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Tag: South Africa

  • Film tourism convention ‘Locations’ attracts delegates from 10+ countries

    Film tourism convention ‘Locations’ attracts delegates from 10+ countries

    NEW DELHI: The fourth edition of the annual film tourism convention IIFTC Locations Show 2016 will take place in three locations – Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai – this month.

    Organized by the Film Federation of India, the IIFTC Locations Show will to take place in Chennai on 23 February at Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Hyderabad on 25 February at Radisson Blu Plaza and in Mumbai at JW Marriott, Juhu on 27 February.

    According to a study conducted by Mercury Integrated Marketing Services, more than 200 Indian film are shot abroad in over 50 countries around the world every year.

    IIFTC Locations Show promises to be a grand affair with participation from various Asian, African and European countries vying to garner a larger slice of this ever increasingly foreign shoots market in India.

    IIFTC Locations Show 2016 will see participation from some exotic countries such as Kenya, Namibia, South Africa (KwaZulu Natal), Fiji, Spain, Germany, Sri Lanka and Thailand among others.

    FFI secretary general Supran Sen said, “Our filmmakers are constantly looking for new and exotic destinations to shoot. At IIFTC Locations Show, FFI will gather the most prodigious Indian film makers and studios under one roof to meet the visiting delegations of tourism and cultural ministries from various countries and states.”

    IIFTC director Harshad Bhagwat added, “Films have been one of the most vital motivations for putting a destination on a travel itinerary. Films provide many positive impacts for the destination in terms of economic and cultural value, brand awareness and positive image building. With IIFTC, we aim to create conducive environment for Locations Scouting for creative industries in India as well as a credible B2B platform for film induced tourism promotion.”

  • Film tourism convention ‘Locations’ attracts delegates from 10+ countries

    Film tourism convention ‘Locations’ attracts delegates from 10+ countries

    NEW DELHI: The fourth edition of the annual film tourism convention IIFTC Locations Show 2016 will take place in three locations – Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai – this month.

    Organized by the Film Federation of India, the IIFTC Locations Show will to take place in Chennai on 23 February at Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Hyderabad on 25 February at Radisson Blu Plaza and in Mumbai at JW Marriott, Juhu on 27 February.

    According to a study conducted by Mercury Integrated Marketing Services, more than 200 Indian film are shot abroad in over 50 countries around the world every year.

    IIFTC Locations Show promises to be a grand affair with participation from various Asian, African and European countries vying to garner a larger slice of this ever increasingly foreign shoots market in India.

    IIFTC Locations Show 2016 will see participation from some exotic countries such as Kenya, Namibia, South Africa (KwaZulu Natal), Fiji, Spain, Germany, Sri Lanka and Thailand among others.

    FFI secretary general Supran Sen said, “Our filmmakers are constantly looking for new and exotic destinations to shoot. At IIFTC Locations Show, FFI will gather the most prodigious Indian film makers and studios under one roof to meet the visiting delegations of tourism and cultural ministries from various countries and states.”

    IIFTC director Harshad Bhagwat added, “Films have been one of the most vital motivations for putting a destination on a travel itinerary. Films provide many positive impacts for the destination in terms of economic and cultural value, brand awareness and positive image building. With IIFTC, we aim to create conducive environment for Locations Scouting for creative industries in India as well as a credible B2B platform for film induced tourism promotion.”

  • Digital fuels growth in Africa’s entertainment & media industry: PwC

    Digital fuels growth in Africa’s entertainment & media industry: PwC

    MUMBAI: After more than a decade of digital disruption, the African entertainment and media industry has entered a new landscape – one where the media is no longer divided into distinct traditional and digital spheres, according to a report from PwC titled Entertainment and media outlook: 2015 – 2019 (South Africa – Nigeria-Kenya). 

     

    The Outlook forecasts that South Africa’s entertainment and media industry is expected to grow from R112.7 billion in 2014 to R176.3 billion in 2019, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4 per cent. Digital spend is expected to fuel the overall growth. South Africa’s Internet access market will rise rapidly from R32.5 billion in 2014 to R76.2 billion in 2019, far ahead of any other consumer spend category, making it the largest contributor to South Africa’s total entertainment and media revenues.

     

    PwC Southern Africa entertainment and media leader Vicki Myburgh said, “This year’s Outlook shows consumer demand for entertainment and media experiences will continue to grow, while migrating towards video and mobile. Increasingly, though, it’s clear that consumers see no significant divide between digital and traditional media – what they want is more flexibility, freedom and convenience in when, where and how they interact with their preferred content.”

     

    “Consumers are choosing offerings that combine an outstanding and personalised user experience with an intuitive interface and easy access. This includes shared physical experiences like cinema and live concerts, which appear re-energised by digital and social media,” Myburgh added.

     

    The Outlook presents annual historical data for 2010–2014 and provides annual forecasts for 2015–2019 in 11 entertainment and media segments for South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya: the Internet, television, filmed entertainment, video games, business-to-business publishing, recorded music, newspaper publishing, magazine publishing, book publishing, out-of-home advertising and radio.

     

    Aside from the Internet, the Outlook predicts that the fastest growth will be seen in video games, business-to-business and filmed entertainment. “But it is Internet access itself that is acting as a driver of revenues in video games and film, creating new revenue streams by making over-the-top (OTT)/streaming or social/casual gaming viable to more consumers and thereby cancelling out physical falls,” added Myburgh.

     

    Music, magazines and newspapers, which will show only moderate consumer growth, are three segments that face strong competition from the Internet. The music market was worth R2.01 billion in 2014, compared to R2.08 billion in 2013. Annual revenue is forecast to grow marginally by a CAGR of 1.3 per cent over the next five years to remain relatively flat at R2.1 billion in 2019.

     

    Television remains a highly significant contributor to consumer spending, with combined revenues from TV subscriptions, advertising and licence fees projected to reach R40.9 billion by 2019. The report also shows that one consistent trend – and not just in South Africa, but globally – is the rise in overall consumer spending through to 2019 on video-based content and services, against far flatter prospects for spending on primarily text-based content and services. If consumer revenue from TV subscriptions and licence fees is aggregated with that from video games, around R4.5 billion will be added between 2014 and 2019.

     

    In contrast, consumer revenue from books, magazines and newspapers is expected to rise by just R1.3 billion over the entire forecast period.

    Alongside video providers, a further thriving source of revenue over the coming five years will be live events. Revenue from live music is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9 per cent in the next five years, reaching R1.5 billion in 2019, up from R1 billion in 2014. Box office revenues are also steadily increasing at a CAGR of three per cent to reach R972 million by the end of the forecast period.

     

    The appeal of live entertainment has also had a positive effect on the related advertising revenues. South African cinema advertising revenue is also rising at a CAGR of 6.7 per cent and will be worth an estimated R884 million in 2019. “It is clear that consumers value – and are willing to pay a premium for – real-life physical entertainment experiences, and these in turn are the types of consumers that advertisers wish to target,” said Myburgh.

     

    The report shows that South Africa’s total entertainment and media advertising revenue is expected to rise by 5.6 per cent from R39.7 billion in 2014 to R52.1 billion in 2019. TV advertising is by far the largest contributor to total advertising revenues, followed by newspaper advertising: however, their combined 52 per cent share of total advertising in 2014 will fall slightly to 51 per cent in 2019.

     

    Despite the strong projections for advertising, its share of the entertainment and media mix is predicted to decrease by 2019 as consumer spending takes an ever larger part of the pie; from 35 per cent in 2014, advertising will account for just 30 per cent of spending in 2019.

     

    “Affordable Internet access will continue to digitally disrupt the market in novel and innovative ways. The ongoing spread of services to mobile networks, novel devices and emerging markets will change how media and entertainment are served, consumed and monetised in multiple ways. Affordable Internet access will also inhibit the revenue growth of various sectors as consumers use it to access free, ad-funded and lower-priced subscription-based versions of new and existing media services,” said Myburgh.

     

    Nigeria

     

    Nigeria’s entertainment and media market grew by 19.3 per cent in 2014 to reach $4 billion. By 2019, the market will be more than twice as big, with an estimated total revenue of $8.1 billion. As in South Africa, the Internet will be the key driver of growth for Nigeria. Television, comprising revenue from TV advertising and subscriptions, is the other main driver.

     

    Excluding Internet access, television, filmed entertainment and video games are the areas where Nigerian consumers are expected to spend the most over the next five years.

     

    Consumer spend on video games and music is set to see the sharpest rise in forecast CAGRs at 14.3 per cent and 11.4 per cent, respectively. Piracy continues to remain a problem in Nigeria, limiting growth across several entertainment and media sectors.

     

    Kenya

     

    Kenya’s total entertainment and media industry was valued at $1.8 billion in 2014, up 13.3 per cent from 2013, when it stood at $1.6 billion. The market is expected to surpass the $3 billion mark in 2019 to reach $3.3 billion.

     

    Again, the Internet is expected to be the largest driver of growth, followed by television and radio. TV advertising will overtake radio in 2016, and Internet advertising will see the fastest growth rate at a CAGR of 16.8 per cent. Traditional mediums such as TV, radio and newspapers will continue to be the first choice for most Kenyan advertisers in the foreseeable future.

    Kenya’s total entertainment and media industry was valued at $1.8 billion in 2014, up 13.3 per cent from 2013, when it stood at $1.6 billion. The market is expected to surpass the $3 billion mark in 2019 to reach $3.3 billion.

     

    “Today’s media companies need to do three things to succeed: innovate around the product and user experience; develop seamless consumer relationships across distribution channels; and put mobile (and increasingly video) at the centre of the consumer’s experience,” concluded Myburgh.

  • Ten Sports upbeat about India tour of Zimbabwe

    Ten Sports upbeat about India tour of Zimbabwe

    MUMBAI: After all the hue and cry, the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally decided to go ahead with the Zimbabwe tour, a week after reportedly calling it off.

     

    As per earlier reports, BCCI citing Team India’s fatigue and conflict with broadcaster Ten Sports had decided to cancel the Zimbabwe tour. But after rounds of negotiations between the representatives of the two boards in Barbados, the decision of going ahead with the tour was taken.

     

    Subhash Chandra owned Essel group, the parent company of Ten Sports, which is reportedly investing heavily to form an alternative cricket regulatory board and organise lucrative cricket leagues is what had irked BCCI and thus the decision to call off the series which is to be aired on Ten Sports.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Rajesh Sethi says, “The tour was never called off officially and we were always prepared for it. Ten Sports shares a very cordial relationship with all the five boards and pleased to have their broadcasting rights (Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). We are upbeat about the series.”

     

    Adding some relief to the cricket fans of Zimbabwe board chairman Wilson Manase had earlier said, “While negotiations are still on with respect to Team India tour to Zimbabwe, but it seems confirmed that the tour will go ahead. Consequently Team India is expected in Zimbabwe on the 7th of next month. Team Zimbabwe must get ready and be prepared to give Team India a rousing welcome.”

     

    The tour will help Zimbabwe cricket raise some money which they are in real need of, says a cricket expert and historian on condition of anonymity. “In the battle of ego between BCCI and the broadcaster, we should not forget the third stake holder Zimbabwe cricket, which desperately needs to generate revenue. So I am thankful to BCCI that they have decided to go ahead with the tour. From cricket perspective it’s never over till the last ball is bowled and the Bangladesh tour is the proof of that. Zimbabwe cricketers will come hard to the Indians. Having said that the senior bras desperately needed a break and team sent will try their level best to leave a mark. Overall, I expect it to be a good series,” he adds.

     

    Media planning fraternity feels that the ad rate for the series will go down as big names are missing from the team. “MS Dhoni featured in the Forbes list of top 100 richest athletes and he also has a huge fan following and so does Virat Kohli. Hence their absence will make life difficult for the sales team of Ten Sports,” feels a senior media planner who closely deals with sports planning and buying.

     

    Normally for a bilateral series, a 10 second ad slot is sold at Rs 3.5 to Rs 4 lakh. But, with big guns missing from the playing 11, media buyers feel that Ten Sports will be able to fetch around Rs 2 lakh for every 10 second slot.

     

     “Ad rates are directly proportional to the viewership. Dhoni, Kohli are big names and they generate huge word of mouth which results in higher ad rates. So the fact that they are missing will certainly impact the ad rates. But, if the tour was cancelled it would have yielded nothing. Hence it’s good for all three parties involved that the tour is happening,” says a media planner.

     

    Ajinkya Rahane who was dropped after the first ODI in Bangladesh will be leading the team in Zimbabwe. The selection committee has given a career reviving opportunity to veteran wrist spinner Harbajjan Singh by selecting him in place of Ravichandran Ashwin. Singh’s performance in IPL 2015 was key to Mumbai Indian’s success and was acknowledged by numerous pundits. Now it remains to be seen if Rahane can pull off a successful tour in the land of Lions.

     

    The ODI squad for Zimbabwe tour:  Ajinkya Rahane (capt), M Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, Karn Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.

  • Star India ropes in new brands; hikes ad rates for World Cup

    Star India ropes in new brands; hikes ad rates for World Cup

    MUMBAI: As Dhoni and team prepare to face Australia and book a berth in the final of the biggest cricketing event, Uday Shankar and his team at Star India have roped in more brands as partners to make the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 one of the biggest revenue generating sport event in India.

     

    Before the start of the semi final rounds, Star India roped in many new sponsors across categories like Amazon, Snapdeal, indiaproperty.com, OLX, Voltas, Dell, Panasonic and Toyota.   

     

    Sources in Star told Indiantelevision.com that the ad rates have also seen a substantial hike. “A 10 second slot during India VS Australia bout will cost around Rs 18 – 22 lakh and the later the brand comes in, the more it pays,” the source added.

     

    The cumulative reach of the tournament soared up to 576 million viewers and is expected to grow further if India qualifies for the finals. 

     

    In the other semi final, New Zealand face South Africa. While both teams played numerous semi finals, neither have managed to qualify to the final of the flagship tournament. A highly nail biting match is expected and hence the ad rates have been hiked to Rs 14 – 16 lakh for a 10 second slot.       

     

    Star had a slow start to the tournament as Indian performances prior to the tournament was below par and fans had low expectations from the team. However in a way, this did Star a big favor as circumspect brands endorsed till certain stage predicting limited progress of Indian team. “People thought India won’t qualify for the final stages and bought slots till certain rounds instead of the full tournament. Due to that, in the later stages there are slots available, which is enabling Star to rope in brands at such high pricing,” said a media buying and planning expert.

     

  • Indian campaigners at centre of Al Jazeera global brand campaign

    Indian campaigners at centre of Al Jazeera global brand campaign

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English has made virtue of putting real people on its billboards and television commercials rather than its own star presenters and correspondents.

     

    The channel’s new brand campaign is its largest marketing push to-date, and the slogan “Hear the Human Story” was unveiled at its global launch in South Africa today. The brand film featured at the special event was about the Gulabi Gang, also known as “vigilantes in pink”, who tackle issues such as violence against women and corruption in northern India.

     

    Al Anstey, managing director of Al Jazeera English, said that the channel covered all the big themes and issues facing the world today, but did so from the perspective of real people: “We believe everyone has a story worth hearing. There are seven billion people to listen to on the planet right now. Al Jazeera exists to cover the people often ignored. People whose voices must be heard – but who are so often neglected by mainstream media.”

    “Our editorial mission is to cover the world without a perspective. What that means is not seeing the globe through a geographical or cultural prism,by not weighting our coverage towards West, the rich nations, or anywhere else. We cover the developing world as much as the developed. So person in Bangui is given as much humanity as a person in Boston or Birmingham.”

     

    Commenting on the choice of Johannesburg as the location for the launch, rather than the traditional financial centres favoured by other channels, AlJazeera executive director for marketing and distribution Abdulla Alnajjar said: “In a world where the truth is everywhere under attack, Al Jazeera puts the human being at the centre of its news agenda, giving a voice to the voiceless.  This campaign is about human stories and we’re proud that theglobal launch for the campaign is here from South Africa, a region rich with history and human stories.”

     

     “There is a common perception that the media are mainly interested in covering those in power, or the rich and famous. Our campaign gives a voice to the many people around the world who feel that they have been leftbehind.

     

    “Our coverage is not about only about portraying difficult situations – its about the triumph of the human spirit and the ability for people in the most difficult of situations to make change. It’s on that foundation that we built this campaign honouring their lives and struggles. This campaign showcases incredible human stories and the humanity that unites us all.”

     

    Some of the others featured in the campaign include: Kiki Katese who started a group of female drummers in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide; and Illac Diaz who brought lighting to slums in the Philippines using plastic bottles.

     

    Al Jazeera English also point out that they aired a film about MalalaYousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winning teenager who campaigns for the right of girls to go to school, two years before she hit the headlines when she was shot by the Taliban. “We have extraordinary people like Malalaon our screens every single day. Their stories are inspiring and must also receive attention,” said Anstey.

  • ICC Women’s Championship set for exciting start

    ICC Women’s Championship set for exciting start

    MUMBAI: The inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Championship starts tomorrow (Thursday) and the opening round sees Australia host Pakistan and England take on India in the multi-year, bilateral qualifying competition to the pinnacle event in women’s cricket, the ICC Women’s World Cup England 2017.

     

    On 21 August, reigning World Cup champion Australia will face Pakistan in a three One-Day International (ODI) series in Brisbane, while three-time winner England will play host to India for its three-match series at Scarborough and Lord’s.

     

    The hosts of the Australian-Pakistan and England-India series will livestream matches via their respective websites.

     

    The concept, proposed by the ICC Women’s Committee and approved by the ICC Board in the January 2014 meeting, is aimed at creating more extensive and meaningful bilateral playing programme for women’s cricket.  Other competing countries include New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

     

    The tournament structure will see each team will play each other in one home or away series that will include three ODIs over a two and a half year period. As such, each side is guaranteed at least 21 ODIs over the tournament period.

     

    Two points will be awarded for a win, while points will be shared in case of a tie or a no-result. At the conclusion of the seven rounds, the top four sides will gain automatic qualification to the ICC Women’s World Cup England 2017, while the bottom four sides will get a final chance of qualification through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in 2017.

     

    Looking ahead to the start of the series, Australia captain Meg Lanning said: “We can’t wait to kick off our campaign towards the ICC Women’s World Cup England 2017 when we take on Pakistan this month as part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

     

    “As the reigning champions, we feel honoured that our first ODI will mark the official launch of the inaugural Championship.”

     

    Lanning, who led her side to victory in this year’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2014, added: “The structure of the new Championship has provided us with a great opportunity to face a world-class team in Pakistan on home soil in a bilateral series. We have enjoyed some competitive matches against Pakistan in recent ICC events and I have no doubt that this series will be just as exciting.”

     

    The 22-year-old skipper sits in fourth place in the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for ODI Batters list, which also includes three other Australians – ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 player of the final, Jessica Cameron (seventh), Alex Blackwell (ninth), and all-rounder Ellyse Perry (17th) – inside the top 20 list. Pakistan’s highest-ranked batter is Bismah Maroof in 15th position.

     

    The top-ranked Australia bowlers in the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers are Erin Osborne (sixth) and Perry (seventh), while in the Pakistan camp, captain Sana Mir is in 10th place.

     

    Speaking ahead of Thursday’s opener at Peter Burge Oval, Pakistan captain Sana Mir added: “This is our first bilateral series against Australia. Before this series, we have only played them in ICC Women’s World Cups. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to express our potential as cricketers; achieving our targets against the world champions will be pretty good.”

     

    England and India will meet in Scarborough in the first ODI on Thursday. They will then play in Scarborough on 23rd August before facing each other in the third ODI at Lord’s on 26th August.

     

    England captain Charlotte Edwards is excited to be leading her team in one of the first fixtures of the new tournament.

     

    “As players, the new ICC Women’s Championship is a fantastic concept,” she said, adding: “It gives us real structure leading into the ICC Women’s World Cup in England in 2017, and makes every ODI series that we play between now and then significant.  Whenever I step out to play for England I want to win, but now more than ever before, every result really does matter.

     

    “I cannot wait to lead the England women’s team against India in our first round of matches in the ICC Women’s Championship this summer.”

     

    Edwards is currently ranked seventh in the batter rankings and is one of four England batters in the top 20 who are expected to appear in the first round fixtures, with Sarah Taylor (second), Lydia Greenway (11th) and Heather Knight (14th) also anticipated to appear.

     

    The England bowling attack will be led by veterans Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn, who are currently in second and fourth places, respectively.  Other England bowlers inside the top 20 are Holly Colvin (ninth), Danielle Hazell (15th) and Laura Marsh (19th).

     

    Looking ahead of the start of the ICC Women’s Championship, India captain Mithali Raj, who leads the women’s ODI batting rankings, said: “The India team and management is really excited to be playing in this inaugural competition and we are extremely focused and determined to kick off the series well in Scarborough.

     

    “It is a new and exciting development for women’s cricket and it is great that the ICC is supporting a stronger structure for the game leading into the ICC Women’s World Cup England 2017.

     

    “Historically, England has been an outstanding team in ODI cricket and they will be tough opponents on home soil. They have some excellent players and we know about their strength in depth. But we have a young and enthusiastic team and our players will take a lot of confidence from our win in last week’s Test match. If we can go up another level and look to improve the key areas of the game, then I know that we can be competitive.”

     

    For India, Harmanpreet Kaur in sixth position is the other batter inside the top 10, while Jhulan Goswami (third) is the highest-ranked bowler.

     

    In September, West Indies will host New Zealand for their three-ODI series, while Sri Lanka will host South Africa in October.

     

    Click here to read more

  • Sunburn Goa rolls out ‘Early Bird Tickets’ for 2014 edition

    Sunburn Goa rolls out ‘Early Bird Tickets’ for 2014 edition

    MUMBAI:  Asia’s No. 1 Dance Music Festival ‘Sunburn’ is all set to unveil its plans for the highly anticipated  ‘Sunburn  Goa  Festival’  scheduled  to  be  held  at  Vagator,  Goa  from  27-29 December 2014. The Early Bird Tickets for Sunburn Goa will go live exclusively on the Sunburn website  www.sunburn.in on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 from 12.00 pm onwards.

    The Early Bird Tickets last year were snapped up by Sunburn fans in a matter of 4 minutes setting a record of firsts in Indian history. Online sales tracked showed that 20% of the Early Bird Ticket sales came from international territories including UK, Australia, Russia, Singapore, South  Africa  and  Dubai.  Sunburn Goa  2013  was  listed  as  the  biggest and grandest extravaganza ever held on the shores of India with an aggregate attendance of over 160,000 visitors from 40 countries globally and 70 cities pan-India.

    Building up to the Sunburn Season 8 frenzy, Percept Live unveiled the ‘Sunburn Goa 2013 Aftermovie’ on June 19, 2014 which captured some of the most exciting moments of last year’s Festival, including the stage show extravaganza and peripheral activities held at Vagator Beach, rare footage of the fan frenzy, backstage activities, and both artist and visitor testimonials. The Aftermovie is available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR2ICPK8W u4

    Visitors can expect to witness a festival unlike any other as Sunburn Goa 2014 gets prepared to present an experience that will see the biggest artists, massive stages and experiential zones, a spectacular production and a whole host of fun activities spanning the entire length and breadth of the massive Vagator venue. A phenomenal line-up of global artists has been exclusively lined up for the 2014 festival, and the names will be unveiled soon by Percept Live. Visitors can look forward to a diverse range of adventurous activities during their 3 day stay at Goa spanning exotic Sunburn Cruises, Flea Markets, Activity zones, Open Air Theatres, Libraries, Artist Villages, On-Site Camping and the famed Sunburn Afterparties spanning over 50,000 sq. mts. of Vagator, making this an extravaganza of mammoth proportions.

    With a booming economy and the biggest youth population in the world, India has become one of the most sought-after destinations to visit, with the Sunburn Festival becoming a prime factor for driving tourists from around the world to the state of Goa in the month of December. Renowned for its deep-rooted trance music heritage, Goa offers an idyllic location for those looking forward to experience an unforgettable mixture of bass, beats and bliss through the three-day cult Sunburn Festival. 2013 saw Sunburn’s biggest crowd to date, with fans coming together from all corners of the globe including Asia, USA and Europe, and 2014 looks set to be even bigger.

    Percept Live has plans to increase the global fan footprint further in 2014 with a range of innovative  and  unique  marketing  promotions  and  strategic  alliances  with  international partners and associates, thereby creating a heightened spike towards global tourism for Goa.
     

  • 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.

  • Get ready for extreme action with Joel Lambert in manhunt only on Discovery Channel

    Get ready for extreme action with Joel Lambert in manhunt only on Discovery Channel

    MUMBAI: Discovery Channel is coming with its brand new series MANHUNT, featuring former Navy SEAL Joel Lambert in an extreme version of hide-and-go-seek. With this series Discovery Channel is all set to thrill its viewers as they can see Joel rescuing himself from the world’s most elite tracking team units in some treacherous terrains.

     

    The seven part series premieresevery night at 10 PM starting 19th May, only on Discovery Channel.

     

    Filmed on-location in the United States, Poland, South Africa, Philippines, Panama and South Korea, each episode of MANHUNT follows Joel as he is inserted into unknown territory with nothing but a basic survival kit and a canteen of water; he then has up to 48 hours to reach a pre-determined extraction point, while being pursued by a different tracking unit each week. Joel is given minimal supplies to survive—and anything else he needs, he must to find along the way.

     

    With cameras capturing the action from both perspectives, viewers will experience the high tension from both – Joel and the special operative teams. An expert in escape and evasion, Joel’s background has well-positioned him to prey on each unit’s hidden flaw—but evading highly specialized tracking units and combatting dehydration, hunger, and the elements proves to be a greater challenge.

     

    MANHUNT is produced for DNI by Discovery Studios. For DNI, Sarah Davies is executive producer and for Discovery Studios, Eddie Barbini and Brian Knappmiller are executive producers.