snow once again, this time in Sölden, along with other Austrian locations, Obertilliach, and Lake Altaussee.

     

    Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, “We’re excited to announce Daniel’s fourth installment in the series and thrilled that Sam has taken on the challenge of following on the success of Skyfall.”

     

    Written by John Logan and Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, director of photography for the film is Hoyte van Hoytema and editor is Lee Smith. Production designer Dennis Gassner returns along with costume designer Jany Temime and composer Thomas Newman. Action Specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd unit director. Stunt coordinator is Gary Powell, special effects supervisor is Chris Corbould, and visual effects supervisor is Steve Begg.

     

    Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, was a worldwide box office phenomenon, opening #1 in 70 territories around the world, taking over $1.1 billion worldwide and setting a new all-time box office record in the UK by becoming the first film to take over ?100 million.

     

    The launch of Spectre was streamed live on 007.com <http://007.com/> and Facebook.com/JamesBond007, and the video is now available on demand at both sites.

     

    Promotional partners returning to the Bond franchise include Aston Martin, Bollinger, Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover, Omega, Sony Electronics, and Sony Mobile.

     

    James Bond is the longest running, and one of the most successful franchises of all time, with twenty-three films produced and the twenty-fourth about to go in to production. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced the past seven Bond films together, including the highly successful Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. All of the James Bond films have been made in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios or United Artists, its predecessor.

  • ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ website wins honour at the Asian CEF Awards

    ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ website wins honour at the Asian CEF Awards

    MUMBAI: Everymedia Technologies has been awarded the “most admired audience engagement website” by the Asian CEF Awards for excellence in web and app along with the integrated marketing awards. The company won the award for the movie website, www.shuddhdesiromance.com, which they had created for Yash Raj Films’ ‘Shuddh Desi Romance.’

     

    The Asian CEF Awards ceremony, along with the integrated marketing communications forum, was held on 6 December 2014, at Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

     

    Everymedia Technologies chief technology officer Parag Bhansali said, “It is always an honour to be recognised for your work and this is certainly a proud moment for the entire team. The website did noticeably well in bringing in more audience even in the age of social media. We’re thankful that YRF entrusted their faith in us and hope to continue doing quality work in the future.”

     

     Yash Raj Films vice president digital Anand Gurnani added, “Connecting with the audiences on the digital space has many hurdles of its own, especially when everybody depends on social media these days. Cracking a concept led website for a movie like ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ was even tougher. We are glad that our efforts in getting the right strategy for the website and audiences at large paid off.”