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Category: Movies

  • Al Pacino honoured with BFI fellowship

    Al Pacino honoured with BFI fellowship

    MUMBAI: The Godfather star Al Pacino was honoured with the British Film Institute (BFI) Fellowship for his extraordinary achievement in films. The prestigious award was given to him by BFI chairman Greg Dyke and CEO Amanda Nevill.

     

    The 74-year-old actor-director follows British industry legends including Sir Michael Caine and the late Richard Attenborough in being awarded BFI Fellowship, its highest accolade for outstanding contribution to film.

     

    Pacino received the honour in front of a star-studded audience including Richard E Grant, Terry Gilliam and John Hurt at the Corinthia Hotel in London.

     

    Pacino’s illustrious career includes the Godfather trilogy, Scarface and Dog Day Afternoon, while his latest appearances came in movies Manglehorn and The Humbling, which debuted last month in Venice. He also won an Oscar for best actor in 1993 for Scent Of A Woman.

     

    He had also had success behind the camera with 1996’s Looking For Richard and Salome in 2013 among others.

     

    Since its inception in 1983 the BFI Fellowship has been handed to 78 recipients, also including stars such as Dirk Bogarde, Alec Guinness, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier.

  • First Look of ‘MS Dhoni – The Untold Story” revealed

    First Look of ‘MS Dhoni – The Untold Story” revealed

    MUMBAI: With biopics trending in Bollywood, the first look of the film on the Indian skipper MS was reveled today.

     

    Unveiled by Sakshi Dhoni on Twitter, the poster focuses on his famous t-shirt with his lucky number seven. Clearing the air regarding the cancellation of the movie, she tweeted, “Clearing out all those rumours being carried out past few days.It was all false.. Here you go ….BOOM!!!”

     

    A few weeks ago, there were rumours that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would oppose the making of this feature film. But BCCI brushed aside any such rumours and mentioned that they have no issues until and unless it hampers the professional life of the Indian captain.

     

    To be titled, MS Dhoni – The Untold Story, the film is slated to release in 2015. The movie will be directed by the A Wednesday and Special 26 famed Neeraj Pandey and star Sushant Singh Rajput as Dhoni.

     

    The biopic will portray Dhoni’s journey- from a small town boy to a full-fledged star cricketer. According to media reports, the leading lady opposite Rajput would be Deepika Padukone or Shraddha Kapoor but nothing has been confirmed yet.

     

    Recent Bollywood biopics include Farhan Akhtar starrer Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Irrfan Khan as Pan Singh Tomar and the latest Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom.

  • Jagran Filmfest to screen over 100 films in Mumbai

    Jagran Filmfest to screen over 100 films in Mumbai

    NEW DELHI: Commenced on 22 September in Mumbai, the fifth Jagran Filmfest is showcasing over 100 films from more than 35 countries.

     

    The festival was inaugurated by Irrfan Khan along with Neetu Chandra, script writer-director Vinod Pandey, screenplay writer Sanjay Masoom, festival strategic consultant Manoj Srivastava and Vinod Srivastava of the Jagran Group.

     

    The festival began with a 106 minute film The Woods Are Still Green by Slovenian filmmaker Marko NaberSnik. Based on the First World War, the lead actor of the movie, Michael Kristof, was also present at the Filmfest. 

                                                                                                                                                    
    Apart from showcasing Indian and International cinema, an integral part of the festival is the Master Class, where directors take listeners through the journey of film making.

     

    The festival features films under several sections including Cinema of the Uprising, First World War Movies, International Competition, Indian Showcase and Country Focus (Cyprus).
     

    The workshops include ‘Finding spaces in film festivals’, ‘Cinematography’, ‘Is independent cinema taking over Bollywood?’, ‘Starting small with shorts’ and ‘Casting? What do directors lookout for?’, ‘Reviewing cinema’, and ‘Making advertising films.’
     

    Renowned filmmaker Phillip Cheah, Cyprus international film festival director Lokim Milonas and former Entertainment Society of Goa CEO Manoj Srivastava will also be addressing various workshops and ‘Master of Cinema’ sessions at the Festival which will continue till 28 September.

     

    The Festival is an initiative by the Jagran Group towards creating a culture of cinema appreciation. The festival screens films across genres, documentaries and world classics apart from student films and ad films.

     

    The festival will also hold a series of Panel Discussions with the cast and crew of the movie to discuss various elements of the films with the audiences. 
     

    Jagran Film Festival is the country’s only festival which runs across 16 cities including Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Indore, Bhopal and Mumbai.

     

    Films are being screened at two venues in the city: PVR Andheri, and Cinemax, Versova. 

  • Angelina Jolie to direct Richard Leakey biopic on ivory poaching

    Angelina Jolie to direct Richard Leakey biopic on ivory poaching

    MUMBAI: Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie is all set to direct a new film, a biopic of Kenyan politician and conservationist Richard Leakey and his battle to save the elephants of Kenya from the illegal ivory trade.

     

    Titled Africa, the story has been penned by the Forest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth. It will focus on Leakey’s fight against ivory poachers in the 1980s when he was the head of the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).

     

    Leakey, who is the son of the famous anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey, is the former head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, and is known for taking a hardline stance against the country’s poachers. Working with Kenya’s then-President, Daniel Arap Moi, Leakey spearheaded the creation of armed anti-poaching units. During his time as the KWS chairman he ordered rangers to shoot any poachers they found.

     

    He made international headlines in 1989, after a stockpile of 12 tonnes of ivory, worth an estimated three million dollars, was burned in Nairobi National Park.

     

    In recent years, Leakey has continued to campaign against the slaughter of African wildlife, founding the charitable organisation ‘WildlifeDirect’, which provides support to conservationists working in Africa.

     

    Africa will be produced by Jolie, Man of Steel‘s Jon Peters and Skydance Productions. The cinematographer for the movie is Roger Deakins, an eleven-time Oscar nominee known for the Coen brothers’ No Country For Old Men.

     

    Africa would be Jolie’s fourth film as a director, following 2011’s In the Land of Blood and Honey, a romance set during the Bosnian War, Unbroken, the story of the Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini, which is due in theaters on Christmas Day and her latest movie By the Sea. Jolie serves as writer-director and star alongside her husband, Brad Pitt in the movie which is slated for a 2015 release.

  • The Small Big Idea turns live tweets into online videos for &Pictures

    The Small Big Idea turns live tweets into online videos for &Pictures

    MUMBAI: With digital leading the way forward, &Pictures, an interactive movie channel from Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel) stable is leaving no stone unturned to increase its engagement level with the digital audiences.

     

    It had recently launched an interactive application called Dil Se, which allows people to record and upload messages for their favourite celebrity. The recorded messages are then sent to celebs for them to reply with personalized messages for their fans.

     

    Now, the channel’s digital agency The Small Big Idea has roped in stand up comedians Ashwin Mushran and Amogh Ranadive to promote the interactive application Dil Se. In a one of a kind interactive campaign, the audience’s tweets were converted into videos within minutes of them being posted.

     

    The audience had to tweet to the channel, the extent to which they would go to catch the attention of their favourite star. The gags told the audience how their ideas of impressing their stars might not to be the best, by mocking the idea itself. The videos were hilarious and that attracted more than 6 lakh impressions on twitter alone.

     

    The Small Big Idea founder-director Harikrishnan Pillai said, “Our route was twisted and twisted works. People didn’t expect their version of celeb-love to come out in such funny manner, and that too within minutes of them tweeting. Good part is that people were OK to laugh at themselves. The giggles ended at 6 lakh impressions, validating the efficacy of the idea too.”

     

    Zeel Hindi movie channels deputy business head Ruchir Tiwari added, “The end objective was to make people aware of this application. The core message was beautifully weaved around the social activity, giving us dual advantage of creating great online content and marketing the digital property.”

  • Leonardo DiCaprio honoured for environmental work

    Leonardo DiCaprio honoured for environmental work

    MUMBAI: The Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio was awarded with the prestigious Clinton Global Citizen Award for his work to protect the environment.

     

    Serving as the kickoff for the 10th annual Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York, the 8th annual Citizen Awards, honoured outstanding individuals in civil society, philanthropy, public service and the private sector who exemplify global citizenship through their vision, leadership and impact in addressing global challenges.

     

    DiCaprio was presented his award by World Wildlife Fund CEO Carter Roberts, who said, “Now more than ever nature needs a voice. Leonardo DiCaprio is that voice.”

     

    Accepting the award, the Hollywood star said, “Climate change is compromising the very livability of our planet. DiCaprio also urged the audience of global leaders and philanthropists to put environmental issues at the forefront of the human agenda.

     

    The evening was hosted by ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ host, Seth Meyers, and included performances from The Roots, Aloe Blacc, Natalie Merchant and Jason Mraz.

     

    Earlier some 300,000 participants, including DiCaprio, alongside fellow environmental activists Edward Norton, Mark Ruffalo, Sting and Evangeline Lilly took to the streets in the largest march for climate change ever. DiCaprio will also be speaking at the UN Climate Summit this week.

     

    Eva Longoria, Seth Meyers, Randy Jackson and Chelsea Clinton also attended the award ceremony.

  • ‘Liar’s Dice’ chosen as India’s entry for Oscars

    ‘Liar’s Dice’ chosen as India’s entry for Oscars

    MUMBAI: National Award winning Hindi film Liar’s Dice, starring Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, has been chosen as India’s entry for the ‘Best foreign film’ category at the 87th Academy Awards.

     

    Directed by the film debutant Geetu Mohandas the film has been chosen by a 12-member jury appointed by the Film Federation of India (FFI). The film has been shortlisted out of 30 contenders, the largest number FFI has ever considered including Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom,  Kangna Ranaut starrer Queen, Hansal Mehta’s acclaimed Shahid and Riteish Deshmukh-produced Marathi film Yellow, Rani Mukherji’s comeback Mardaani  among others.

     

    The movie tells the story of a young tribal mother who, along with her three-year-old daughter, embarks on a journey in search of her missing husband. On the way, she meets an army deserter, who decides to accompany them to their destination.

     

    Early this year, Liar’s Dice won the special jury award at the Sofia International Film Festival in Bulgaria. In addition to traveling at various festivals, it went on to win the National Awards honor for best actress (Geetanjali Thapa) and cinematography (Rajeev Ravi).

     

    The last Indian film that made it to the final five nominees at the Oscars was Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan. Mother India and Salaam Bombay are the only other two Indian films to have made it to the top five.

     

    The 87th Academy awards will take place on 22 February.

  • Relativity – B4U announce first Hollywood film – ‘The Best of Me’

    Relativity – B4U announce first Hollywood film – ‘The Best of Me’

    MUMBAI: The Bollywood network, B4U, has formed a new joint venture with Relativity Media for its first Hollywood film The Best of Me.

     

    An adaptation of ‘The Notebook’ writer Nicholas Sparks’s novel with the same name, the film will be directed by Michael Hoffman who has directed movies including One Fine Day and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The star cast features the Superman Returns actor James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan of Mission Impossible series fame.

     

    Relativity-B4U’s first Hollywood distribution film The Best of Me, is slated to hit the theaters on 31 October.

     

    The venture will leverage the combined expertise, relationships and resources of the companies to create and distribute highly-engaging long and short form entertainment and sports content in India that will span a variety of mediums including film, television and digital.

     

    They plan to create and distribute innovative entertainment and sports content in India across Film, Television and Digital Platforms which will strengthen ties between Hollywood and Bollywood.

  • Sridevi, R Balki attend special screening for ‘Tapaal’

    Sridevi, R Balki attend special screening for ‘Tapaal’

    MUMBAI: A special screening of the award winning Marathi film Tapaal was organised recently and attended by Bollywood veterans like Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, director Imtiaz Ali, R Balki, Gauri Shinde and Niranjan Iyengar along with the cast and crew of the film.

     

    Appreciating the movie, Sridevi commented on a micro-blogging saying, “Just watched Marathi film ‘Tapal’. After a long time, was teary-eyed & emotionally choked. A must watch film for all.”

     

     “Laxman who also was the DoP of English Vinglish has done a commendable job in his first film as director & has packed some memorable moments in Tapal,” she added.

     

    Produced by Maitreya Mass Media and distributed by Pickle Entertainment, starring Nandu Madhav, Veena Jamkar, Milind Gunaji, Urmila Kanetkar and introducing Rohit Utekar, ‘Tapaal’ is all set to release on 26 September 2014.

     

    Tapaal is National & International Award winning Marathi film is set in a small village in the year 1977. It dwells with sympathy, concern and understanding on the bond between a little boy and a childless couple, and the social discrimination that they face.

     

    Even before its release, Laxman Utekar’s directorial debut is creating the right buzz. It has been critically acclaimed and has even won various accolades & awards at different film festivals for its sterling performances.

     

    Tapaal had its World Premiere at 18th Busan International Film Festival 2013, South Korea. It was also selected for the Indian Panorama Section at 44th IFFI (International Film festival 2013). Veena Jamkar bagged the best actress award at South Africa Film Festival. While Rohit Utekar won Best Child Actor Award, Prakash Holkar got the best lyricist award for his emotional composition ‘don disanchi sawali ‘ at the Maharashtra state film Awards.

  • ‘Daawat-e-Ishq’ triumphs over ‘Khoobsurat’ at BO

    ‘Daawat-e-Ishq’ triumphs over ‘Khoobsurat’ at BO

    MUMBAI: Daawat-e-Ishq opened to a lukewarm opening response and the collections remained on the lower side on Friday, improving marginally on Saturday and as well as on Sunday only to slide again today onwards.

     

    A Muslim background love story with an anti-dowry message, its linear narration makes it a routine fare. The film managed to collect Rs 13.6 crore for its opening weekend.

     

    Khoobsurat, having borrowed the basic plot from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1980 hit of the same name, about a freewheeling woman entering and challenging the norms of the house laid down by the woman of the house, a royal one at that, comes a cropper. An insipid, poorly scripted and executed film, it started with below average opening with a little improvement on Saturday and Sunday as weekends normally do add to the collections. The film collected Rs 10.5 crore for its opening weekend.

     

    Finding Fanny, a zany road movie about a senior citizen being helped by his village mates find his childhood love, has made a little impact at the box office. Despite some favourable reviews by critics, the film has been able to put together just about Rs 23.5 crore in its first week.

     

    Creature 3-D, another Vikram Bhatt horror had to its credit a fully locally computer generated man-eating creature but the film lacked in substance, got monotonous as its stretched too long and failed to generate interest in the viewer. The film collected a poor Rs 16.8 crore in its first week.

     

    Mary Kom sustained ably in its second week in the absence of any formidable opposition and added Rs 11.15 crore in its second week taking its two week total to Rs 53.35.

     

    Raja Natwarlal added Rs 10 lakh in its third week taking its three week tally to Rs 23.85 crore. The movie will be a loser at the box office.