ITV

Tag: Nelson Mandela

  • Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    MUMBAI: ESPN Films, known for producing award-winning sports films and documentaries, has tied up with Sony Pictures Network (SPN) to bring some compelling sports stories to India. The initiative starts 27 November 2016 on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels.

    The series will debut in India with `The Two Escobars’. Directed by the Zimbalists, it tells the tale of two men named Escobar — Andrés, the captain and poster child of Colombia’s national team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as `narco-soccer’.

    Appearing for the first time in India, the critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series of documentaries bring to viewers a thoughtful and innovative examination of the sports world, its characters, events and intersections with society at large where stories are told by filmmakers in partnership with ESPN.

    With topics ranging from Nelson Mandela’s embrace of the 1995 Rugby World Cup as a force for racial unity, to the rise and fall of Pablo and Andres Escobar during the “Narco-Soccer” era in Colombia, to the bravado and foolhardy courage of Muhammad Ali in his twilight years, fighting to hold on to greatness, the range and poignancy of stories are timeless and should appeal to Indian viewers who love great storytelling.

    Addressing the media here on Tuesday at a special screening of one such film, ESPN India and South Asia head and vice president Ramesh Kumar said, “Part of what has always distinguished ESPN is that we do not only cover the games, we cover the ‘game around the game’ and we do it as storytellers. These films go beyond sports and engage viewers with compelling, often unknown or previously unseen, narratives that capture the power, emotion and poignancy of sports in our lives.”

    Often credited with revitalizing and revolutionizing the art of sports documentary, ESPN Films projects are brought to life by a roster of gifted filmmakers collaborating with ESPN. Among those who have created films for the series are Jeff & Michael Zimbalist, Clifford Bestall, Albert Maysles, Barry Levinson, Bradley Kaplan, Brett Ratner, Spike Jonze, John Singleton, Brian Koppleman, Michael Rappaport, Daniel Gordon, Alex Gibney, Eric Drath, Ezra Edelman and many more.

    Commenting on the launch, SPN India Sports Cluster Business Head and EVP Prasana Krishnan said, “Some of the most inspiring stories in the world have come from sports. We are showcasing a collection of award-winning ESPN Films documentary series for the first time in India that is sure to appeal to both die-hard sports fans as well as people who don’t know much about sports. The ESPN films are a differentiated offering from Sony ESPN channels that comprise legendary human interest stories that will give our viewers an opportunity to relive some of the greatest moments in the history of sports.”

    ESPN Films was launched in March 2008 and has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, ESPN India Television Initiatives Head Jasdeep Pannu said, “Times are changing in India and sports is becoming extremely relevant. Also, this is the kind of content that you will not find anywhere in the world. The content appeals to sports fans as well those passionate about films.”

    Pointing out that to promote and market these films campaigns are being run on Sony’s in-house TV channels, Pannu said. “We are also cross promoting the films on our regular channels on digital media like ESPN.com, cricinfo, etc.”

    Films like `The 16th Man’, `Muhammad and Lary’, `Maradona’, `The Real Rocky’, `Into the Wind’, `Little Master’ and `Unmatched’ are among the few productions that will be telecasted on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD every Sunday noon.

  • Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    MUMBAI: ESPN Films, known for producing award-winning sports films and documentaries, has tied up with Sony Pictures Network (SPN) to bring some compelling sports stories to India. The initiative starts 27 November 2016 on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels.

    The series will debut in India with `The Two Escobars’. Directed by the Zimbalists, it tells the tale of two men named Escobar — Andrés, the captain and poster child of Colombia’s national team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as `narco-soccer’.

    Appearing for the first time in India, the critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series of documentaries bring to viewers a thoughtful and innovative examination of the sports world, its characters, events and intersections with society at large where stories are told by filmmakers in partnership with ESPN.

    With topics ranging from Nelson Mandela’s embrace of the 1995 Rugby World Cup as a force for racial unity, to the rise and fall of Pablo and Andres Escobar during the “Narco-Soccer” era in Colombia, to the bravado and foolhardy courage of Muhammad Ali in his twilight years, fighting to hold on to greatness, the range and poignancy of stories are timeless and should appeal to Indian viewers who love great storytelling.

    Addressing the media here on Tuesday at a special screening of one such film, ESPN India and South Asia head and vice president Ramesh Kumar said, “Part of what has always distinguished ESPN is that we do not only cover the games, we cover the ‘game around the game’ and we do it as storytellers. These films go beyond sports and engage viewers with compelling, often unknown or previously unseen, narratives that capture the power, emotion and poignancy of sports in our lives.”

    Often credited with revitalizing and revolutionizing the art of sports documentary, ESPN Films projects are brought to life by a roster of gifted filmmakers collaborating with ESPN. Among those who have created films for the series are Jeff & Michael Zimbalist, Clifford Bestall, Albert Maysles, Barry Levinson, Bradley Kaplan, Brett Ratner, Spike Jonze, John Singleton, Brian Koppleman, Michael Rappaport, Daniel Gordon, Alex Gibney, Eric Drath, Ezra Edelman and many more.

    Commenting on the launch, SPN India Sports Cluster Business Head and EVP Prasana Krishnan said, “Some of the most inspiring stories in the world have come from sports. We are showcasing a collection of award-winning ESPN Films documentary series for the first time in India that is sure to appeal to both die-hard sports fans as well as people who don’t know much about sports. The ESPN films are a differentiated offering from Sony ESPN channels that comprise legendary human interest stories that will give our viewers an opportunity to relive some of the greatest moments in the history of sports.”

    ESPN Films was launched in March 2008 and has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, ESPN India Television Initiatives Head Jasdeep Pannu said, “Times are changing in India and sports is becoming extremely relevant. Also, this is the kind of content that you will not find anywhere in the world. The content appeals to sports fans as well those passionate about films.”

    Pointing out that to promote and market these films campaigns are being run on Sony’s in-house TV channels, Pannu said. “We are also cross promoting the films on our regular channels on digital media like ESPN.com, cricinfo, etc.”

    Films like `The 16th Man’, `Muhammad and Lary’, `Maradona’, `The Real Rocky’, `Into the Wind’, `Little Master’ and `Unmatched’ are among the few productions that will be telecasted on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD every Sunday noon.

  • Oxigen appoints Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador

    Oxigen appoints Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: India’s payments solutions provider Oxigen Services has signed cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador.

     

    The brand zeroed in on Tendulkar as he reflects the core values of the company in his virtues of unshakable commitment and humility.

     

    Oxigen has aligned its vision to aggressively push for Digital India and financial inclusion, a key agenda on the radar of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

     

    Oxigen Services India founder & CMD Pramod Saxena said, “We are absolutely proud and honoured to be associated with the god of cricket himself, who is renowned not only in India, but across the globe. It is not just his values that inspired us to get him on board, but also his strong commitment towards larger national issues such as education and  upliftment of rural India that resonate with our own programs. Together we are set to take our initiatives towards Financial Inclusion, Digital India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to the next level.”

     

    Tendulkar added, “I am excited to be associated with Oxigen Services, which is at the threshold of exponential growth. Oxigen’s effort to align with the needs of the common Indian and focus on offering convenience, flexibility and ease in payment solutions is admirable. With the Oxigen wallet providing so many features, I am sure it will be the preferred mode for payment emphatically replacing the present day need to carry physical forms of cash and plastic money.”

     

    Oxigen recently came on board as the official sponsor of the Proteas – South African T20 Cricket Team, which will be visiting India for The Mahatma Gandhi – Nelson Mandela Series this week.

     

    The company has also launched the #Playthehost campaign for the series.

     

    “The adoration for Tendulkar, as a person, cuts across demographics, states and cultures. He is a much loved and trusted sport personality, with an unblemished track record. We, at Oxigen as well, reach out to a large mass of people across the country, we have something for everyone, A mobile wallet for the youth and money transfer and payments services, through our retail network for all fellow Indians.  The city dwellers and rural Indians alike, see us as a dependable service provider. By associating with Sachin we are sure we reinforce the trust and reliability factor with our customers, taking it to the zenith with his endorsement to the Oxigen Brand,” said Oxigen corporate affairs brand and marketing services president Meher Sarid.

  • Star Sports pockets Rs 150+ crore in sponsorship for India – SA cricket series

    Star Sports pockets Rs 150+ crore in sponsorship for India – SA cricket series

    MUMBAI: Star India president – sports Nitin Kukreja is a happy man. With three co-presenting sponsors and seven associate sponsors on board for the India – South Africa cricket series, Star Sports has so far pocketed more than Rs 150 crore in sponsorships, even as more deals are being negotiated.

    Beginning 2 October, the Mahatma Gandhi – Nelson Mandela series will have three T20s, five ODIs and four Test matches, which will be played over a span of two months. This in turn offers the channel a huge inventory to generate revenue.

    A source close to the development informs Indiantelevision.com that the three co-presenting sponsors for the series namely PayTM, Raymond and Lava have paid approximately Rs 20 crore each. On the other hand, the seven associate sponsors – Maruti Suzuki, Airtel, Idea, Intex Led TV, Hero, Pernod, and OLX have shelled out approximately Rs 13 crore each, taking the total amount that Star India has earned in sponsorship to Rs 151 crore. Moreover, the broadcaster is in final stages of negotiations with a few more brands for the India – South Africa series.

    In terms of ad rates, the 10 second slot during T-20 matches has been priced between Rs 2.5 – 3 lakhs. ODIs and Tests have been priced at Rs 1 lakh and Rs 70 thousand respectively, the source adds.

    This is PayTM’s first series in the four years title sponsor deal, which it earned by outbidding Micromax. PayTM sealed the deal for Rs 203.28 crore, which is to be paid over the four year term. Maxus in association with GroupM ESP properties was instrumental in cracking the deal for PayTM.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Maxus managing partner Navin Khemka says, “We could not have asked for a better series to kickstart the deal. It’s bang in the middle of the festive season, a period where brands spend maximum. The success or failure of the cricket series will be decided by the quality of cricket played on the field.”

    CAA Kwan COO Indranil Das Blah is of the opinion that the series will spell success for BCCI and broadcaster Star Sports. “India VS South Africa is a marquee contest and hence advertisers and sponsors will show interest in the initial stages but the annual fate will depend on the performance. The festive season is when brands unveil a lot of new launches, so timing-wise, it cannot be better,” he says.

    Another media planner with condition of anonymity adds, “To me, the Rs 20 crore figure seems inflated. I think Rs 13 – 14 crore is what they are getting and that’s a good bet. If the series starts well, the numbers will be delightful for Star. The ad rates are realistic and can go much higher for last moment entrants if the series gets poised.”

  • Film Festivals to form part of Festival of India in South Africa

    Film Festivals to form part of Festival of India in South Africa

    NEW DELHI: A festival of films put together by the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry will form part of the Festival of India to be held in different parts of South Africa between 18 July and 31 August this year.

     

    Culture secretary Ravindra Singh launched the logo, posters and webpage for the Festival of India in South Africa. 

    To mark the occasion of 20 years of end of apartheid regime and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and South Africa subsequent to the formation of the democratic government in South Africa, the Culture Ministry has organised the festival in collaboration with the External Affairs Ministry and the Embassy of India in Pretoria. 

    The Festival of India is a gesture of friendship between India and South Africa, an exchange of culture and ideas; it revisits history and historical alliances between these two great countries. It is a celebration between the people of South Africa and India. An Indian delegation led by MOS(IC) for Ministry of Culture is proposed to visit South Africa for Festival of India in South Africa beginning from July 18 2014. 

    The Festival of India in South Africa covers a wide-range of events showcasing Indian performing arts, photo cricket exhibition, interactive Gandhi-Mandela exhibition, literary festival, food festival and film festival. Ministry of Culture Institutions namely Sangeet Natak Akedemi, Kathak Kendra, National Archive of India, Sahitya Akademi and National Council of Science Museums would be participating in the Festival’s events.  

    The colourful logo designed for the Festival consists of a handshake – a symbol of trust and friendship that seals a bond between two people, two communities and two nations. The hands are coated in the colours of their respective country. The logo has faces of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi side by side in a circle. The logo is washed in the colours of India and converts it into one single integrated unit that symbolizes inclusiveness and collective force of all. 

    The Festival of India in South Africa will be celebrated in eight cities covering Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.

  • TV channels drop all else to air Mandela

    TV channels drop all else to air Mandela

    MUMBAI: The lion of South Africa roars no more. Nelson Mandela, who emerged from prison after 27 long years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid as his country’s first black president, passed away last night at his home in Johannesburg surrounded by his family members.

     

    Mandela or Madiba, as he was fondly called, proved to be as much a symbol of South Africa’s struggle against racial oppression as one of integrity and resilience when after being freed from prison in 1990 he negotiated a peaceful end to apartheid and urged forgiveness for the white government that had imprisoned him.

     

    It doesn’t come as a surprise that the man who was a phenomenon during his lifetime, is set to make history, even in death. Ever since the news of his demise, social media is aflutter with #RIPNelsonMandela trending on Twitter, Facebook full of Mandela posts and Google News showing close to 1,000 results on him. All publications, big or small, are digging out articles on him for their readers’ information and interest. Not to be left behind, TV channels while news channels have gone berserk showing features around the leader, even the infotainment channels are competing with each other to come with even more special segments on the revolutionary-turned-prisoner-turned-president.

     

    So, if National Geographic Channel is showcasing Mandela: His Life and Legacy on Saturday, December 7 at 11 pm and December 8 at 1 pm; Discovery is airing The Making Of Mandela again on 7 December at 9 pm and 8 December at 8 pm. Similarly, History TV18 is narrating the story of South Africa’s political transformation under Mandela’s leadership with Miracle Rising: South Africa airing tonight (9 pm) while TLC has a special line-up for audiences.

     

    With Mandela having motivated Indians as much as he did the South Africans, television channels started digging for features as soon as they came to know about his passing away.

     

    So what about the programmes that had been lined-up previously? “It’s not easy, but I think in a highly competitive environment where viewer interest can be ephemeral it becomes almost mandatory,” says A+E Networks TV18 VP and head marketing Sangeetha Aiyer, adding that they had to drop Hidden Cities at 9 pm and one of the channel’s biggest shows – Pawn Stars at 10 pm from the regular line-up to accommodate the program on Mandela.

     

    Drawing a parallel to how the channel aired a biography on Steve Jobs two years ago after his sudden demise and how it dropped the regular line up to air a show called The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka when the international community was bearing down on Sri Lanka for war crimes committed by its army, she says: “The effect was quite humbling as the show created a stir in Tamil Nadu and was even discussed in Parliament.”

     

    Coming back to Mandela, NGC has dropped its popular series Taboo. National Geographic and FOX International Channels VP, marketing Debarpita Banerjee, says that shows based on big events and people always bring more viewers. “Our rich and diverse library has always offered contextually relevant shows like Trapped in Kedarnath, Inside the Mahakumbh, 26/11 specials, 9/11 specials, that have fared extremely well. In fact, shows like Trapped in Kedarnath, 9/11 special went on to become one of the top three shows of the infotainment genre. Most of these special features have largely been based on events that have turned into the country’s news headlines. We realise that there are people curious to know more about events that have impacted their lives,” she says.

     

    Business-wise, it isn’t a good deal for channels to change the line-up at such short notice as they rarely find sponsors. Add to that the tough market that makes it even more difficult. With sponsorships taking a few weeks, finding an advertiser for a show that is to be aired in a few hours is difficult for any channel and thus, none of the channels got funders.

     

    However, since the curiosity around the topic is huge, the promotions become big. “For our regular viewers, we promote the shows heavily on the channel along with all our social media platforms. Pertinent shows like these are also promoted heavily on our news network where we can reach out to relevant audiences,” says Aiyer.

     

    “Getting sponsors is but naturally difficult on such short notice, however, our prime focus for such features is to ensure that we have the most relevant and well researched content put together by our programming team and then, try and promote it well so that our viewers are aware of such a show. We reach out to our captive audience of over 4 million fans on Facebook along with running promos, graphic-overs on the channel itself,” concludes Banerjee.

  • Idris Elba to star in Beasts of No Nation

    Idris Elba to star in Beasts of No Nation

    MUMBAI: The film financed by Red Crown Productions has roped in Elba, a prominent British actor who was recently seen in Pacific Rim as Stacker Pentecost. Cary Fukunaga will direct the adaptation of Uzodinma Iweala’s bestselling novel.

     

    Red Crown Productions’ Daniela Taplin Lundberg and Riva Marker, Parliament of Owls’ Fukunaga and Primary Productions’ principal Amy Kaufman are producers while Daniel Crown and Bill Benenson will be executive producers.

     

    The story is about a young boy called Agu who turns to mercenary fighters when his west African country is engulfed by a war. He has to face the death of his father and the disappearance of his mother as

     

    sister while fighting with a mute man he makes a friend. He will play the lead role of commander.

     

    Beasts of No Nation was packaged by WME. IM Global’s specialty label Acclaim will do international sales at Toronto Film Festival. Fukunaga has previously directed Jane Eyre and is currently on HBO’s series True Detective.

     

    Elba is to be seen as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, releasing this November. Both Elba and Fukunaga are repped by WME and managed by Anonymous content.

  • Gulf Oil presents ‘LEADER TALK’ with Sir Vivian Richards and Raghav Bahl

    Gulf Oil presents ‘LEADER TALK’ with Sir Vivian Richards and Raghav Bahl

    New Delhi, 30 July 2013: At a time when India is looking for young and dynamic leadership in all spheres, CNN-IBN, in association with Gulf Oil, brings you LEADER TALK, a unique new talk show that will explore the ever-evolving aspects of leadership, be it in a corporate boardroom or in a sports arena.

    This week on the show, IBN Network Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai talks to West Indian cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards and Raghav Bahl, Founder and Editor of Network18. On the show, Sir Richards talks about the challenge of bringing together individuals from different islands and leading them to success, while Raghav Bahl adds that trust and empowerment are the two things that people respond to. Also on the show, Sir Richards reveals that he was inspired by the likes of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Fidel Castro, while Raghav talks about the inclusive leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

    The show will be aired on CNN-IBN every Saturday at 12:30 PM, followed by a repeat telecast on the same day at 10:30 PM and on Sunday at 10:00 AM and 7:30 PM.
    More details on this series can be viewed on www.ibnlive.com/leadertalk.

  • George Alagiah joins BBC World to present ‘NewsHour’

    George Alagiah joins BBC World to present ‘NewsHour’

    MUMBAI: George Alagiah, one of the BBC’s well-known news presenters, will join BBC World to present a brand-new programme NewsHour. Beginning in June, the programme will broadcast each weekday during peak times in the key markets around the world, including the US breakfast peak and Asia evening peak.

    Alagiah will present NewsHour at 12 PM (GMT) from Monday to Thursday. He currently co-presents the BBC’s Six O’Clock News in the UK, and will continue in that role in addition to presenting NewsHour, informs an official release.

    BBC Global News Division director Richard Sambrook says, “We are extremely pleased to have a journalist of George’s calibre on board to present our new programme. George has achieved tremendous success in the UK for his objective coverage, in-depth international knowledge, and his sharp interviewing skills. His experience and his ability to uncover the news behind each story will be crucial for the success of NewsHour, which was created to ensure that BBC World delivers continuous and authoritative news programming to its audiences in the US during peak morning hours, and in East Asia in the evening.”

    “As a foreign correspondent for a decade, I saw first-hand how people around the world turned to the BBC for its sheer breadth of coverage and the authority with which it came. Now, more than ever, American audiences are interested how global events can have an impact on their lives and Newshour will bring them the day’s international news stories from an impartial and global perspective.”

    Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 and worked as a foreign correspondent specialising in Africa and the developing world. In March 2002, he launched BBC Four’s international news programme and began presenting BBC’s Six O’clock News in January 2003.

    He has reported on many issues and events including the famine in Somalia, the genocide in Rwanda, the civil war in Liberia, Saddam Hussein’s campaign against the Iraqi Kurds and the aftermath of the terror attacks on New York.

    Alagiah has won several awards for his reporting and has interviewed many prominent international figures including Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat and Tariq Aziz of Iraq.

    The introduction of NewsHour is part of the channel’s plan to establish regular NewsHour programmes throughout the day, to ensure BBC World delivers tailored news programming at the breakfast and evening peak-times across key time zones.