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Tag: Shyam Benegal

  • Shyam Benegal to head jury for Asia Pacific Screen Awards

    Shyam Benegal to head jury for Asia Pacific Screen Awards

    NEW DELHI: Famed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly has been shortlisted in the features in competition of the 7th Annual Awards of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

    Other films from acclaimed filmmakers include Hong Kong’s Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster), Japan’s Hayao Miyazaki (The Wind Rises) and Hirokazu Kore Eda (Like Father, Like Son), as well as Kim Ki Duk (Moebius) from the Republic of Korea and Asghar Farhadi (The Past) from the Islamic Republic of Iran. First timers competing with them include Singapore’s Anthony Chen (Ilo, Ilo) and Australia’s Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket).

     

    The International Nominations Council is currently deliberating in Brisbane ahead of the 2013 nominations announcement this month. The 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony will be held in Brisbane’s historic City Hall on 12 December at a glittering event, with nominees and industry luminaries in attendance. Films are submitted to the awards across four categories; Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, Animated Feature Film and Children’s Feature Film.

     

    The 2013 International Nominations Council are currently in Brisbane to determine the nominees in the six feature film categories of Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Best Screenplay, Achievement in Cinematography, Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor.

     

    The awards are the Asia Pacific region’s highest accolade in film, recognising and promoting cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest growing film region: comprising 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world’s film output.

     

    With an incredibly strong line-up of over 230 films from 41 countries and areas, including Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film submissions from an unprecedented 19 countries, the 2013 competition reinforces the award’s position as the region’s highest accolade in film, recognising and promoting the cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the vast Asia Pacific.

     

    Features in competition for 2013 include films not only awarded within their own countries and areas, but also at the world’s leading film festivals beyond Asia Pacific, with the line-up including multiple award winners from Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Sundance, Venice and Tribeca.

     

    Winners in the feature film categories will be determined by the 2013 APSA International Jury, headed by esteemed Indian screenwriter and director Shyam Benegal, who will lead a group of accomplished Jury members including Korean screenwriter and director Kim Tae-yong, “Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema” actress of stage and screen Hon Dr Malani Fonseka, Turkish actor Tamer Levent, Swiss director Christoph Schaub and Hong Kong producer Albert Lee. The International Jury can also, at its discretion, present a further prize: the Jury Grand Prize, for which nominated feature films are eligible.

     

    Winners of the Documentary Feature Film, Animated Feature Film and Children’s Feature Film categories will be peer-voted by the APSA Academy members.

     

    The Middle Eastern countries encompassed by the Asia Pacific region have a particularly strong number of entries this year, from countries and areas including Iraqi Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and the Palestinian Territories. The Islamic Republic of Iran alone sees no less than four grand masters of cinema in the competition, APSA Academy members Asghar Farhadi (The Past), Jafar Panahi (Closed Curtain), Mohammad Rasoulof (Manuscripts Don’t Burn) and also Mohsen Makhmalbaf (The Gardener).

     

    APSA Director of Awards Competition, Maxine Williamson is thrilled by the final competition: ‘It’s extremely satisfying to see the competition line up get even stronger year after year, and what is particularly rewarding in 2013 is the healthy number of entries received from the thriving APSA Academy, testament to the ever-growing strength of the awards.’

     

    In addition to the many entries from APSA Academy members, the completed 2011 MPA APSA Academy Film Fund project, Maryam Ebrahimi’s documentary feature film No Burqas Behind Bars, is also entered in competition, and is the third completed film fund project to enter the competition.

     

    Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said of the close of competition: “This is a very exciting part of the Awards process, and I looking forward to announcing the 2013 nominees. It will be our great pleasure to welcome the nominees to Brisbane in December for this extremely prestigious international event.”

     

     The chairman of the 2013 International Nominations Council is South Korea’s Professor Hong-Joon Kimwhi is a published author, award-winning director and screenwriter, Professor Kim is also a former Commissioner of the Korean Film Council and is a Film Professor at the Korean National University of Arts.

     

    Members include India’s Meenakshi Shedde, an independent film curator, film festival consultant, film critic, film director and journalist who is the India Consultant to the Berlin and Dubai Film Festivals; Jeanette Paulson Hereniko (Hawaii), the founder of the Hawaii International Film Festival, a founding board member of the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), and a former film festival juror at Berlin, Rotterdam, Busan, Singapore and Mumbai; Kathryn Weir (Australia), head curator of the Australian Cinémath?que and also Head Curator of International Contemporary Art at Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA); producer Peggy Chiao (Taiwan), the former chairperson of the prestigious Golden Horse Film Festival, and the pioneer who cultivated the co-production of films among China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan; Philip Cheah (Singapore), film critic, Vice-President of NETPAC and program consultant for the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival, South-east Asian Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Films website; and APSA Film Competition Director Maxine Williamson (Australia).

     

    Two additional major awards for outstanding achievement will be presented at the ceremony. The UNESCO Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film, and the FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film which celebrates a film practitioner from the region whose career and actions contribute strongly to the development of the film industry. The APSA NETPAC Development Prize of $ 5,000 will also be awarded.

     

    The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are managed by economic development board Brisbane Marketing in a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

  • Benegal to head Asia Pacific Screen Awards Jury this year

    Benegal to head Asia Pacific Screen Awards Jury this year

    Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, known as one of the pioneers of the art film movement in the country and the launch of serious television series, will Chair the International Jury of the Seventh Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

     

    Speaking at the Busan International Film Festival, APSA executive chairman Michael Hawkins noted that with India celebrating one hundred years of cinema, it was only befitting that the jury be led by a filmmaker of ‘such gravitas’, adding that the work of selection was being undertaken by a ‘remarkable group of eminent filmmakers.

     

    The jury includes the renowned Srilankan filmmaker Malini Fonseka, Turkish actor Tamer Levent, Swiss director Christoph Schaub, Korean screenwriter and director Tae-yong, and Hong Kong producer Albert Lee.   

     

    Awards will be presented in six categories at the APSA be held at Brisbane in Australia on 12 December.

     

    Benegal, made his debut with Ankir in 1974 which was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 24th Berlin International Film Festival, won three national awards, and was nominated for the Academy awards.

     

    Since then, Benegal has made 26 feature films which have won him acclaim in India and overseas. He has also won the highest honour in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement.

    In addition, he made the epochal ‘Discovery of India’ series based on the book of that name by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

  • Shyam Benegal’s ‘Samvidhaan’ gives a new meaning to the Constitution

    Shyam Benegal’s ‘Samvidhaan’ gives a new meaning to the Constitution

    MUMBAI: The Delhi connection of the Constitution of India – that was argued, articulated and drafted in the nation’s capital – is well known. The Constitution, and the story of how it was drafted, has now shifted to Mumbai for a cinematic avatar.

    For over a month now, Studio No. 5 of Film City in Goregaon, has become the Central Hall of the Parliament House, where the debates took place to draft the Constitution of India, between 1946 and 1949. The studio has housed a replica of the Central Hall of that period and over 150 actors have gathered there to tell the story of the making of the Indian Constitution for a 10-part Mini-Series called Samvidhaan, directed by auteur Shyam Benegal and produced by Rajya Sabha.

    “The Constituent Assembly of India sat for two years, eleven months and seventeen days to debate on and draft the Constitution. By the time this mini-series is over, we would have taken a little less than that time to make Samvidhaan and tell the story of how our founding fathers and mothers fought against all odds to give a democratic shape to the destiny of India. It is an epic story, the story of the birth of our nation and we have done our best to do justice to it while also maintaining its historic authenticity and flavour. The idea was to bring out the drama, to make it as entertaining as it will obviously be educative,” said auteur Shyam Benegal on directing the mini-series.

    Rajya Sabha Television executive director Rajesh Badal said, “It is a historic moment in Indian cinematic history. This is a story, of the pain and struggle, the passion and the compassion, the fights and the camaraderie that went into making the Constitution of India. It is a dramatisation and fictionalisation without losing the facts, an attempt both to preserve and cherish those who fought for the independence of India and more importantly to ensure that the freedom is maintained through democratic governance.”
    Cast and Crew of Samvidhaan

    “Samvidhan is the first project conceived and commissioned by Rajya Sabha Television in its efforts to document the history of the independent India. It’s an idea that germinated from Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India, who encouraged RSTV to explore, document and present the underlying processes, decisions, events and personalities that shaped our nation post 1947. Certainly, after Samvidhan many more such programs would follow. Rajya Sabha Television is proud to be associated with Shyam Benegal in this project. One of the finest filmmakers of all times, he was always a definite choice to handle the project and would certainly set the standards for our future works also. Its noteworthy that his uncle, Sir Benegal Narsing Rau wrote the first draft of the Constitution and he carries the legacy forward by presenting it on video for the first time.” Badal added.

    It is an interesting co-incidence that besides Shyam Benegal’s uncle, many other members of the cast and crew were related to the constituent assembly members, or have met them. The writers of the project are Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari. While Atul Tiwari remembers meeting a few member of the constituent assembly, Shama Zaidi’s father was himself one of the members.

    “The last surviving member of the august assembly who sat between 1946 and 1949 to make the Constitution, died in 2008. My father was a member in those heady days where dreams of a nation met with the opportunity to make it into a democratic reality through a constitution. I heard stories of those times from my father. In nearly a 50 year long career in the arts, I had never had such an opportunity that was also a challenge. It was exciting and scary because you had to maintain the integrity of the story without losing the elements of drama and entertainment,” says Shama Zaidi.

    Atul Tiwari, who co-wrote the script with Shama Zaidi and is also essaying the role of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant says, “Our founding fathers have almost been forgotten, their invaluable contribution to the shaping of our destinies relegated to the footnotes in the history of the nation. This is an attempt to not only remind the masses about these great women and men, but also to show everyone the odds they fought, the suffering they went through in making our nation a democracy, a democracy that has stood the test of time.”
     

    Sachin Khedekar essays the important role of Dr. B R Ambedkar, the chief draftsman of the Constitution of India. He says, “The Constitution of India has a significant, but little known Mumbai connection. It is said that Dr. Ambedkar spent most of his time at Wayside Inn café in Colaba mulling over the drafts and debates and writing and rewriting the Constitution of India. Even if this fact is yet little known, it will be well known from now on, that in true spirit of a cinematic Mumbai, the story of how it was made has been told in the city of Mumbai. I am sure that I share the spirit of other members of our unit when I say that it has been an honour to be part of this absolutely historic project. Such a project, just like the opportunity to draft a constitution for millions of people, comes but once in the life of anyone and we are all simply thrilled that Rajya Sabha TV took the initiative. In this little way our history would be preserved and more importantly, watched with interest.”

    Dalip Tahil Ramani, who plays Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, says, “It has simply been thrilling working with Shyam Benegal on the project. He is a living encyclopaedia of information. While growing up, he has literally met dozens of people who were members of the Constituent Assembly of India. It has been a most humbling experience, both as an actor and as a citizen of India to have worked in this landmark project.”

    “It took nearly a year and a half to do the research for the mini-series and get the details right. It took nearly a month just to construct the set. But the final result will be for all to see. Just under 400 people were directly associated with drafting the Constitution of India. Over a 1000 people have been directly involved in the making of this serial and the result will be for everyone to see. It is a cinematic attempt to rekindle the spirit of democracy in the hearts and minds of people,” says Dayal Nihalani, helming the chair of Associate Director.

    The mini-series being produced by Rajya Sabha will go on air in January 2014 and has experienced film and television actors like tom alter, Rajendra Gupta, K K Raina, Rajit Kapur, Harish Patel, Anjan Srivastava, Mohit Chauhan, Utkarsh Majumdar, Divya Datta, Ila Arun, Rajeshwari Sachdev and Kennith Desai among others.

  • Manthan- A trip down memory lane

    Manthan- A trip down memory lane

    MUMBAI: The story of women farmers which started with the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation‘s (GCMMF) ‘Manthan‘ ad in 1996 has now been re-created in the new Amul TVC. The ad is an extension from the previous campaign, where women are shown to be multitasking and handling more than just routine domestic work.

    The ad shows the progressive journey of women – from looking after cattle to studying and teaching in management colleges to even financing their children‘s education abroad.

    The earlier campaign was based on the 1976 National Award winning movie ‘Manthan‘ directed by Shyam Benegal which was sponsored by 500,000 farmers of Gujarat, constituents of the GCMMF. And to revive this great story of success, GCMMF created a TVC titled Manthan in 1996 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW9DSUbZX34) with the song – ‘Mero gaam kathaparey‘.

    The ad was a specially created film which incorporated clips from the movie – Manthan, featuring actor, Late Smita Patil. The commercial celebrated the economic independence of women farmers, thanking the co-operative movement by Amul India.

    In 2011, GCMMF produced another version of the commercial called Manthan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bma1OE4sMVc) which was conceptualised and executed by Draftfcb Ulka.

    The earlier TVC showcased how women in rural villages have become entrepreneurs by supplying milk to millions in India with the help of Amul India. The advertisement was unique as it drew a parallel between the rural and urban lifestyle.

    The new campaign (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv0hzVTfHkY) for Amul India shows the appropriate model for rural development and especially the advancement of women farmers.

    Draftfcb Ulka chief operating officer Nitin Karkare said, “The new TVC is an extension of the earlier versions. While, the earlier ones were about the whole journey, right from the milk collection, processing to delivery to the urban homes, the latest TVC celebrates women empowerment. The idea is to showcase men acknowledging women as financially independent and celebrating their role as the Shethani.”

    “The core objective was to communicate – ‘AMUL – A co-operative movement that empowered 35 lakh women farmers.’ And thus bring alive the societal impact of the cooperative movement. Our primary targets are opinion makers and housewives.”

    When asked if the account was on pitch basis, Karkare added, “No campaign for Amul is a pitch. The brands are clearly aligned between the two agencies which build a strong sense of ownership and accountability with the agencies. We are promoting this commercial mainly via television supported by Digital.”

    The latest TVC, directed by Subodh Poddar, has composite lyrics – ‘Mari Bairi Bani Sheethani‘(My wife is the head of the family and business) and ‘Mare ghar jhanjar laxmi ke baje‘ (in my house, the bells of wealth ring) which symbolises success. The foot tapping music has been composed by Umesh.

    The TVC merges the commercials from 1966 to 2011 and showcases the gradual progress of women from homemakers to entrepreneurs.

    GCMMF managing director R S Sodhi said, “We are extremely proud of the Amul journey so far and the role played by women in managing the dairy cooperatives. This film is an attempt to celebrate their contribution and demonstrate their capabilities to the urban world.”

  • New face of the 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival

    New face of the 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival

    MUMBAI: As the Bollywood industry unfolds its dynamism, the 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival too, organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), and is all geared to sport a revamped look. With a heritage of 100 years and the pace of ever evolving art and industry of cinema, the cultural event eagerly awaited by all has shown tremendous growth in both size and power over the years.

    Creating an altogether new visual identity, the festival which is a Reliance Entertainment initiative represents and rebuilds its strong association with the most important centre of the Indian film industry.

    The new logo by which the festival will be known is an interpretation of the coveted Golden Gateway Award, the premier award recognising the best film at the festival, to give it a familiar and modern feel. Also the new icon will sport Mumbai‘s historic craft, The Gateway of India in a contemporary and edgy rendition. Broadly representing the particular award categories at the festival and also reflecting the diverse cultural mosaic of the financial capital of India, the international festival‘s new identity will accordingly dazzle with an array of colors.

    Filmmaker and chairman of MAMI Shyam Benegal said, “This year we have an exciting new logo that incorporates both the city of Mumbai and the iconic gateway of India.”

    Commenting on the new logo, Festival director Srinivasan Narayanan added, “The festival has evolved into one of the most important film festivals in this part of the world, showcasing the best cinema from all over the globe. The new logo stands for the dynamic and fluid integration of the iconic with progress and evolution which I cannot wait to share with the world.”

    The 15th Mumbai Film Festival will take place from the 17-24 October 2013.

  • Centenary Film Festival to feature retro of Ray

    Centenary Film Festival to feature retro of Ray

    MUMBAI: A screening of the silent film ‘Throw of Dice‘ to the accompaniment of live music orchestra by maestro Nishat Khan will mark the opening of a special festival being held next week to mark the centenary of Indian cinema.


    A key highlight of the festival includes a special “Satyajit Ray Retrospective” and display the artwork of the cine craftsman of Indian cinema.


    Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari will inaugurate the Festival and also an exhibition on “Indian Cinema 100 (Celebrating a Century: An Audio Visual Voyage)”.
     
    The six-day festival will commence on 25 April and conclude on 30 April with a play on the life and times of Dadasaheb Phalke by Aamir Raza Hussain.


    The festival will travel to the Siri Fort auditorium, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and India Habitat Center in an effort to bring it to the doorstep of film lovers in the capital.


    The extravaganza will also include screenings of some classics as well as contemporary Indian films by master directors such as Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and others.


    The festival will also pay tribute to some of the finest actors of popular Indian cinema, who are no longer alive, through the screening of their films. They include Balraj Sahni, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, and Rajesh Khanna among others. The films being screened represent a sprinkling of various flavours of Indian cinema from major film producing regions of the country.


    Eminent filmmakers and actors have been invited to interact with the audiences over the course of the six day festival.


    Films Division will showcase documentaries which have captured on celluloid post-Independent India in all its myriad perspectives through gems out of its rich archives, such as news reels, documentaries, shorts, features and animation films on diverse subjects.


    Another key highlight of the festival is “Cut-Uncut,” a three-day workshop conceived and being executed by members of the Central Board of Film Certification. This event will showcase the growth and evolution of censorship in Indian cinema, through workshops and insightful panel discussions.


    The Centenary celebrations would culminate in the National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan on 3 May, including the presentation of the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award to thespian Pran by President Pranab Mukherjee.

  • Indian director Sarthak Dasgupta wins Sundance-Mahindra filmmaking award

    Indian director Sarthak Dasgupta wins Sundance-Mahindra filmmaking award

    MUMBAI: Indian filmmakers are going places. Sarthak Dasgupta from India and three other directors have won the 2013 Sundance-Mahindra Global filmmaking award that supports the emerging independent talent from around the world.

    Dasgupta, who has previously written and directed award-winning film The Great Indian Butterfly, won the award this time for The Music Teacher. The other winners include Jonas Carpignano from Italy-US for A Chjana, Brazilian director Aly Muritiba for The Man Who Killed My Beloved Dead and Vendela Vida and Eva Weber for Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, a UK-Germany-US co-production.

    Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival and creative and strategic support.

    This is the second year that one of the four award recipients is an Indian. Last year‘s winner was Shonali Bose for her project Margarita, With A Straw.

    The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah (US) by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Programme, Sundance Institute and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Programme, Sundance Institute.

    “At a time when there is no dearth of issues around the world that are crying out to be heard, the Global Filmmaking award recognises independent filmmakers who give expression to those voices,” said the Mahindra Group chairman and managing director Anand Mahindra in a statement.

    “The Mahindra Group is proud to assist the Sundance Institute in this endeavour, which, in line with the Group‘s ‘Rise‘ philosophy, aims to drive a positive change in communities across the world,” he added.

    The nomination committee for the Indian Award winner included prominent names from Indian cinema like Sharmila Tagore, Anil Kapoor, Rajkumar Hirani, Ramesh Sippy, Shabana Azmi, Shyam Benegal, Anjum Rajabali, K Hariharan and Ira Bhaskar.

    The Sundance Institute-Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India, and the non-profit Sundance Institute, one of the world‘s leading cultural organisations.

    This is the third and the last of the three-year collaboration between the two organisations.

    The Sundance-Mahindra Group‘s collaboration also includes the Mumbai Mantra Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India, which provides an annual opportunity for eight screenwriters from India to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished international screenwriters.

  • ‘Miss Lovely’ adjudged best film at MAMI

    ‘Miss Lovely’ adjudged best film at MAMI

    Mumbai: In the newly introduced competition section for Indian feature films called ‘India Gold‘ at the MAMI film festival, director Ashim Ahluwalia‘s Miss Lovely was adjudged as the best film.

    The film also won the Reliance Media Works‘ CreaTech (Creativity & Technology) award. The 14th Mumbai Film Festival organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) concluded with an awards ceremony.

    Miss Lovely, a Hindi feature film set in the lower depths of Bombay‘s C grade film industry follows the devastating story of two brothers who produced sleazy horror films in the mid-1980s.

    Hansal Mehta‘s real life drama Shahid won the runner-up award for best film. The special jury award was given to Manjeet Singh for his film Mumbai Cha Raja‘.

    The Festival also honoured veteran actress Waheeda Rehman with the Lifetime Achievement Award for an Indian personality. She was presented the award by noted filmmaker and MAMI chairman Shyam Benegal. “I am thrilled to receive this award from MAMI. I dedicate it to the directors, producers, co-actors, technicians who have been a part of this journey with me,” the actress remarked after accepting the honour,” the actress averred.

    Meanwhile, in the International Competition category for the first feature films of directors, AquY Alla (Here And There) was recognised as the best film. Dwight Henry got the best actor award for Beasts of the Southern Wild while the best actress award was given to Julia Garner for Electrick Children.

    The jury award of technical excellence was awarded to Pankaj Kumar for Ship Of Theseus while Musa Sayeed was given the special jury award for the film ‘Valley Of Saints. In the Celebrate Age category, Night Boats was adjudged the best film while ‘The Delay‘ was the runner-up. ‘Ping Pong received a special mention trophy by jury.

  • MAMI gets going with Sridevi lighting inaugural lamp

    MAMI gets going with Sridevi lighting inaugural lamp

    MUMBAI: Amid much fanfare, the 14th Mumbai Film Festival, presented by Reliance Entertainment and American Express got off to a grand opening with Sridevi lighting the inaugural lamp along with veteran film maker Shyam Benegal, chairman and trustees of Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI).

    The opening function also saw the introduction and felicitation of the jury members of international competition India Gold 2012, Celebrate Age and Dimensions Mumbai. “We look forward to another year of bringing superlative global cinema to our patrons and promoting budding talent at the festival,” commented festival director Srinivasan Narayanan.

    The function continued with Anil Kapoor calling on stage Anupam Kher, whose critically acclaimed comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook kick-started the 8-day long festival. The film is directed by David O Russell and stars Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. Speaking on the occasion Kher said, “I have always endeavoured to make films with passion and I am glad to have been provided with an opportunity to work with such amazing co-actors.”

    Chief initiator of the festival, Tina Ambani conferred director, producer, writer and actor from the People‘s Republic of China Zhang Yimou the Lifetime Achievement Award for Foreign Film Personalities. “The 14th Mumbai Festival is an initiative truly close to my heart and a very special connection to my cinematic roots,” she observed.

    The opening day function‘s red carpet and movie screening witnessed a host of film artistes, filmmakers, renowned litterateurs and cine-philes including Jaya Bachchan, Manisha Koirala, Leander Paes, Shobhaa and Dilip De, Ila Arun, Kirron Kher, Rahul Bose, Ranvir Shorey, Milind Soman, Shahana Goswami, R. Balki with wife and filmmaker Gauri Shinde, Pritish Nandy, Sridhar Raghavan, Sanjay and Ambika Suri,Dibakar Banerjee and Hansal Mehta among others.

    All in all, the first day of the 14th Mumbai Film Festival set pace for the week-long cinematic extravaganza that promises to feature the finest works of cinematic genius from a lineup of over 200 films.

  • Indian Film Fest at Netherlands to have a Shyam Benegal retrospective

    Indian Film Fest at Netherlands to have a Shyam Benegal retrospective

    MUMBAI: The second edition of the Indian Film Festival at the Hague in Netherlands has arranged a retrospective of Shyam Benegal in which five of the noted director‘s films would be screened.

    The films that would be screened are Ankur (1973), Bhumika (1976), Suraj ka Satvan Ghoda (1993), Sardari Begum (1996) and Zubeida (2001).

    Other films that would be screened at the festival include Adaminte Makan Abu (Abu Son of Adam) by Salim Ahmed, Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan (Alms for the Blind Horse) by Gurvinder Singh, Chillar Party by Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl and Rajan Khosa‘s Gattu.

    The second edition of the festival will be held from 3 to 7 October.