ITV

Tag: Sushovan Banerjee

  • Gattu wins Berlinale special mention

    Gattu wins Berlinale special mention

    MUMBAI: Rajan Khosa‘s film Gattu has been honoured with a special mention at the 62nd Berlin film festival. The film, produced by the Children‘s Film Society of India, won the award in the Generation KPlus category in which films meant for children are screened.


    Khosa said in a statement, “I‘m very thrilled. To children, I wish to say, believe in your dreams against all odds and your dreams will come true. And to adults, I wish to say, make sure all across the world, that no child remains on the street, but in the trustful environment of the school.”


    The film is portrayal of India‘s have-nots and the dreams of children living in want. Gattu, an 82 minute-feature, is a charming look at a street boy whose passion for flying kites gets him into the stickiest of situations.


    The director narrates Gattu in a way that is neither condescending nor preachy, while holding the attention of both the young and the older audiences through the right notes of pain and hope.


    Khosa had earlier won a Special Mention from the young people‘s jury at Berlin with his debut feature Dance of the Wind in 1997.


    “It is a proud moment for all of us in CFSI. Berlinale is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world and the little street urchin Gattu won many a heart by his witty pranks and his determination to fulfill his dream,” commented CFSI CEO Sushovan Banerjee.


    Earlier, Farhan Akhtar‘s Don 2 had a special gala screening at the Berlinale.

  • CFSI to charge for screening of children films in metros

    CFSI to charge for screening of children films in metros

    MUMBAI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has approved a proposal by the Children‘s Film Society of India (CFSI) to issue tickets to screen children’s films in metros.


    Accordingly, the CFSI has decided to start charging marginally, at around 30 per cent of the cost of general film tickets for its film shows in the metros.


    Confirming the same, CFSI CEO Sushovan Banerjee said, “The Information and Broadcasting ministry has approved a proposal by the CFSI after which there would be a ticket for the children‘s film shows held in metro cities.”
     
    Till 2007, the CFSI used to sell tickets for its film shows but the policy was changed and all screenings were made completely free.


    However, with sponsorships continuing to be difficult to obtain and the high cost of booking multiplexes and publicity, CFSI was forced to do a rethink.


    The additional funds generated would not only help the Children‘s films Society to organise better film festivals but also to reach out to children in the rural areas.


    Earlier, this exercise did not attract any ticket rate.

  • Chillar Party bags best Indian film award at ICFFI

    Chillar Party bags best Indian film award at ICFFI

    MUMBAI/HYDERABAD: The 17th International Children Festival India (ICFFI) concluded in Hyderabad with the Andhra Pradesh governor ES Narsimhan calling upon filmmakers to treat making films for children as a corporate social responsibility and set aside budget for atleast one children‘s film every year.

    While Iranian film Alafzar (Meadow) directed by Mohammad-Ali Talebi won the Golden Elephant for Best feature Film in the international section, the Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl directed Chillar Party received the Golden Elephant for the best Hindi film in the Indian section. The children‘s jury also selected the film as the best film.

    The German film Vorstadkrokodile 2 (The Crocodiles Strike Back) by Christian Ditter won the Golden Elephant in the international category from the children‘s jury. Both the adult and children jury selected Nineandhalf Goodbye by Halina Dyrschka of Germany as the best film.

    In the little character category Varun Haldar and Vineeta Nayak‘s Hamari Duniya received the best director award. Umesh Kulkarni won the best director award for Vihir while his film received a special mention from the children jury.
    Lost in Africa by Vibeka Muasya, a collaboration between Denmark and Kenya received the best director award in the international category. The children jury also made a special mention of the film.

    Nila Madhab Panda‘s I Am that already has several international laurels to its credit, received two awards; one by Sanjay Chouhan for the best screenplay for I Am Kalam and the other by actor Harsh Maya who won the best actor award for his role in the film.

    The colourful closing ceremony was attended by Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations minister DK Aruna, Kerala Social Welfare minister MK Muneer, Children‘s Film Society (CFSI) chairperson Nandita Das and CFSI CEO Sushovan Banerjee.

    Das revealed that around 175,000 children attended the week-long festival.

    , that saw a participation of 152 films from 40 countries, ended on Sunday with the presentation of awards.

    While the award for the Best Indian director was bagged by Umesh Kulkarni for Vihir, . Sanjay Iranian film Alafzar (Meadow) directed by Mohammad-Ali Talebi won the Golden Elephant for Best feature Film in the international category, while the German film Vorstadkrokodile 2 (The Crocodiles Strike Back) by Christian Ditter was named the Best Feature Film in the international category from the children‘s jury.

    The seven-day film festival was organised by the Children‘s Film Society of India along with the Central and Andhra Pradesh governments. 

  • CFSI releases DVDs of popular Children’s films from its archives

    CFSI releases DVDs of popular Children’s films from its archives

    HYDERABAD: A set of five DVDs containing three children‘s films each from the archives of the Children‘s Film Society, India, was released here today by CFSI chairperson Nandita Das.


    Speaking on the occasion, she said that the CFSI has 250 films in its library including some acquired films. Films made by CFSI are also being dubbed in other Indian languages with the help of a Pune-based organisation.


    CFSI CEO Sushovan Banerjee said the CFSI had restored 21 old films as part of the National Heritage Mission of the Government. 17 or 18 of these were marketable and therefore these would be brought out in DVDs.


    The number of DVDs would be doubled in the next phase and all the films would be out in DVDs within two or three years. The DVDs had been brought out in collaboration with Shemaroo. They were priced at Rs 399 for three films in one DVD, Rs 299 for two films in a DVD and Rs 149 for single films in a DVD.


    Reacting to a question relating to content not suitable for kids in some of the films being exhibited at the 17th International Children‘s Film Festival, Das and Banerjee said at a press meet here that children today know more about life than we had known as young people. Each screening committee had educators amongst the members and they had approved these films.


    Banerjee said the aim of showing films from overseas is to let children learn about other cultures.


    Das said the aim of the selection process of the films at the 17th ICFF is to ensure fun films that served as an alternative to the sordid programming that children are forced to see in the home on television whose remote is in the hands of the elders. Films that appeared to be preaching are not preferred, though all films taught something.


    She said she had understood the relevance of children‘s film during her two years at the CFSI.

  • Govt examining proposal to make ICFF a roving festival

    Govt examining proposal to make ICFF a roving festival

    NEW DELHI: The government is considering a proposal from the Children‘s Film Society, India, to convert the International Children‘s Film Festival held in Hyderabad every second year into a roving festival.


    Joint Secretary (Films) D P Reddy confirmed that the proposal had been received by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in this connection.


    CFSI Chairperson Nandita Das also said she would like the ICFF to bean annual event, and suggested that it could be held in Hyderabad every alternate year since the Andhra Pradesh Government had done somuch groundwork for this Festival, which had earlier been a roving Festival until 1995.


    When the Festival was held in Hyderabad in 1995, then Chief Minister NChandrababu Naidu had urged the CFSI to base the festival in that city, and also promised to give land for building a children‘s complex.


    The complex has still not been made since the CFSI had raised various objections to the land allotted to it in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad.


    Das and Reddy were interacting with the media on the forthcoming ICFF in Hyderabad from 14 to 20 November.


    Meanwhile, a total of 160 features from 40 countries and several short films are being screened during the 17th ICFF next month. Theselection has been made from over 700 entries. ‘Gattu‘ by Rajen Khosa is the opening film.


    There is a total budget of Rs 50 million for the Festival, of which Rs27.5 million has been contributed by the Central Government and the rest is being put in by the Andhra Pradesh Government.


    There will be several new features in this year‘s festival. There will be four competitive sections: international, Indian, short films, and ‘Little Directors‘ for children filmmakers. In addition, there will be the non-competitive Children‘s World which will have 50 animation films including some Oscar winners.


    The festival will also have several workshops including animation and script writing, in addition to press conferences and an Open Forum.


    The festival will for the first time have films from Africa and Latin America. China will be the country in focus at the Festival.


    In addition to the adult international juries, there will be achildren‘s jury to judge the films.


    Das told indiantelevision.com after the press meet that though thefilms are sub-titled in English, a small synopsis of each film in achild-friendly language had been prepared for each film and would beread out before the start of the film.


    For the first time, ICFF will see the participation of the Federationof Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry which will organise asmall market section and has also managed the participation of bothCartoon Network as well as Nickelodeon, according to Munjol Shroff whorepresented the trade body. Ficci will also organise a workshop ongaming, animation and special effects, he added.


    ICFF Director and CFSI CEO Sushovan Banerjee said that a new venue –Shilpramum – had been selected for the Festival this year, and three make-shift theatres were being built at this venue to be ready in time of the Festival. Each will be equipped with the latest projection and Dolby sound, he added.


    He said while Doordarshan was the broadcast partner, efforts were onto get corporate sponsorships.


    In answer to a question, Reddy said that the state chief minister had said that the Telengana issue would not be allowed to interfere in the conduct of the Festival.


    Banerjee told indiantelevision.com, “For the children aged between 3 to 16 years of age, this film festival has feature films like Iran‘s” The Other”, France‘s “Tales Of The Night”, China‘s “The Star And The Sea”, Denmark‘s “The Great Bear”, India‘s “Chillar Party”, “Stanley Ka Dabba”, and “I Am Kalam”.


    Both the national and international level films will be given the same cash component and trophy. The Best feature film will be given Rs 200,000 and the Golden Elephant trophy, the first runner up will get Rs 100,000 and a trophy, the best director will be given Rs 1,50,000 and a Golden Elephant trophy, best script will be given Rs 100,000 and a trophy. Besides this, best feature film selected by the Children‘s Jury will be given a Golden Elephant trophy.


    The Best short film will be given Rs 100,000 and a Golden Elephant trophy, the runner up will be given Rs 50,000 and a Golden Elephant trophy and the film chosen by the Children‘s Jury will be given a Golden Elephant trophy. Also, films directed by children will be awarded with a Golden Elephant.