Archive for August, 2013

Call For Entries – Experimenta 2013

Posted: August 12, 2013 by moifightclub in Call For Entries, film, Film Festival
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Experimenta

Experimenta – the International festival of Moving Image Art in India seeks artists’ films and videos from any country that challenge popular and conventional modes of cinema. Abstract to obscure compositions produced on the margins of contemporary screen-culture are welcome. Innovative, cutting edge and non-traditional work that attempts to aesthetically extend the parameters of the mediums of film and video is encouraged.

– Preview copies must be submitted for selection purposes.

– All lengths of film are considered.

– Please submit entries as soon as possible. The final deadline for receipt of submissions is 30 August 2013.

– The festival programme will be finalised by October 2013, at which time only those whose works are selected will be informed.

– EXPERIMENTA is a curated film festival, and will be held from November 27 – December 1, 2013 in Bangalore India.

– To download a submission form click here  (Opens in new tab; Right click and ‘save link as’)

– Online Submissions are also accepted.

– For further inquiries, clarifications and background on Experimenta India please click here. Can email experimentaindia1@gmail.com

Entry Regulations:

• Final deadline for receipt of all submissions is 30 August 2013

• All submissions in languages other than English must be subtitled in English – only if language is central to the film’s content

• All preview copies will be added to the festival’s archives

• If submitting more than one entry, please make a copy of the entry form for each

• Please ensure that the following enclosures are sent to the festival:

 – Completed entry form (please refer below for specific entry guidelines to the Film and

 – DVD or online preview copy of film/video

 – Hi-res film stills (300 dpi – jpeg, tiff or png)

 • All entries should be sent to the following address. Please send an email in advance informing the festival that your package has been posted: 302 Royal Manor, 70/1 Cunningham Road, Bangalore 560052, India.

Email id: experimentaindia1@gmail.com

 • The festival reserves the right to excerpt programmed works for online promotional material

• Selected filmmakers/artists will be notified if their submission has been accepted and may be contacted anytime after the submission has been received

• If selected, film prints or videos must be sent to the festival prepaid to the specific address that is given to the filmmaker upon acceptance.

• Return shipping costs OF FILM PRINTS ONLY (via select ground-service or postal service) will be covered by the festival, if the filmmaker is not in attendance. Additional charges for express shipping or transshipment to foreign film festivals must be paid by the entrant or the recipient. Experimenta or any of its affiliates cannot accept nor assume responsibility for damage or loss of materials.

Guidelines for FILM format:

• The final exhibition format is 16mm & 35mm only

• For preview purposes film submissions may be made on DVD or online only. Please DO NOT send film prints or dvcam/mini dv tapes. The exhibition film print will be requested for exhibition only after final selection.

• Label preview copy with your name, title of work, year/date of completion and duration

• Films completed after November 2011 are admissible

• For further clarification/information contact experimentaindia1@gmail.com

Guidelines for DIGITAL VIDEO format:

• The final exhibition format is Blu-Ray or Hi Res digital file only.

• For preview purposes video submissions may be made on DVD or online only. Please DO NOT send dvcam/mini dv tapes.

• Label preview copy with your name, title of work, year/date of completion and duration

• Videos completed after November 2011 are admissible

• For further clarification/information contact experimentaindia1@gmail.com

First Look of Rituparno Ghosh’s last film – Satyanweshi (trailer/synopsis)

Posted: August 9, 2013 by moifightclub in Bengali, film, first look, Poster, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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Satyanweshi

Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passed away earlier this year just after completing the shooting of his film on Byomkesh Bakshi. The makers have completed the film and it is ready for release. It’s based on “Chorabali” by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay.

The film also marks the acting debut of filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh in the lead role of Byomkesh Bakshi.

Here is the first trailer of the film

Official synopsis – Maharaja Arunangshu, the ruler of a princely sate named Balabantpur, had made a wish list on his death bed in the presence of Dewan Chandrashekhar, the family physician Kaligati and the High Priest. It laid down certain conditions for his heir, his son Himangshu. The first of which forbade Himangshu from marrying a non Hindu girl, and the second demanded a legitimate heir within three years of his marriage. Bound by his father’s conditions of succession, Himangshu is compelled to marry Alaka, an aspiring actress.

A year and half into the marriage, Harinath, the young palace librarian disappears without any trace. This mystery occasions the arrival of the sleuth Byomkesh and his author friend Ajit to Balwantpur. The visit though is under the pretext of an invitation for a hunting expedition. In course of their stay, they unfold many secrets involving the residents of the palace and about the topography of Balwantpur.

Film : Satyanweshi.
Starring : Sujoy Ghosh, Aninda Chatterjee, Indraniel Sengupta, Arpita Chatterjee, Sanjoy Nag, Shibaji Bandhopadhyay, Anandi Ghosh
Producer : Shree Venkatesh Films
Presenter : Shrikant Mohta & Mahendra Soni
Direction : Rituparno Ghosh.
DOP : Avik Mukhopadhyay
Music : Debajyoti Mishra

Six scripts selected for NFDC-TIFF Screenwriters Lab, 2013

Posted: August 5, 2013 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News, Screenwriting, Scripts, Workshop
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NFDC Screenwriter's Lab

NFDC has announced the list of finalists for NFDC-TIFF Screenwriters Lab which will be held during the Toronto International Film Festival, 2013.

Here are the six finalists  for NFDC Screenwriter’s Lab 2013.

1. Chingari (The Spark) by Rajesh Jhala

2. Dainik (The Daily) by Nikhil Mahajan 

3. Kaalapani (Dark Waters) by Bela Negi

4. Maa Bhagwatiya IIT Coaching  (Mother Goddess IIT Coaching) by Varun Grover

5. My Brother the Salesman and I by Shanker Raman

6. T se Taj M se Mahal (T for Taj M for Mahal) by Ashish Srivastav

Yay! Especially for Varun Grover. Those of you who regularly follow our blog, must be aware that he is one of our regular writers. Some of us have read the script and it’s a terrific one. Hopefully it will get made soon.

All the best to to all the finalists.

Registration opens for the 15th Mumbai Film Festival (Oct 17-24, 2013)

Posted: August 5, 2013 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News
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MFF1

If you have been attending the Mumbai Film Festival in the last few years, you must have realised that it has emerged as the premier fest in the country. At least in terms of the cinema it manages to get every year. If not, you must. Do a quick search on our blog to know more about the previous editions of the fest. The registration for this year’s fest has just opened and has some early bird incentives. Details below.

(from official release)

Showcasing the best films of international and Indian cinema, the 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival is officially open for delegate and media registrations. Held from the 17th to 24th October 2013, the festival will showcase a stellar lineup of over 200 films from about 60 countries.

The registration process can be made online on the film festival’s website here. The delegates registering online will subsequently receive a confirmation through e mail.

– This year the Festival has made arrangements for sms and e-mail alerts about delegate card pickups, on-line seat reservation system for screenings during the festival and important festival communication for registered delegates.

– EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS for various categories of delegates are as under:

  1. Students – Rs. 600/-
  2. Film industry associations & Film Societies – Rs. 750
  3. General Delegates – Rs. 1150

– Early Bird Registrations will close at 1900 hrs on 1ST October, 2013.

– Media registration can also be done online by visiting the Mumbai Film Festival site here.

– If you have a problem with on-line registration please contact registration@mumbaifilmfest.com.

– The registration form can be downloaded and later submitted along with fees at the Mumbai Film Festival office till 1st October, 2013, between 11 am to 6 pm at the following address:

Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI),
49/50, Maruti Chambers, 5th Floor,
Fun Republic Lane, Off Veera Desai Extn. Road,
Andheri (W), Mumbai – 400 053, India.

– Delegates must carry their college ID card, film industry card or film society membership cards for verification at the time of catalogue fee payment/collection of delegate cards.

– The 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival will be held at National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point and Metro Cinema as the main festival venues and Cinemax, Andheri (West) as the satellite venue.

Coke Studio at MTV (Season 3) – Will it deliver?

Posted: August 3, 2013 by moifightclub in music, Preview, television
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Coke Studio

Over to our MusicMan Rohwit for some saturday musings.

After a near disastrous season 1 and an ‘almost’ salvaging Season 2, Coke Studio At MTV is back with Season 3. This time the season boasts of big names like A R Rahman, Papon and Amit Trivedi. Other musicians include the very talented Ram Sampath, Salim- Sulaiman, Hitesh Sonik and Clinton Cerejo.

We all know that big names do not cut much if they aren’t used well. Still, below is what we know for sure.

7 episodes with one composer each, out of which 6 episodes have 6 songs and 1 episode has 5.

Last episode with 6 different producers/bands putting up one song each.

47 songs in the season.

No composer gets repeated across episodes.

Some vocalists get repeat episodes including Kailash Kher (please innovate this time?) and Vijay Prakash who feature as singers on more than one episode.

Some musicians of the band including (but not limited to) Warren, Rushad, Jarvis, Darshan, Lindsay, Sanjoy Das and Tapas get featured in more than one episode.

Even the website this time round has a complete feel to it and that’s a good thing.

http://www.cokestudioindia.com

We don’t know the full details of who all will collaborate with Amit Trivedi and AR Rahman. The  ‘Zariya’ video with Ani Choying Drolma and Farah Siraj was just splendid to say the least! The arrangement, the fusion and the  overall presentation didn’t lack anything.No one was posing for the camera and the lights weren’t distracting at all. Gushfest allegations aside, my heart raced at around 6:32 minutes when Farah air-removes the evil eye on A R Rahman to which he smiles.

It would be exciting to see the collaboration and presentation this season because the buzz has gone into almost an overkill with too many youtube ‘session videos’ around. Amidst all the names, what intrigues (and quite frankly scares us a little bit) is the inclusion of Salim-Sulaiman and it is not because of the composers, it is because of the bollywood fest the season 1 turned out to be. We certainly aren’t looking at a long session of ‘Shukran allah’ from the composers and hope they are aware of it. We love everything about the folk that is Rajasthani and Punjabi. Still, there is much more left to be explored (even within Rajasthani and Punjabi) and may be they will present it to us.

There isn’t just one way to present ‘fusion’. While our neighbours have raised the bar very high in a quiet and understated manner, we hope that season 3 gives us a little more of music and a little less ‘hype’ around the names. Showcasing talent from across the regions and that too melodiously, is what Coke Studio is all about and if after the end of Coke Studio India season 3, we remember fondly at least 7 new singers and some genres that we were unaware of previously (Thanks to excessive bollywood-ized in-take of music), we think the job of musically erasing season 1 completely from our minds would have been accomplished.

Trivia – Last year, in this interview, Rohail Hyatt (the creator of Coke Studio Pakistan) hinted at a joint presentation of India-Pakistan artists in a Coke Studio India Session. Whatever happened to that?

Still. NO. FREE. DOWNLOADS.

WHY?

So what are your expectations from this season of desi Coke Studio?

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