ITV

Tag: Docu-Drama

  • ‘Never Ask Why’ set for public release in 2024

    ‘Never Ask Why’ set for public release in 2024

    Mumbai: Multi-award winning docu-drama ‘Never Ask Why’ is in talks with OTT platforms in India for global release in 2024, after the documentary’s remarkable success in the international film circuit.

    Till date, the 19-minute short docu-drama has garnered over 63 awards and laurels at global film festivals, including ‘best director’ & ‘best short film’ wins at the Cannes World Film Festival, The French Duck Film Festival, Oregon Documentary Film Festival, Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival, New York Movie Awards, Naples Film Awards etc.

    “Never Ask Why” has also been a semi-finalist at the Academy Award & BAFTA qualifying Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, bringing it tantalizingly close to be selected for Oscars & BAFTA glory.

    The maiden project of Eating Potatoes, a film-focused production house of new-age advertising agency Buffalo Soldiers, “Never Ask Why” beautifully chronicles the journey of 20 under-privileged kids in the inaugural year of the Jishnu Mitra Foundation, where children united under the banner of the ‘Dream Team’ came to play in the U-15 Delhi Youth League. “We are in talks for a global release and hope everyone can see the beauty behind the docu-drama that has resonated deeply with audiences around the world,” explained Eating Potatoes co-founder & CEO Sumon K Chakrabarti.

    Jishnu Mitra Foundation was launched in 2018 with a mission to promote football among underprivileged children under the age of 15.

    “The unfulfilled dream of a young football fan, Jishnu Mitra, became the catalyst to help achieve the dreams of talented young under-15 football players who come from a section of our society that’s struggling to meet their daily needs,” said Tech Mahindra former MD & CEO CP Gurnani. “I think it was a difficult subject, to convert it into a story of triumph of hope over a tragedy, ‘Never Ask Why’ was a beautiful rendition of someone’s dream,” Gurnani added.

    “The passion with which the kids of Jishnu Mitra Foundation have been playing football, I think the team behind ‘Never Ask Why’ told the story with similar passion and art. And it tears me up very easily,” said AVSM and India’s first individual Olympic medalist Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, at a private screening of the docu-drama at Alliance Française in New Delhi.

    Directed by Saurabh Dubey, a co-founder of Eating Potatoes, the film has had 17 private screenings across Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, New Jersey, and Atlanta, touching the hearts of audiences worldwide. “While the Dream Team of JMF boys didn’t win the league, they captured the hearts and minds of everyone with their passion for football,” says Dubey. “The journey of these children, their zeal and dedication, despite the hardships, is what makes this story so powerful. It’s a narrative of hope, dreams, and the transformative power of sports.”

    The foundation has two coaching partners – TSC Asia in Delhi NCR and Veterans Club in Kolkata. Jagdish Mitra and Urmi Mitra, who started the Jishnu Mitra Foundation, said: “We are overwhelmed by the global recognition ‘Never Ask Why’ has received. It’s a testament to the work we are trying to do at Jishnu Mitra Foundation, to the power of storytelling and the universal appeal of hope and perseverance.”

    https://vimeo.com/eatingpotatoes

  • Discovery Channel to premiere epic Docu-Drama ‘First Man’

    Discovery Channel to premiere epic Docu-Drama ‘First Man’

    MUMBAI: Who are we? Where did we come from? What makes us human? The two hour special First Man, premiering on Discovery Channel on January 15 at 9:00 pm, takes viewers on a journey back 25 million years to explore the ancestral roots of man at the time of the great apes. Featuring stunning cinematography and incredibly realistic and accurate portrayals, First Man follows the story of one primate tribe with exceptional skills, highlighting the social, cultural and biological constructs that shaped their evolution into modern man.

    First Man takes us back 25 million years, bringing the stages of evolution to life through the story of a tribe of great apes. Which of our ancestors took that first step toward becoming the First Man?

    Drawing on some of the most recent, spectacular scientific discoveries, First Man provides a new perspective on humanity's common history. Among the startling new revelations: most of the great apes began walking on two legs in the trees, much earlier than previous theories had indicated; laughter is a primal characteristic, with the great apes guffawing long before modern man; and that familial and social structure were important, with evidence indicating the great apes valued relationships and were the first politicians of sorts.

    The captivating film is directed by Frédéric Fougea and Jérome Guiot, with scientific direction from Pascal Picq, the renowned paleoanthropologist at France's elite Collége de France. It features strikingly realistic characters brought to life through prosthetics and makeup based on authentic fossilized skulls and teeth and performed by the special effects makeup team who worked on 2015's The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

    “We are very excited to offer our viewers this fascinating docu drama which reveals that there’s much more to human being’s collective history than we ever thought,” said, Zulfia Waris, V.P Premium & Digital networks, Discovery Communications India.

    First Man is produced by France's Nilaya Productions, led by Patricia Boutinard Rouelle. The 90-minute film is a follow-up to the Odyssey of the Species, Homo Sapiens and Rise of Man trilogy, which Rouelle conceived for French public television and went on to attract top audience ratings in 40 countries.

    "In the decade since our first groundbreaking look at the origins of man, both the scientific knowledge and technology we have to depict this story have progressed so much. It's thrilling to present this new look at our ancestors in such realistic detail," Rouelle said. "This is the story of us, and for the first time, thanks to these incredible advances, we can truly see glimpses of ourselves in these early primates."