Posts Tagged ‘Sundance Film Festival’

Q’s Brahman Naman – All The Sundance Buzz

Posted: February 8, 2016 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, film review, Indie, Interview, movie reviews, News, reviews
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Q’s latest film Brahman Naman premiered at the recently concluded Sundance Festival. Here’s all the buzz that the film generated at the fest – The fridge, the fish, and the fan!

Brahman Naman

– For Twitch Interview of Q and the cast, click here.

– Guardian has given it a three-star rating. Review is here

– Variety review is here

– Hollywood Reporter review is here

– Review on Twitch Film is here. Calls it a “fantastic facre”

– Netflix scooped up worldwide SVOD rights. Details here

– Interview on Film Companion where Q reveals that the film is really about caste system.

– Pillow Talk with Q and Shashank Arora (they are literally on the bed)

 

First Look : Q’s Brahman Naman (Teaser)

Posted: January 22, 2016 by moifightclub in cinema, Clips, Film Festival, first look, Indie, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer, video
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Brahman Naman

Q’s new film is soon going to have its world premiere at the ongoing Sundance Film Festival in World Cinema Dramatic Competition segment. It will compete with 11 other films in that segment.. And just before its screening, the makers have released the teaser of the film. Check it out.

And here’s the official synopsis –

It’s the 1980s and Naman (Shashank Arora, star of Cannes hit TITLI) is a know-it-all nerd driven by the whims of his raging hormones. Heading up Bangalore University’s team of bespectacled misfits (best friends Ajay and Ramu), the trio of lusty intellectuals spend the majority of their time on the quizzing circuit, using their winnings to buy nudie magazines, whiskey, and beer, fantasizing about the buxom neighborhood beauty all the while. When the boys qualify for the National Quiz Championships, they make a booze-fuelled train trip across the country determined to defeat their rivals in Calcutta and desperate to lose their virginities along the way.

Unfolding to the tune of the iconic anthem, “Whiskey Bar,” as Naman and his friends run amok against the colorful backdrop of the Indian landscape, his quest for sex and glory is complicated when he finds his intellectual superior in a stunning female quizzer. Directed by Indian filmmaker Q. (known for his controversial cult hit Gandu) Brahman Naman is a smart, raucous sex comedy that’s raunchy and endearing in equal measure— replete with innovative masturbation methods that put even Philip Roth’s Alexander Portnoy to shame.

Click here to read more about the lead characters of the film.

 

 

Sunday Shorts : Whiplash – the pitch for the feature

Posted: March 1, 2015 by moifightclub in cinema, Hollywood, Indie, short film, Sunday Shorts, VOTD
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In our Sunday Shorts, today we are featuring Whiplash. The short film which was the pitch for the feature by the same title. This is also directed by Damien Chazelle.

Based on his own experiences, Damien wrote the script and it made to Black List of 2012. He then turned his script for feature length film into a short film script. The short was screened at Sundance Film Festival, got rave reviews, won the Short Film Jury Award, and the feature got funding as well.

Made in less than $5millon budget, and shot in just 19 days, the film went on to bag three Oscar Awards this years.

Click here to read a feature on Damien’s journey to the Oscars with Whiplash, his second feature film.

Tip – ShortFilmWindow

Prashant Nair’s “Umrika” won Audience Award in World Cinema Dramatic at Sundance (Pics/Video)

Posted: February 1, 2015 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News
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Here’s some good news. Prashant Nair’s Umrika won the Audience Award in World Cinema Dramatic section at the Sundance Film Festival. The film had its world premiere at the festival.

Produced by Manish Mundra and Swati Shetty, the film’s cast includes Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang and Prateik Babbar.

And here’s the official synopsis – When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. 

Umrika’s announcement from 01:39:15

Prashant Nair’s “Umrika” selected for Sundance Film Festival, 2015

Posted: December 4, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, film, Film Festival, Indie, News, Story / Plot / Synopsis
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Umrika-1-550x308

The Sundance Institute has unveiled the competition line-up for the 2015 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. The fest will run from January 22nd to February 1st, 2015. Out of 12,166 submissions, about 185 selections were made.

Prashant Nair’s film Umrika will have its world premiere in the “World Cinema Dramatic Competition” section. This section has twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world which offers fresh perspectives and inventive styles. The film is produced by Swati Shetty and Manish Mundra. And here’s the official synopsis of the film –

When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. 

The film’s leading cast includes Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang and Prateik Babbar.

Last year, Geethu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice was in the same section of the Sundance Fest.

Neeraj Ghaywan bags Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award

Posted: January 22, 2014 by moifightclub in Awards, cinema, Film Festival, Indie, World Cinema
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If you are regular reader of the blog, you probably know his name. Neeraj Ghaywan is part of the editorial team and is a regular contributor to the blog. So it’s a great news for all of us. Yay! Yay! Yay!

Sundance Institute and Mahindra today announced the winners of the 2014 Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world. The winning directors and projects are Hong Khaou, MONSOON from Vietnam/UK; Tobias Lindholm, A WAR from Denmark; Ashlee Page, ARCHIVE from Australia; and Neeraj Ghaywan, FLY AWAY SOLO from India.

– Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, eligibility to participate in a Sundance Institute Lab, and ongoing creative and strategic support from Sundance Institute’s renowned Feature Film Program.

More details about the winners and their films –

Hong Khaou / MONSOON (Vietnam/UK): Two young men visit present day Vietnam, and are confronted with the war’s ramifications nearly forty years after its end.

Hong Khaou’s debut feature film Lilting premiered in World Cinema Competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.  The film stars Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei Pei. He is also the director of three short films, including Spring, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and Summer, which premiered at the 2006 Berlinale. This year, Hong was named one of the Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International.

Tobias Lindholm / A WAR (Denmark):  The major of a Danish unit in Afghanistan faces the consequences of his actions in the aftermath of his most dangerous mission..

Tobias Lindholm graduated as a screenwriter from the National Film School of Denmark in 2007, and has collaborated with Thomas Vinterberg as co-writer on Submarino and Oscar nominee The Hunt. In 2010 he wrote and directed his first feature film in collaboration with Michael Noer, and in 2012 he wrote and directed the critical acclaimed A hijacking.

Ashlee Page / ARCHIVE (Australia): With the help of a supercomputer, an isolated 16-year-old girl grows plant life on Saturn’s moon Titan in the hope of one day restoring Earth’s ecosystems. But when an unexpected accident leads her to the moon’s surface, she discovers evidence that her mission is a lie and that her life is in danger.

Ashlee Page is an Australian writer and director. Her multi-award winning short The Kiss screened at Busan, Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs and Tribeca film festivals. Her most recent work is on the film compendium The Turning, adapted from the novel by Tim Winton. Archive is her first feature film.

Neeraj Ghaywan / FLY AWAY SOLO (India): Four lives intersect along the Ganges river: a lower-caste boy in a hopeless love, a daughter torn with guilt, a father sinking in greed, and a spirited kid craving a family, all yearning to escape the constrictions of a small-town.

Neeraj Ghaywan worked with Anurag Kashyap on the veteran director’s two-part opus Gangs of Wasseypur and as the second unit director on Ugly.  His short films as writer-director include Shor and The Epiphany. Shor won the grand jury prize at three International film festivals.

– The script of Fly Away Solo is been written by Varun Grover.

– You can watch Neeraj’s short films Shor and Epiphany here and here. And click here to read a post by him on the making of Shor.

– Also, Love.Love.Love, a short documentary directed by FTII student Sandhya Daisy Sundaram, won the Short Film Special Jury award for non-fiction at the ongoing Sundance Film Festival. More details here.

Geetu Mohandas’ ‘Liar’s Dice’ selected for Sundance Film Festival

Posted: December 5, 2013 by moifightclub in cinema, film, Film Festival, Indie, News
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Liar's DiceSundance Film Festival has unveiled its line-up for the next edition. Geetu Mohandas’ debut feature Liar’s Dice has been selected for the festival to premiere in “World Cinema Dramatic Competition” section.

Here’s the note on the film from the official release – “Liar’s Dice” (India) — Directed and written by Geetu Mohandas. The story of a young woman who leaves her native land with her daughter to search for her missing husband, encountering a free-spirited army deserter along the way. Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta. International premiere.

The film has been shot by Rajeev Ravi.

And this was our snippet review from Mumbai Film Festival daily report when it screened – Liar’s Dice –   Set in difficult weather and tough terrain, Kamala (Geentajali Thapa) is looking for her missing husband. From moutains to plains, from Delhi to a single-bed room in a shady hotel, her companion is a selfish and untrustworthy stranger Nawazuddin (Siddiqui). A stark, grim and almost unsentimental portrayal of urban migration. Has a charming kid too. Looking forward to Geetu Mohandas’s next.

– To read about the complete Sundance list, click here.

– To read an interview of Geetu Mohandas on the film, click here.

– The film’s FB page is here.

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First Look : Musa Syeed’s Valley Of Saints (Trailer)

Posted: February 2, 2012 by moifightclub in Awards, cinema, Film Festival, first look, Indie, News, Trailer, video
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Musa Syeed’s low-budget debut feature, Valley Of Saints recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and also bagged the World Cinema Audience Award for dramatic feature. It’s currently screening at the International Film festival Of Rotterdam.

To quote from the official synopsis, during a violent summer in the beautiful Kashmir Valley, a young boatman tries to escape. But then he finds a new love. It’s a story of conflict, but it’s also about the environmental destruction of the beautiful Dal Lake.

Do check out the trailer.

To know more about the film and the director, click here to read the DearCinema.com interview.

If we don’t tell our stories, who will ? Fox Searchlight might!

Posted: January 26, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News
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And this one comes straight from the Sundance Film Festival where Fox Searchlight has bought the remake rights to The Bengali Detective.

For those of you who are not aware of The Bengali Detective, its a documentary and here is the official synopsis –

In response to police corruption, the private detective business has become increasingly common in India. The Bengali Detective follows the life of detective Rajesh Ji, who, along with his ragtag team of assistants, investigates cases ranging from counterfeit hair products to a brutal triple murder. When Rajesh is not sleuthing, he has big dreams of competing on a televised national talent show, so he and his detective gang form a dance troupe—which must be seen to be believed—and rehearse for their big audition.

Set in chaotic Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, the film is shot with atmosphere and immediacy, complementing the mystery and suspense of the investigations. Director Philip Cox finds a riveting subject in Rajesh. He’s all at once a showman, a dedicated husband, and a humanitarian. The Bengali Detective is a layered, wildly entertaining film: a poignant profile of a delightful character, a gripping detective narrative, and a detailed look at the middle class in contemporary India.

The film is directed by Philip Cox and produced by Giovanna Stopponi, Annie Sundberg and Himesh Kar and had its premiere at the Sundance.

But remake rights of a documentary film ? Not very usual and it got us bit confused. So, will it be a feature now ? Click here to read the Variety report though it doesn’t say much. And even the official press release doesn’t give a clear picture. Claudia Lewis (President of Production at Fox Searchlight) said : We adored this film and are delighted to have the chance to work with such entertaining, funny material. We were charmed by this story of a dedicated husband and self-made detective who dreams big.

Will update as soon as we get more details. And if you are still wondering about the header, well, that’s Mira Nair’s favourite quote and we endorse it too – If we don’t tell your stories, who will ? Seems not any more. We might end up losing what we never bothered to endorse! Remeber Slumdog Millionaire ? One of the best masala movies in recent times – aha, that’s also not by Farah Khan!

Movie Recco : Rian Johnson’s Brick because whatever it’s about, they act smarter than they look and drop it too

Posted: October 16, 2010 by moifightclub in cinema, Movie Recco
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If you thought high schools are for musicals and vampires, and you like your high school that way, then please move to the next post. Because Rian Johnson’s Brick is nothing like that. The header of the post is actually a dialogue from the film. And like that line, in the film they talk cool and they act cool, without going Slo-Mo. And sometimes, its even difficult to follow what the characters are saying.

It starts with a dead body and a man blankly staring at the body. The text appears on screen – Two Days Previous. The story rewinds, telling us what, how and why it happened, and comes back to the present. Add detectives, femme fatale, dons and drugs – the perfect  noir combo. Though its a minimalistic setting but the large and open spaces adds a superb eerie feel to the film, adding that perfect mood for this detective drama.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in almost every frame of the film and its easy to spot why he climbed the stairs so fastly with 500 Days of Summer & Inception.

According to IMDB.com, here is the synopsis of the film…

A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

And if directorial debuts don’t have interesting tales behind the making, then half the fun is gone. So,  as it happens, nobody was willing to put money in this film. Rian got it from family and friends, shot it in just 20 days in his hometown and the special effects were done in-camera. And  when Coen Brothers are the inspiration for the filmmaker, one thing is for sure – cool quotient is added in dollops. And we aren’t complaining!

Watch it for its perfect mood setting with minimalistic approach and for a noirish story well told. The film was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 and bagged the Special Jury Prize. Focus Features picked it during the fest and gave it a theatrical release.

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