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Tag: Pocket Films

  • Pocket Films launches short film OTT

    Pocket Films launches short film OTT

    MUMBAI: The big boys are merging their OTTs. Others are announcing new OTTs. Why should the small guys be left out?

    Short film aggregator Pocket Films – run by long time web-preneur Sameer Mody  – has officially announced the launch of its OTT.

    Taking to linkedin Mody  posted: “The only OTT you need for shortfilms is here! Enjoy an elevated viewing experience with our curated content in a variety of genres and languages.”

    The Pocket films OTT is not designed in the manner that most apps are – it has been launched in  a web (mobile responsive) version without any  apparent iOS or android variant which needs to be downloaded. It, however, allows creators to create their profile and upload their films, and permit them to be distributed through the wide  Pocket Films  network. The short films, while limited in number (compared to its YouTube cousin), are available in various genres and in Hindi, Marathi and international languages.  

    Mody who is the founder &  managing director of the company, has been at it for nearly 18 years and over time his firm, according to him, has emerged as the number one partner of You Tube for short content. Pocket Films’ YouTube channel has around 3.91 million subscribers and showcases around 3,000 videos, many created by users.

    The channel generates more than 150 million views each month.  In addition to YouTube,  Pocket Films also distributes its content through OTT platforms, mobile operators, TV channels, in-flight entertainment.

    This apart, it organises short film contests in India in partnership with international film festivals like . Manhattan Short, Indian Film Festival, Stuttgart, River to River Florence, Italy, among others. 

    Recently, Pocket Films has also ventured into production with a special focus on digital series  and short films, especially catering to the growing OTT and digital platforms.

  • 70 companies, 1200 traders attend Global Content Bazar

    70 companies, 1200 traders attend Global Content Bazar

    MUMBAI: Around 70 companies and 1200 trade visitors from Asia, Europe and the Middle-East participated in Global Content Bazar 2018 which concluded here recently.

    High-quality trade and other visitors witnessed echoed a sentiment of highly beneficial exchanges with exhibitors and buyers at the bazaar which delivered on its assurance of showcasing the latest in content. India’s first-ever content market — Global Content Bazar 2017 — concluded in Mumbai recently. The show witnessed many eager visitors who echoed a sentiment of highly beneficial interactions with exhibitors, buyers, sellers and participants.

    As a professional trade show focused on content that powers India’s vast entertainment and infotainment industry, the content bazaar delivered on its promise of showcasing newest happenings in content for film, television, animation, docs & shorts, virtual reality, OTT-IPTV-VOD, 3D, music, radio, interactive gaming, mobile and more.

    The ‘Content Monetising Avenues Conference’ held on the show’s first day proved to be the highlight of the three-day event; with over 20 speakers presenting papers on the latest trends in the content industry and related subjects.

    Leading content providers, buyers and sellers such as Shanghai WingsMedia from China (with 10 prominent Chinese companies), Zee TV, Viacom 18, Sony Pictures Network, Doordarshan, DTV Turkey, ATV Turkey, Fight Globe, NH Studioz, Ultra Media & Entertainment, Creative Eye Ltd., WebTVAsia, Pocket Films, Green Gold Animation, Global One Enterprise, Qube Cinema and Fashion TV among others made their presence felt at the show and in the Indian content industry.

    Apart from India, companies from China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UAE, Turkey, France, Austria and Russia participated in the show this year.

    The Global Content Bazar 2018 is scheduled to be held at the World Trade Centre in mid-January.

  • 70 companies, 1200 traders attend Global Content Bazar

    70 companies, 1200 traders attend Global Content Bazar

    MUMBAI: Around 70 companies and 1200 trade visitors from Asia, Europe and the Middle-East participated in Global Content Bazar 2018 which concluded here recently.

    High-quality trade and other visitors witnessed echoed a sentiment of highly beneficial exchanges with exhibitors and buyers at the bazaar which delivered on its assurance of showcasing the latest in content. India’s first-ever content market — Global Content Bazar 2017 — concluded in Mumbai recently. The show witnessed many eager visitors who echoed a sentiment of highly beneficial interactions with exhibitors, buyers, sellers and participants.

    As a professional trade show focused on content that powers India’s vast entertainment and infotainment industry, the content bazaar delivered on its promise of showcasing newest happenings in content for film, television, animation, docs & shorts, virtual reality, OTT-IPTV-VOD, 3D, music, radio, interactive gaming, mobile and more.

    The ‘Content Monetising Avenues Conference’ held on the show’s first day proved to be the highlight of the three-day event; with over 20 speakers presenting papers on the latest trends in the content industry and related subjects.

    Leading content providers, buyers and sellers such as Shanghai WingsMedia from China (with 10 prominent Chinese companies), Zee TV, Viacom 18, Sony Pictures Network, Doordarshan, DTV Turkey, ATV Turkey, Fight Globe, NH Studioz, Ultra Media & Entertainment, Creative Eye Ltd., WebTVAsia, Pocket Films, Green Gold Animation, Global One Enterprise, Qube Cinema and Fashion TV among others made their presence felt at the show and in the Indian content industry.

    Apart from India, companies from China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UAE, Turkey, France, Austria and Russia participated in the show this year.

    The Global Content Bazar 2018 is scheduled to be held at the World Trade Centre in mid-January.

  • NDTV Prime presents ‘Prime Talkies’ with Nagesh Kukunoor

    NDTV Prime presents ‘Prime Talkies’ with Nagesh Kukunoor

    NEW DELHI: NDTV Prime will soon air a new TV series called Prime Talkies, which will screen award-winning short films providing alternate entertainment to the discerning urban audience, who is on the lookout for something different.

     

    Launching on 19 March, Prime Talkies with Pocket Films, hosted by filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor, will be an hour of pure storytelling, which will showcase different styles of cinema with a generous dose of entertainment. The show will be aired every Thursday at 9 pm.

     

    Each episode will showcase some never heard before nuances of the genre, where young filmmakers will be seen in conversation with Nagesh Kukunoor, sharing their approach, passion and perspective behind their film.

     

    Speaking about the show, Kukunoor said, “It is pretty exciting to see the amount of talent in so many amateur filmmakers. As a filmmaker, I thoroughly enjoyed every interaction with individuals from very diverse backgrounds. The viewers will get a firsthand look at some enjoyable short films from future talent while at the same time getting a peek into the fascinating process of filmmaking. Kudos to NDTV Prime and Pocket Films for being the first to recognise short films as a serious art form!”

     

    Some promising filmmakers to watch out for in the series include Shlok Sharma (director of the short film Tubelight Ka Chand), whose feature film Haram Khor, produced by Anurag Kashyap, is due for release. The interview will be followed by the screening of selected short films.

  • Manhattan Short 2014 to be held in India

    Manhattan Short 2014 to be held in India

    MUMBAI: Manhattan Short 2014, the international platform which showcases, celebrates and awards short films from across the world, is back for the fifth time in India.

     

    The three-day fest will be held in Mumbai from 3 -5 October. The festival will screen the 10 best short films that have been selected from USA, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Norway, and England.

     

    The films deal with a range of subjects which includes romance to sci-fi, animation and a docu-short. These films have won multiple accolades at various festivals around the world and will be screened at Manhattan Short 2014.

     

    This film movement began in 1998 and has long established its global exposure by dedicating itself to the short film genre and witnessing hundreds of entries from across the world every year.

     

    This year Manhattan Short 2014 in India and its chief patron Vivanta by Taj conducted and named, ‘Vote for India’. This initiative saw filmmakers from across India send in their short film entries to vie for a spot in the global finalist list. The films were hosted on the India chapter’s website – www.manhattanshortindia.com where Indian audiences voted for three best movies. These three winners each have won a chance to create a short film for Vivanta by Taj.

     

    Manhattan Short 2014 in India will also present a few workshops for the youth and upcoming film makers by renowned artistes who will share their thoughtful insights with the audience.

     

    Commenting on the India chapter, India Festival director Anil Sadarangani said, “With Manhattan Short’s global reach, this is a dream come true for any filmmaker to be a part of. We hope to receive a great response from the city with the grand repertoires of short films presented at the festival.”

     

    Manhattan Short 2014 in India will kickstart with an interesting workshop on ‘The Short Film Industry: Boom!’ This session will have panelists like Shamiana Shorts Founder Cyrus Dastur, Pocket Films Managing Director Saameer Mody, renowned film maker Paromita Vohra and film-maker and Co-Curator of The FD Zone Avijit Mukul Kishore, who will share their insights on the growth of the short film industry in India.

     

    The festival  will also conduct various workshops with renowned industry veterans like- ‘Rainbow Stories – Queering Indian Shorts’ with Sridhar Rangayan from Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, ‘Joys of Film Editing’ workshop with Film Editors Dipika Kalra and Antara Lahiri, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ashvin Kumar will conduct one on making an Oscar-worthy short film at Manhattan Short 2014.

     

    The winner will be selected by the audience voting. Votes will be tallied at each participating cinema around the world and submitted to festival headquarters in New York City where the winner will be announced. Audiences can also catch the webcast live on www.vivantabytaj.com.

  • 7th Advantage India Short Film Contest organized by Pocket Films, calls for entries

    7th Advantage India Short Film Contest organized by Pocket Films, calls for entries

    MUMBAI: Pocket Films has organized a short film contest, 7th Advantage India in association with River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, Italy. With a promise to be bigger and better like every year, 7th Advantage India Short Film contest is calling for entries from young budding film makers as well as professional filmmakers.

     

    Organized with an aim to uplift the filmmakers and give them the ‘center stage’ in the film industry by recognizing their talent internationally, the contest has carved its name in the industry through its initiative taken for short filmmakers.

     

    7th Advantage India organized by Pocket Films will render a lot of opportunities to filmmakers to show up their talent in filmmaking. It opens the doors for the 3 winning films to reach out to audiences and other festivals in Europe through screening at River to River and as promised 7th Advantage India is back this time to take the film makers a step closer to their dreams.

     

    The 3 winning films will be broadcast on the show ‘Prime Talkies with Pocket Films’ on NDTV Prime, getting a national audience.

     

    Further, Pocket Films is proud to present the first ever ‘India Chapter of the River To River, Florence Indian Film Festival’ in Mumbai in March 2015. All the winning films of the festival (not just Advantage India) will be screened at this event to be held at Blue Frog.

     

    The film entries will be judged by esteemed jury members like Film maker, Nagesh Kukunoor, Director of River to River, Florence Indian Film Festival, Selvaggia Velo and Specializer in casting, film programming and Academic research, and Editor of Film India Worldwide ‘Uma Da Cunha.

     

    According to Saameer Mody, Managing Director, Pocket films, “7th Advantage India is an initiative by Pocket films which is aimed to showcase the talent to respected professionals and veteran film directors from the industry. We aim to be at the forefront of these exciting, challenging and transformative times by giving alternate content and its creators the exposure and acclaim they deserve.”

     

    By organizing such contests, especially in association with respected International Film Festivals, Pocket Films provides a fantastic platform for filmmakers to show case their talent not only domestically but worldwide.

     

    River to River is the only festival in Italy that is totally devoted to films from and about India. This year will be its 14th edition, starting from 6 to 12 December in Florence and 13-14 December in Rome, under the direction of Selvaggia Velo and the Patronage of the Embassy of India.

  • Pocket Films to showcase short films on NDTV Prime

    Pocket Films to showcase short films on NDTV Prime

    MUMBAI: Pocket Films in association with NDTV Prime is all set to launch a new show ‘Prime talkies with Pocket Films’ to showcase short films, documentaries and other alternate content by young and aspiring film makers and students.

    Starting 31st July, the show will be aired every Thursday from 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm. Every episode will telecast 3- 4 films that are critically acclaimed spread across various themes like love, passion, patriotism, etc.

     

    Pocket Films is India’s leading aggregator and distributor of alternate content that helps short films, documentaries, indie films, etc., find their target audience on internet and mobile platform. Their aim is to provide a platform to upcoming and new filmmakers who are passionate about short films and documentary genres and are looking for a window to showcase their talent.

     

    All big things have small beginnings’ is the core behind every Pocket Films’ endeavor. ‘Prime talkies with Pocket Films’ is just what the budding film makers need to get noticed and inch closer to a coveted big break. This Pocket Films initiative along with NDTV Prime will prove to be an encouraging pat on the back for many novice film makers and talented students.

     

    Pocket Film’s portfolio of short films is studded with gems like Tubelight Ka Chand and The Joy of Giving By Shlok Sharma, an Anurag Kashyap Production film, Salt and Pepper by Mohinder Pratap Singh starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Padmini Kolhapure, The Break Up by Bahaish Kapoor and 2B or Not 2B by Samvida Nanda among others.

     

    According to Mr Saameer Mody, Managing Director, Pocket Films, “Pocket Films along with NDTV is pleased to launch this initiative to throw the spotlight on talented film makers on a national platform which will prove to be a starting point to become big. The viewers too will benefit as they will now be able to enjoy interesting stories offering varied perspectives along with being entertained.”

     

    Pocket Films has always been associated with promoting talented film makers via various mediums. Screening of these films on television is one big step in providing national visibility to such budding talent.