Two grants for women documentary filmmakers: Calls proposals

The Indian Documentary Foundation and Chicken and Egg Pictures are inviting proposals for their first round of grant funding. The new fund will support two women film-makers from India with grants to the value of $10,000. The last date for submitting applications is November 21. Applicants will be notified before the end of January 2015. The fund will offer a combination of cash and in-kind services, such as editing, post production and sound mixing.

Applicants can be at any stage of their career, but must have samples of their work to show their artistic vision and their ability to tell story. They must be able to demonstrate that they have an office or a place of work registered in India. The fund will support documentary films aimed at widespread distribution on television, VOD and/or theatrical release. The stories should focus on social, environmental, or political themes. Successful film-makers will also have a chance to attend one major North American market, where they will receive one-to-one mentoring from the Chicken and Egg team.

This is a new grant for Indian women documentary filmmakers sponsored by the Indian Documentary Foundation and Chicken & Egg Pictures. Since 2005, Chicken & Egg Pictures has awarded $3.3 million and 5,000 hours of mentorship to over 160 films.

 

For this funding round IDF is interested in films that tackle human rights, social justice, and environmental issues in a nuanced, original, and compelling way. We’re looking for a range of voices, powerful stories, and filmmakers who are committed to working in tandem with social movements. Films must be directed or co-directed by a woman (including female-male co-directors and transgender/gender-non-conforming individuals).

The Fund is intended for Indian film-makers who are mainly based in India. To qualify you will need to demonstrate that you have an office or place of work registered in India. You can be a mid-career film maker or a first time director. We do not, however, accept films from student film-makers.

The application process opens on October 1st, 2014 and the final date for submission is November  21st, 2014 midnight IST. All applicants will be notified by the end of January, 2015. however, the review process is rigorous as a panel of expert screeners from the Indian Documentary Foundation and the Chicken & Egg team shall review every application, looking at prospective projects thoroughly, fairly, and from multiple perspectives.

Supporting non-fiction feature, nonfiction shorts, the main thing that IDF is looking for is:

Innovation: Filmmakers with unique voices and projects that take risks.

Vision: A new perspective on an issue, a unique access into the story and the ability to make the universal accessible, personal and resonant.

Storytelling: Original story, tone, style and structure.

Craft: Inextricable links between the driving story and the production values, sound, cinematography and other craft decisions.

Resonance: Timely, urgent or compelling issues at stake.

Impact: Films with the potential to help shift culture, practices and even policy as well as to build and support grassroots movements for change.

Diversity: In all its forms, including geography, age, subject matter, ethnicity, career level and more.

However, fiction, student projects or any projects not directed or co-directed by a woman is not accepted.

The Indian Documentary Foundation will manage the call and selection process in partnership with Chicken & Egg Pictures. The funding is a partnership with Chicken and Egg Pictures, The American not-for-profit which is dedicated to supporting women nonfiction filmmakers, whose diverse voices and dynamic storytelling have the power to catalyse change, at home and around the globe. Indian Documentary Foundation is a Not-for-profit organization co-founded by Jaaved Jaaferi and Sophy VSivaraman for the Promotion, Development and Funding of Documentaries in India and about India.

Big hero 6 opens the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)

Big hero 6 recently premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) and is only the second animated film to open the Tokyo festival, and the first Walt Disney animation movie to do so.

Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring adrenaline-pumping action, heartfelt emotion and plenty of humor, Big Hero 6” showcases the bond between a boy and his robot in action-packed big-screen adventure.

With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios (Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph), “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius - thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred.

Big Hero 6 features the voices of an extraordinary ensemble cast, including Maya Rudolph (TV’s Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph Variety Show, Bridesmaids) as Aunt Cass, James Cromwell (Murder in the First, L.A. Confidential) as Professor Robert Callaghan, Damon Wayans Jr. (Let’s Be Cops, Happy Endings) as Wasabi, T.J. Miller (HBO’s Silicon Valley, Transformers: Age of Extinction, How to Train Your Dragon 2) as Fred, Alan Tudyk (Tell, Welcome to Me, 42) as Alistair Krei, Jamie Chung (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Once Upon A Time, The Hangover Part II & Part III) as Go Go Tomago, Genesis Rodriguez (Tusk, Identity Thief) as Honey Lemon and Daniel Henney (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Tadashi, with Ryan Potter (Supah Ninjas, Senior Project) as Hiro Hamada and Scott Adsit (30 Rock, St. Vincent) as Baymax.

Big Hero 6 hits theaters in 3D on Nov. 7, 2014.

Haider has an Italian Premiere as well bags an award: Is the first Indian Film to get this award

Haider produced by UTV Motion Pictures and VB Pictures which had its Italian premiere at the prestigious Rome Film Festival on 24th October, won the ‘People’s Choice Award’ in the Mondo Genre(World Genre) announced today. Out of the 7 films that featured under this genre, Haider was the only Asian film selected across the globe. This is the first time that an Indian film wins the Audience Award in a non-specialized (non-focused on Asian Cinema) wide-ranging International festival. After winning hearts across India, the movie continues to woo audiences across the globe. Winning the ‘People’s Choice Award’ is truly prestigious as it’s one of the most unbiased awards since its chosen by the audiences and Haider was clearly the choice of the people. This is a huge honour for the Film as well as the country.

The Mondo Genre had a selection of feature films of young or already successful directors this year and the festival gave priority to films that are world premieres. The movies selected were from countries like Italy, USA, Brazil and France. Along with Haider other films selected at the festival included films like Gone Girl by David Fincher starring Ben Affleck, The Knick by Steven Soderbergh starring Clive Owen,  Black and White by Mike, Binder starting Kevin Costner, Still Alice by Richard Glatzer starring Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart and Alec Baldwin,  Night Crawler by Dan Gilroy starring Jake Gyllenhaal,  Jia Zhangke, UN Gars De Fenyang by Walter Salles,Time Out of Mine by Oren Moverman starring Richard Gere and movies starring Johnny Depp, Stonehearst Asylum by Richard Anderson starring Kate Beckinsale and Ben Kingsley among several others.

In the past the ‘People’s Choice Award’ at The Rome Film Festival was won 'Dallas Buyers Club’ in 2013 and ‘The Motel Life’ in 2012."This is a huge achievement for the film and a matter of pride for India. Haider has been awarded with the Peoples choice award in the ‘Mondo genre’ of the Rome Film Festival. It truly affirms ourbelief that good cinema can transcend boundaries and this award puts Haider on the global map. After the overwhelming wave of appreciation in India now Haider embarks on its global journey with this feat,”says Amrita Pandey, VP & Head of Marketing and Distribution – Studios, Disney India.

“Haider is a classic Shakespearean tale retold with Kashmir in India as its backdrop, it’s a story that we would like to take to the world and to get this award now is a proud moment for the entire team of Haider,” says Director Vishal Bhardwaj.

“I am fortunate to get a chance to be a part of this breakthrough movie, it was one of the most difficult roles for me and I am ecstatic with the positive reviews and audience feedback Haider has received. It’s a moment of immense pride that the movie has got this award at the festival,” says Shahid Kapoor who plays the role of Haider.

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Haider is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set in the backdrop of the beautiful Kashmir and stars Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon and Irrfan. The movie saw a worldwide release on Oct 2nd, 2014 and with this movie the much-admired filmmaker completes his Shakespearean trilogy.

Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', Haider - a young man returns home to Kashmir on receiving news of his father's disappearance. Not only does he learn that security forces have detained his father for harboring militants, but that his mother is in a relationship with his very own uncle. Intense drama follows between mother and son as both struggle to come to terms with news of his father's death. Soon Haider learns that his uncle is responsible for the gruesome murder, what follows is his journey to avenge his father's death.

Team Films & TV World wishes all...

Team FILMS & TV WORLD..

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay to entice Indian audiences from November 28, 2014

It’s time to enter the dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the land of Panem, as this year’s most anticipated film, The Hunger Games:  Mockingjay - Part 1 is set to arrive in the Indian theatres on November 28, 2014. Presented by Lionsgate, a premier next generation global content leader, this science fiction adventure film is based on the novel Mockingjay, the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. The movie continues to follow female ‘tribute’ Katniss Everdeen who becomes a reluctant hero and a symbol of hope for the nation of Panem. The Hunger Games:  Mockingjay - Part 1will be released in all key metros.

The film, the third in the global blockbuster Hunger Games film franchise, opens in theaters worldwide on November 21, 2014 and will hold its world premiere in London, England on November 10th. Beginning in Beijing, the cast including Academy Award®-winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, director Francis Lawrence and producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, will embark on a World Press Tour with stops in Seoul, London, New York and Los Angeles.

The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games:  Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore)and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 stars Jennifer Lawrence, reprising her character as Katniss Everdeen along with Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Jeffrey Wright, Natalie Dormer, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Willow Shields. The movie is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is a highly awaited movie of this year. With previous series having gained critical acclaim & massive box-office success, the movie anticipates same kind of response this year. The first Hunger Games film generated nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office. The second film in the franchise, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, was the #1 domestic film of 2013 and the 10th highest-grossing North American release of all time, grossing over $860 million around the world.

The movie is the first of the two cinematic parts based on the novel and will be followed-up by a concluding installment The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.   The ‘Hunger Game’ series have a huge fan following worldwide and promises to entice the audience with its latest offering as well.

SRK & Vroovy team up to launch the official mobile game of ‘Happy New Year’

King Khan’s upcoming and most awaited film of the year, ‘Happy New Year’ is all set to enthral fans on the mobile devices. The “Badshah of Bollywood” has partnered with Vroovy (a joint venture between South Asia’s largest Digital Media Company Hungama and India’s largest game service company Gameshastra) and launched the official mobile game of the film. ‘Happy New Year: The Game’ is now available for download on iOS, Android and Facebook.

The game is a side scroller action adventure where a group of six highly trained thieves take on thrilling missions using their unique skill sets and gadgets to pull off the greatest diamond heist of the world.The mobile game encapsulates the essence of the film, which allows gamers to play as Champion Charlie, Marvellous Mohini, Notorious Nandu, Juggernaut Jag, Terrific Tammy or Rowdy Rohan and gear up foran action packed, heart racing adventure where they have to unlock doors, break walls, hack alarm systems, and bash guards.

Commenting on the launch of the game, Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt Ltd. said, “We are delighted to be working with the superstar of Bollywood and creating the magic of his upcoming film – ‘Happy New Year’ on the mobile devices. The game has eight levels and it allows you to play as the characters of the film, and that I believe is a thrilling experience for the fans. I am certain that the engagement level of the game with its extremely immersive features and gameplay will keep the gamers hooked on to the game. With soaring anticipation for the film and the massive fan following of SRK, we hope the game will be well received by Mobile & Casual gamers across the world.”

Some of the features of the game are:

• Super realistic 3D modeled characters of Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah!
• Complete objectives, collect diamonds and discover secret chambers to help you advance in the game
• 8 complete levels designed to test your mettle at different locations - The Bank, The Dockyard, The Streets of Dubai etc.
• Overcome the obstacles in the form of watchful guards, lasers, falling cargo, burning barrels to get to the final level: The Magnificent Atlantis Hotel
• Powerup: With weapons, skill upgrades, invisibility shields, and the much coveted BomankaBatwa!
• Real-time social multiplayer mode: Challenge your friends on Facebook/Twitter
• Discover the abilities of your favorite character by unlocking them: Some are super speedy, some are expert hackers and some fight like ninja samurais!
• Unique tag-team format: Switch between characters who have unique skillsets
• Fight your way to the top of the worldwide leaderboards. Stand a chance to win exciting prizes!
• Simple and intuitive controls and amazing realistic graphics

Should you wish to download the game, here are the links:

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/happy-new-year-the-game/id923920146?ls=1&mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vroovy.happynewyearthegame

Facebook: https://apps.facebook.com/hnymoviegame/?fb_source=search&ref=br_tf

Bejewelled festivities at Poonam Soni brought in with Raell Padamsee, Sharon Prabhakar, Kriti Soni & Vidya Malavade

She believes in ushering the revelries in style ….as the occasion demands it!! Offering the choicest of designer jewels from Poonam Soni’s signature collection, the iconic trendsetter in the industry hosted an intimate exhibition at the brand’s flagship store. Giving the swish set of the city a glimpse of her signature collection.

Enamouring guests with her generosity, Poonam’s personalised engagement and flawless designs left them besotted with the vibrant colour palette of lilac, rosy, auburn, flushed pinks in the rarest of precious stones combined with quality diamonds in noble gold. Bringing in the festivities were Raell Padamsee, Narendra Kumar Ahmed, Sharon Prabhakar, Malti Jain, Bindu Ranna Kapoor and Radha Kapoor, Laxman and Sunita Shreshta,  Kriti Soni  and Vidya Malavade.

The bold play at rose and yellow gold with hints of diamonds crafted to form solid looking bracelets was a hit with Actor Gulshan Grover; while Kadambari Lakhani  choose some exclusive and refreshing designs in chandbali's with colored stones, Jamuna Pai selected a pair of earrings with large sized emeralds in a vintage look. Bringing high end fashion trends with statement neck pieces, Poonam Soni also showcased a stunning collection of wearable designs. With expansion for the brand on the cards, Poonam Soni offers the perfect blend of designer jewellery ….something for everyone.

Fury special screening attended by Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Aalim Hakim and Sonu Nigam

A special screening of Brad Pitt's Fury was held at Light Box Santacruz and was attended by Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Aalim Hakim and Sonu Nigam among others. Fury, directed by David Ayer, is a hot favourite for an Oscar this season. The movie is set in the Second World War and focuses on the life of 5 soldiers in a tank who set out to meet the last remaining forces of the German Nazi army.

Brad Pitt essays the role of battle hardened Army Sgt. Don Collier who leads his team of five men - Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena and Scott Eastwood in a mission to gain victory over the Nazi Army.

Richa's grandfather served in the Army and she associates closely with the cause of soldiers. Fury, which depicts the struggles - mental and physical - of battle weary soldiers, made a great connect with the actress, "My grandfather served in the Indian Army, and I have heard his stories. I am glad I got to saw the movie along with the rest of the world. Fury has great cinematography, direction and art. Definitely a front runner for the Oscar."

The movie released worldwide on 17th October, with an India release on the 31st of October. Fury will be distributed in India by PVR Pictures.

Cinema spree continues on Day 7 of 16th Mumbai film festival

It has been a week since the 16th Mumbai Film Festival started and cine goers are yearning for more with every passing day. An exciting mix of movies, master classes, music and more personified cinema at its best ever at India’s biggest film carnival running at Chandan Cinema, PVR Andheri and Cinemax Versova from October 14-21, 2014.

Cine goers at Chandan have got habituated to grab a seat for some daily movie magic that began on Day 7 with a hat-trick of Arab cinema celebration as Mohamed Khan’s 1987 exciting Egyptian drama ‘The Wife of an Important Man’, Mohamed Khan’s 1989 black & white film ‘Dreams of Hind and Camilia’ and Merzak Allouache’s 1994 film ‘Bab el Oued City’ were screened. Edward Berger’s German adolescent drama ‘Jack’ and Michel Hazanavicius’ French drama ‘The Search’ followed next.

At PVR Andheri, Italian crime drama ‘Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion’ directed by Elio Petrifilm in the Restored Classic segment left an indelible period feel of the 70s. The lineup of World Cinema such as Marcelo Galvão’s Brazilian film ‘Farewell’, Anne Villacèque’s French film ‘Weekends in Normandy’, Tayfun Pirselimoğlu’s 2013 film ‘I Am Not Him’, Vladimir Khotinenko’s Russian film ‘Demons’ and Ken Loach’s ‘Jimmy’s Hall’ thoroughly indulged every movie buff.  The cinematic carnival also showcased Sonja Prosenc’s Slovenian film ‘The Tree’, Sudabeh Mortezai’s Austrian film ‘Macondo’, Sanjib Sabhapandit’s Assamese film ‘The Pulsating Mindscape’, Malyalam film ‘Names Unknown’ directed by Dr. Biju, Raphaël Neal’s French film ‘Fever’, Naji Abu Nowar’s ‘Theeb’, Spanish film ‘Schimbare’ directed by Alex Sampayo contending under International Competition.

Films such as  Mashti Esmaeil’s Iranian film ‘Mahdi Zamanpoor’, Ron Mann’s ‘Altman’, Mahendra Teredesai’s Marathi film ‘Dombivli Return’, Thomas Cailley’s ‘Love at First Fight’, Olivier Assayas’ ‘Clouds Of Sils Maria’, André Téchiné’s ‘French Riviera’ and Bertrand Bonello’s French biography drama ‘Saint Laurent’ across different sections ensured that film lovers had a lasting cinematic memory to take along. That’s not all, film aficionados at PVR got more choices than they anticipated with screenings such as Grigoriy Chukhray’s Russian black & white film ‘Ballad of a Soldier’, Karen Shakhnazarov’s Russian film ‘Rider Named Death’ marking Celebration of 90 Years of MOSFILM Studio, and Attila Szász’s Hungarian film ‘The Ambassador To Bern’, Levent Çetin’s Tukish film ‘Civilian’ and Sallas de Jager’s  South African film ‘Musiek vir die Agtergrond’  under Above the Cut segments.

Cinemax Versova kept the film buffs hooked on to a versatile lineup of films ranging from Hoku Uchiyama’s 2013 American documentary ‘Upaj: Improvise’ under the Real Reel, 2004 father-son pilgrimage film ‘The Big Journey’ directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi under Celebration of Arab Cinema, Tommy Lee Jones’ American western drama ‘The Homesman’ as the World Cinema gem of the day, Mathieu Amalric’s ‘The Blue Room’ and Christophe Honoré’s ‘Metamorphoses’ within Rendez-vous with French Cinema segments.

Choices ranging from Ana Lily Amirpour’s vampire film ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night’, Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis’ French film ‘Party Girl’ in Above the Cut, Manu Warrier’s Hindi film ‘Coffee Bloom’, Bramma G.’s Tamil film ‘The Punishment’ in New Faces of Indian Cinema, to Sergei Eisenstein ‘s  Russian 1938 black & white film ‘Alexander Nevsky’, Sergei Bondarchuk’s 1968 classic Alexander, left city’s cine goers beaming with delight on a movie-studded Monday.

While the International Competition segment dazzled bright with films such as Churni Ganguly Bengali film ‘Banished’, Mini Padma’s Malayalam-Paniya film ‘Earth Seeking Shades’, Asaf Korman’s Israeli film ‘Next to Her’, Yann Demange’s British film ‘‘71’ and Chaitanya Tamhane’s Indian regional film ‘Court’; the Dimensions Mumbai segment on its 2nd day witnessed films set in the tinsel town competing neck to neck to stand out to judges and Mumbaikars alike.

Movie lovers were in for a surprise when they spotted the new age Bollywood rage Rajkumar Rao grace the evening. As the sun set, talented film maker Imtiaz Alia met Indian cinema stalwarts including Shyam Benegal, Nafisa Ali,  Govind Nihalani and Kunal Kapoor over FC Roundtable conversation about the film ‘Junoon’ which was later presented by Imtiaz Ali as part of FC Director Choice.

Before drawing the curtains actors Kal Penn & Rajpal Yadav launched  the first look and  behind-the-scenes footage from their upcoming film ‘Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain’. A social thriller based on the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 is produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment.

Studded with world’s best movies, master sessions and lasting memories, Day 7 became this year’s most exciting Monday that closed on a starry note. But knowing the 16th Mumbai Film Festival’s love for surprises, there is surely a miraculous last and final day in store.

Martin Moran’s award winning show tours India, hopes to spark a debate on sexual violence against boys

Aristotle said the function of theatre is “to heal the city”. Martin Moran’s hugely ​​transformative one-man-shows are all set to tour India.​ ​Producer Poorna Jagannathan, who also produced ‘Nirbhaya’ earlier this year, hopes the plays will spark a debate on a much needed conversation - that of the epidemic of sexual violence against boys.

​​This November, Moran’s award winning one-man-shows, THE TRICKY PART and ALL THE RAGE will be seen by audiences in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.

Both plays are testimonial in nature- drawn from Moran’s real life experiences. ​​THE TRICKY PART, one of the most heralded one-man plays in recent memory, tells the true story of sexuality, spirituality and the mystery of human experience.​ ​​​ALL THE RAGE is Moran’s second award winning one-man-show. It’s a complimentary piece and as powerful.

​​Deftly crafted by director Seth Barrish who will be touring as well, Moran offers a firsthand perspective on sexual abuse. Full of complexity, honesty and surprising humor, Martin’s shows leave audiences transformed and deeply engaged with a subject matter previously inaccessible to most.​

Jagannathan says of her decision to bring these plays to India, “​​Today, 1 in 2 BOYS are sexually abused in India. That means half of all boys in India are exposed to an unwanted sexual interaction.  It’s mind-boggling. But the culture of extreme shame surrounding male sexual abuse prevents survivors from seeking help or healing.

Most times, violence is internalized and cycles of abuse just continue. At a time we are trying to combat sexual violence against women, we remain relatively blind to sexual violence against boys and men. I’m hoping, like NIRBHAYA did, these plays too can pry open this difficult yet vital conversation. I strongly believe that ending sexual violence against boys is one of the key to ending the cycles of violence.”

Statistics:

Ministry of Women and Child Development study called ‘Study on Child Abuse India 2007’ revealed that more than 53% of children in India have probably been sexually abused. Of these, 53 percent were boys and 47 percent girls.(http://wcd.nic.in/childabuse.pdf)

The ministry emphasized that around 70 percent of abused children never reported the matter to anyone and children of all socio-economic groups were found to be equally vulnerable. (Broken down, the statistics are as follows: 1 in 2 children are sexually abused: 1 in 2 boys, 1 in 2 girls with there being a higher incidence rate among boys in some studies.) Human Resource Watch also acknowledges that in majority of cases abuse remains under-reported because children are reticent to raise a voice and if they do, often caregivers themselves hush them up. www.hrw.org/reports/2013/02/07/breaking-silence

Schedule

Starting this month, the two plays, each 80 minute long, will tour along with Martin Moran, director Seth Barrish and producer Poorna Jagannathan across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. The plays run in Mumbai between October 30 and November 2, 2014 at the much-awaited Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest held at the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) and Prithvi Theatre. Subsequently, both plays will be staged at the Rangashankara theatre in Bangalore between November 11 and 13, and reach Delhi to the India Habitat Centre on November 15 and 16, 2014.​​

Pranshu Kulshrestha & Deeksha Upadhyay are the new Models of the Week

This week's Male model Pranshu Kulshrestha is from Bangalore again. An actor / Model, Pranshu started his career behind the screen assisting in some of the best projects according to him. Right from features to short films, this guy has dabbled in all and has also walked the ramp in his College Fashion shows. 

Having dabbled with quite a few Corporate features, short films and features, he is now all keen to kick start his career in the glamour industry in Mumbai in 2015. But before that, he is simply waiting to complete his studies before he plunges head on. When asked whether his (a bit) short height wont be a deterrent in getting him a footing in this glamour oriented industry, he coolly says: “The biggest challenge is to make a mark even when you know you have some shortcomings. In my case, my height is a bit short but I look upto Aamir Khan who has made his mark in good acting." A keen bike enthusiast, Pranshu doesn’t mind doing any role but it has to have some substance and his performance should get him noticed. 

Deeksha Upadhyay who features as our Female Model in this section is an aspiring Model from Jaipur. Cute, charming and good looking, this Jaipur based lass oozes a lot of style, confidence and charisma. Keen to do Ads and films, but she says her calling is Modelling. Adding shades to her persona, Deeksha is one helluva glamourous girl and an avid dancer. She not only loves dressing like the country’s young fashionistas, but Deeksha’s signature is her modern styling with classic Indian design. Keen to make her mark in the Fashion and Modelling industry. She’s also interested in movies & print adverts.

We at Films & TV World wish both Pranshu & Deeksha - All the Best and a Very Happy Diwali..

Designed by Varuna D Jani, the MAMI Trophy is a league apart

The 16th edition of the Mumbai film festival organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) will have a sparkling touch this year. The renowned jewellery designer and adornologist Varuna D Jani has graciously volunteered to design and craft the 15 coveted award trophies for the festival, to be held from 14-21 October 2014 at PVR Cinemas in Andheri, Cinemax,Versova and Chandan Cinemas in Juhu.

MAMI trophies are sought-after awards and are treasured for a lifetime as they depict the artist’s contribution to Indian cinema. Inspired by this Varuna has created exquisite trophies distinguished by her craftsmanship which is unique and contemporary. This is the first time that a jewellery designer has designed the award for the festival.

The trophy resonates the inherent attributes of the festival and its symbolic mascot the phoenix. The Mumbai Film festival has gained a position over the years is at the pinnacle of recognition, status and popularity, and this year’s trophy represents that in its design and intent. The trophy plaque is crystal with a gold and silver plated Phoenix (the emblem of MAMI) which is an enduring allegorical symbol, symbolizing rebirth, renewal or uniqueness. At the threshold of the trophy is the designer’s logo with two real diamond drops placed on the tips of the V wing on each side completing the symmetry of the design.

Varuna D Jani

Says, ace jewellery designer and adornologist, Varuna D Jani “It is an honour and a privilege to have received this opportunity to design this prestigious trophy for MAMI. I was very excited and inspired to create and design the trophy. I hope I have imbibed in it the pride and the prestige that is associated with this magnificent festival.”

Mr Srinivassan Narayan, Festival Director, Mumbai Film Festival said, “We thank Varuna D Jani for her support towards the Mumbai Film festival. That a designer of her calibre has agreed to design our award trophies is a matter of pride for us. The final trophy is spectacular as is the design input put in by her. This year’s award recipients will be the envy of many as they will get to take the coveted trophy home.”

The trophy exudes a royal charm with crystal base and gold and silver plating. Equal emphasis has been given to the back and front of the trophy making it a piece of art. With fine engravings of letter, this year’s MAMI Trophy is going to be a sought after reward not just because of the repute and the prestige of the festival but also as a thing of beauty that the award winners would be proud to receive. After all the inspiration behind the design was that these awards (the MAMI trophy) deserve to be earned not owned.

First Indo-Serbian co-production announced: Dev Bhoomi to star Victor Banerjee and Barkha Bisht

At the 16th Mumbai Film Festival, acclaimed director Goran Paskaljevic announced his plans to make an Indian film titled ‘Dev Bhoomi’ starring India’s legendary and acclaimed actor Victor Banerjee. The director credited for creating the first private company of production of cinema in former Yugoslavia, is soon to add another first to his credit, that of filming the first ever Indo-Serbian co-production.

‘Dev Bhoomi’ explores the home coming of a 65 year old man, Rahul, who, when he discovers he is going blind, decides to return from England to his village in Garhwal, in India, to take one last look at the world he ran away from, 40 years ago. The film besides exploring the vagaries of life, will paint a quaint, picturesque yet intense side of Garhwal. Produced by Milan Markovic, the film will be entirely shot in the scenic state Uttarakhand by March-April 2015. The director with his team has been travelling to Dehradun and nearby places in Uttarakhand for scouting locations.

Addressing members from the press, Goran shared, “Dev Bhoomi is a story of simple dramatic structure, tense inside, without a lot of external effects, an intimate poem, such as the sound of the ancient flute that accompanies Rahul along the magnificent landscape of the Himalayas.” Giving an added glimpse of his vision, he added, “Similar to the style of naive paintings with their strong color, teeming with folk motifs, in the background is revealed the complexity of contemporary Indian society in rural mountainous areas, far from cities. That’s the kind of film I would like to make.”

With his cinematic creations spanning 30 documentaries and 16 feature films, Goran Paskaljevic besides being one of Europe's most respected directors is a known name worldwide. His work has been showcased and acclaimed at the most prestigious international film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and San Sebastian to name a few. He is also the President of the India Gold Jury and Guest of Honor of the 16th Mumbai Film Festival.

Victor Banerjee fans and movie buffs at the Mumbai Film Festival were thrilled over the announcement of ‘Dev Bhoomi’. The veteran actor appeared to be equally delighted on teaming up with award winning Serbian director, Goran Paskaljevic.  “Goran and I have been contemporaries, friends, co-jury members at festivals for many years. This film gave us a chance to add another dimension to our association, that of expressing ourselves through a film, together. He is a gifted film maker who trusts his instincts and beautifully depicts real life imagery through cinema and it is a great feeling to work with him on an Indian subject.”

Lead actor and co-writer of the film, Victor Banerjee shot to world fame for his portrayal of Dr. Aziz in David Lean's screen adaptation of E. M. Forster's ‘Passage to India’. Known for his iconic roles in Hindi, Bengali and English language films, he has worked for prominent directors such as Roman Polanski, James Ivory, Sir David Lean, Jerry London, Ronald Neame, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray and Ram Gopal Varma.

Banerjee also unfolded a discreet side of his character in the film, “Rahul returns to his erstwhile village after 40 years to ‘take’ one last look at the world he ran away from, but as circumstances beget, he only ends up ‘giving’ something to the village and his heavenly Himalayan abode.”

Paskaljevic, while focused on the upcoming film too seemed overjoyed for his wish to work with his old friend Victor Banerjee is being granted. “The movie besides being a beautiful tale from the hinterlands of India will present endless images of beauty I have seen. It is a story of a primeval need to get back to one’s roots that Victor will enhance further with his presence and far-reaching expressive portrayal,” added the endowed director.

Day 6 of the 16th Mumbai Film Festival ends on a high note

The 16th Mumbai Film Festival’s glitz and glamour was at an all time high as the weekend bonanza of city’s most awaited festival continued on Sunday to its 6th day. The City’s cine goers thronged the three sub-urban theatres, Chandan Cinema, PVR Andheri and Cinemax Versova for an unlimited dose of films, fun and entertainment.

Chandan Cinema marked a celebration of Arab cinema with two Egyptian films back to back, Tewfik Saleh’s 1955 debut feature ‘Fools’ Alley’ and Khairy Beshara’s 1986 war film ‘The Collar and the Bracelet’. Next up were flavors of the world cinema with Lou Ye’s Chinese-French engaging drama ‘Blind Massage’, Matthew Warchus’ real life inspired British  drama ‘Pride’ and Lars von Trier’s sex addiction drama ‘Nymphomaniac Volume II’.

The Sunday at PVR was equally studded with gems such as Turkish director Tayfun Pirselimoğlu’s ‘I Am Not Him’, Jean-Luc Godard’s French drama ‘Goodbye To Language – 3D’ and Bayaneruul Bayaneruul’s Chinese film ‘Norjmaa’, Hiroshi Toda’s Japanese film ‘Early Spring, Kyoto’, Kim ki-Duk’s South Korean film ‘One on One’, Maxime Giroux’s Canadian romantic drama ‘Felix and Meira’ and ‘Clownwise’ directed by Viktor Taus adorning the world cinema segment. 

Director Sajin Babu of 'Unto the Dusk' with Filmmaker Mohan Das

The day stood out with screenings in store across all the three competitive categories International Competition, India Gold 2014 and Dimension Mumbai. Films competing neck to neck were Benjamin Naishtat’s Argentine drama ‘History of Fear’, Chakme Rinpoche’s Chinese-Tibetan film ‘Zhaojian’ and Yann Demange’s British film‘‘71’; besides M S Prakash Babu’s debut Kannada film ‘Fig Fruit and The Wasps’, Sajin Baabu’s Malyalam film ‘Unto the Dusk’ and Bikas Mishra’s ‘Chauranga’ in the first two categories respectively.

Talking of 'Unto the Dusk' Filmmaker Mohan Das says: "its one wonderful Malayalam film I have seen after 3 years again at Mami. Last time it was in 2011 when Salim Ahmed's film 'Adaminte Makan Abu' and Santosh Sivan's 'Urumi' was screened. I guess the regional section is making more waves today and especially the south as compared to Bollywood when it comes to qualitative cinema. 'Unto the Dusk' by my director friend Sajin Babu is one such film. I had last seen his fiction ‘Music of the Broom’ and it was fantastic. When Sajin’s film was selected, I was really happy as that would give me the chance to meet him again - and with another good film of his."

Films that continued to keep the Sunday spirits alive included Matthew Torne’s ‘Lessons in Dissent’, Annette Mari Olsen, Katia Forbert Petersen’s Danish film ‘Mission Rape - A Tool of War’, Anja Marquardt’s stark New York-set indie drama ‘She's Lost Control’, Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis’ French film ‘Party Girl’ and Ana Lily Amirpour’s Iranian vampire film ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night’.

There were Nikita Mikhalkov’s 1979 Russian classic ‘Several Days of Oblomov's Life’ celebrating 90 Years of MOSFILM Studio and Hany Abu-Assad’s 2013 Palestinian thriller ‘Omar’ celebrating the Arab cinema all under one roof. To add to that, Atul Malhotra’s multicultural coming of age comedy drama ‘Amar Akbar & Tony’ under Film India Worldwide, George Sidney’s 1963 American musical comedy film ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ under Restored Classics, Alain Resnais’ comedy drama ‘Life of Riley’ and Céline Sciamma’s intense gang rape film ‘Girlhood’ offering a Rendez-vous with French Cinema and Jayprad Desai’s Marathi film ‘Nagrik’ under New Face of Indian Cinema segment ensured that the day unfolds as the year’s most cinematic Sunday ever.

Likewise, the cinema vibe was quite contagious at Cinemax Versova that buzzed with variety in all forms - vivid films, diverse experiences and various kinds of cinema lovers. From a French Rendez-vous with  Michel Hazanavicius’ ‘The Search’, Bertrand Bonello ‘s biographical drama ‘Saint Laurent’ and André Téchiné ‘s ‘French Riviera’ to a celebration of Arab cinema with Ismaël Ferroukhi ‘s 2004 pilgrimage road trip film ‘The Big Journey’ and Férid Boughedir’s first fiction feature ‘Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces’, the one thing that remained constant was the cinematic spell.

From noon till the sun went down, more magic unfolded with films such as Sonja Prosenc’s Slovenian film ‘The Tree’ and Sudabeh Mortezai’s Austrian film ‘Macondo’ competing in International Competition; Dr. Biju’s Malayalam film ‘Names Unknown’, Sanjib Sabhapandit’s Assamese film ‘The Pulsating Mindscape’ in the India Gold 2014 section, alongside Mahendra Teredesai’s Marathi film ‘Dombivli Return’ within New Faces of Indian cinema and Ron Mann’s Canadian film ‘Altman’ under the Real Reel. Screenings in the competitive Dimensions Mumbai segment also followed.

Keeping the weekend spirits alive, Mumbai Film Festival mesmerized the film enthusiasts and budding film makers when Film Critic, Editor Film Companion and Creative Director of the 16th Mumbai Film Festival, Anupama Chopra convened a tete a tete with Tanmay Bhatt and  Rohan Joshi from AIB, Arunabh Kumar from The Viral Fever and Jagdish Mahapatra (Managing Director for India & SAARC at McAfee. Part of Intel Security)  at Social Media and Changing Narrative Panel on social media and changing narrative, that presented some profound insights on social media led changes in modern day storytelling.

As the sun set, the weekend buzz reached a crescendo when Director Goran Paskaljevic, President, India Gold Jury 2014 and immensely talented actor Victor Banerjee announced a first ever Ind0-Serbian co-production titled ‘Dev Bhoomi’ and interacted with media who quizzed the director-actor team on more nuances about this exceptional collaboration.

A glorious day 6 at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival gave way to two more days of cinematic treat as the festival inches closer to its finishing line. Keeping up the promise of variety and surprises alive, the entertainment and engagement on day 7 and 8 is expected to soar even higher.

Day 6 culminated with thanks to the main sponsors:  70 EMG, Andrew T McKay - Music Composers Lab, Asian Paints, Bajaj Group, BookmyShow, Chandan Cinema, Cinestaan & Mumbai Mantra, Embassy of France in India, Fab India, Film Companion, Ford Foundation, Fountainhead, GalaLite, GVK, HBO Premium Channels, HDFC, Hindustan Times, Institute France, J.W. Marriott, LionsGate, Mahindra n Mahindra, McAfee. Part of Intel Security, NDTV, Nitin Desai Studio, Pinkerton, Pulz, PVR, Radio One, Raheja – Infiniti, Real Image (Qube), Reliance Media Works, Rentrak, Star TV, The 120 Media Collective, UniFrance, Varuna Jani, Vinod Chopra Films and Yahoo!. The event was drawn to a close with thanks to the main supporters and special thanks to the Government of Maharashtra.

Preity Zinta, Sanjay Suri, Sachin Khedekar, Ketan Mehta and others spotted at Mumbai film festival

16th Mumbai film festival organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) touched a new high on Day 5. The Day was eventful for Cinegoers attending the festival as it brought together an array of  films, workshops, panel discussions and experiences under a single roof.

Chandan Cinema began the weekend with the celebration of Arab cinema and showcased Youssef Chahine’s 1958 Egyptian classic ‘Cairo Station’. Next in line were some sparkling wonders of World Cinema including Ken Loach’s straight from the heart film ‘Jimmy’s Hall’, Taiwan-Mainland China collaboration war drama ‘Coming Home’ directed by Zhang Yimou, British espionage-thriller film ‘A Most Wanted Man’ directed by Anton Corbijn, and Lars von Trier’s much talked about sex addiction drama ‘Nymphomaniac Volume I’.

PVR Andheri’s weekend lineup opened on a high note too with 2013 directed Hany Abu-Assad’s Palestinian film ‘Omar’ marking the celebration of Arab cinema. International Competitive category saw Nasser Zamiri’s Iranian film ‘With Others’ and Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Ethiopian narrative feature film ‘Difret’. World cinema brought Lech Majewski’s Polish visionary love story ‘Field of Dogs’, Maxime Giroux’s atypical Canadian romantic drama ‘Felix and Meira’, Matthew Warchus’ real life inspired British drama ‘Pride’, Yannis Economides’ Greek film ‘Stratos’, Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz’s court drama ‘Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem’ and Tommy Lee Jones’ American western dram ‘The Homesman’.

Above the cut section of the festival presented to cine goers Safi Yazdanian’s debut Iranian feature film ‘What’s The Time In Your World?’ and Telémachos Alexiou’s ‘Queen Antigone’, Levent Çetin’s Turkish film ‘Civilian’ and French drama ‘Party Girl’ directed by Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis. India Gold 2014 witnessed  Indo-French film ‘Sunrise’ directed Partho Sen-Gupta. A Catherine Deneuve 1964 French classic ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ brought a shade of her many iconic portrayals. Besides, Orson Welles’ 1947 American film noir classic ‘Lady from Shanghai’ was screened from the magic box of Restored Classics.

Comedy drama ‘Life of Riley’ directed by Alain Resnais and Céline Sciamma’s tense gang rape film ‘Girlhood’ were showcased under the Rendez-vous with French Cinema. The Real Reel included Diana Whittien’s American thriller ‘Vessel’ and Matthew Torne’s ‘Lessons in Dissent’ that captures Hong Kong's simmering identity crisis. Russian films, Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1966 iconic art house film ‘Andrei Rublev’ and Vladimir Menshov’s 1979 Oscar winning Soviet drama ‘Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears’ paid homage to 90 Years of MOSFILM Studio.

This star studded Saturday pleasantly surprised film buffs at Cinemax Versova with an experimental 3D French film ‘Goodbye To Language’ directed by Jean-Luc Godard. While the other screens opened with Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s social drama ‘Two Days, One Night’, Ana Lily Amirpour’s first Iranian vampire western ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night’ and Tessa Louise-Salomé’s artistic French documentary ‘Mr. Leos Carax’, a film that explores the life of the mysterious, solitary filmmaker by the same name.

A back to back feat of films from the competitive India Gold 2014 enthralled the regional film buffs with Bikas Mishra’s small town tale of a Dalit boy, ‘Chauranga’, M S Prakash Babu’s debut Kannada film ‘Fig Fruit and The Wasps’ and short film maker Sajin Baabu’s first Malyalam feature film ‘Unto the Dusk’. The World cinema fare continued alongside with Dominik Graf’’s ‘Beloved Sisters’, Yoji Yamada’s Japanese film ‘The Little House’ and Naomi Kawase’s ‘Still The Water’.

Amidst all the buzz and excitement, film lovers continued to juggle across screens to catch remarkable films such as Bertrand Bonello’s French biography drama ‘Saint Laurent’, two International Competition entries Chakme Rinpoche’s Chinese-Tibetan film ‘Zhaojian’ and Benjamin Naishtat’s Argentine drama ‘History of Fear’, Sergei Bondarchuk’s two-part 1968 adaptations of Leo Tolstoy's novel ‘War and Peace Part’, Jayprad Desai’s Marathi film ‘Nagrik’ and Portuguese film ‘The First Summer’ directed by Adriano Mendes.

Atul Churamani moderated an exclusive session under the 2nd Music Composer’s Lab series that saw legends of film music and orchestra world including Frenchman Laurent Koppitz from FAMES Project Macedonia and Liam Donnelly from PRS for Music in London. They discussed how film industry is heading to Skopje for music recordings and also spoke of the latest publishing and copyright trends. The sessions offered an insight into the fast evolving film music world and proved to be an inspiration for budding musicians, technicians and composers alike.

An interactive panel discussion followed in the afternoon on ‘Unraveling the Past: The Challenges with Adapting History for Screen’. This special panel presented by Epic channel and moderated by Ravina Kohli saw some eminent speakers including Ketan Mehta, Nidhi Tuli, Atul Tiwari and Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi. The session delved into the reasons behind too few credible on-screen historical adaptations despite India’s rich history.

Encompassing many different aspects of cinema, Day 5 made a perfect rainbow of experiences. Also, celebrities such as Preity Zinta, Director Onir, Sanjay Suri, Sachin Khedekar Lalita Lajmi, Kavita Lajmi and Ranvir Shorey added to the weekend charm. With high spirits, the remaining 3 days of the 16th Mumbai Film Festival seem to be loaded with more cinematic surprises.

Singapore’s Favourite Bar >Harry’s< launched at Juhu

Friday night witnessed the launch of Harry’s Bar + Cafe, Singapore’s iconic bar chain opening its second franchise in Mumbai at Juhu. The guests enjoyed, famed chef Vicky Ratnani’s culinary perfections at Harry’s launch evening that included Anupam Kher who came with fried Raj Nayak, while buddies Manish Paul and Iqbal Khan too joined the party. Bollywood star Tiger Shroff graced the red carpet with smiles. Also, present were Nazeen Bedi and husband Ranjit, actress Tulip Joshi walked in with her husband Vinod Nair, Rohit Roy, choreographer Bosco, Vindoo Dara Singh, Daboo Ratnani with wife Manisha, director Sajay Gupta and Rinzing Denzongpa, also made an appearance.

Harry’s was founded by Jim Gelpi (an oil man from Louisiana) in Boat Quay, Singapore in 1992.  A bar without pretension, its popularity soared on the back of its location, elegant yet laid back charm and superlative service. It quickly became an after office hour haven frequented by bankers and professionals working in the financial district. Fast forward from its humble beginnings back in 1992 to 2014 and, Harry's is not only Singapore’s largest chain of Bars but also a household name that is synonymous with superlative customer service, affordable pricing, accessibility and appeal. It is this approach that has won Harry’s the prestigious 'Singapore Promising Brand Award'.

chef Vicky Ratnani

With a customer base of working executives and a favourite of locals and expats alike, Harry’s Bar maintains its tradition as a place for customers to unwind to great drinks, food and music. Grounded in a strong bar culture, Harry’s offers a variety of beer in bottle and on tap. The bar menu comprises of a wide mix of cocktails (with non-alcoholic variants for the teetotalers) created by renowned mixologist Shatbhi Basu. Some of the specials include Caramel Popcorn Martini, Green Lantern, Guava Mary, Dirty Harry and the classic Singapore Sling.

Food is an integral part of Harry’s culture with an all-day dining menu created by famed chef Vicky Ratnani. An international selection of foods such as Pattaya Beach Fish Goujons, Moroccan Rubbed Cottage Cheese and Singapore Chicken Sataygo go hand in hand with some eminent Singapore Specialities like the Harry’s Jazz Burger. Harry’s is owned by F&B Asia which also owns and manages Harry’s Holdings and its corresponding group of food and beverage establishments. For more info, log on to www.harrys.com.sg

Kal Penn and Rajpal Yadav to launch new trailer of ‘Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain’ at Mumbai Film Festival

Actors Kal Penn and Rajpal Yadav will be launching a new trailer and behind-the-scenes footage from their upcoming film ‘Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain’ at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival. To be screened tomorrow 20th October at 7:30 PM at Chandan Cinema, Juhu; Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain is a social thriller scripted around the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984. The film is set for a pan India release on 5th Dec, 2014.

Set amidst the real-life Bhopal disaster that had occurred in India on December 2–3, 1984. Martin Sheen, Mischa Barton, Kal Penn, Fagun Thakrar, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Rajpal Yadav have been cast in the lead roles. Produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment, Director Ravi Kumar described it as "a dramatization, inspired by real events".

Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain is a movie that depicts the shocking events, leading to the biggest man made industrial disaster in history killing as many as 10,000 people in one night. The movie is a narration of the story from Dilip’s perspective. Dilip (played by Rajpal Yadav), a rickshaw driver in Bhopal, India, lands himself a job at the Union Carbide plant. The job is tough and risky with long hours, still everyone wants to hold on to their pay cheque and so Dilip keeps quiet when he notices managers at the plant ignoring safety standards. The negligence at Union Carbide led to the leakage of methyl isocyanide which killed thousands of people. Tens of thousands of people still suffer from illnesses caused by the exposure to this gas.

Not many know that this film was made way back in 2010 and was originally slated for a late 2010 release. Later in a December 2011 interview, Kumar anticipated a 2012 release, saying that "We have been invited to some major film festivals where it will be premiered. The release dates will be decided by the distributor all over the world according to their plans." In April 2013, a new trailer was released, and the film received a market screening at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. A Prayer for Rain will release in US in November and to worldwide audiences on 5 December 2014. Recently a private screening of the movie was held at the youth assembly in the United Nations on 7 August 2014.

7th Global Film Festival Noida to be Held From 11th to 13th November

After the stupendous success of 6 major International film festivals, celebrated International Film, TV, media personality & the President of the festival Sandeep Marwah announced the 7th Global Film Festival Noida from 11th to 13th November, 2014.

The 7th Global Film Festival Noida in collaboration with International Film & Television Club and Asian Academy of Film & Television, a pioneer in media education will feature workshops, seminars, master classes, art exhibitions, book releases, poster releases, film premiers, cultural events and gala nights. The master classes provide an opportunity to invite renowned directors to share their experience and memories of filmmaking and debate with an audience of film buffs. In the recent years, the festival had hosted workshops by some of the most prominent industry experts like Anil Kapoor, David Dhawan, Satish Kaushik, Sudhir Mishra, Sajid and Wajid Khan, Anant Madhevan, Vinay Pathak, Sanjay Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Rahul Roy, Rakesh Bedi, Supren Sen, T.P Aggarwal, Khalid Mohammed, Adoor Gopalkrishnan, N. Chandra and Madhur Bhandarkar.

Ever since its creation, Global Film Festival Noida has remained faithful to its founding purpose: To contribute towards the progression of cinema and celebrate cinema at an international level. The festival is devoted to discover new talent and serves to showcase new trends in the film industry, screen films from film students as part of the official selection.

Earlier Global Film Festival Noida 2012 & 2013 were acknowledged as the most happening film festivals of the world where 540 films, 52 events and 17,000 footfalls were taped over a period of three days. The festival invites participation from all over the world particularly in competitive section. The official selection serves to highlight the multiplicity of cinematic creation through its three sections: 30 minutes, one hour and full length feature films. Films permissible to be exhibited should not be more than one year old.

One of the major highlights of the festival would be the Indian and foreign film section, films by the students of AAFT, ASMS short films, films on physically challenged, focus country, retrospective and competitive section. For further details and enquiries visit www.gffn.org