Archive for the ‘Film Festival’ Category

MFF2011 : This is one way to do it – Sandeep Mohan’s ‘Love, wrinkle-free’

Posted: October 19, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, first look
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There’s at least one film in each one of us. For those of us who make it our vocation (not profession) there are many. Debutante director Sandeep Mohan’s done with his first. Indie, short, sweet and with a home-grown, quirky sense of humour, ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’ played at MAMI yesterday. And plays again tomorrow, 20th Oct at 12.45 pm, Cinemax, Sion.

The film is about a middle-aged couple struggling with middle-age issues. The passing of youth, the wilting of relationships under the dryness of everyday living. The excitement of finding new love and all that it affirms about oneself. Well, it’s not half as serious as all this sounds, but lightly touches all these ‘deeper’ strains with a certain idiosyncrasy. Then there are crooks and fools in love making the capering continuously ticklish.

Watch the trailer to get a glimpse of what I am saying.

“Love, Wrinkle-free” trailer from Sandeep Mohan on Vimeo.

We rant enough about how difficult it is to make any movie, leave alone the one you want to make. Sandeep found that out first hand too and then simply decided to drop everything and make his films one way or the other. No he didn’t rob a bank. He simply, “Spent close to a year trying to raise funds – made couple of wrong moves. Learned and moved on.”

To finally find funding. “Giju John and Kamal Shah came along to help. Giju is a childhood friend. Totally trusted me. We managed to rope in close to 30 more friends (in a crowd funding of sorts!) to put in whatever they could.” It not only sounds difficult but we all know how much passion and conviction is required to convince someone to part with pennies for a film. Film! A form which has been reduced to little more than nautanki these days. Why would anyone bother with it unless the ones making it had ‘it’ in them to want to go beyond?

The film took two years to evolve from idea to image. The script was fleshed out over a period of 3-4 months. And the film completed within 22 days, within schedule, fully shot in Goa. Extended reading sessions happened with each one of them. And from there on the experienced folks took off well. As said here, “The film boasts of some good performances from the ensemble!”

Sandeep’s pre-prod office and editing studio was his own house. “So in essence this is a Vikhroli West movie as opposed to an Andheri west movie” he jests.

Cutting costs was of course, primary. No AD for entire post-production. But ensured actors were well-taken care of. “We gave the actors whatever we could. But once they realised what we were attempting, they became part of this journey, and it was smooth going.”

Indie, from start-to-finish and not just for the sake of it. That’s refreshing. Independent not only in thought but action. Not only what it creates but how. A healthy mix of both is probably the whopping leap our cinema needs to take.

This route was and wasn’t a choice for Sandeep. If you want to do something you got to get out there and find ways to do it. He had no choice but that and hence willingly made that choice.

“It all evolved after my father passed away 3 years back. His death taught me that we are not here for ever. I could just conk off one day complaining that I never made a movie. So went ahead, worked hard, didn’t complain, respected actors and crew members, restrained myself even when I got angry at times, and grew as a human being and as a filmmaker through this last 2 years.”

Every such film is a labour of love, some maybe more than the others. What matters in the end is the intention and effort. The applause then, becomes so much more sweeter.

In Sandeep’s words – “The film truly represents the indie spirit – and I hope more such films get made – the idea being not to wait for anyone to come and help me, but to go ahead and do it.”

MAMI is the World Fest Premiere of Love, Wrinkle-free. After that, it is SAIFF in New York where the film is scheduled to be screened on the 11th of November. Meanwhile, for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, catch it on 20th Oct at 12.45 pm Cinemax Sion.

Let’s show some love to the spirit of indie cinema.

– Fatema Kagalwala

Mumbai Film Festival 2011 – Day 3, 4 and 5 (recco & reviews)

Posted: October 19, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, film review, Indie, Movie Recco, movie reviews
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Here’s continuing from our Mumbai Film Festival. The recco list is here, click here for Day 1 & 2 report and here is the post on Dimensions Mumbai.

Moving on –

Day 3

1. Jesus Henry Christ – A super non filmy yet subversive (you-dont-know-where-it-is-headed) film, my little miss sunshine of this year. Eccentric & weird american family-comedy. Trippy and funny all the way. Recco for everyone and especially for aspiring screenwriters

2. Toast – Stanley ka dabba meets Udaan. At first felt like a food porn film but slowly goes onto becoming a coming of age film set in UK 60s-70s. Very good film based on the life of a famous british chef. Also stars Helen Bonham Carter (and she’s not the only reason to watch the film)! Dont watch it on a hungry stomach !

3. Monster’s Dinner – ok clearly the most bizzare film of the day inviting maximum different opinions. Two couples have dinner in a dystopian turkey urban town. Smoking banned, painting banned, child abuse allowed and become a buisness, social norms are abnormal, satire on everyone under the sun. Clearly set up like a “play” with a single house setting (read low budget and limited resources so maximum innovation). Dark and creepy without showing a single violent act but puke-inducing. Many felt the film doesn’t move after the first 30 min (and may be even after the first 60 min), but personally felt it was very well directed. Very interesting film to watch it for sure – depending on if you decide to hate/love it later

4. First time for everything – Another russian Udaan father-son bonding story. Walked out after 70 min since it was taking way tooo much time to make a point.

5. Ides of March – Big Q for this one. Guess I know the right people. Nevertheless managed to sneak in. Must watch. Shiva the God Of Death goes corrupted. Wow. Watch it. Just felt longing for more by the end of it. Depressing film in a moral-istic way.

6. Aadukalam – national award winning tamil film. Had seen it already. But neverthless do check it out. A super film (yes made in commercial tam film format) And as a friend said – the drama is pretty “shakespearean”

Other mentions – Wrecked starring adrien brody, saamna, king of devil’s island (starring the super stellan skarsgard), armadillo. Didn’t see them since they are available (you-know-where). Will check them out. Comments welcome in case you did watch them

Day 4

1. Chinese takeaway – super stud ricardo darin (secret in their eyes, aura, 9 queens, carancho, signal) is reason enough to watch this quriky comedy film. An irritable common hardware shop owner’s life gets disturbed by a chinese man who comes into his life. Very well written and expertly directed. Recco’d

2. Tabloid – docu by Errol morris – a “simple” case gone awry thanks to the scandal-loving Brit media. Based on a true story. Highly recco’d. Offers multiple insights (pov’s) into the case – what happened, what was witnessed, what was reported.

3. Mountain – another low budget film with two characters and a “setting”. Thelma & Louise meets Kids are all right meets Rabbit Hole. But wow. And for a change great to see the dir not just relying on the lovely visuals of snow capped peaks but also wonderful drama. And someone give the leading lady an oscar for the best performance please. Was also part of an (informal) Q&A. Shot on Red. Must must “mast” watch. Silences, minimal dialogues but superb.

4. 17 girls – Based on a real life incident. 17 rebel-without (or with)-a-cause high school girls decide to get pregnant simultaneously. Liked it a lot despite the fact that pregnant women freak me out (I know I know, I’m sorry. Just have a phobia). Recco’d. And the girls are such good actors. I wondered how does one write the script of one such film.

5. Sleeping beauty – Epic fail super NG film. Everything established in the first 45 min, after that its purely one tharki budhdha after another. As Prof Saab said – “Pure mind fuck but no penetration”. Avoid. Allegedly an indian well versed “indie” director asked the dir of the film “Were you aware of what you were trying to do?”. Didnt get a satisfying response. I cursed myself for going for this and not standing in the 500 odd queue off Pina !

Other mentions – Win win by station agent, visitor dir, 36 chowringhee lane (arguably best film by aparna sen), Pina (still to be seen but have heard great things about it)

Day 5

1. Aparoopa – Finally saw a Jahnu Barua film on the big screen.. His debut film based on a real life incident which happened in assam in the 60s. A gorgeous suhasini muley and breathtaking assam visuals (DOP – Binod Pradhan), lovely music. A story and treatment which might seem a little dated today but for it’s time it was quite “progressive”. A typical HKA-ish/Charulata-ish Love triangle in which there is no bad guy (villain). And the good news is that he is trying to get all of his films released on DVD. Fingers crossed.

2. Love Wrinkle Free– A good first time effort by dir Sandeep mohan. Goa eccentric family comedy of sorts, in english. Couldve been trimmed by 20 min or so. Low budget film but which boasts of some good performances from the ensemble.

3. OR (Mon tresor) – Minimal dialogues, long takes, lovely visuals, self destructive characters, Father-son character from Aaranya Kaandam into a mom-daughter track.This is what Sleeping Beauty should have been. Highly recco’d. Last 5 min couldve been trimmed but still.

4. Almanya – Funny german family comedy. A man travels from turkey to germany to start a life. 50 yrs later family moves back on a vacation to turkey. Film cuts back and forth. Slightly meta-filmy (and hence also) super. Recco’d.

Other mentions – Salt of life, Habesu Papam (heard they were good), JBDY (need one say more?), Yellow Sea (hmmm-need repeat viewing. Some superb action sequences), Even the rain (available you-know-where), Another Earth, Melancholia (ho-hum, except super performances)

Mumbai Film Festival 2011 : Dimensions Mumbai – The films by U-25

Posted: October 17, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, Special
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Mumbai Dimensions is a unique initiative to spot the young and the emerging talents in the city. And the rules are simple – 1. You have to be Under-25. 2. Duration can’t be more than 5mins. 3. The film should be about the city. The prizes include Silver Gateway trophies and cash prize of Rs. One Lakh and Rs. 50,000/- for the best two shorts. This year’s jury includes Kiran Rao, Vikramaditya Motwane, Nishikant Kamat, Onir and Renuka Shahane.

Shorts are always challenging. And when there is a restriction on duration and subject, it’s bound to get tougher. Surprisingly there was a long queue for the shorts too. But thanks to some last minute smartness, some of us managed to get in at the right time. This year there are 20 films in this section. I have a film theory called U-25 which i generally use to dismiss the views of kids ( read U-25) when we are discussing cinema. Well, it’s a joke, but after watching all the 20 films, i think there is some truth in my U-25 theory. The simple logic is if you haven’t seen/lived/experienced life enough, you can’t make a good film. And 25 is just too little to do that. Of course age is just a number, and a theory is a theory. But why are we making such terrible films and telling bad stories with such a cliche treatment? We all do shitty stuff but as long as you can separate the shit from the rest, I think you are in right direction.

For many young filmmakers this must have been a big news that their short is selected for MFF but if this is the best we got, we seriously are not telling them the difference between good and bad cinema. I may be completely wrong but here’s my reactions to the shorts and the bets on the best.

1. Unearthed – Split screen is not experimental, it’s passe. Montage is NOT a film.

2. The Few Unfortunates – Parallel stories criss-crossing each other. Nice idea but better execution could have taken it to another level.

3. Aakra-man – A mockumentary on a superhero who speaks in Marathi,  loves the Mumbai city but can’t do much. Smart and easily stands out from the rest.

4. Ek Titli Ka Aks – You hear a voice-over and can make out that it’s by an old person but you see a young man on screen. Credit roll tells us it’s Tom Alter’s voice. So Alter recites a poetry and a young man tries to experience Mumbai. There is no sync, no emotion.

5. Krishanna – A monologue shot as a dialogue where characters are narrating their experience about the city. Great idea, very badly made.

6. Bombay Snow – Pure cinema, pure joy! This one stands out and how! Miles ahead of the rest. Unlike others, it doesn’t even try to force the “Mumbai” factor in the narrative but touches upon so many subjects beautifully – displacement issue, rural versus urban, and a young kid trying to understand the equation between dad, mom and a prostitute. Director is Chinmay Nagesh Dalvi. Dear Festival Programmers, if you are looking for shorts, pick this one!

7. Vani – The city through its sounds and visuals. Another montage.

8. This Circle Is Mine – A documentary on the guy who stands at Mumbai’s Juhu Circle holding a placard to spread the message of love and peace. Many of us have often wondered about the old man. The film tells us bit more about him. A straight narrative that doesn’t do much justice to the man’s mission or life. Great idea to pick this interesting character but a great opportunity lost too as it keeps on repeating the same things.

9. Life Is A Beach – A love story between a geek and a ship (or aliens). Very interesting take, nicely executed but this one reminds me of Abhay’s previous short Just That Sort Of A Day – similar mood, same style of voice-over.

10. Face To Face – A funny little story in this big bad Mumbai city.

11 The Waiting City – Blasts happens. People wait. Badly done.

12. Facelift – A silent short which beautifully captures the issue of mills turning into malls. The film is DOP’s show-reel for sure.

13. ‘O’ Brother??? What Art Thou.. – Finally, a short with political context. Perhaps the only city in this country where “Bhaiyya” is an abuse. And those who have never visited Mumbai, will never understand this weird problem. Nice attempt.

14. Mehrooni – This could have been set in any other city and it wouldn’t have mattered. A saccharine love story of a couple that’s says everything it shows and shows everything it says. The voice-over is unnecessary, it’s too sweet, too fake and overtly sentimental. Even Rekha Bhardwaj’s vocals could not help. Only good point – it’s well shot.

15. Adrak – A nice little love story between a photographer and a tourist that happens at the Gateway of India.

16. Khawacha – Tries to capture the politics of the game that kids play. Good idea, bad treatment.

17. Duplicate – Captures the life of three duplicates – Anil Kapoor, Govinda and Devanand’s lookalikes. But doesn’t say/discover much beyond what we all know. Also, the subject has been covered million times. If only it could have tried to dig deeper.

18. 2733-see You On The Other Side – Works at the idea level but very tacky production.

19. Life Line – Story of Trains. It just doesn’t translate what the director is trying to say. Bad.

20. Rastaa – Story of two street urchins that doesn’t say anything new or in any new way.

And here’s my pick –

1. Bombay Snow – The best. Has no competition.

2. Aakra-Man and Life Is A Beach.

3. Facelift

Let’s see what the jury decides to go with. And if the best one doesn’t win, always remember that any cinema award always says more about the jury and less about the films. Waiting and how!

Mumbai Film Festival 2011 – A dead horse, Deool, Michael and more

Posted: October 16, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, film, Film Festival, Movie Recco, Mumbai Film Festival, News, pics, Special
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Since the day MAMI unveiled its line-up for the Mumbai Film Festival 2011, we all have been waiting eagerly for it to start. Just back from the screenings of Day 2, more cinema, better company and some more conversations. Today’s score – five films, five burgers, tea-coffee, cold drinks and few gallons of water. Dead tired now and so it will be mostly short and sweet ( read copy-pasting the tweets). Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly report of Opening ceremony, Day 1 and Day 2.

Registration  – The online system worked fine. Even the registration desk at the venue is quite efficient. Though heard about some bad experience on the first day but when i went, it just took 5 minutes to get my registration done. Also, good job with all the updates through the festival twitter handle – @mumbaifilmfest.

Opening Ceremony – Whoever came up with the idea of this shortest possible opening ceremony in the history of film festivals, he/she deserves applause. Late year it was a mess. This year the venue was Cinemax Versova. There is no place for the ceremony other than the lobby. So a small dais was created at the centre and sitting arrangements were made in all three directions. By the time we entered the lobby there was no place to sit or stand. But since the wait wasn’t long, we were happy. The main issue was the pass – opening film Moneyball was by invitation only. But thanks to those good souls who helped us out. All of us managed to watch it.

Moneyball – Good film to open the fest with. You have the stars but not completely hollywood and there’s a good buzz around it. The film was so little about Baseball and more about one man’s persistence. Jonah Hill stole the show. With such a fine command over his craft director Bennett Miller is surely going to have a long run. Capote and Moneyball – there is no common ground but both brilliantly directed. The best part of the film was the way it’s shot. Not sure how you define it technically, it was dark, moody, half-lit frames, atmosphere that you can breathe in. Or as Ebert wrote, this is a melancholy movie.

Opening Day Highlight – We suddenly saw that Hong-jin Na, director of Chaser and The Yellow Sea, was sitting in front of us. Varun Grover almost kissed him.

Post-film – Thanks to those good souls again, we went to Sun n Sand, Juhu for the opening ceremony party. As expected, it was too crowded. And the cinema bakchodi continued till late hours.

Day 1

Recruited Love (Zwerbowana Milosc) – Police, prostitution, politics and the politics of love. It’s like Polish version of Lives Of Others which is absolutely brilliant and do watch it if you still haven’t. This one turned hollywoodish thriller mid-way and then redeemed itself a bit in the end.

The Turin Horse (A Torinoi Lo)- We managed to catch the first 20 mins, some without subtitles, bit of it in wrong aspect ratio and then it stopped suddenly. The Horse was killed. We had no choice but to walk out. It was re-scheduled for 10pm.

Deool (Temple) – It was the opening film of the Indian Frame and its director Umesh Kulkarni is one of my favourite filmmakers. He goes to the other extreme with this one, far departure from all his shorts and features. Revolves around the madness, mess and marketing of religion, and Godly affairs in a small village. The stamp of Kulkarni is very much there – characters, humour, plot, but with item numbers and dhol-nagadas going dhoom-dhaam-dhadaap, it went into the Peepli Live zone. Always thought that Kulkarni loves playing with silence, this time it was the opposite. It could have been another kind of Ghabricha Paus too (a brilliant black comedy on farmers suicide issue) but Deool is too ambitious, wants to deal with too many affairs, reflect too many sides and it’s too noisy. It’s easy to understand what the film is trying to do but it’s difficult to endorse this one completely. It’s releasing soon in the theatres. Do watch it.

The Salesman (Le Vendeur) – There is something surreal about an old white man with white hair struggling in a completely white background (snow + sun) on a sunny day. But it could not go beyond the obvious. Too long and offers too little. The lead actor carries the film on his shoulder. By the time it ends, you just want to hug and comfort him.

The Turin Horse (A Torinoi Lo) – We tried our luck again. This time it was a bad copy with time code running on it. The subtitle was correct but it again stopped suddenly after 30mins or so. They killed the dead horse again. We had no choice but to leave. It was re-scheduled again for Day 2 at 10pm.

There was problem with the screening of My Little Princess too. The technical head of the screenings needs to wake up, smell the coffee and check the prints and the projection before showing the films. Don’t embarrass yourself so badly! Day 1 and major problems in three screenings – wow, that’s some score!

DAY 2

The Slut (Hanotenet) – With a title like this, it’s bound to get some attention. But with a female director who also plays the lead role, the gaze is completely different. Takes its own sweet time to unfold and the worst thing you fear, the director goes for it, ending it on a very disturbing note. Has male and female nudity and a long sex scene.

Distance (Distancia) – I thought NSP (Needs Some Patience) genre will be enough to describe some of the films selected for the fest. But this one is NLP where L is for Lots, and lots and lots more. There is so much story that you just hear but don’t see on screen. Was dead by the time it got over.

Generation P  – Quite a heady cocktail of art, culture, religion, pop, politics, philosophy, advertising, consumerism and Che Guevara. Who better than Che to answer some advertising questions. After all who sells more T-shirts than him? A trippy experience where it’s difficult to get all the religious and political context but worth a watch. It’s like an installation art of our pop-culture.

Generation P – Q & A – A QnA session with Victor Ginzburg, director of the Generation P was scheduled after the film. But since the poor soul was lost as there was nobody to do the Q and A, we decided to do an informal discussion. We tried our luck at The Artist but the queue was so long that it went up to the Landmark store on the next floor. We thought QnA was a better idea. The Artist was given another screening at 10pm. The director of the film VG told us that big brands (Coke, Nike and many others which feature in the film) gave him money to make fun of the brands in the film. That’s rare and what a fun it was. He was also unhappy about the bad projection of his film.

Chinese Take Away – We wanted to watch it but it has been re-scheduled on Monday 10am Screen 3.

Michael – We knew that this was the Uneasy film of the fest but had no clue that it would turn out to be so bloody brilliant. Waited in queue for almost 1 hour and it was worth it. Inspired by real life incidents, Michael looks at the day-to-day life of a paedophile who has locked up a 10 year old in a cellar. It sounds creepy and disturbing but the film is completely non-judgmental. Who are these paedophiles? How do they look? Do they come from a different planet? The director doesn’t go for the shock value but gives it a human face and captures the predatory relationship in a unique way that will stay with you for a long time after the film gets over. Easily the best of the fest so far. Must watch.

The Artist– We tried our luck again. As soon as Michael got over, we ran through the exit to be in the queue for the film. But by the time we reached, the queue was already about a kilometer long. This time we managed. A delicious love letter to the silent era, the film not only sets the story in that period and captures the era beautifully, but it also uses all the film-making tools of that era to tell a simple love story that we have seen million times. But the magic is in “how” and not “what”. With almost no dialogues, the lead actors don’t just act, they make you fall in love with them. Easy to understand why it was the Cannes favourite earlier this year. Aha, the magic of movies!

DAY 2 Highlight – Kartik Krishnan suddenly spotted a actor who had played the role of a Don in Bobby Deol’s Bichhoo. Remember? Nobody does. But we still tried to capture him. Varun went to him and asked him about Bichhoo. Kartik was right. Check out the pic – the bald guy in the background.

Enough for today. Tomorrow is another day. Mihir Desai‘s film Aakra-Man is playing with George Clooney and Ryan Gosling’s The Ides of March, and he is trying to copy their act as you can see in the picture. Good luck, Aakra-Man!

See you at the movies!

(PS – It’s been great fun meeting all those people whom we know only by their twitter handles. The world is indeed small and round.)

( PS1 – To read more about the festival films, click here to read Varun’s blog who is trying to write a fest diary.)

Mumbai Film Festival 2011 – Films you shouldn’t miss!

Posted: October 12, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, film, Film Festival, Movie Recco, News
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Mumbai Film Festival has unveiled an impressive line-up of some 200 films this year. And we are trying to make your life little bit easier with the help of google, wiki, imdb and that DNA which has some cinema in it. The films which are making noise all over and the filmmakers you shouldn’t miss. Read on…


– Moneyball  : Its the opening film of the festival. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Brad Pitt. Dir : Bennett Miller (directed Capote). Ebert loved it too. Go for it.

– Sleeping Beauty (D – Julia Leigh. Debut film) : The film was in Cannes competition section this year. According to Peter Bradshaw, Julia Leigh’s adaptation of her novel about a student drawn to prostitution is an elegant, if occasionally preposterous, debut.

– Michael ( D – Markus Schleinzer ) :  Premiered in Cannes competition section this year. A drama focused on five months in the life of pedophile who keeps a 10-year-old boy locked in his basement (IMDB Synopsis). It’s the Uneasy cinema of the fest.

– She Monkeys (D – Lisa Aschan ) : Won the Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca Fest and Special Mention at Berlin Fest. The film focuses on psychological power struggles between two teenage girls engaged in equestrian vaulting (via Wiki).

– Melancholia (D – Lars Von Trier) : Lars Von Trier. That should be enough. Though this  time LVT made much more news than the film since it premiered at Cannes.

– George Harrison: Living in the Material World (D – Martin Scorsese) : One reason – Scorsese. Another reason? George Harrison. Enough?

– Pina (D – Wim Wenders) : WW goes 3D with this dance film. Homage to German dancer/choreographer Pina Bausch. It’s gorgeous but you will Need Some Patience (NSP). Mark this NSP, we are going to use it again and again.

– Turrin Horse ( D – Bela Tarr) : Tarr’s latest which won the Silver Bear at Berlin Fest. It recalls the whipping of a horse in the Italian city Turin which is rumoured to have caused the mental breakdown of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The film is in black-and-white, shot in only 30 long takes by Tarr’s regular cameraman Fred Kelemen, and depicts the repetitive daily lives of the horse and its owner (Via Wiki). If you are not aware of Tarr’s cinema, it NSP.

– Dad Made Dirty Movies – Because the trailer looks super and the title is delicious! But the bad news is can’t find it in the schedule. It was there in the list earlier. Do watch the trailer anyway.

– The Artist (D : Michel Hazanavicius ) – It’s the film that everyone loved at Cannes. It was also nominated for Palme d’ Or and the lead actor Jean Dujardin bagged the Best Actor Award. The story takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1931 and focuses on a declining male film star and a rising actress, as silent cinema grows out of fashion and is replaced by the talkies. The film is itself a silent film and in black-and-white (via Wiki).

– Once Upon A Town In Anatloia (D – Nuri Bilge Ceylan) : Premiered at Cannes Fest (Competition) where it was co-winner of the Grand Prix. Like other films by NBC, this one also has lot of moods, melancholy and atmosphere.  Again, if you are new to NBC, beware. NSP.

 – Restless (D – Gus Vant Sant) : It premiered in Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. No great reviews so far but when it’s a master like GVS, you can’t miss it.

– The Yellow Sea (D – Na Hong-Jin ) : From the director of The Chaser – that should be enough. Premiered at Cannes (Un Certain Regard). Also, NSP.

– Ides Of March (D – George Clooney) : Clooney’s latest directorial venture which opened the Venice Film Festival. Has talents like Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti.

– The Forgiveness Of Blood (D : Joshua Martson) : From the director of Maria Full Of Grace.  It won the Silver Berlin Bear for best screenplay.

– Red State (D – Kevin Smith) : Not much encouraging reviews but KS created much hullabaloo  and headlines  at the Sundance fest with this one. Watch it if you can or it’s out you-know-where.

–  Adaminte Makan Abu ( D – Salim Ahamed) : The Malayalam film which bagged 4 National Awards this year – Best Actor/Film/Cinematography/Background Score. Click here for our separate recco post on the film.

– Deool ( D : Umesh Kulkrani) : Two reasons – Valu and Vihir. If you haven’t seen the movies by one of the best desi directors, you surely are missing something.

– Painted Rainbow (D : Geetanjali rao) : India’s best animation filmmaker that most don’t know about.The film opens the Cannes Critics Week segment at the fest as it was in Cannes Critics Week 1996. Don’t miss this one. Click here to know more about the film.

– Mushrooms (Chatrak. D – Vimukthi Jayasundara) – This Indo-Sri Lankan co-production was screened at Cannes and Toronto Fest. Later on it made headlines for frontal nudity and sex scenes which got leaked out on the net.

– Yeh Woh Manzil Toh Nahi ( D – Sudhir Mishra) : Someone finally found a copy of the film! Last time we tried to find a copy, even Sudhir Mishra had no clue about it. A film that most of us have heard about but haven’t seen yet.

– Dekh Indian Circus – Mangesh Hadwale’s debut film in Hindi after his marathi film Tingya.

– Love Wrinkle Free (D- Sandeep Mohan) : For some of us who have been following Sandeep’s quirky short films for some time, this one looks quirky enough. From the synopsis here, it looks like desi woody allen film set in Goa. A full independent production, should be an interesting watch.

Some more fests favourites:

– Historias que so existem quando lembradas  (Or Historias. D – Julia Murat ) : Premiered at Venice fest. Had screening at Toronto fest.

– Le Vendeur (The Salesman) : Nominated for Best jury Prize at Sundance Fest

– Another Earth (D: Mike Cahill) : Won the Special Jury prize at Sundance.

– My Little Princess : Premiered at the Cannes 2011

– The Mountain ( Ole Giæver’s ) : Premiered at Berlin Fest, 2011

– Out Of Bounds ( D : Frederikke Aspock) Screened at Cannes 2011. Director is 2004 Cannes Cinefondation short film winner.

– The Slut (Dir. – Hagar Ben Asher) : Screened at Cannes. Cine Foundation winner.

– My Best Enemy (Mein Bester Feind. D : Wolfgang Murnberger) Out Of Competition at Berlin Film festival

–  Life Without Principle ( D : Johnnie To ) : Nominated for Golden lion at Venice Fest, 2011

– Azhagarsami’s Horse – The Tamil film which screened at Toronto and Tribeca Fest recently

– Indian Retrosepctive includes some classic like Shaji Karun’s Piravi, Pather Panchali, Ghatashraddha, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Jahnu Barua’s Aparoopa, Unishe April, Ankur, Seeta Raati, 36 Chowringhee Lane, Swayamvaram and others.

– Dimensions Mumbai – Will have 20 films including our AuterMark & Reel Reptile‘s latest short Aakra-Man.

– Click here to download the (day wise) schedule that makes it easy to pick the film. And say thanks to Kartik Krishnan. This one is only for Cinemax Versova.

If you want more film reccos, click here to read Mihir Fadnavis‘ list, here for Aseem Chhabra‘s list, Rahul Desai‘s recco list is here and Time Out Mumbai’s list is here.

For more info and official website, click here.

( PS – Am sure we are missing many other great films, do keep the recco going)

TIFF Video : Salman Rushdie on Midnight’s Children’s film adaptation

Posted: September 20, 2011 by moifightclub in cast & crew, cinema, film, Film Festival, first look, News, pics
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We are bit late on this news. But if you still haven’t read enough, here it is – Deepa Mehta has completed the shooting of Midnight’s Children, the film based on Salman Rushdie’s novel by the same name. Some clips from the film were shown at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival.

The adaptation has also been written by Rushdie.  The film stars Satya Bhabha, Siddharth, Shriya Saran, Shahana Goswami,  Rajat Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Ronit Roy, Darsheel Safary, Rahul Bose, and Samrat Chakrabarti.

Click on the play button to check out Salman Rushdie talking about the adaptation. TIFF’s Cameron Bailey moderated the session.

13th Mumbai Film Festival announces its jury

Posted: September 8, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News
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The 13th Mumbai Film Festival, a Reliance Entertainment initiative, will be held in Mumbai from the 13th to the 20th of October 2011.

The festival has just announced its jury for this year’s edition. The jury members for the international competition section are…

1. Academy Award nominee director Hugh Hudson (Jury President, International competition),

2. Roger Spottiswoode – director of James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer ‘The 6th Day’

3. Acclaimed Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski

4. Young Korean director Na Hong-Jin who received numerous awards and acclaim for his films ‘The Chaser’ and ‘The Yellow Sea’.

VENUE :  This year the main hub for the festival will be Cinemax Versova and other venues include Cinemax Sion and Metro BIG cinemas.

 – Basu Chatterjee, director of films like Gudgudee, Chameli Ki Shaadi amongst numerous others, is the Chairman of the Harmony Celebrate Age Jury. Harmony Celebrate Age aims to encourage filmmakers to look beyond the stereotypes of old age and to look at the positive side of ageing.

– The Dimensions Mumbai section of the festival include young directors like…

1. Kiran Rao (Dhobi Ghat) (Chairperson- Dimension Mumbai Jury)

2. Vikram Aditya Motwane (Udaan)

3. Nishikant Kamat (Mumbai Meri Jaan)

4. Onir (My Brother Nikhil)

5. Renuka Shahane

Dimensions Mumbai, a short film competition open to Mumbaikars below the age of 25 years, where a short film depicting any aspect of life in Mumbai can be submitted.

First Look : Ribhu Dasgupta’s Michael (Theatrical Trailer)

Posted: September 2, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, film, Film Festival, first look, News, songs & videos, Trailer, video
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UPDATE (3rd September, 2011) : The trailer has been removed because it’s not the final one.

The trailer of Ribhu Dasgupta’s debut film Michael is out. Its produced by Anurag Kashyap and Studio18. The principal cast includes Naseeruddin Shah, Mahie Gill, Purav Bhandare, Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Irawati Harshe.

Other credits include Screenplay : Debaloy Bhattacharya and Nilendu Guha, Cinematographer : Somak Mukherjee, Editor : Lionel Fernandez, Sound : Kunal Sharma, and Music : Vinayak Netke, Aatur Soni, B. Gauri (lyrics).

The film will have its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. And scroll down to read TIFF Programmer Cameron Bailey’s note…

Producer/director Anurag Kashyap (who also exhibits his acting skills at this year’s Festival in Trishna) is leading a whole new wave of vibrant independent cinema in India. With Michael, Kashyap’s latest collab­orator, first-time director Ribhu Dasgupta, takes on a slow-burning, character-driven psychological drama.

In the film’s opening shots, Michael (Naseeruddin Shah) stands paralyzed as Kolkata traffic swirls around him. The film then flashes back to a younger Michael, in the days when he was a police officer. We find him nervously surveying a swell­ing crowd of protesters. When the order comes down to open fire on the peaceful demonstration, Michael shoots low to avoid causing death. Nonetheless, a ricochet strikes and kills a twelve-year-old boy. At this point Michael’s life begins to unravel. His eyesight worsens, he loses his job and he struggles to care for his son. When Michael finds work illegally pirating Bollywood films, he starts receiving phone calls from the father of the boy he accidentally killed, threatening to kill his own son when the boy turns twelve. Michael is sent into a paranoid race against the clock.

Dasgupta uses intricate camera move­ments, angular framing and hazy point-of­-view shots to explore Michael’s psychological and physical deterioration. Kolkata’s rainy, hectic streets, captured in mesmerizing detail by the late cinematographer Somak Mukherjee, provide the bleak and progres­sively nightmarish backdrop. Performing with strength and subtlety, Shah (Monsoon Wedding, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) carries the film. Opposite him, Mahie Gill (Dev D) delivers a gentle and sympathetic performance as the nurse who becomes Michael’s companion. As Michael’s sight weakens, so too does his grip on real­ity, resulting in a heart-wrenching tale of a father on the cusp of losing everything.

(PS : Note is from TIFF’s official website)

First Look : Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna (Trailer) and Ribhu Dasgupta’s Michael (Stills)

Posted: August 20, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, Film Festival, first look, News, pics, songs & videos, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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Trishna and Michael, both the films will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Michael Winterbottom’s latest film Trishna is not only set in India but it was more than one desi connect. The film’s trailer is out and according to official release,  it’s an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles set against a contemporary Indian backdrop. Freida Pinto stars as the titular Trishna, a young woman who is seduced by the wealthy son(Riz Ahmed) of a property developer. As the romance develops, their relationship also becomes increasingly sordid and volatile.

Click on the play button to check out the trailer. what a smooth and soothing track! Wow, Amit Trivedi, scores again? Seems so, at least from the trailer.

Michael is the latest production of Anurag Kashyap films. Directed by debutant Ribhu Dasgupta, the film’s trailer or poster is not out yet. But you can check out some of the stills. It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Mahie Gill, Purav Bhandare, Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Irawati Harshe.

According to official release, it’s a character-driven psychological drama. Using intricate camerawork and intimate point of view shooting, Dasgupta tracks one man’s physical and psychological deterioration in the rainy, traffic-filled streets of Kolkata. Check out the stills.

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Call For Entries – Indian Film festival Of Los Angeles 2012

Posted: August 17, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News
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The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced its Call for Entries today. The 10th anniversary edition will be held April 10-15, 2012, at ArcLight Hollywood, located in the heart of Los Angeles.

DATES : The early deadline with reduced fees for all film submissions is November 11, 2011. The final deadline is January 6, 2012.

Early Bird Deadline: November 11, 2011
Films under 40 min: $30.  Films 40 min and over: $45

Final Deadline – January 6, 2012
Films under 40 min: $45.   Films 40 min and over: $60

FILMS/VIDEOS : IFFLA 2012 seeks narrative, documentary, music videos, experimental, children’s and animated films of any length and format. Jury and Audience Choice Prizes are awarded for Best Feature, Best Documentary and Best Short films.

SUBMISSION RULES

– Films from or about India, with or without an Indian theme, made by Indian and international filmmakers, produced in 2010 or later, and films that have not had a public screening in Los Angeles are eligible to be submitted.

– All submissions must be made through Withoutabox.com.

– Filmmakers may submit more than one entry. Each entry must be submitted separately and with an entry fee. Please note that submission fees are not refundable.

– DVDs (preferably in NTSC format) and online, streaming files will be accepted for submission screening.

– DVDs must be labeled with the title, running time, format (PAL or NTSC), and contact information on the DVD label.

– Submission DVDs will not be returned unless the filmmaker agrees to cover the mailing expenses.

– Submission of a screener via a digital file may be made through Withoutabox.com. When using an alternate site (i.e., Vimeo, Dropbox, etc) the web link and password needed to view the film must be clearly indicated on the entry form.

– The entry fee is non-refundable. We only accept checks, US money orders or credit card payments through pay pal or withoutabox.

– Please make check or money order payable to Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, in US dollars ONLY.

– If your film is selected, you will be required to provide 10 DVD (NTSC) screeners, a press kit with press reviews, synopsis, full credits, film stills, trailer (or film clips), posters, and a director’s bio with a headshot.

– All filmmakers will be notified via email by March 1, 2012.

To know more about the festival, click here.

The 2011 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles launched with the Opening Night Gala presentation of Nila Madhab Panda’s I AM KALAM starring Gulshan Grover and concluded with the IFFLA Closing Night Gala world premiere presentation of Disney’s ZOKKOMON starring Anupam Kher.

Other highlights included the presentation of the 2012 IFFLA Industry Leadership Awards to Andy Kaplan, President, Networks, Sony Pictures Television; Ajay Bijli, Founder, Chairman & Managing Director, PVR Limited; and Man Jit Singh, CEO, Multi Screen Media Private Limited India; seminars with panelists from Sundance, Reliance, Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, USA Networks, Deluxe Labs, and Nickelodeon; and nightly musical performances in the IFFLA Rhythm Village presented by Rukus Avenue.

Previous IFFLA screenings include: Udaan (Vikramaditya Motwane), Mumbai Diaries(Kiran Rao), 3 Idiots (Rajkumar Hirani), Amelia (Mira Nair), The Waiting City (Claire McCarthy), Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle), Firaaq (Nandita Das), Sita Sings The Blues (Nina Paley), Quick Gun Murugun (Shashank Ghosh), Water (Deepa Mehta), Loins Of Punjab Presents (Manish Acharya), Dombivili Fast (Nishikant Kamat), Vanaja (Rajnesh Domalpalli), and Black Friday (Anurag Kashyap) among others.

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