RIP Robin Williams – Genie, you’re free

Posted: August 13, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, Hollywood, RIP
Tags: , ,
2

RW

I was around 8 years old when I saw my parents involved in a silly argument.
It was past my bedtime, and much like a sappy movie scene, I walked to them while dragging my favourite quilt along the floor.
“When are you getting a divorce?” I asked, rather hopefully. My father laughed and wondered aloud why I would ask such an inane question.
“So that you can dress up like a lady and be my Mrs. Doubtfire”, I answered with great sincerity. I hadn’t thought it through, of course. So I added, “And I will act like I don’t know it!”

In hindsight, this moment summed up the first time a movie directly affected my subconscious. And the first time I realized what Robin Williams—a pudgy old caretaker woman who transformed into a desperate juvenile father at will—did for me.
It was no coincidence that Genie in Aladdin—another defining character from my childhood—bore more than a passing resemblance to Williams’ quintessentially-underdog face: Lantern jaw, long nose, signature flappy ears, sunken cheeks, pleading eyes and the most tragic smile this side of a cocker spaniel.
It was the sad droopy smile a smitten boy would forcibly wear while cracking lame jokes to make his girl laugh. He would believe it to be hilarious, and in turn, make his awkwardness break the ice.

I remember that smile—that of a dysfunctional husband forcing it on us, when he reasoned with wife Sally Field in court in “Mrs. Doubtfire”. That wounded Oscar-winning smile when Stellan Skarsgard—his ex-friend and rival—mocked his romanticism in “Good Will Hunting”. Or that condemned smile of unrequited love when Annette Bening refused to get over her dead husband in the more recent “The Face Of Love”.

I was too young to fully grasp the experience of watching “Good Morning Vietnam” and “Dead Poets Society” for the first time. Now I’m too old to watch it without being influenced by his following work.
But I remember never being able to forgive the makers of “One Hour Photo”. They had taken my human robot (Bicentennial Man)—in my mind, a whacky invention of the lovable Dr. Kosevich (Nine Months), mutating my memories of Peter Pan into slimy Flubber, and turned him into a blonde-haired psychopathic lab technician. What made it worse is that he hadn’t really changed. Most of it was down to Williams’ own shape-shifting genius, but tell that to a dorky teen already struggling to adjust to Jim Carrey’s new dramatic persona. The barrier didn’t have to be broken in Williams’ case, because he was a naturally gifted performer blessed with an irrevocably needy face for a comedian.
When he tried too hard, he wanted it to show—it was part of his act.
All he had to do was smile more, which led to disturbing images of unstable characters in Insomnia and August Rush.

For some reason, I was forever under the impression that he appeared in an early Batman movie as the Penguin or Ridder. This made sense because if you combine Danny Devito’s old-world gravitas with Jim Carrey’s hyperactive freakishness, you’d get Robin Williams.
He was, in flesh and blood, the resurrection of Tragicomedy.

Moreover, Robin Williams looked like a broken-hearted man. Whether he was actually one, I selfishly chose not to know.
A sad man doing impersonations and silly voices to spread joy held a different kind of charm. It gave rise to a sort of hopeful laughter—not the kind of guffawing that follows stand-up comics who bring the house down, but the kind of restless smiles that made a troubled world a happier place. It was heartwarming, funny and poignant all at once.

Perhaps this is part of his act too, I’d reason—a philosophy and way of life reminiscent of the old frail Chinese magician in “The Prestige”. Was he so committed to his craft? Was life his greatest act?

“Bechaara (poor guy)”, I’d think whenever I’d saw his face on screen. And now I know why.

He was that famous old uncle. Every family has one—the life and joy of every party and festive gathering.
But nobody noticed that he arrived alone, and would always leave alone.

– by Reel Reptile aka Rahul Desai

(This was first posted on Rahul’s blog. For more posts by Rahul, you can visit his blog here)

HumaraMovie’s ‘Shuruaat Ka Interval’ to release on 15 August, 2014

Posted: August 8, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, first look, Story / Plot / Synopsis, short film, film, Trailer, Poster, Preview, Indie
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Shuruaat Ka Interval

PVR Director’s Rare & HumaraMovie are presenting the short film festival/anthology Shuruaat Ka Interval, which includes 8 shorts from various filmmakers, chosen and mentored by filmmakers Imtiaz Ali, Vikramaditya Motwane, Anand Gandhi & Vikas Bahl. Shortlisted candidates had access to script consultants- Bijesh Jayarajan (Yudh), Ritesh Shah (Kahaani, D Day, City Lights), Rajashree ‘urf’ Raju and Kshiti Nijhawan Agrawal. They also had access to Mukesh Chhabra and his team for casting.

All the films are based on one theme: ‘Interval’, which has been interpreted in a different, unique way by each filmmaker. Watch the trailer and read the synopsis of each short film below:

SYNOPSES of the Short Films:

1. August by Shishir Jha: Good and Evil, Yin and Yang… The continuous dichotomy of life. The path is not always a choice. A subtle interpretation of this paradox. Does the butcher only kill?

2. The Last Audition by Krishan Hooda: Anand Kumar is a struggling actor consumed by the struggle. The attempt to land a role, and the effects of the audition take over his life. He live, breathes, sleeps this process. In this obsessed role, does Anand land himself the ticket to stardom? Or does this obsession lead to his ruin? A dark tale of one’s life when you cannot differentiate life and camera!

3. No Exit by Ankit Tripathi: Is life a burden? Is memory the only thing which binds us together? Is that the reason for our misery? Cycle of life and death- is there an exit option?

4. Ayan by Amrit Raj Gupta: In the best traditions of farce- what happens when your main character disappears during the interval of a play. Do you rework the play? Can you rework the play? How do the other characters react? A laugh fest when the characters of Ramayan become real backstage.

5. Interval 3D by Palash Vaswani: What happens when a character from a Ramsay Brothers-style B Grade horror flick meets the audience? Shock, awe, funny- a ridiculous scenario from which you can only laugh your way out!

6. Bubbles and Stars by Rukhshana Tabassum: If the characters of a play were to indulge in their reverie, would their interactions be meaningful? Shot completely in black & white, a beautiful tale which reminds you of films of the silent era and what actually makes us love films

7. Final Interval by Aarti Bagdi: This is the story of a housewife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a grandmother, a superwoman. She binds the extended family together. And she needs a break!

8. Gatekeeper by Atanu Mukherjee: Gatekeeper revolves around the life of a man who guards a railway crossing. His only source of excitement in life is watching the trains passing by. Is there something which intrudes in this monotony? Or can this monotony be enjoyable?

Shuruaat Ka Interval releases in select cinemas in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune on 15 August, 2014.

ग़ज़ल का साज़ उठाओ, बड़ी उदास है रात

Posted: August 3, 2014 by moifightclub in music
Tags: , ,
2

Jagjit-Singh_01

मैंने ग़ज़ल सुनना तब शुरू किया था जब जगजीत सिंह की एक ग़ज़ल (बड़ी हसीं रात थी – ‘दा लेटेस्ट’ एल्बम se) मैंने किसी gathering में सुनी थी. ये शायद 1993 की बात है. उससे पहले बस ‘निकाह’ की ग़ज़लें सुन कर उनका मज़ाक उडाना काफी अच्छा लगता था. जो 1993 में शुरू हुआ फिर वो कभी रुका ही नहीं. जगजीत सिंह के एलबम्स आते रहे और मैं उनको खरीद खरीद कर कंठस्त करता रहा. Teenagers के intellectual वाले sub-group में काफी प्रचिलित थे जगजीत सिंह तब. माँ पापा ने काफी चिंता व्यक्त की थी क्यूंकि मेरे एक अंकल ने कहा था ‘रूप सुहाना लगता है’ सुनो, ये सब क्या मर्सिया जैसा sound करने वाला सुन रहे हो? खैर, वो अंकल शायद अपने बाल काले करने में लगे हैं आज तक. मैं सुधरा नहीं.

जैसे मेरे फिल्म वाले दोस्त आपस में लडते रहते थे – अमिताभ या विनोद खन्ना? कौन बेटर हैं? या फिर माधुरी या श्रीदेवी? सोनम सबकी undisputed फेवरेट थी मगर किसी ने ये बात पब्लिक नहीं की थी. इसी तरह ग़ज़ल सुनने वाले ‘बाबा’ लोग भी लडते थे – मेहदी हसन, ग़ुलाम अली या जगजीत सिंह? कौन बेस्ट है? (better का आप्शन नहीं था, सब को अपने idol को बेस्ट की पदवी ही चाहिए थी). ग़ुलाम अली और हसन साहब की classical पकड़ पे काफी कुछ कहा जाता था. जगजीत सिंह ने ग़ज़ल को ‘mainstream’ बना दिया – ये बात एक आरोप के तौर पे कही जाती थी. मानो ‘ordinary’ लोगों का ग़ज़लें सुनना जैसे पाप हो.

जब जगजीत सिंह जी थे, उन दिनों काफी लोगों ने ग़ज़लें गयी. लता मंगेशकर, आशा जी, हरिहरन, पंकज उधास, चन्दन दास,विनोद सहगल, सुदीप मुख़र्जी etc. ने खूब अच्छी ग़ज़लें और गीत गा कर ग़ज़लों को जिंदा रखने की खूब कोशिश की. यहाँ तक कि मनोज कुमार के सुपुत्र कुनाल गोस्वामी ने भी ग़ज़ल गायकी में अपने हाथ रवां करने की पुरजोर कोशिश की. इनके एल्बम का नाम ‘सुराही’ था और राज कपूर ने इनको ‘लांच’ किआ था. मैंने आज तक कभी इतना बेसुरा एल्बम नहीं सुना – ये और बात है. मुझे पूरा यकीन है कि मैं कुछ नाम भूल रहा हूँ. ग़ज़लें हमेशा से हिंदी फिल्म में भी शामिल की जाती थी. इन दिनों भी फिल्मों में ग़ज़लें खूब बजी चाहे दिल आशना है में पंकज उधास का ‘किसी ने भी तो न देखा’ गाना या फिर जगजीत सिंह का सरफ़रोश में ग़ज़ल गाना हो, सब काफी मशहूर हुई.

फिर जगजीत सिंह चले गए.

पूरे तीन साल हो जायेंगे अबकी अक्टूबर में उनको गए हुए.

इन तीन सालों में, ग़ज़ल एक genre के रूप में एकदम गायब होती सी दिखी. फिल्मों में भी ग़ज़लों का use काफी कम होता दिखा. शायद आयटम नम्बर्स के शोर में ग़ज़लों का कॉन्टेक्स्ट.

रेडियो को ही ले लीजिये. एक्का दुक्का ‘होशवालों को खबर क्या’ या फिर ‘तुमको देखा तो ये ख्याल आया’ बजाकर एक खानापूर्ती करते हुए सब लोग ग़ज़लें भूलते से जा रहे है. ‘ग़ज़ल सुनने वाली ऑडियंस रेडियो नहीं सुनती’ – ऐसा मुझे बताया गया था कुछ दिन पहले. शायद ये बात सही हो लेकिन हम फिर भूल रहे हैं की ये approach सिर्फ उन लोगों की बात कर रही है जो पहले से ग़ज़लें सुनते हैं. क्या नयी ऑडियंस को ग़ज़लें सुनना पाप है? एक दो रेडियो stations ने कुछ ग़ज़लों के प्रोग्राम्स शुरू किये हैं…तलत अज़ीज़ और रूप कुमार राठोड अलग अलग radio channels पे सुनाई देते हैं, पुरानी ग़ज़लें लोगों के लिए बजाते हुए.

इस दौरान कुछ एल्बम ज़रूर आये,  मगर कोई भी एल्बम पॉपुलर नहीं हुआ. ऐसा क्यों? एल्बम ख़राब थे? नहीं. मुझे ऐसा बिलकुल भी नहीं लगता. जो बात इससे भी ज्यादा disturbing है वो ये है कि काफी सारे एल्बम आये और चुपके से चले गए. कितनी बार नयी ग़ज़लें सुनने के लिए एलबम्स ढूंढे मगर जो मिला वो ६ महीने से ज्यादा पुराना निकला. कोई शोर शराबा नहीं, प्रमोशन के नाम पे एक छोटा सा प्रेस रिलीज़ और कुछ भी नहीं. हम सब में से कुछ लोग होंगे जिन्होंने शांति हीरानंद का नाम ज़रूर सुना होगा. अब अगर मैं आपसे पूछु कि आप में से कितने लोगों ने शांति हीरानंद का ग़ज़ल एल्बम सुना है? एल्बम का नाम है  ‘जो आज तक न कह सकी’. गए दिनों के कुछ ग़ज़ल एलबम्स आयेे.

श्रेया घोषाल के लेटेस्ट एल्बम का sound काफी फिल्मी था मगर एल्बम बुरा नहीं था.

अमीता परसुराम ने भी कुछ ग़ज़ल एल्बम रिलीज़ किये, जो की उन्होंने खुद लिखे हैं, इनमें से एक ग़ज़ल एल्बम में रेखा भरद्वाज ने भी चाँद ग़ज़लें गयी

सुदीप मुख़र्जी ने काफी कोशिश करी है और हाल ही में  गुलज़ार साहब के साथ मिल कर उन्होंने Prithvi थिएटर में कुछ ग़ज़लें present की.

शान्ति हीरानंद का एल्बम ‘जो आज तक न कह सकी’ भी एक अच्छा एल्बम था.

कुछ ग़ज़ल एल्बम जो मेरी समझ में आये, उनके बारे में यहाँ पढ़ सकते हैं आप.

http://almostareview.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/kahun-aur-kya-ghazal-album-review/

http://almostareview.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/ishq-lamhe-feat-ustad-rashid-khan-music-review/

http://almostareview.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/humnasheen-ghazals-by-shreya-ghosal/

http://almostareview.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/jagjitsingh/

http://almostareview.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/phir-bhi-sudeep-1995/

मुझे पूरा यकीन है कि आप के पास कोई एक और एल्बम होगा जिसके बारे में बाकी लोगों को मालूम नहीं होगा

मैं खुद को जगजीत सिंह का काफी बड़ा मुरीद समझता हूँ. मैं ये नहीं मानता कि जगजीत सिंह के बाद ग़ज़लें बनना बंद हो जाएँगी. एक genre किसी भी artist से कहीं ज्यादा बड़ा होता है. उसमें एक ठहराव आ सकता है मगर वो रुकना नहीं चाहिए. शायद ऐसा ही कुछ हुआ था जब नुसरत फ़तेह अली खान साहब का निधन हुआ था. क़व्वाली को ‘fuse’ करना थोडा आसान है इसीलिए क़व्वाली चले जा रही है. पर ग़ज़लों का क्या?

कुछ अक्लमंद लोगों ने ग़ज़लों में फ्यूज़न घुसेड़ने की काफी कोशिश की. मैंने हमेशा ‘purists’ की ‘rigid’ सोच का मज़ाक उड़ाया है. शायद ग़ज़लों को ले कर मैं एक ‘purist’ हूँ. मुझे नहीं लगता कि ग़ज़लों में ज्यादा फ्यूज़न मुमकिन हैं. अगर आपने नहीं सुना है तो हरिहरन का एल्बम ‘काश’ सुनिए. उसकी पहली ग़ज़ल को (जिसका टाइटल ‘काश’ है’) मैं ग़ज़लों में ‘fusion’ के इस्तेमाल का milestone समझता हूँ. हरिहरन ने धुन को नहीं छेड़ा है. बस कहीं कहीं नए instruments ला कर माहौल काफी ग़ज़लनुमा बना दिया है. इससे कुछ भी ज्यादा मेरी समझ के बाहर हो जायेगा और मैं उसे शायद ग़ज़ल न मानू.

आप क्या सोचते हैं?

कोई ग़ज़ल एल्बम recommend करिए, बड़ी उदास है रात ..

– देहाती उर्फ़ @Rohwit

Mary Kom goes Toronto, Court selected for Venice, Labour Of Love at Venice Days

Posted: July 25, 2014 by moifightclub in bollywood, Film Festival, Indie, News
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Mary Kom

A quick update on three fest news.

Omung Kumar’s directorial debut Mary Kom will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year. Not really unexpected as TIFF has been picking every kind of bollywood films in the last few years, from Dil Bole Hadippa to Singh Is Kingg. It’s less about the quality of the film, and more to do with the diaspora crowd in Toronto. The fest runs from September 4-14, 2014.

Another directorial debut, Chaitanya Tamhane’s indie feature Court has been selected for the prestigious Venice Film Festival. The film will have its premiere in Orizzonti section of the fest. This competitive section is dedicated to films that represent the latest aesthetic and expressive trends in international cinema section which aims to spot new trends in cinema. Court had also received Hubert Bals fund for script and project development.

LOL

Another indie feature, Labour Of  Love by Aditya Vikram will be at Venice Days. It’s an independent section at the Venice Film Festival which is promoted by the Italian Association of Filmmakers and authors. The idea was to develop a parallel sidebar on the lines of Directors Fortnight at Cannes.

Phantom to present “Katiyabaaz”, To hit screens on 22nd August, 2014

Posted: July 23, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, Documentary, first look, Indie, News, Poster, Trailer, video
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Katiyabaaz2

With Recyclewala Films presenting Gulabi Gang and Anurag Kashyap putting his might behind The World Before Her, we are seeing a great new trend of documentary release in India. And this is what is required to push those small gems which don’t have the big marketing budget. Hope more well known filmmakers and production houses will come forward for this kind of endeavor. The latest one is Phantom Films presenting Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar’s documentary Katiyabaaz. The film will hit the screens of 22nd August, 2014. It has lyrics by our Varun Grover.

Official synopsis – The film highlights the issues faced by the city of Kanpur due to power cuts and failures from the perspective of Loha Singh, a local katiyabaaz who, with an almost vigilante like attitude, steals electricity for the locals of the town.

If the synopsis sounds serious, don’t go by it. Trust our words – it’s a fun film. Though it looks staged at many places but it’s worth a watch. The film also bagged the National Award for the Best Investigative film at the 61st National Awards, won the India Gold for Best film at the Mumbai Film Festival, 2013, and received a grant from the prestigious Sundance Institute.

Here’s the new trailer of the film

Six scripts selected for NFDC-Harlequin Romance Screenwriters Lab

Posted: July 19, 2014 by moifightclub in News, Screenwriting, Scripts
Tags: , ,
0

NFDC Labs, the Training and Development arm of NFDC (The National Film Development Corporation Ltd), has announced six finalists for the NFDC – Harlequin Romance Screenwriters’ Lab. The first of its kind three-part Lab with romance and women-centric plots as the themes, has Habib Faisal and Bhavani Iyer as mentors. Ashok Banker and Shoma Narayanan will guide the parallely held Harlequin Lab.

Post the Lab, Harlequin will offer book deals to the most promising writers.

The final six scripts / writers are:

1. Anjuna Beats – Thomas Jacob

2. Love in the Time of Moral Policing – Niharika Negi

3. Magic for Maria – Annie Zaidi

4. Vanmala – Abhimanyu Kulkarni

5. A Second Life – Pravina Srivastava

6. The Falcon Hunter – Vineet Gupta

1. Anjuna Beats (English) by Thomas Jacob – A writer / director and having worked on one feature film, one short film, 3D shorts, corporate films and documentaries, Thomas was one of the young filmmakers invited for the prestigious Berlinale Talent Campus 2010 conducted by the Berlin International Film Festival (2010).

2. Love in the Time of Moral Policing (English – Hindi – Marathi) by Niharika Negi – Niharika has an interesting mix of experience in Film and Theatre- India and London, with stints at Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Limited, FutureWorks, Channel [V], Big Boy Productions (London), The Hat Factory Arts Center (London), Poor Box Productions, QTP’s Thespo amongst others.

3. Magic for Maria (Hindi – English) by Annie Zaidi – Annie has been writing across various genres and has directed short films and plays. She has contributed to various newspapers and magazines including Mid-Day, Frontline, Tehelka, Caravan, Mint, Elle, Femina, and DNA (Daily News and Analysis).

4. Vanmala (English) by Abhimanyu Kulkarni – Abhimanyu is a design professional at an MNC and is passionate about writing. His interest in screenplay writing has led him to do a professional course from UCLA followed by two commissioned projects.

5. A Second Life (English) by Pravina Srivastava – A media professional in the past, now based in Pondicherry, Pravina is an aspiring writer with A Second Life as her first attempt in screenplay writing.

6. The Falcon Hunter (English) by Vineet Gupta – Vineet is a Consulting Analyst with a strong academic background. A graduate from Harvard University, Vineet has done his PHD in Mathematics from California Institute of Technology and other programs from leading international universities like Cambridge and Stanford. The Falcon Hunter will be Vineet’s first project as a scriptwriter.

The three part Lab will include 2 residential programs, the schedule being:

First part at a hotel in Pune – 27 – 31 July 2014;

Second part – offline program conducted as per schedule mutually decided between the mentors and the writers;

Third and the final part – 16 – 20 November 2014 at Film Bazaar in Goa.

Call For Entries – 16th Mumbai Film Festival

Posted: July 16, 2014 by moifightclub in Call For Entries, Mumbai Film Festival, News
Tags: , ,
0

MFF

– For more details (entry form, rules and regulations), click here.

– Reliance has pulled out of the film festival. MFF is now in final stages of talks with another entertainment group to come on board as principal sponsor for the fest.

Call For Entries – Crafts Council Of India’s One Minute Film Contest

Posted: July 10, 2014 by moifightclub in Call For Entries, short film
Tags: , , ,
0

The Crafts Council Of India is having a short film contest. So all you film buffs and students who want to get into filmmaking, here’s a good chance to participate and test your skills.

Click on the play button and watch the video. All the details are there. There is cash prize of Rs 20,000 (1st), Rs 15,000 (2nd) and Rs 10,000 (3rd).

Mumbai Mantra Launches Cinerise – Mentorship Programme For Screenwriters

Posted: July 9, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, News, Screenwriting
Tags: , , ,
1

Mumbai Mantra, the film and entertainment wing of Mahindras, has launched a new mentorship programme for screenwriters. But this is not the first time that they are trying something like this. They started with Sankalan – a script lab where the idea was to select, develop 6 final scripts after three rounds of filtering and produce the films. They did select the scripts but never bothered to produce a single film out of those selected scripts. Instead they produced some really crappy expensive bollywood films which made no money and they were forced to shut down the production wing. what was the point of the lab?

Later on, they tied up with Sundance Institute to launch the Mahindra-Sundance Scriptlab. They again ran it for three years and the honeymoon seems to be over now. Again scripts selected and mentored. Mumbai Mantra has now launched a new mentorship programme. But it all seems useless unless the scripts developed at the lab gets translated into film. And Mahindra can do it. Not sure what’s lacking.

We do need better scripts and screenwriting programmes. But we need to translate them into films too.

Here’s more details on Cinerise

– Applications to the Mumbai Mantra CineRise Screenwriting Programme will only be accepted in hard copies, not electronically, and must reach by August 20th, 2014 with the following details:


APPLICATION DOCUMENTS:

  • STORY: The complete story on which your script will be based. Should have 6-8 pages with a beginning, middle and an end.
  • WRITER’S STATEMENT:  A 2-page note outlining what your project is about. Do explain what motivated you to tell this story, and why you believe you are best placed to write it. If you have a view on how the project should be treated (sensibilities, style, etc.), do share in this note.
  • WRITER’S BIO WITH CONTACT DETAILS: Attach your bio-data. You can send the bio-data of other key team members (producer, director, DoP, etc.) if they are already attached to the project.
  • PLEASE REMEMBER: All the above documents MUST be in the English language, even if the film is going to be in any other Indian language. All documents must be print-outs (and not hand-written) and your story must be registered in your name for copyright purposes with a recognized authority, like a writers’ association or the Copyright Office or WGA, etc.
  • DO NOT SEND DVDs of short films or excerpts from other work at this stage. No recommendation letters or references required either and shall be the immediate cause for disqualification.

– Please just put a single staple through all pages. No fancy binders, no paperclips, and no folders please. The whole packet should be around a total of 10-12 pages;one staple should do the trick.


MAILING ADDRESS FOR APPLICATIONS: 
Mumbai Mantra CineRise Screenwriting Programme
Mumbai Mantra Media Ltd.,
Mahindra Towers, 5th Floor, Worli,
Mumbai – 400018

– To ensure that your application has been received before the deadline, please use a courier service, which will give you a delivery receipt. You can also submit your application in person at our office reception but you shall NOT be able to meet any staff or have queries answered.

 WORKSHOPS:

– Selection team will shortlist a total of 100 stories from among the applications.

– The shortlisted writers will be called for a 2-day screenwriting workshop, which will be held in several different cities across the country.

– Shortlisted applicants can select a Center closest to their homes. They will go through intensive interactions with experienced writers and directors.

– Even if you are not in the final 100, you can still attend the first day of the workshop. This will be open to all aspiring screenwriters for a fee of Rs.2000)

QUERIES

– For more details on rules and regulations, click here.

 

Call For Entries – Rome Film Festival

Posted: July 9, 2014 by moifightclub in Call For Entries, cinema, Film Festival, News
Tags: ,
0

Rome Film Festival-Image 1

ROME FILM FESTIVAL
(FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DEL FILM DI ROMA)

Calls for Entries in all categories for 2014.

DATE : The 9th Rome Film Festival will be held from October 16-25, 2014.

SECTIONS :

Artistic Director, Marco Müller has announced the following sections for the 9th edition of the festival:

1) New International Cinema | Cinema for Today
A selection of a maximum of 14 feature films of young or already successful directors. The Festival will give priority to feature films that are world premieres.

2) Gala
A selection of some of the year’s most important films, for a maximum of 11 titles. Only feature films that are world premieres, international or European premieres will be considered for selection.

3) Mondo Genere
A selection of 7 films belonging to different film genres. Only feature films that are world, international or European premieres will be considered for selection. The Festival will give priority to feature films that are world premieres.

4) Prospettive Italia
This section aims to highlight the new trends in the Italian cinema. It will present a selection of maximum 8 feature films. Only films presented as world premieres will be considered for selection.

AWARDS :

– Each of the sections carries a People’s Choice Award based on the majority of the audience’s preferences, along with 4 Lifetime Achievement Awards assigned by the President and the Board of Directors.

– In addition to this, TAODUE International Jury will assign the TAODUE Award for first or second film, whereas DOC.IT Association will give out the Prospettive Italia Award for the Best Italian Documentary.

– Films will also be offered the possibility to participate in The Business Street (October, 17-21), Rome Film Festival program dedicated to the circulation, acquisition and sale of audiovisual products

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA :

– Rome Film Festival will only consider feature length films as submissions.

– All submitted films must be recent productions completed not prior to Monday 1st December 2013.

– They must not have been presented in any other format or length, not even as works-in-progress, for submission to previous editions of the Festival.

– With the exception of Out of Competition films, under no circumstances may films that have had prior public screenings, have participated in other international festivals or are available on the Internet, be presented at Rome Film Festival

SUBMISSION

To submit a film to the selection, one has to fill out a pre-selection entry form on the official festival website after which the preview DVDs should be sent to Deepti DCunha, the India Consultant to Artistic Director, Marco Müller.

– The DVDs should reach her before 10th August 2014 as the Artistic Director will be visiting India for selections.

– Filmmakers with films in post-production are requested to contact Deepti.

ADDRESS :

All submissions (duly subtitled in English) should be sent to the contact details given below.

Deepti DCunha, 23 – Gautam Niwas, 7-Bungalows, Andheri West, Mumbai 400 053, India

Contact Number: (+91)9820522468 (SMS only), Email: deepti.dcunha@gmail.com

 

RULES & REGULATIONS

– For complete rules and regulations please visit the Festival website at www.romacinemafest.org

– In 2013, ‘Rangabhoomi’ by Kamal Swaroop had its World Premiere at the 8th Rome Film Festival and Amit Dutta’s ‘The Seventh Walk’ was the closing film of the CinemaXXI Section. There was a Special screening of ‘Om Dar B Dar’ by Kamal Swaroop on the occasion of 100 years of Indian Cinema. Prantik Basu’s ‘Makara’ was in CinemaXXI competition.

 

 

Older Entries
Newer Entries