Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Mumbai Film Festival, 2014 – Date wise schedule

Posted: October 10, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, Mumbai Film Festival, News
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The schedule of this year’s Mumbai Film Festival is out. Click here and go to SCHEDULE to access it. It’s according to the venues. And so like every year, good ol’ Kartik Krishnan spent hours and did the Date wise schedule for us. Trust us, date wise schedule is much easier to navigate if you are going to be regular at the fest. Try it. You will thanks us.

Click here to download it directly. Or click on the icon below.

 

If you have scribd account, we are uploading it on scribd too. Click here to go directly on the site.

(Btw here’s the scribd trick – You just need to upload any random document there to get downloading access)

Review : Diptakirti Chaudhuri’s Bollybook

Posted: October 4, 2014 by moifightclub in bollywood, film, News, reviews
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BOLLYBOOK

It’d been a long time since I laughed out loud while reading a book. A really long time. But Diptakirti Chaudhuri’s latest book has just about managed that. I laughed, chuckled, and nodded my head several times in the midst of reading the book. “BollyBook – The Big Book of Hindi Movie Trivia” is Diptakirti’s third book, the first one being one on cricket, and the second being the precursor to BollyBook, “Kitnay Aadmi Thay” (KAT). It was a genre shifting Bollywood book in the sense that it did not chronicle the travails of film making or profile some specific stars, but it just focused on Bollywood trivia and did a fine job of that.

BollyBook is expected to release in October, 2014. The initial idea, as Diptakirti says on his blog (diptakirti.blogspot.in), was to pitch BB (indulge me as I acronymize the book titles) as a sequel to KAT, but then his publisher at Penguin suggested the idea of a combining the two as a comprehensive and definitive book rather than having a sequel. And thus, BB was reborn in a new avatar. Just like some Bollywood characters do, some would say.

With 19 sections and nearly 460 pages that are packed with interesting trivia and more, the book can definitely live up to the claim of being the definitive book of Bollywood trivia. Good, bad, funny, dark, all sorts of trivia make up this book. Written in his inimitable style, often sparkling with humour and wit, the book is a paean of sorts to Bollywood.

Today I may count myself a fan of filmmakers such as Scorscese, Linklater, or Fincher, but my first introduction to cinema came through the works of Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra, and others. Back then, we didn’t have a VCR or DVD at home. There were no multiplexes. Going to the movies meant walking to the neighborhood theater, 15 minutes away from home, standing in queue for “first day first shows” or “matinee shows” for a 10 or 20-rupee ticket. Satellite (cable) TV was not yet introduced in my little town. Regular TV broadcast used to a mix of very old to medium old movies. Religious festivals often heralded special community-screenings in an open-air environment where a projectionist would “show” the picture on a vertically mounted white chaddar. Regardless of the venue or the medium, we watched in awe as those larger-than-life stories unfolded on the screen. Chitrahaar, the weekly programme showcasing hit Bollywood songs, was our reason for going “TGIF”! This, in essence, is what Diptakirti would call a pre-credit backstory compression (hint: see the book to understand what this term really means) to explain my fascination for Bollywood.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s kid. The book has something for everyone. The earlier generations will nod their head at the various retro references, while the newer ones will easily connect with the new age trivia. Although the table of contents mentions lists, the book isn’t packed with boring ones, instead many trivia are presented in anecdotal form, with a surprise twist here and there. Did you know for instance that the Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha acted as second lead opposite Dharmendra in a movie named Izzat? Or that Dev Anand was an employee of the Indian Postal Service and perchance grew to know of Gurudutt who lived in the same chawl as him and became thick with him? Many more such interesting nuggets fill up the book including those about movies you thought you knew in and out, only to discover that you actually don’t.

A remarkable trait of the book is that it isn’t restricted to mentioning trivia regarding only actors and actresses, but also takes a good look at the others who play an important part in a movie’s success. In a chapter covering regional superstars, for example, the last para brings to fore the most successful crossover by a regional musician who has gone on to make a name for himself in the international arena. A. R. Rahman. That’s who.

bollybook2There’s also a whole chapter devoted to films within films, called Meta. The amount of research the author must have undertaken for this book can be gleaned from this chapter alone where he not only recounts meta and self-referencing films/directors but also points out bloopers!

All trivia and no interestingness makes a dull book. And Diptakirti is no dull author. He makes neat use of quizzes, Honorable Mentions and little Alerts (Eg, Subtle Mythology Alert) to break the pattern now and then. Chapters are also occasionally peppered with photos and posters.

All in all, for Rs. 370 – paperback or Rs. 318 (Kindle), this book packs quite a punch, just like some of our Bollywood films. If you count yourself as a Bollywood fan, this book is a must-have for your bookshelf.

Footnote: Our very own mFC finds a small mention in the section on low-profile debuts of actors.

– @SilverlightGal

(pic courtesy – from Diptakirti’s blog)

Nine scripts selected for 2nd edition of NFDC’s National Script Lab, 2014

Posted: October 4, 2014 by moifightclub in film, News, Screenwriting
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The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has announced the nine scripts selected for the second edition of the National Script Lab to be running from October 2014 – March 2015.

The first screenwriting workshop will be held from October 12 – 17, 2014 at the Courtyard Marriott, Chakan, Pune, followed by two more workshops and 1 to 1 consultation sessions over the next six months.

Marten Rabarts- Senior Consultant, Training and Development, NFDC; Olivia Stewart- Producer of The House of Mirth, Brassed Off, and script consultant on The Lunchbox and  Rajat Kapoor, writer-director of the much acclaimed Ankhon Dekhi will mentor these scriptwriters one-to-one during intensive residential workshops over the coming six months

Also as part of the National Script Lab program, the screenwriters will be able to attend NFDC’s Film Bazaar 2014 (Nov 20–24) to network and introduce their upcoming projects to both the Indian and international film fraternity attending the market.

This year the Script Lab has a special focus on Youth and Children’s stories which feature strongly in the following line up.

 The Selected Writers and Scripts are:

1. Konkona Sensharma – Death In the Gunj

The acclaimed actress and the winner of two National Awards has acted in more than 40 films in Hindi, Bengali and English language.  She co-wrote and directed a short called ‘Naamkaran’ (The Christening) and anticipates this script will be her first feature as writer director, following in a family tradition established by her mother the renowned Film-maker and Actress Aparna Sen.

 2. Ranjeet Bahadur – Oddball

The editor of Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots, Sudhir Mishra’s Chameli and Ruchi Narain’s  Kal  Ranjeet has done his Post Graduation in film at Satyajit Ray Film & TV Institute, Kolkata, and now turns his attention to writing his first feature.

3. Vicky Barmecha – Naadaan

Vicky has spent the past 2.5 years working as assistant director and postproduction supervisor on Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming Bombay Velvet. He is the older brother of the Udaan actor Rajat Barmecha.

 4. Neha Sharma – Under the Skin

Neha, followed up her filmmaking studies in Capetown, South Africa with the screenwriting programme at FTII Pune. Neha has written dialogues for the TV show Ladies Special and is in active development of several feature films and documentaries. She has honed her craft as an assistant director on films such as The Dirty Picture , Agent Vinod and many others.

 5. Piyush C Panjvani – Idgah

A  Film & Television studies  grad from St. Xaviers IOC Mumbai, Piyush is a multi award winning director/producer of Ad films , shooting around the world for such mega brands as Pepsi and Samsung among others. He is currently developing a documentary on Himalayan shepherds, and will base his debut feature film on a story by Shri Mumchi Prechan.

 6. Abhaya Simha – Bhamini

Based in Bangalore, FTII graduate Abhaya has written and directed three feature films in Kannada and one in Malyalam. His      first feature film, Gubbachigalu won the National Award In 2008 for the Best Children’s Film.

 7. Rigzin Kalon – Neki Kar Kala Kala

The writer-director-producer has worked on shorts, TV , documentaries and feature films, including Ngonsum  a feature set in Ladakh based on short stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Rigzin lives between Mumbai and his native Ladakh, where he is an active figure in the development of this regions emerging cinema scene.

 8. Ruchika Lalwani – A story of Two

Is the writer of Walkaway, an independent American film with Bollywood flair made and released in the USA where she studied Film in New York. Ruchika’s student short film, I’m Afraid I am Hitler was screened and awarded at many international film festivals.

 9. Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti – Paperweight

An FTII Pune graduate in Cinematography, Sudhakar wrote, directed and shot the short film Ek Aakas, winnning the Special Jury, National Award and in 2010 his documentary short film Duel of Angels  was awarded at the prestigious IDFA in Amsterdam. He also shot Umesh Kulkarnis Deool which won Three National Awards, among a long list of other features as  a cinematographer.

(via press release)

Mumbai Film Festival unveils its 2014 line-up

Posted: September 17, 2014 by moifightclub in Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival, News
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MFF2014  Mumbai Film Festival has unveiled its first line-up for this year’s edition. Though the festival is yet to get its full funding, and you can contribute to it (click here), the organisers are going ahead with the plan of having the fest in whatever budget they manage. And like every year, this year’s first impression is good too.

Key Points

– Date : 14-21st October, 2014

– Venue : PVR Cinemas, Juhu as the main venue and Liberty Cinemas at Marine lines as the satellite venue

– Over 185 films from more than 65 countries to be screened

– USD 200,000 to be awarded as cash prizes

– Celebrated French Actor Catherine Deneuve to be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award. 

– Special Master Classes by internationally acclaimed cinematographer Christopher Doyle and director-writer Mahamat Saleh Haroun

– Fest to screen Xavier Dolans’ ‘Mommy’ , Mike Leigh’s ‘Mr.Turner’, Ken Loach’s ‘Jimmy’s Hall’, ‘Boyhood’ by Richard Linklater, Dardenne brothers’ ‘Two days, One Night’, Kim Ki Duk’s ‘One on One’, Yoji Yamadas ‘The Little House’, Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Goodbye to Language’ and ‘Party Girl’ by Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq

List of films for 16th Mumbai Film Festival

International Competition

  1. Difret

Dir.: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari (Ethiopia / 2014 / Col / 99)

2. History of Fear (Historia del miedo)

Dir.: Benjamin Naishtat (Argentina-France-Germany-Qatar-Uruguay / 2014 / Col / 79)

3. With Others (Ba Digaran)

Dir.: Nasser Zamiri (Iran / 2014 / Col / 85)

4. The Tree (Drevo)

Dir.: Sonja Prosenc (Slovenia / 2014 / Col / 90)

5. Next to Her (At li layla)

Dir.: Asaf Korman (Israel / 2014 / Col / 90)

6. Schimbare

Dir.: Alex Sampayo (Spain / 2014 / Col / 87)

7. Fever

Dir.: Raphaël Neal (France / 2014 / Col / 81)

8. Court

Dir.: Chaitanya Tamhane (India (Marathi-Gujarati-English-Hindi) / 2014 / Col / 116)

9. Macondo

Dir.: Sudabeh Mortezai (Austria / 2014 / Col / 98)

 

Above The Cut

 1. What’s The Time In Your World? (Dar donyaye to sa’at chand ast?)

Dir.: Safi Yazdanian (Iran / 2014 / Col. / 101)

2. She’s Lost Control

Dir.: Anja Marquardt (USA / 2014 / Col. / 90)

3. The Night Is Still Young (La nuit est encore jeune)

Dir.: Indika Udugampola (France-Sri Lanka / 2014 / Col. / 82)

4. Queen Antigone (Vasilissa Antogoni)

Dir.: Telémachos Alexiou (Germany-Greece / 2014 / Col / 93)

5. Musiek vir die Agtergrond

Dir.: Sallas de Jager (South Africa / 2014 / Col. / 124)

6. Party Girl

Dir.: Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq (France / 2014 / Col. / 96)

7. The Ambassador To Bern (A berni követ)

Dir.: Attila Szász (Hungary / 2014 / Col / 76)

8. The First Summer (O Primeiro Verão)

Dir.: Adriano Mendes (Portugal / 2014 / Col / 105)

 

World Cinema

 1. Field of Dogs

Dir.: Lech Majewski (Poland / 2014 / Col / 97)

2. Corn Island (Simindis Kundzuli)

Dir.: George Ovashvili (Georgia-Germany-France-Czech Republic-Kazakhstan / 2014 / Col / 100)

3. Early Spring, Kyoto (Kyoto, Sosyun)

Dir.: Hiroshi Toda (Japan / 2014 / BW / 90)

4. I Am Not Him (Ben o değilim)

Dir.: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu (Turkey-France-Germany-Greece / 2013-NOV / Col / 127)

5. Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (Gett)

Dir.: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz (France-Germany-Israel / 2014 / Col / 115)

6. Weekends in Normandy

Dir.: Anne Villacèque (France / 2014 / Col / 90)

7. Snow (Barf)

Dir.: Mehdi Rahmani (Iran / 2014 / Col / 90)

8. Clownwise (Klauni)

Dir.: Viktor Taus (Slovakia-Luxembourg-Czech Republic-Finland / 2013-NOV / Col / 120)

10. The Little House (Chiisai Ouchi)

Dir.: Yoji Yamada (Japan / 2014 / Col / 136)

11. One on One (Il-dae-il)

Dir.: Kim ki-Duk (South Korea / 2014 / Col / 122)

12. The Attorney

Dir.: Woo-seok Yang (South Korea / 2013-Nov / Col / 127)

13. Stations of the Cross (Kreuzweg)

Dir.: Dietrich Brüggemann (Germany / 2014 / Col / 107)

14. Jack

Dir.: Edward Berger (Germany / 2014 / Col / 103)

15. Jimmy’s Hall

Dir.: Ken Loach (UK-Ireland-France / 2014 / Col / 109)

16. Coming Home (Gui Lai)

Dir.: Zhang Yimou (China / 2014 / Col / 109)

17. Two Days, One Night (Deux jours, une nuit)

Dir.: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne (Belgium-France-Italy / 2014 / Col / 95)

18. The Third Side of the River (La tercera orilla)

Dir.: Celina Murga (Argentina / 2014 / Col / 92)

19. Stratos

Dir.: Yannis Economides (Greece-Germany-Cyprus / 2014 / Col / 137)

20. Inbetween Worlds

Dir.: Feo Aladag (Germany / 2014 / Col / 98)

21. Turner

Dir.: Mike Leigh (UK / 2014 / Col / 150)

22. The Captive

Dir.: Atom Egoyan (Canada / 2014 / Col / 112)

23. Mommy

Dir.: Xavier Dolan (Canada / 2014 / Col / 139)

24. Still The Water (Futatsume no mado)

Dir.: Naomi Kawase (Japan-Spain-France / 2014 / Col / 121)

25. Norjmaa

Dir.: Bayaneruul Bayaneruul (China / 2014 / Col / 102)

26. Over Your Dead Body

Dir.: Takashi Miike (Japan / 2014 / Col / 93)

27. Refugiado

Dir.: Diego Lerman (Argentina / 2014 / Col / 93)

28. Farewell (A Despedida)

Dir.: Marcelo Galvão (Brazil / 2014 / Col / 90)

29. The Good Lie

Dir.: Philippe Falardeau (USA / 2014 / Col / 110)

30. Boyhood

Dir.: Richard Linklater (USA / 2014 / Col / 165)

 

Rendezvous

 

  1. French Riviera (L’homme qu’on aimait trop)

Dir.: André Téchiné (France / 2014 / Col / 116)

 

  1. Metamorphoses

Dir.: Christophe Honoré (France / 2014 / Col / 102)

 

  1. Girlhood (Bande de filles)

Dir.: Céline Sciamma (France / 2014 / Col / 112)

 

  1. Goodbye To Language – 3D (Adieu Au Langage)

Dir.: Jean-Luc Godard (France / 2014 / Col / 70)

 

 

  1. The Search

Dir.: Michel Hazanavicius (France-Georgia / 2014 / Col / 149)

 

  1. The Blue Room (La chambre bleue)

Dir.: Mathieu Amalric (France / 2014 / Col / 76)

 

  1. Clouds Of Sils Maria (Sils Maria)

Dir.: Olivier Assayas (Switzerland-Germany-France / 2014 / Col / 124)

 

  1. Saint Laurent

Dir.: Bertrand Bonello (France / 2014 / Col / 135)

 

  1. Life of Riley (Aimer, boire et chanter)

Dir.: Alain Resnais (France / 2014 / Col / 108)

 

The Real Reel

 

  1. Red Army

Dir.: Gabe Polsky (USA-Russia / 2014 / Col / 76)

 

  1. The 50 Year Argument

Dir.: Martin Scorsese, David Tedeschi (USA / 2014 / Col / 97)

 

  1. The Master Shyam Benegal

Dir.: Khalid Mohammed (India / 2014 / Col / 60)

 

  1. Mashti Esmaeil

Dir.: Mahdi Zamanpoor (Iran / 2014 / Col / 60)

 

  1. Mission Rape – A Tool of War

Dir.: Annette Mari Olsen, Katia Forbert Petersen (Denmark / 2014 / Col / 61)

 

  1. Altman

Dir.: Ron Mann (Canada / 2014 / 95)

 

  1. Iranian

Dir.: Mehran Tamadon (France-Switzerland-Iran / 2014 / Col / 105)

 

  1. Playing with Fire (Paizontas me ti fotia)

Dir.: Anneta Papathanasiou (Greece / 2014 / Col / 80)

 

  1. Lessons in Dissent

Dir.: Matthew Torne (UK-Hong Kong / 2014 / Col / 98)

 

  1. Vessel

Dir.: Diana Whittien (USA / 2014 / Col / 88)


Retrospective of Russian films

 

  1. Alexander Nevsky

Dir.: Sergei Eisenstein (Russia / 1938 / B&W / 112)

 

  1. Ballad of a Soldier

Dir.: Grigoriy Chukhray (Russia / 1959 / B&W / 88)

 

  1. Dersu Uzala

Dir.: Akira Kurosawa (Russia-Japan / 1975 / Co / 144)

 

  1. Andrei Rublev

Dir.: Andrei Tarkovsky (Russia / 1966 / Col & B/W / 205)

 

  1. Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears

Dir.: Vladimir Menshov (Russia / 1979 / Col / 142)

 

  1. Rider Named Death

Dir.: Karen Shakhnazarov (Russia / 2004 / Col / 106)

 

  1. The Fought for Their Land

Dir.: Sergey Bondarchuk (Russia / 1975 / Col / 137)

 

  1. War and Peace

Dir.: Sergei Bondarchuk (Russia / 1968 / Col / 427)

 

  1. Several Days of Oblomov’s Life

Dir.: Nikita Mikhalkov (Russia / 1979 / Col / 140)

 

  1. White Tiger

Dir.: Karen Shakhnazarov (Russia / 2012 / Col / 104)

 


India Gold 2014

 

  1. The Fort (Killa)

Dir.: Avinash Arun (India (Marathi) / 2014 / Col / 107)

 

  1. Unto the Dusk

Dir.: Sajin Baabu (India (Malayalam) / 2014 / Col / 118)

 

  1. Names Unknown (Perariyathavar)

Dir.: Dr. Biju (India (Malayalam) / 2014 / Col / 110)

 

  1. Buddha In a Traffic Jam

Dir.: Vivek Agnihotri (India (Hindi) / 2014 / Col / 107)

 

  1. Fig Fruit and The Wasps (Attihannu mattu kanaja)

Dir.: M S Prakash Babu (India (Kannada) / 2014 / Col / 90)

 

  1. Rangaa Patangaa

Dir.: Prasad Namjoshi (India (Marathi) / 2014 / Col / 105)

 

  1. Siddhant

Dir.: Vivek Wagh (India (Marathi) / 2014 / Col / 130)

 

  1. Chauranga

Dir.: Bikas Mishra (India (Hindi) / 2014 / Col / 88)

 

  1. Munnariyippu

Dir.: Venu (India (Malayalam) / 2014 / Col / 118)

 

  1. The Pulsating Mindscape (Jeeya Jurir Xubax)

Dir.: Sanjib Sabhapandit (India (Assamese) / 2014 / Col / 134)


New Faces In Indian Cinema

 

 

  1. An Obstacle (Khwada)

Dir.: Bhaurao Karhade (India (Marathi) / 2014 / Col / 117)

 

  1. The Punishment (Kuttram Kadithal)

Dir.: Bramma G. (India (Tamil) / 2014 / Col / 116)

 

  1. Dombivli Return

Dir.: Mahendra Teredesai (India (HindI-Marathi) / 2014 / Col / 129)

 

  1. Teenkahon

Dir.: Bauddhayan Mukherji (India (Bengali) / 2014 / Col & B/W / 120)

 

  1. Nagrik

Dir.: Jayprad Desai (India (Marathi) / 2014 / Col / 120)

 

Dimensions Mumbai

 

  1. Short Film

Dir.: Sagar Kolte

 

  1. Zor Lagake Haisha

Dir.: Rithvik Dilip Joshi

 

  1. Selfie

Dir.: Ramchandra Gaonkar

 

  1. Bombay 70

Dir.: Nisha Rindani

 

  1. The Crowman

Dir.: Pratik Shetty

 

  1. Marine Drive

Dir.: Romil Dilip Motta

 

  1. Interval

Dir.: Utkarsh Raut

 

  1. Sawari

Dir.: Pushpak A Jain

 

  1. Jeevachi Mumbai “City of Life”

Dir.: Natasha Nayak & Riya Sharma

 

  1. Gilberi

Dir.: Omar Iyer

 

  1. Bumbhaiyya

Dir.: Kushagra Sharma

 

  1. Majha Honeymoon

Dir.: Karan Asnani

 

  1. Bollywood Bazar

Dir.: Shreyash Shinde

 

  1. Mahanagari-Super City

Dir.: Yashowardhan Mishra

 

  1. Time’s Equation

Dir.: Kavi Kumar Shrivastav

 

  1. Rumana Manzil

Dir.: Tanay Sarda

 

 

  1. Boundary

Dir.: Abhiraj Rajadhyaksha

 

  1. Dariyo

Dir.: Nihar Desai

 

  1. Unfit

Dir.: Srishti Jain

 

  1. Chataiwala

Dir.: Keyur Kajavadara

 

Film India Worldwide

 

  1. Amar Akbar & Tony

Dir.: Atul Malhotra (UK / 2014 / Col / 93)

 

  1. Amma & Appa

Dir.: Franziska Schönenberger, Jayakrishnan Subramanian (Germany / 2014 / Col / 89)

 

  1. Honeycomb Lodge

Dir.: Lesley Manning (UK / 2014 / Col / 93)

 

  1. Echoes

Dir.: Rajesh Shera (India-UK / 2014 / Col)

 

Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court bags “Lion Of The Future – Luigi De Laurentiis” at Venice

Posted: September 7, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, Indie, News, World Cinema
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Venice Film Festival has announced the winners for this year’s fest. And here’s the good news – Chaitanya Tamhane’s debut feature Court has bagged the “Lion Of The Future – Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Feature. It premiered in Orizzonti section of the fest. The Jury was chaired by Alice Rohrwacher and comprised of Lisandro Alonso, Ron Mann, Vivian Qu and Razvan Radulescu.

It also includes cash prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer. Court has also got the Best Film in the Orizzonti section. This Jury was chaired by Ann Hui and composed of Moran Atias, Pernilla August, David Chase, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Roberto Minervini and Alin Tasçiyan. The section had 29 films in competition.

Click here to read Chaitanya’s interview on making of Court.

Last year, Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush had won the best short at Venice Film Festival.

First Look : Margarita With A Straw (Trailer)

Posted: September 3, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, first look, News, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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The first trailer of Shonali Bose’s film Margarita With A Straw is out. The film will have its premiere in Contemporary World Cinema section at Toronto International Film Festival. Have a look.

From fest site – In this inspirational love story, a Delhi university student and aspiring writer afflicted with cerebral palsy (Kalki Koechlin, Dev.D, That Girl in Yellow Boots) leaves India for New York University, where she falls for a fiery young activist.

Unusual only because it’s so rarely seen on screen, Margarita, with a Straw is an exceptional portrait of a woman discovering what she wants, and how to get it.

Laila (Kalki Koechlin) is a student and aspiring writer, crafting lyrics and electronic sounds for an indie band at her Delhi university. Her cerebral palsy doesn’t much get in the way of her life, although it sometimes does for others. When Laila’s band wins a local contest, the condescending host says to her, “It must have been so hard for you. Can you share something with us?” Laila shares her middle finger.

Always seeking more freedom and new experience, Laila wins a place at New York University and leaves India with her mother (Revathy) for Manhattan. There she meets a fiery activist, Khanum (Sayani Gupta), who challenges her beliefs, sparks her creativity, and, eventually, takes her to bed. For these two women, it’s the beginning of a remarkable love story.

The programme presents the latest works of some of the most provocative and important voices in cinema from around the globe. Bose’s debut film Amu had also been screened at Toronto in 2005.

For cast, credits and other details, click here. Though we noticed a strange thing in the credit roll of the trailer, even the casting director gets a credit (because he is producer, writer and director too? That too three credits in one plate!) but the (Hindi) dialogue writer doesn’t have a credit. How strange? We have never been to able to understand why people become so insecure and chindi when it comes to credits?

– Posted by @Shubhodeep

Film Heritage Foundation announces first “Film Preservation & Restoration School” in India

Posted: August 30, 2014 by moifightclub in Call For Entries, cinema, News
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FPRSI

Film Heritage Foundation has announced its first major initiative to save India’s cinematic heritage – Film Preservation & Restoration School India – to be held from February 22nd -28th, 2015 at Films Division, Mumbai.

Film Heritage Foundation is a not for profit organization set up in 2014. Recognizing the urgent need to preserve India’s cinematic heritage, the foundation is dedicated to supporting the conservation, preservation and restoration of the moving image and to develop interdisciplinary educational programs that will use film as an educational tool and create awareness about the language of cinema.

This is a pioneering initiative of Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation, Cineteca di Bologna and L’Immagine Ritrovata.

The purpose of the school is to address current issues surrounding film preservation and restoration including practical training of current restoration and archival best practices by a faculty that includes some of the leading international experts in the field.

Given the colossal loss of India’s cinematic heritage and the fact that we continue to lose more of our cinematic history every day, this school is an important first step in our foundation’s long-term goal to create an indigenous resource of film archivists and restorers that will work towards preserving India’s cinematic heritage.

FILM PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION SCHOOL INDIA

– An intensive course including hands-on training in the latest techniques of film preservation and restoration by some of the leading international experts in the field
– Dates: February 22 – 28, 2015
– Venue: Films Division, Mumbai.

Indian Cinema – A Lost Heritage

– For a country that currently produces the largest number of films in the world — over 1700 films a year in 32 languages, our record of film archiving and preservation is abysmal.
– India made 1700 silent films of which only 5 – 6 complete films survive today.
– By 1950 we had lost 70 – 80% of our films including India’s first talkie Alam Ara
– No full-fledged film restorations have been done in India
– The school is the first step in the Film Heritage Foundation’s long-term goal to create an indigenous resource of film archivists and restorers that will work

PROGRAMME DETAILS

– The purpose of the school is to address current issues surrounding film preservation and restoration including practical training of current restoration and archival best practices.
– 40 students from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan will be selected on merit.
– The programme will comprise daily sessions from 9 am – 9 pm over 7 days including screenings, lectures and practical hands-on lessons.
– Course content will include modules on film comparing, film repair, film scanning, digital restoration, colour correction, sound restoration and film mastering.
– The faculty will comprise experts from Cineteca di Bologna, L’Immagine Ritrovata,  and the Film Foundation and filmmakers and guest lecturers from around the world.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

– Applications are open to India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal.
– Application forms will be available online on the following websites from September 15, 2014:
www.filmheritagefoundation.co.in
www.film-foundation.org
www.cinetecadibologna.it
www.immagineritrovata.it

CERTIFICATION

On completion of the course, participants will be awarded with a certification as the school is internationally recognized and under the patronage of FIAF (The International Federation of Film Archives).

FIAF brinsg together the world’s leading institution in the field of moving picture heritage, comprising more than 150 institutions in over 77 countries. FIAF members are dedicated to the rescue, collection, preservation and screening of moving images.

Danis Tanovic’s Hindi film “Tigers” at TIFF – Pics, Synopsis, Details out

Posted: August 25, 2014 by moifightclub in cast & crew, cinema, Film Festival, first look, News, pics, Story / Plot / Synopsis, World Cinema
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Danis Tanovic’s desi film Tigers starring Emraan Hashmi will have its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival this year. Synopsis, cast & crew, and other details of the film is out.

Film

Director: Danis Tanovic
Country: India/France/United Kingdom
Year: 2014
Language: Hindi/English/Urdu/German
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Runtime: 90 minutes
Rating: 14A

Synopsis (from TIFF)

Devastated when he discovers the effects of the infant formula he’s peddling, a young salesman challenges the system and the powers that be, in this based-on-fact drama from Academy Award-winning director Danis Tanovic (No Man’s Land).

Multinationals’ activities in the developing world come under harsh scrutiny in Danis Tanovic’s hard-hitting new drama Tigers. No stranger to controversy, the Academy Award-winning director is unafraid to stick his nose into contentious subject matter. Here, he explores Pakistan’s fascination with Western drugs, basing his film on a true story — its real-life protagonist lives in Toronto — involving a corporation aggressively trying to increase its market share through the sale of baby formula to new mothers.

Ayan (Emraan Hashmi) is a young, recently married salesman who gets a job peddling locally made drugs to pharmacies and doctors. Despite the fact that the Pakistani-manufactured pharmaceuticals he sells are much cheaper than those sold by Western competitors, no one will trust or buy products that lack major brand names. His wife encourages him to apply for a job with Lasta, a large multinational, and Ayan is hired on a trial basis. It’s not long before his natural charm and knack for glad-handing make him into a minor star, and Lasta expands his responsibilities. However, one day he is devastated to see first-hand what the selling of baby formula really means in certain cases. Shocked, Ayan sets out to challenge the system and the powers that be.

In a neat piece of narrative structuring on Tanovic’s part, this David-and-Goliath story is told partially through the eyes of a film crew making a documentary on Ayan’s astonishing findings. But the power of Tigers lies in his willingness to push his film out onto the streets of Pakistan and into the face of a system where narrow interests prevail, and an honest man doing the right thing is castigated and threatened, and finally sees his life endangered.

Cast & Crew

Executive Producer: Karen Tenkhoff, Michael Weber, Praveen Hashmi, Achin Jain
Producer: Prashita Chaudhary, Kshitij Chaudhary, Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap, Cedomir Kolar, Marc Baschet, Andy Paterson, Cat Villiers
Production Company: Cinemorphic Pvt Ltd, Sikhya Entertainment Pvt Ltd, A.S.A.P. Films
Principal Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Geetanjali, Danny Huston, Khalid Abdalla, Adil Hussain, Maryam D’Abo, Satyadeep Misra, Heino Ferch, Sam Reid, Supriya Pathak, Vinod Nagpal
Screenplay: Danis Tanovic, Andy Paterson
Cinematographer: Erol Zubcevic
Editor: Prerna Saigal
Sound: Anthony B J Ruban
Music: Pritam
Production Designer: Rachna Rastogi, K.K Muralidharan

Danis Tanovic was born in Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and attended l’Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle in Brussels. His feature films include No Man’s Land (01), which won Best Screenplay at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; L’enfer (05) and Triage (09), both of which premiered at the Festival; and An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker (13), which screened at the Festival and won the Silver Bear at Berlin. Tigers (14) is his latest film.

Sange Dorjee Thongdok’s ‘Crossing Bridges’ to release on 29 August 2014

Posted: August 23, 2014 by moifightclub in film, first look, Indie, News, Poster, Preview, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer, video
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Crossing Bridges (PVR 3)

Sange Dorjee Thongdok’s Crossing Bridges is all set to release in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore on 29 August, via PVR Director’s Rare. It’s the first feature film ever to be made in Shertupken, a dialect and tribal community from Arunachal Pradesh. It previously showed at the Mumbai Film Festival and Dharamsala Film Festival where it was warmly received. Here’s the synopsis and trailer of the film:

Tashi, a man in his early thirties is forced to come back to his village in the remote northeast region of India after eight years when he loses his job in the city. As he stays in the village waiting for a new job in the city to go back to, he experiences the life and culture of his native place and his people, which he never paid attention to before. As he rediscovers love, friendship and his roots, when Tashi gets the news that he has found himself a new job in the city, he must decide whether to go away or stay back home for good.

 

You can read more about Crossing Bridges in these interviews with director Sange Dorjee Thongdok (here and here) and DOP Pooja Gupte.

 

 

TIFF adds ‘Margarita, with a Straw’ and ‘Newborns’ (Trailer out) to its programme

Posted: August 19, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, Documentary, Film Festival, first look, Indie, News, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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The 2014 edition of Toronto International Film Festival has added 2 more Indian films in its schedule.

Margarita, with a Straw directed by Shonali Bose will have its world premiere Contemporary World Cinema section.

From fest site – In this inspirational love story, a Delhi university student and aspiring writer afflicted with cerebral palsy (Kalki Koechlin, Dev.D, That Girl in Yellow Boots) leaves India for New York University, where she falls for a fiery young activist.The programme presents the latest works of some of the most provocative and important voices in cinema from around the globe. Bose’s debut film Amu had also been screened at Toronto in 2005.

Cast, Credit and other details

Country: India
Year: 2014
Language: Hindi/English
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Runtime: 100 minutes
Rating: 14A
Producer: Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar
Production Company: Ishan Talkies, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Jakhotia Group
Principal Cast: Kalki Koechlin, Revathy, Sayani Gupta, William Moseley, Hussain Dalal
Screenplay: Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar
Cinematographer: Anne Misawa
Editor: Monisha Baldawa
Sound: Resul Pookutty, Amrit Pritam
Music: Mikey McCleary, Prasoon Joshi
Production Designer: Somenath Pakre, Prasun Chakraborty

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The second film is Megha Ramaswamy’s Newborns. It’s part of the inaugural Short Cuts International programme.

From fest site – A hauntingly beautiful documentary that follows female survivors of acid attacks, who bravely defy the trauma and fear that will always accompany them.

Cast, Crew and Other Details

Country: India
Year: 2014
Language: Hindi
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Runtime: 8 minutes
Rating: STC

Producer: Anand Gandhi, Sohum Shah, Ruchi Bhimani
Production Company: Recyclewala Labs
Principal Cast: Laxmi, Nasreen, Sapna, Daya Kishan, Usha, Rupesh Tillu, Heena Agrawal
Screenplay: Megha Ramaswamy
Cinematographer: Satya Rai Nagpaul
Editor: Anand Gandhi, Rohit Pandey
Sound: Ajit Rathore, Aditya Jadav
Production Designer: Megha Ramaswamy

Trailer

The Festival will run from September 4 to 14, 2014.

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