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Tag: films

  • Odisha’s OTT platform, AAO NXT enchants audiences with exciting and original content

    Odisha’s OTT platform, AAO NXT enchants audiences with exciting and original content

    Mumbai: Kaushik Das’ love for technology inspired him to start his new venture, AAO NXT – the premium and most entertaining Odia platform, which is currently bringing a path-breaking change in the OTT market. 

    The platform is slowly foraying into the Odia OTT market and offering audience ‘originals’ like never before. It is Odisha’s first independent platform that aims at showcasing short films, web series, feature films and documentaries. “So far, the platform has 700 short films from across the globe and a bouquet of classic Odia films from the 60-70s era, which are streaming on the AAO NXT platform. We have 400 odd Telugu and Tamil films in our library,” AAO NXT’s chief financial officer Ram Patnaik tells Indiantelevision.com.

    Having produced some of the most successful and marvelous shows on the streaming platform, Patnaik reveals that the home-grown brand AAO NXT has a diverse mix of content slate that is winning the hearts of the audience. The content portfolio of the platform builds a high level of excitement and entertains consumers in multiple ways with endless experiences and innovations ranging from thrillers, crimes, dramas and many more. Showcasing some interesting content slate like Club 69-a web series, “Ardha Satya”- an action drama film, and “Kokoli”- an award-winning Odia film, “Four” -a first of its kind Anthology, the OTT platform looks to embark on a new process of storytelling that allures viewers. Patnaik expresses the upcoming releases like “Capital Talkies”, “Jajabara 2.0”, Anthony -a web series, “Suka Bhaira Sholay”, Maliput Melodies-a web series, and Mandara: The Hibiscus is likely to provide audiences with some enticing storytelling. These new films and shows are expected by December 2022.  

    AAO NXT means ‘All about originals’”, he says and reveals that the Odia entertainment and media industry has a dearth of original stories, and the objective of AAO NXT is to provide indigenous, exclusive and unique stories that can stimulate and delight the viewers. Patnaik sees a vast opportunity in the Odia market, he has confidence in exhibiting extraordinary storytelling to the audience, which can create wonders in the Odia OTT space. The content library of AAO NXT is exemplary and focuses on original storytelling, and is likely to nudge it further, irrespective of the language.

    The growth prospects

    Since its inception in 2020, AAO NXT has garnered the attention of a lot of viewers, pushing its revenue growth further. The platform is expected to touch a revenue growth of Rs 5 crore in 2022 with a 50,000 subscriber base. Patnaik added, “We are working currently on a complete subscription video on demand (SVOD) model. We expect to reach Rs 15 crore in 2023 in terms of revenue growth.” 

    “We target to double our subscriber base. By December 2023, we expect to reach two lakh subscribers. The model will not only be SVOD, and the platform will explore advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) as well. So we expect considerable and significant growth in advertising revenue in the future,” he adds. 

    To fascinate the advertisers, AAO NXT targets to add more original content, which will build trust and facilitate the growth of the platform. “The advertisers will show interest in advertising on the platform only if we create original content. The idea is to tell original stories in different languages. It is not restricted only to Odia – we are also venturing out into other languages. For instance, we will enter into the Bengali and Assamese markets, and capture them. We have plans to enter the Malayalam market to explore exclusive content. We have started from Odisha but will tell original stories from all across India,” Patnaik tells Indiantelevision.com.

    Stream original content

    Keeping in mind the burgeoning demand of audiences from across the world, AAO NXT is focusing on inspiring the audience with India-based original content. “There is an opportunity to stream Indian-based original content. We are streaming those stories on our platform, which are original, simple and easy to understand. Indian content has been appreciated by audiences from all across the world.”

    His and Kaushik Das’ vision is to make AAO NXT “the Netflix of Southeast Asia,” Patnaik says. “The idea is to scale up the operations and showcase a variety of content from across the world. Netflix is an inspiration because the platform is producing original stories day in and day out, year after year,” he adds further. 

    He highlights that there are 4.5 crore Odia people and amongst this, 3 crore people are Internet savvy. “This is a huge number that we can cater to and showcase our original content pool. If we can cater to 1 crore of this number, we can probably meet the market requirements,” Patnaik adds at length.

    Moreover, AAO NXT is ready for a new journey and bestows a complete entertaining basket to the viewers with its beautiful and contemporary content. The home-grown OTT platform will offer a superior and reimagined experience to the viewers going forward. 

  • MX Player gets into a multi-year partnership with Lionsgate

    MX Player gets into a multi-year partnership with Lionsgate

    Mumbai: MX Player has partnered with global giant Lionsgate to bring premium Hollywood content, including award-winning titles across genres.

    With over 200,000 hours of content across 800+ original series, web series, international, dubbed content and an average time spent of 56 minutes per user per day, MX Player continues to ink partnerships to make quality content available to all of its users.

    MX Player senior vice president (content acquisitions and alliances) Mansi Shrivastav said, “At MX Player, we are invested in our consumers. As the second largest entertainment ecosystem across the globe, we have continually and consistently brought diverse content to the platform across genres, formats, and languages. Our partnership with Lionsgate allows us to bring some of the most popular and commercially acclaimed Hollywood films to our viewers in their local languages.”

    She further added, “This partnership also enables us to attract new users to the platform while consolidating our existing audience base. We are thrilled with this alliance and look forward to working closely with the team at Lionsgate to make more Hollywood content available for users in the region.”

    MX Player users in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives will now have access to 50+ Hollywood blockbuster films dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu each year as a result of this collaboration.

    Through this collaboration with Lionsgate, MX Player will have access to the most recent and well-liked Hollywood blockbusters, significantly broadening its current content inventory and enabling fans to watch movies in their preferred language.

    Lionsgate vice president (licensing and content partnerships) Gayathiri Guliani said, “Lionsgate has been bullish for its compelling content slate, and we are delighted to partner with MX Player as this will multiply our consumption, reaching out to maximum viewer base. It’s all about genre diversification, breaking language barriers, and having the best stories to watch. This alliance is all set to grow with multiple Lionsgate titles made available on the platform, spoiling viewers for choice.”

    “Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1”, “Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2”, “War” (2007) and “Destruction: Las Vegas” (2013) are among the recommended titles for September 2022 on MX Player.

     

  • 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) aims to promote cinema business, says I&B minister

    53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) aims to promote cinema business, says I&B minister

    Mumbai: The 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is scheduled to be held from 20-28 November 2022 in Goa. A steering committee has been formed to conduct this year’s event. The steering committee is deliberating the roadmap for the event.

    Information & Broadcasting (I&B) minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that his vision for IFFI is to work closely with the film fraternity from Indian Cinema and use their expertise as well as understanding to take the 53rd IFFI to the next level. Also, he said that IFFI is a festival that aims to promote the business of cinema for the benefit of the film industry by providing collaborations and networking in order to boost the ‘creative economy’ of India. He added that the creative economy has the potential & talent to create new entrepreneurs in the media & entertainment (M&E) sector which will help transform India into a content and post production hub for the world.

    The function of the steering committee is to support the ministry to finalise the IFFI programming which includes various sections of IFFI programme, master classes, workshops and cultural components.

    The steering committee deliberated over various components of IFFI and discussed ways to enhance collaborations with international film makers, participation of regional cinema, giving a platform to young filmmakers as well as showcase new trends in cinema along with emerging technology that enhances the experience of cinema lovers. The steering committee will hold a number of meetings in the run up to IFFI and ideate on content curation and explore partnerships. 

    Simultaneously, the festival aims at providing a common platform for filmmakers from across the globe to showcase their talent and put forth the excellence of cinema from all over. Bringing together film cultures, the festival aims to allow the understanding of various social and cultural ethos and appreciation of world cinema. The festival is conducted jointly by the directorate of film festivals (under the ministry of information and broadcasting, government of India) and the state government of Goa.

    With an aim of providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of film art, IFFI  celebrates cinematic works every year from India and around the world.

  • Kapil Dev to be the guest of honour at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022

    Kapil Dev to be the guest of honour at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022

    Mumbai: The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne which for the last two years was held virtually will make its physical comeback with programming spanning both in person and online to keep up with the current times. The festival is set to take place in Melbourne from 12-20 August. Before the world was hit by a pandemic, in 2019 the festival hosted by the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Tabu, Vijay Sethupathi, Rima Das, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar amongst others.

    This year the festival will kick off with its opening night on 12 August and will have its yearly annual awards gala on 14 August. The film programming the organisers said is more diverse than ever before with over 100 films in 23 languages having been selected for the festival. Programming of the festival will soon be announced by the organisers and Indian film artists will be flying down to Melbourne to celebrate cinema in all its diversity.

    Furthering the popularity of one of the most talked about films this past year, 83 directed by Kabir Khan, the festival has invited former cricketer, Kapil Dev to be the guest of honour.

    Dev said, “I look forward to being part of IFFM 2022. It’s a great platform celebrating the best in Indian cinema. I truly do believe that sports and cinema are two major cultural experiences for not only Indians but various communities and countries that bind us together. It’s something for decades now that has united people. It’s a deep rooted emotional connection and love we have for both cinema and sports, and when they come together it’s a rewarding experience for everyone.”

    Speaking of the festival and its coming back physically, the festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said, “We are absolutely delighted to have IFFM come back physically this year alongside exciting virtual programming. To have with us a legendary cricketer, Kapil Dev in honour of a film based on his iconic 83 World Cup Win, we are excited to have him in Melbourne. Being a city of cinema and cricket lovers alike, we are certain the audiences will be excited to see him here. The festival this year has over 100 films from across the India sub-continent and we are excited to celebrate Indian cinema in all its glory and diversity”.

    Minister for creative industries Steve Dimopoulos said, “From its diverse program of film and joyous celebration of culture to the star power it attracts, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is an unmissable event. The Victorian government is a proud, long standing supporter of IFFM, this year boosting our support for the festival to extend its reach and impact, and we look forward to seeing Victorians from all communities join the celebration.”

  • Unacademy launches new ad film ‘Focus | First Law of Learning’

    Unacademy launches new ad film ‘Focus | First Law of Learning’

    Mumbai: Unacademy has released a new ad film ‘Focus | First Law of Learning’ to highlight another life learning from the cricket pitch of the IPL. In keeping with precedent, the film draws an interesting correlation between cricket and education and the need to stay focused.

    The ninety-four-second long clip begins with the quintessential question, “Is baar IPL se kya seekha?.”

    The film intersperses memorable match moments from IPL consisting of catches, run-outs and other on-field moments to deliver the importance of focusing to achieve one’s goals. As the film narrates through these highlights, it drives the message that emphasises the importance of ‘Focus’ and having a persistent and determined mind towards learning.

    The film also showcases key shots of the players focusing on their catches and runs outs, despite various on-field distractions.

    A key highlight of the film is the original soundtrack produced to further reiterate the message that focus is the first law of learning. The soundtrack has affirming lines like ‘Chahe Imtehaan ho Ya Khel ka maidaan ho Saara game focus ka hai’ and more to emphasise that whether cricket or academics focus makes or breaks a path.

    Speaking about the launch, Unacademy chief marketing officer Karan Shroff said, “At Unacademy, we work with a central vision keeping the Learner at the core of all our decisions and especially our marketing campaigns are driven to empathise further with them in their strenuous journey of cracking goals. This year’s IPL campaign is also produced keeping a relevant life learning of focus of which we saw multiple instances during the game, helping Cricketers crack their goals. Learners go through multiple hurdles during their journey and through this film, we aim to motivate them to remain focused and determined towards their goals.”

  • Prakash Jha talks about filmmaking and his OTT debut at Goafest 2022

    Prakash Jha talks about filmmaking and his OTT debut at Goafest 2022

    MUMBAI: During the Goafest 2022, Indian film producer, director and screenwriter, Prakash Jha talked about foraying into films and OTT from documentaries. He shared his thoughts on his journey and experiences in the entertainment industry.

    In a conversation with film critic Mayank Shekhar during the session titled “From Films to OTT” hosted by MX Player, Jha emphasised that filmmaking is a complete package for him. From sound recording and screenwriting to placing the lights, he takes a keen interest in everything that comes with filmmaking.

    His renowned works include Mrityudand, Gangajal, Apharan, Rajneeti, Chakravyuh, Aarakshan, Satyagrah, Aashram. Jha made his web series debut on OTT with the medium’s most-watched series, Aashram. The series’ 3rd season is slated to launch soon on MX Player.

    Jha also spoke of how he realized very early on in his career that acting is the most important part, and he should be able to communicate with the actors in their language.

    So, he started attending acting workshops by the best teachers in the world. He took workshops across Vienna, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Los Angeles and New York. He said, “I would quietly go and enrol myself as a student. And that’s how I understood an actor’s language. I have performed Shakespeare and other plays in classes, which gave me a lot of confidence.”

    But he exposed Indian actors saying, “I was disgusted with actors working here in India. They don’t know what acting is about. Till date, no actor has asked me questions about shoot days, shoot timings, locations, action sequences and more. And that’s the difference between Hollywood actors and Bollywood ones. The actors there attend workshops and keep on practising and improving their art.”

    Prakash Jha also stated that he keeps practising too as he enjoys the process and feels it’s much needed to keep the craft intact and will soon be seen in a lead role as an actor.

  • aha unveils its content line-up, 40 titles in plan for May

    aha unveils its content line-up, 40 titles in plan for May

    Mumbai: The regional OTT platform, aha has announced on Thursday a stellar content slate for the month of May, which includes 40 titles for their Telugu section.

    The new titles will provide 100 percent local entertainment to the people globally. The slate, directed by some of the industry’s best filmmakers, will include regional programming as well as the most popular Hollywood films, which will be available in the Telugu section of aha. Viewers will be able to watch international titles, which include,  Sam Raimi’s Spiderman series, the Men in Black series, Django Unchained, Black Hawk Down and others.

    Overall, the platform will make over 30 Hollywood films available in Telugu to their audience.The launch of the regional slate in May also ensures that the platform maintains the innovative and diverse content library with the continuation of Telugu Indian Idol, one of the emerging local talent shows hosted by Sree Ram Chandra, with actress Nithya Menon, music composer Thaman, and singer Karthik as its judges.

    The other high profile reality show that will continue in the month of May will be the second season of the super hit reality game show Sarkaar, hosted by Pradeep Machiraju. The season started on 29 April.

    Fahad Fasil’s Thondimuthalum Drikasakshiyum, a national winning film is set to premiere as “Dongata”. The film will exclusively premiere on the platform this week on 6 May from 12 am.

    Speaking on the launch for the month, aha’s ceo Ajit Thakur said, “We at aha are focused on offering diverse content that appeals to all age groups. The platform is expanding and diversifying itself by creating an original slate and streaming highly popular Hollywood films in the local language. We have recently launched a stunning Tamil slate in association with immensely talented creators. However, our stint in curating and creating Telugu content for the local audience has already made aha, a reliable platform for accessing Telugu entertainment.”

  • DNEG set to become the only Pure-play publicly-traded visual effects, animation company

    DNEG set to become the only Pure-play publicly-traded visual effects, animation company

    Mumbai: DNEG, a technology-enabled visual effects, and animation company, and Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company have entered into a definitive business combination agreement that will result in DNEG becoming a public company.

    Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be renamed DNEG and it is expected that its ordinary shares will be listed on the Nasdaq. The combined company will be led by DNEG chairman and chief executive officer Namit Malhotra.

    A subsidiary of Prime Focus, DNEG creates visual effects and animation for feature films, television, as well as multiplatform content, with operations based in North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver), Europe (London) and Asia (Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai and Mumbai)

    Commenting on this merger, DNEG chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra said, “This transaction creates long-term stability for our teams while also allowing us to exploit the tailwinds in the media and entertainment industry and the explosion in demand for content, which are huge growth drivers for our company. Leveraging our leading technology stack, DNEG is already making great strides into new growth areas such as gaming and content creation partnerships, and we are perfectly positioned to exploit massive new opportunities in the metaverse and the convergence of all forms of content creation.”

    DNEG’s work has earned the company six Academy Awards®️ for Best Visual Effects and numerous BAFTA and Primetime EMMY®️ Awards. Current and upcoming DNEG projects on behalf of its Hollywood and global studio and production company partners include Uncharted (February 2022), Death on the Nile (February 2022), Moonfall (February 2022), Borderlands (2022), Stranger Things S4 (2022), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2022), Knives Out 2 (2022), The Last of Us (2022), The Flash (2022), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).

  • Enormous melts hearts in new Christmas film for Winkies

    Enormous melts hearts in new Christmas film for Winkies

    December: People’s lives were impacted by the Covid-19 epidemic, particularly those who owned small businesses. Enormous’ new animated Christmas film for Winkies is dedicated to all individuals who have suffered at work in the past year, as well as those who have helped them get through it. 

    The three-minute animated film shows how a barbershop faced closure due to the pandemic. The film reflects the struggles people had to undergo during the pandemic and celebrates how small actions helped save businesses. #BoroDinBoroMonn which is about sharing joy and cheer during Christmas is also the essence of the brand.

    Switzindia brand manager Rahul Deb Saha said, “The movie demonstrates how Covid-19 affected small business owners, but that as things began to normalise, they were able to celebrate the holiday season. It’s part of a wider idea known as Boro Din, Boro Monn, which is about sharing joy and happiness throughout the holidays and is also the brand’s soul.”

    Enormous managing partner Ashish Khazanchi said, “We thought of dedicating a Christmas film for Winkies to the people whose lives were impacted by the epidemic and to all those who helped them get through it when we were producing it. We are ecstatic to be able to conceptualise this film, and we hope to provide joy and happiness this holiday season, as well as hope and optimism for 2022.”

  • Hollywood Scrambles to Avert Strike

    Hollywood Scrambles to Avert Strike

    Los Angeles: Negotiations between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), which represents film and television crew members throughout North America, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Televisions Producers (AMPTP), the bargaining unit for producers with studios, have now resumed in Hollywood in order to avert a threatened strike which would affect film and TV productions nationwide.

    As widely reported, members of the IATSE voted overwhelmingly over the weekend to authorise a strike, bringing film and TV productions one step closer to shutting down if a contract negotiation with major studios is not resolved soon.

    It was the first time in the 128-year history of the IATSE that a nationwide strike has been approved and with the support of 98 per cent of the voters. The outcome is a clear indication that the 60 thousand members who work in television and film will keep pressing for better working conditions. Talks between the two organisations broke down earlier last month.

    “The members have spoken loud and clear. This vote is about the quality of life, as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry,” said IATSE president Matthew Loeb of the strike authorisation.

    IATSE’s recent three-year contract expired in July and the two parties have been trying to craft a new one, however, IATSE said the AMPTP needs to address issues such as excessively unsafe and harmful working hours, fair wages for all production workers, and reasonable rest periods and meal breaks.

    It is well known that individuals that work in film and television productions don’t usually have set hours, often skip meals, and are forced to work on weekends and holidays. In addition, many of these workers are in the lowest-paid positions.

    In a statement after the strike authorisation, the AMPTP said by leaving the table, the IATSE “walked away from a generous comprehensive package.” They further stated that the contract offered included improvements in rest periods, as well as increases in wages and benefits.

    The threat of a strike comes as Hollywood productions are starting to boom again after being shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Soundstages are beginning to, once again, be in short supply and productions are now having trouble finding enough workers to keep shooting.

    This fact has further emboldened the IATSE, with members arguing that the pressure to work long hours has grown worse in the streaming age, particularly as studios scramble to ramp up production time lost during the Covid-19 shutdowns. The union said it received over 50 reports of 14+ hour workdays during the first seven months of 2021 as reported by Quartz News.

    “I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members,” Loeb said. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer,” the IATSE president stated as talks were set to resume with the AMPTP.

    The last major Hollywood strike was from 2007 to 2008 when 12,000 writers walked off their jobs. It lasted for 100 days and caused productions to be delayed, shortened, and even resulted in shows being canceled. It’s too soon to know how long an IATSE strike would last but it would affect significantly more workers with 60,000 crew members, ranging from editors to make-up artists to camera operators, potentially walking out.

    Film and television shows produced by studios including Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros, Apple TV, Netflix, Disney+ and others could be affected by the strike which could extend through the United States and Canada and could have ripple effects on shows worldwide.