ITV

Category: Movies

  • “Dekho, Jeeto Aur Jeetao” with Sony Max’s latest initiative with the WTP of Shakuntala Devi

    “Dekho, Jeeto Aur Jeetao” with Sony Max’s latest initiative with the WTP of Shakuntala Devi

    MUMBAI: Shakuntala Devi’s quest for knowledge was unmatched. And so was her love for Mathematics. Sony Max, a premium Hindi movie channel is all set to provide viewers with an opportunity to help someone with the gift of knowledge with a unique campaign titled ‘Dekho, Jeeto aur Jeetao with Shakuntala Devi’ as part of the promotional plan for the world television premiere of Shakuntala Devi this December.

    With this activity fans have to click a selfie of themselves while watching the premiere of Shakuntala Devi, post them on Sony Max’s official Facebook page or on their Instagram stories, tagging @SonyMAX using #DekhoJeetoJeetaoContest. For each participant, Sony Max promises to contribute Rs 100 to help those in need by donating tablets and giving children at Salaam Balak Trust (an Indian non-profit and non-governmental organization which provides support for children in street situation) an opportunity to learn and build a bright future. Sony Max urges fans to take this opportunity to help give the gift of knowledge to these deserving children and keep Shakuntala Devi’s legacy of learning alive.

    Watch the TVC here- https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=455275682547998

    Sony Max business head Neeraj Vyas said: Sony MAX has always introduced interesting initiatives to keep the audiences engaged, entertained and informed. The latest campaign, “Dekho, Jeeto aur Jeetao with Shakuntala Devi” aims to take the cause of e-learning a notch higher. The story of Shakuntala Devi is a real-life empowering tale about mathematical brilliance and we believe students tend to get inspired by such motivating & gripping stories of great personalities. Therefore, at Sony Max we are thrilled to take this opportunity to support new-age education and make viewers a part of it by donating tablets to the students who are keen to learn.”

  • Warner Bros to stream 2021 movies on HBO Max

    Warner Bros to stream 2021 movies on HBO Max

    KOLKATA: In a big move, Warner Bros will release its entire movie slate simultaneously on HBO Max along with theatres in 2021. It had announced earlier that Wonder Woman 1984 would land on the streaming service on Christmas, the same time as its theatrical release, in response to Covid2019 crisis.

    “We are announcing today that, in the United States, the entire anticipated 17-film 2021 Warner Bros motion picture slate is going to be released throughout the coming year in theatres and on HBO Max the same day. That’s a Warner Bros motion picture just about once every three weeks,” WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kiler said.

    Hence, HBO Max subscribers will be able to enjoy The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho and Matrix 4 at home itself. The movies will not cost any additional charge in the first month of release.

    “We are so excited for the year ahead, which for us begins with the release of Wonder Woman 1984 in a few weeks (less than 22 days from now, but who’s counting?). 17, yes, 17 huge motion pictures are planned to be both in theatres and on HBO Max,” Kiler added.

  • A R Rahman roped in as BAFTA Breakthrough India ambassador

    A R Rahman roped in as BAFTA Breakthrough India ambassador

    MUMBAI: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced that applications are now open for BAFTA Breakthrough India, supported by Netflix. The initiative marks BAFTA‘s first steps into India, showcasing and supporting the next generation of creative talent in film, games and television globally alongside the UK, USA and China.

    It also named A R Rahman as the ambassador for BAFTA Breakthrough India 2020-21. This association with Rahman marks the continued development of creative relationships between the UK and India, enabling and supporting collaboration between the two nations and showcasing the incredible talent India has to offer across different regions on a global scale.  

    BAFTA Breakthrough ambassador and composer A R Rahman  said: “I am happy to be working with BAFTA to discover some of the amazing talent that India has to offer in film, games and television. This is a unique opportunity for promising artists to be supported by a world-renowned organisation, to not only make connections with other talented creatives across the world but to be mentored by BAFTA winners and nominees. I am looking forward to seeing the brilliant talent chosen from India to be showcased on a global stage.”

    “We are absolutely delighted to be opening Breakthrough applications in India for the first time,” BAFTA chief executive Amanda Berry OBE added. “I am also incredibly grateful for the invaluable support of our brilliant ambassador A R Rahman, an industry leader in his creative work and someone who shares our passion for identifying and nurturing new talent.  He is well positioned to support the initiative, with his broad spectrum of work drawing recognition across Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films, which will help BAFTA to appeal to a wide section of the industry.”

    As part of BAFTA Breakthrough India, a jury of British and Indian industry experts will select five talents from across India to take part in the year-long mentoring and guidance program. The chosen participants will receive one-to-one mentoring, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full voting BAFTA membership. The chosen talent will also connect with and learn from some of the best in the British and Indian creative industries, share their expertise with peers around the world, gain access to opportunities beyond geographical borders, and be promoted as BAFTA breakthrough artists globally.  

    BAFTA Breakthrough selects talent through a cross-industry jury of leading professionals, hand-picked to ensure a diverse selection of experienced voices. Jurors for the UK & US cohorts included Fiona Shaw (actress), Paapa Essiedu (actor), Edward Enninful (editor-in-chief – British Vogue), Jodie Azhar (game developer) and Kate Townsend (director) to name a few. The 2020 Jurors for Breakthrough India are still to be announced.

    BAFTA Breakthrough, launched globally in May 2020 and previously known as Breakthrough Brits, has been running in the UK since 2013 and in China since 2019, but this year marks the first time the initiative is recognising talent globally across the UK, US, India and China.

    This year’s BAFTA Breakthrough global participants will be celebrated and showcased together in 2021. The initiative will continue to use digital communications in the coming months to enhance cross-cultural networking across the globe.

    Netflix is the official supporting partner for BAFTA Breakthrough, in the UK, USA and India, providing integral support in the global expansion.

  • APSA lauds Indian filmmaker Akshay Indikar

    APSA lauds Indian filmmaker Akshay Indikar

    MUMBAI: The Asia Pacific Screen Academy has honoured regional filmmakers at a special presentation on Australia’s Gold Coast.

    Hosted by Leila McKinnon, the ceremony awarded its young cinema award to Indian filmmaker Akshay Indikar for Chronicle Of Space (Sthalpuran), with a special mention going to Australian Stephen Maxwell Johnson for High Ground. Chronicle of Space, which premiered at the Berlinale 2020, is a young boy’s story, told through his diary entries as he copes with challenges in a new life on India’s Konkan coast.  

    Thailand-based producer Soros Sukhum bagged the 2020 FIAPF Award for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region. Sukhum is recognised for his work in the Thai indie space. He is known to launch the careers of Aditya Assarat, Sivaroj Kongsakul, Anocha Suwichakornpong, and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit. His latest credit is Memoria, the English language debut for director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, featuring Tilda Swinton.

    The MPA APSA academy film fund has also revealed the four recipients of its US $25,000 script development grant: Bianca Balbuena (Philippines) for Việt and Nam (Vietnam), a collaboration with Vietnamese writer-director Minh Quy Truong; Guillaume de Seille (France) for A Kid on the Block (Japan), the magical realism feature debut of documentary filmmaker Kyoko Miyake; Annemarie Jacir from Palestine, whose 2017 film Wajib won 36 international awards, has received the grant for her project All Before You; and 2019 APSA young cinema award winner Ridham Janve (India) has received the grant for his project The Sacrifice (Ashwamedh).

    The APSA presentation ceremony marked the end of the 2020 APSA Forum.  A week-long series of various panels and roundtable discussions delivered both in person and digitally, with participants from 18 countries.

  • Malayalam film Jallikattu is India’s official entry for Oscars 2021

    Malayalam film Jallikattu is India’s official entry for Oscars 2021

    NEW DELHI: Malayalam movie Jallikattu directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery has been selected as India’s official entry for the international feature film category at the 93rd Academy Awards, better known as Oscars.

    Jallikattu was chosen out of 27 films across Hindi, Odiya, Marathi and other languages. The story is about a bull that escapes from a slaughterhouse in a hilly remote village and all the men of the village gathering to hunt down the animal. Some of the other movies in the race to be India’s entry for Oscars 2021 were The Disciple, Shakuntala Devi, Shikara, Gunjan Saxena, Chhapaak, AK vs AK, Gulabo Sitabo, Bhonsle, Chhalaang, Eeb Allay Ooo!, Check Post, Atkan Chatkan, Serious Men, Bulbbul, Kaamyaab, The Sky is Pink, Chintu ka Birthday and Bittersweet.

    Film Federation of India chairman jury board and filmmaker Rahul Rawail heaped praise on the film’s theme, production quality and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s direction. He said, “It is a film which really brings out the raw side of human beings, that we are worse than animals. The film has been shot very well. The emotions which come out moved all of us. It’s a production that all of us should be proud of. Pellissery is an extremely competent director. That’s why we zeroed in on Jallikattu.”

     

     

    Jallikattu had its premiere on 6 September 2019 at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and received widespread critical acclaim.

    Pellissery also won the best director trophy at the 50th International Film Festival of India last year.

  • FC Front Row: A film community for movie lovers

    FC Front Row: A film community for movie lovers

    MUMBAI: “Only connect” E. M. Forster wrote in his 1910 novel Howards End. A hundred and ten years later, in the throes of a raging pandemic, we are all striving to connect – with conferencing technologies, messaging apps, social media.  And yet, we feel more isolated than ever, lonely in our little boxes, as we appear on Zoom. 

    The Front Row is an online collective by Film Companion that gives movie lovers the opportunity to engage with cinema, content, creators and other people who love storytelling. For Rs 99 a month, users can participate in masterclasses, conversations, Q and A sessions with critics and filmmakers, and screenings. 

    The first session kicks off with a chat with Pankaj Tripathi, whose life and career exemplify that eventually talent trumps everything. 2020 has been a stellar year for Tripathi professionally with Gunjan Saxena, Mirzapur 2 and Ludo. Anupama Chopra, the editor and founder of Film Companion, will be chatting with him about the challenges of success, how an actor stays current without getting stereotyped and how he manages to create so much out of so little – look at what he did with Sattu bhaiya in Ludo. This is not a typical promotional interview. Tripathi isn’t there to sell his latest work. Instead it is an attempt to find new insights into the actor and his art. And cinephiles can participate in real time. Think of it as attending an exclusive adda. 

    “The Front Row is an attempt to get out of the box,” said Anupama Chopra. “One of the things I’ve missed most this year is a sense of connection around film, sitting in that dark hall with strangers, all of us laughing or screaming at the same time, those vehement debates with friends about films or shows we’ve watched, standing in line at a film festival and comparing notes with the person next to me.  We may not be able to recreate these moments (at least in the near future) but we can rebuild that feeling of shared passion and community.” 

    That’s the beauty of the Front Row – to celebrate art and artists. When life resumes a semblance of normalcy, the online forum hopes to become an active offline community as well. 

    Registration link here.

  • BAFTA ventures into India with Breakthrough initiative

    BAFTA ventures into India with Breakthrough initiative

    NEW DELHI: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is taking its first steps in India with the global expansion of the Breakthrough initiative, supported by Netflix. This flagship new talent initiative is part of BAFTA’s year-round work to support new talent, operating alongside their awards ceremonies worldwide. BAFTA Breakthrough India will help facilitate the development of relationships between British talent and India’s homegrown creatives.

    BAFTA Breakthrough India is a new international iteration of the highly successful Breakthrough initiative, which has been running in the UK since 2013, China since 2019 and has launched in the USA this year, supporting over 130 emerging talents to date.

    Encouraging creative and cultural exchange between some of the major centres of film, games, and television in these countries, the programme has supported individuals such as Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Josh O’Connor, and Callum Turner. Industry supporters of the initiative in recent years also include actors Oliva Colman, Naomi Harris, Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, actor-producer Brad Pitt, directors Tom Harper and Barry Jenkins, game designers Brenda Romero and Tim Schafer, and actor-writers Sharon Horgan and Amy Schumer.

    In 2020, BAFTA will identify, celebrate, and support up to five exceptional talents working in film, games, or television in India, through this first-of-its-kind program in the country. By showcasing talent globally, BAFTA Breakthrough aims to turbocharge their career success by offering a bespoke programme of support – helping them to learn more about the industry, overcome barriers to progression, and network globally with people who can influence their careers.

    Netflix is the official supporting partner for BAFTA Breakthrough, in the UK, USA and India, providing integral support in the global expansion. BAFTA and Netflix share a joint vision to celebrate and provide opportunities for emerging talent across the world, bringing together international communities across global networks, in order to develop and support stories and voices from different cultures.

    “BAFTA is uniquely placed to facilitate creative partnerships across the moving arts, being one of the only art charities to work across film, games, and television and on a global scale,” BAFTA director of learning & new talent Tim Hunter said. “India is one of the most prolific and accomplished industries and a fascinating centre for the screen arts with lots of creative diversity, which extends far beyond the world-famous ‘Bollywood’. Some of the best practitioners in the world work in Indian film, games, and television – and practitioners from around the world have much to learn from them.”

    Netflix India VP content Monika Shergill said, "Netflix shares BAFTA's vision and responsibility in providing ‘breakthrough’ opportunities to emerging talent. We’re thrilled to extend our support to the programme in India and help amplify our country's new voices. This initiative will meaningfully bring together creative communities across borders, support their stories, unearth raw talent and provide them with recognition on the world stage.” 

    BAFTA will work closely with local cultural bodies and industry in India to reach each sub-region's unique landscape and identify excellent individuals who have shown creative promise in film, games, and television. Participants will be selected by a jury comprising leaders from across India’s moving arts industries. The chosen participants will be offered a year-long support programme from BAFTA and be showcased across India and the UK. They will also receive one-to-one mentoring, guidance sessions, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full voting BAFTA membership as part of Breakthrough. It will enable the chosen talent to connect with and learn from some of the best in the British and Indian creative industries, share their expertise with peers around the world, gaining access to opportunities beyond geographical borders.

    The Breakthrough programme will also be supported by a series of craft masterclasses, which will feature British and Indian talent sharing their expertise and insights with audiences across India and the UK. More details of the Breakthrough Masterclasses programme will be announced.

    Applications for the programme will be announced as open soon.

  • Wonder Woman 1984 to premiere in theatres & on HBO Max

    Wonder Woman 1984 to premiere in theatres & on HBO Max

    KOLKATA: After several protracted delays, Warner Bros superhero tentpole Wonder Woman 1984 is set to premiere in US movie theatres and on HBO Max on 25 December, in a Christmas present to fans of the franchise. The film will debut one week earlier in international markets where HBO Max is not available.

    “The film will be available for one month on HBO Max in the US at no additional cost to subscribers. After that it is understood it will be taken off the platform and continue to play exclusively in whichever cinemas are open,” WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar wrote in a blog.

    Wonder Woman 1984 was expected to be one of the biggest films of 2020, and was slated to hit theatres after this summer. However, the release has been deferred many times due to the Covid2019 crisis.

    “As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,” WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff said.

    The move, though a highly welcome one for fans, is somewhat unprecedented for Warner Bros, which in September ensured an exclusively theatrical opening for its big ticket release Tenet, directed by Christopher Nolan. The film turned out to be a dud at the US box office, earning $56 million over two months, as compared to production cost of $200 million. Luckily for the studio, Tenet fared much better internationally, raking in more than $350 million worldwide.

    The dual platform release of Wonder Woman 1984 could spark a trend, with other studios making their biggest titles available in cinema halls and streaming services simultaneously. For instance, Disney's Black Widow is currently scheduled for theatrical release in May 2021, a full year after its original date. While CEO Bob Chapek has come on record to say that the company was pleased with the "premiere access" release of Mulan to Disney+, no such plans regarding Black Widow have been made public yet.

  • Inox Leisure’s QIP raises Rs 250 crore

    Inox Leisure’s QIP raises Rs 250 crore

    MUMBAI: Multiplex chain Inox Leisure has raised Rs 250 crore through a qualified institutional placement (QIP) of shares. Under the QIP issue, over-subscribed by 3.5 times, Inox allotted 9,803,921 shares of face value of Rs 10 each at Rs 255 per share to highly reputed and marquee global and Indian institutional investors. 

    Some of the global investors included Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Eastspring Investments, while the Indian investors included some of the largest domestic mutual fund houses like ICICI Prudential, Birla Mutual Fund, Nippon India Mutual Fund, DSP Mutual Fund and Sundaram Mutual Fund. The issue allocation is approximately 69 per cent and 31 per cent to Indian and foreign investors respectively. 

    Inox Group director Siddharth Jain said, “The stupendous response to our QIP endorses the faith our investors have in the future of our business model and the strength of the management team. We are delighted with the participation and support of high quality investors, which will fuel the journey of Inox 2.0 in the future. I extend my deepest gratitude towards our investors for the trust they have bestowed upon us.”

    The funds raised through the QIP would be utilised by Inox to meet capital expenditure requirements for ongoing and future projects, to sustain growth in the business, for expansion and to improve the financial leveraging strength of the company. 

    The funds raised will also be invested towards working capital requirements, towards debt repayments including repayment of any existing or future debt incurred for any purpose including for paying off any liability, for investments in subsidiary companies as well as for general corporate purposes, including but not limited to pursuing new business opportunities, acquisitions, alliances etc. Overall, Inox aims to augment its business growth with the freshly accrued funds.

  • Filamchi will now be available on Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, GTPL, SITI – ICNCL & SITI Network

    Filamchi will now be available on Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, GTPL, SITI – ICNCL & SITI Network

    strategic alliance with leading Direct-To-Home (DTH) and leading cable service providers in the country. Under these new partnerships, the premium Bhojpuri channel on boards Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, GTPL and SITI – ICNCL & SITI Network, giving users of the respective platforms access to the channel’s exciting movie library.

    Filamchi can now be watched on Tata Sky at channel number 1114, on Airtel Digital TV at channel number 665, on GTPL Hathway at channel number 277, on SITI (ICNCL) at channel number 219 and on SITI Network at channel number 453. The pay channel can be subscribed for a nominal charge of Rs. 0.25 (excluding taxes) across platforms. Filamchi is also available on Darsh Digital at channel number 187.

    Targeted towards the Bhojpuri speaking audiences in the country, Filamchi brings a vast range of titles across genres to entertain and engage diverse movie buffs. The channel hosts an extensive collection of Bhojpuri films, including blockbusters featuring the industry’s biggest superstars Nirahua, Khesari Lal Yadav, Pawan Singh, Arvind Akela, Yash Mishra, Chintu Pandey, and legends like Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari.

    Commenting on the recent partnerships, Filamchi   strategy VP  Tarun Talreja said,“Filamchi was designed to be accessible to Bhojpuri fans across the country through a robust distribution plan. Partnering with two of the leading DTH service providers, Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV, and leading cable service providers GTPL and ICNCL, augments our reach strategy, enabling us to bring our latest offering to a wide base of audiences in the country.”

    Apart from Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, GTPL and SITI – ICNCL and SITI Network, Filamchi is available on leading multi-system operators in Bihar and Jharkhand.