"द आइडेंटिटी" की घोषणा - अब सांसी भाषा में बनेगी दुनिया की पहली फिल्म

विश्व में लगभग 6500 भाषाएँ हैं. सैकड़ो भाषा बोली बोलनेवाले लोग अपने भारत देश में हैं. भारतीय सिनेमा में अब तक 45 भाषाओँ में फिल्म का निर्माण हुआ है. गोवा के मांडवी तट पर इन दिनों 47वा अंतरराष्ट्रीय फिल्म महोत्सव चल रहा है. जिसमे 88 देशों की 194 फिल्मो का प्रदर्शन विविध भाषाओँ में हुआ है. अपने देश में बोली जानेवाली भाषाओँ में एक सांसी बोली भी है. हालाँकि इस बोली को बोलनेवाले देश-विदेश में हैं और अपने देश में इनकी जनसँख्या एक करोड़ से ज्यादा है. अब इस बोली की पहली फिल्म बनाने की पहल एक युवा पत्रकार, फिल्म समीक्षक, निर्देशक शामी एम्. इरफ़ान ने की है. इरफ़ान इफ्फी महोत्सव में आये हैं और इफ्फी 2016 महोत्सव में ही सांसी बोली की पहली फिल्म बनाने की घोषणा  की है. 

पत्रकार और फिल्म  निर्देशक शामी एम्. इरफ़ान ने बताया कि, फिल्म का टाइटल "द आइडेंटिटी' है. इस फिल्म की शूटिंग हरयाणा, पंजाब, दिल्ली, राजस्थान, गुजरात,  मुम्बई और गोवा में की जाएगी. फिल्म का कथानक सत्य घटना पर आधारित है. सांसी समाज की 36 उप-जातियां हैं. इस जाति के लोग अशिक्षित और पिछड़े हुए हैं. कोई ढंग का कार्य नहीं करते. भारतीय संविधान में सांसी को 'क्रिमिनल ट्राइब' कहा गया है. इनके समाज से पढ़-लिखकर कुछ बन जानेवाले नाम-जाति बदल लेते हैं और अपनी पहचान छिपाते हैं. एक व्यक्ति इस समाज की रीति-रिवाजों से लड़कर पढ़-लिखकर एक बैंक अधिकारी बना है और वह यह बताने से संकोच नहीं करता कि, वह सांसी समाज से है. वही व्यक्ति इस फिल्म का नायक है. वह व्यक्ति इस समय गोवा में ही पोस्टेड है. 

फिल्म निर्देशक शामी एम्. इरफ़ान ने एक प्रेस विज्ञप्ति में बताया कि, फिल्म का टाइटल पंजीकृत हो चुका है. यह फिल्म सांसी बोली में बनेगी. इस फिल्म का निर्माण एच. एन. ड्रीम्स और अंजुम तरन्नुम आर्ट्स के बैनर तले होगा. फिल्म के निर्माता ए. एस. भाना हैं. फिल्म का संवाद अमर सिंह लिख रहे हैं, जो सांसी समाज के भेड़ गुट से हैं और एक सोशल वर्कर भी हैं. फिल्म के कास्ट-क्रेडिट्स का चयन किया जा रहा है.सहयोग व् कार्य करने के इच्छुक व्यक्ति संपर्क कर सकते हैं.

International Jury Members at 47th International Film Festival of India meet the Media

Interacting with the media at 47^th IFFI, Ivan Passer, the Chairperson for IFFI 2016 International Jury, said that they judged a total 22 films in two categories i.e. International Competition (15) and Centenary Award for the best debut feature film of Director (7). He told the media that it was an interesting experience as films from across the world reminded him of the vastness of cultures, acts, beauty and colours of life. 

Selection of films was done without any injustice, even though some films have more impact than the others and suit personal opinions. He further added that it was the first time he met the Jury members and found them extremely jolly and friendly, there were no clashes in the process of selection and it is a rare thing for jury.

Mr Larry Smith, Member of IFFI 2016 International Jury, said that jury members were on common grounds for selecting the film and all the 22 films were different and unique in their own, giving us many things to wonder and talk about. They screened 4 films a day and the selection process was very straight forward.

Mr Lordan Zafranovic, Member of IFFI 2016 International Jury, added that he loved the way IFFI was organized. He watched a number of films and found out that it is the language of art that is universal in nature and it needs no description or subtitles to understand. Talking about the selection procedure, he said it was very easy for the jury to choose the films as all of them were looking at the same point.

Talking about the jury members, Nagesh Kukunoor, Member of IFFI 2016 International Jury, said that he could not have better people than these. He added that the selection of the debut films was a job well done. Replying to a question on the objectivity of selection process, he replied that there is always subjectivity attached to individual perceptions and opinions though the jury tries to do justice to all the competing entries without any inherent bias in the process.

Leila Kilani, Member of IFFI 2016 International Jury, said that it was a warm and pleasant experience to work with the other jury members. It did not involve talks about cinema and films only, but also about sharing views and discussing life.

 

Newer Online Platforms to provide New Opportunities to Showcase Short Films

 Interacting with media at International Film Festival of India, Goa today, Ms. Judy Gladstone said that it is her second time in India and she has seen incredible masterpieces screened at the 47th edition of IFFI. She appreciated the concept of master-classes, as a great opportunity to learn. She said that her expertise is in short films and people do short films for different reasons. She expressed that she is thrilled to promote the work of excellent and innovative artists in this country. She also conducted Workshop at 47th IFFI 2016.

Judy Gladstone has been recognized with a WIFT Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement, Women in Communications Award for Excellence in Leadership / Mentoring, and a Maverick of the Year Award from the Female Eye Festival. Ms. Judy Gladstone is a CEO of a bilingual SVOD dedicated to presenting Canadian film and video, which is founded by the Coalition of Canadian Independent Media Arts Distributors.

Shri Ramesh Tekwani said that Judy has an incredible power to see and recognize talent in the crowd and the ability to find raw diamonds, which can be shaped up to be the gems of the industry. He added that production of short films is all about inspiration, which can come for anywhere. He said that in the age of technology, one can enjoy watching short films on the phone while travelling.

On the issue of popularity of short films across the globe, Judy said that it is hard to find a platform to screen short films to the population at large. Shri. Tekwani said that there are online platforms where one can post the ideas and can get brighter prospects, to this Ms Judy Gladstone added that these are online platforms are available at a minimal cost.

Shri Ramesh Tekwani has been a part of International Film Festival of India (and Filmotsav, its travelling variant) since 1975.  As a writer and short film maker, Ramesh has written, directed and produced around 500 shorts of various hues, non-fiction TV Serials and several audio visual profiles for individuals and companies.

Meet with directors of Indian Panorama at 47th IFFI

In the ‘Meet with Directors of Indian Panorama’ series at the 47^th International Film Festival of India, the Directors expressed their satisfaction over for platform that IFFI 2016 provided for the young film makers. Further they narrated the experiences of making of their films.

Shri Pankaj Johar, Director of the film ‘Cecilia’ said that his film was about Cecilia, how she fought corruption at all levels after her daughter was trafficked and was found dead. He further said that through his film he was trying to help his housekeeper by telling her story to the world.

Shri Mithun Chandra Chowdhary, Director of the film ‘Paywat’ said that his film portrays a day in the life of a girl Maydi, daughter of a labourer. He also said that through his film he tried to showcase the life of his sister.

Shri TS Nagabharna, Director of the film ‘Allama’ said that his film is a biopic of the 12th Century mystic saint ‘Allama Prabhu’. According to the director, many people knew about Allama’s disciple Basawa but not about Allama himself. Further, through his film people will come to know about the life of the saint Allama and his philosophies, he added.

Shri Shekar Sartandel, Director of the film ‘Ekk Albela’ said that his film is a biopic on the life of legendary actor of Bhagwan Dada. He further said that he found it very difficult to find actors who were resembling Bhagwan Dada but in the end, actor Mangesh Desai played the role convincingly.

After the PCA nomination ,Priyanka Chopra ranks in Hollywood's Best Beauty Moments of 2016

India's first truly global superstar , Priyanka Chopra, who was also named one of the "100 most Influential people in the world" by Time Magazine was recently announced nominee at the People's Choice Awards.

This makes it Priyanka Chopra's second consecutive nomination at the PCA's. It was only last year that the global superstar won the award for  'Favourite Actress In a New TV Series' in the debut year of her thriller series, Quantico and is now up against some of the biggest, most established female stars in the recent nomination.

Hollywood is crushing on Priyanka Chopra , whether its her magnetic personality, sultry voice or luscious hair and the global superstar along with the man behind her trending hairdos - hairstylist Castillo , recently featured in The Hollywood Reporter's photo portfolio.

 

Our Desi girl who turned America's sweetheart, features in the exclusive portfolio along with other Hollywood names including Rachel McAdams and her makeup artist/sister Kayleen McAdams , Elle Fanning and her makeup artist Rachel Goodwin , Naomie Harris and her make up artist Alex Babsky among others.

 

Priyanka features with her hairstylist Castillo (who also works with Halle Berry) and the two shot for the pictures with photographer Blossom Berkofsky at Brooklyn Grain, New York .In fact ,one of Priyanka's looks even featured in THR's Top 25 Beauty Moments of 2016 ,ranking in at number 6 after Blake Lively , Lupita Nyong , Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron and Beyonce.

 

Priyanka's twist on a top knot at Jan. 9's BAFTA Awards Season Tea in L.A. emerged on the number 6 spot ,a mix of fun and sophistication that had beauty experts raving.

 

Talking about sets Priyanka Chopra apart from the rest, Castillo revealed , " She is definitely a risk-taker on the red carpet. She naturally has an edge."

Champak Banerjee promoting three feature films in IFFI 2016

TELEVISION ACTOR AND FILM MAKER CHAMPAK BANERJEE IS A PART OF IFFI FILM FESTIVAL 2016. THIS YEAR CHAMPAK IS PROMOTING THREE FEATURE FILMS…

TITLED  “JUDGEMENT…THE FINAL VERDICT “,  surajchand tare a science fiction &   “KASHISH”   a love thriller .

“LAST WAR”  …OF DIFFERENT GENRE SOCIALLY RELAVENT  FEATURE FILMS WITH READY BOUND SCRIPTS  AND   FEW SONGS RECORDED NEEDS FINANCIAL AND MARKETING  PARTHNERS  ACROSS  GLOBE.

CHAMPAK BANERJEE IS THE WINNER OF DADA SAHEB PHALKE JANMABHOOMI AWARD 2011 .

The Son of War’: Argentina-Uruguay Production Film screened at IFFI 2016

‘The Son of War - Being Awake’, was screened at the IFFI, Goa yesterday. In an interaction with the media today, the Director, Ms. Julieta Noemi Ledesma, shared her experience on making the film as a debutant director and getting an opportunity for her film to feature in the ‘Cinema of the World’ category at the IFFI, 2016.

The film is a story about a son who decides to leave his family in the middle of a drought. As it progresses, the story unfolds to show how human values undergo a change and how the selfish and animalistic side of humans comes to the foreground in the times of diversity.

Talking about the pre-production journey of the film, Ms. Ledesma said that making this film was an intense experience and it took around 10 years to produce it. The film is a reflection of her personal experience, she added. The Director, while answering another question, said that she likes depicting reality and true emotions through her characters and would like to continue with same genre in future.

Ms. Carolina Lusa, Production manager of the film, said that this film is an Argentina-Uruguay production and she is glad that it is being screened at the IFFI 2016. 

Mr. Pablo Rios, Actor of the film, said that it was his first experience as an actor and was a bit difficult to portray the character according to the desire of the Director, but thanks to the talented crew he was able to do everything smoothly.

Ms. Julieta Dolinski, Art Director of the film, described how challenging was it for her to create an ambience which was strange and silent, given the demand of the script, but she has tried her best to meet the vision of the Director.

Mr. Jorge Anibal Roman, Actor of the film, said that this is his 10^th Film as an actor but working on this script was an intense experience. 

DFF is expanding its collaboration with Oscar Academy to increase number of Master Classes in coming IFFI

In the ‘Meet with VFX Experts’ series at the 47^th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the Post Visual Effects and Compositing Supervisor Ms. Theresa Ellis Rygiel expressed her satisfaction at the turnout and the overwhelming response she received for her Master Class on Visual Effects in IFFI 2016. Further she narrated her experiences of working in post-production of the films.

Theresa Ellis Rygiel, VFX Supervisor said that she is thankful that she was invited for 47^th IFFI. She said that Visual effects are  part of pre-planning stages and she has to work on creating a dialogue between visual effects and other branches of cinema. VFX is very much part of planning and finalising the sequences. She emphasized that today Visual effects is everywhere especially in money making films. She further said that she enjoyed working in technical as well as artistic aspects of the films and have also enjoyed making things move in photography. Further she mentioned that most films can be shoot in 2 months but it will involve a very good planning. She concluded that ‘Special Effects are the future way to Direct Films’.

C. Senthil Rajan, Director Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) said that, DFF is expanding its collaboration with Oscar Academy. As a part of the collaboration DFF will endeavour to increase the masterclasses with the members of Oscar Academy in the upcoming IFFI.  

 

Seven films in race for the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal Prize at the 47th IFFI 2016

At the IFFI 2016, there are seven films competing for the International Council for Films, Television and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT)-UNESCO Gandhi Medal Prize from the International Film Section and one film from the Indian Panorama Section.          

Shri C. Senthil Rajan, Director DFF, said that he is thankful to ICFT-UNESCO for giving this medal. He announced the contestants for ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi medal prize. These include ‘The Apology’ (Canada), ‘Beluga’ (Iran), ‘Cold of Kalandar’ (Turkey), ‘Exiled’ (Latvia), ‘The Family –Dementia’ (Spain), ‘Harmonia’ (Israel), ‘A Real Vermeer’ (The Netherlands) and ‘Allama’ (India).

Addressing the media today, Ms. Lola Poggi Goujan, Secretary General of ICFT and Jury Member, said that she is glad to be a part of IFFI 2016. She added that ICFT, an official partner of UNESCO established in 1956, is an NGO aiming to stimulate the production and distribution of high quality audio-visual work, especially of young artists and media avocations at large. She further said that the criteria for the Gandhi Medal will reflect UNESCO’s fundamental mandate of Building peace in the mind of men and women, particularly human rights, intercultural dialogue, promotion and safeguard of diversity of cultural expressions.

Ms. Xueyuan Hun, Associate, ICFT, said that this year they have received a lot of good films from the 47^th IFFI and therefore it has become difficult to decide upon the awardee. The award will not only be based on the film but also on the idea. She further said that the collaboration is a joint venture of ICFT and IFFI. Giving her views on Indian films she said that message of the film and technical aspects of the film is what she likes.

Talking about the Gandhi medal in further detail, the panel informed that in 1994, UNESCO issued commemorative medal marking the 125^th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, the world’s advocate of peace, tolerance and non-violence. The medal bears a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi engraved by the French artist Pierre-Yves Tremois. Etched underneath is the Mahatma’s message of hope: “In the midst of darkness light prevails”. The reverse side carries the UNESCO Logo.

AMITABH BACHCHAN’S NEW ANIMATED SUPERHERO SERIES, ASTRA FORCE

A special screening of  the much-awaited superhero animated series - “Astra Force” with legendary icon, Amitabh Bachchan was hosted today at Sunny Super Studio, Juhu which was attended by celebrity artists like Faisal Khan, Sadhil Kapoor, Arush Rana & Ashnoor Kaur. The kids were thrilled to watch Mr.Bachchan’s new avatar and expressed their immense excitement at the premier. A shout out to all superhero lovers as a must watch series.

A funny and fast-paced, action-adventure series, filled with laughs and thrills, “Astra Force” tells the story of a mythical hero from a distant world, who was stranded on Earth millions of years ago, after an epic space battle. When 8-year old brother and sister twins accidentally awaken the mythical superhero from his long hibernation, they must teach him about the modern world and join Astra to save the universe from a new wave of giant monsters and intergalactic threats. Together they will fight for Truth, for Justice and for Ice cream!   

Astra Force features the voice of Mr. Bachchan as the powerful new superhero, "Astra" in his first animated kids television series. The 52 part, series will be aired every week from Monday to Thursday at 3:30 p.m.         

The new Indian superhero was created by Mr. Bachchan and Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Graphic India who are producing the series in partnership with Disney Channel. 

Forth day of Film Bazar in Goa

The fourth day of the 10th edition of NFDC Film Bazaar held in Marriott Goa from 20-25 November drew to a close on a high note with over 1300 delegates in attendance (including 954 Indian delegates, 212 International delegates and press),

The Film Bazaar also witnessed 134 buyers present this year from over 34 countries. Producers' Lab saw over 50 entries, Viewing Room had the maximum number of entries so far with 202 films, 'Film Bazaar Recommends' featured 32 films, Industry Screenings saw 40 films and Virtual Reality emerged as one of the major attractions at the Film Bazaar.

The Prasad Digital Intermediate (DI) award by Prasad Labs went to Ridham Janve's Pahadi language film The Gold-Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain (Work-In-Progress Lab) and a Malayalam film Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Sexy Durga (Film Bazaar Recommends)

Facebook collaborated with the 10th NFDC Film Bazaar for the first time and gave out Facebook Credits (ad coupons) worth 10 thousand dollars to the winning films - Kanwal Sethi’s Once Again (Work-In-Progress Lab) and Kabir Mehta’s Buddhagram (Film Bazaar Recommends)

Mr Kinshu Sinha (Head of Growth and Partnerships, Facebook) said "NFDC and Film Bazaar are emerging, both as a very powerful and strong forum for filmmakers and we are really proud to be associated with them. This is the first time we are sponsoring these awards but we would want to continue this and come again in a much bigger way the next year to support Film Bazaar and the filmmakers."

Winners were decided by the mentors of the WIP Lab and the jury of FBR, which included Charles Tesson, Benjamin Illos, Paolo Bertolin, Renata Santoro.

WIP Lab Mentor, Marco Muller (Artistic Director of the International Film Festival and Awards, Macao) said, "The first thing that I want to say on behalf of the jury is - Dear Nina Lath Gupta, please be well soon because your vision has been enhanced once again in this wonderful mission of Film Bazaar."

Some exciting announcements made at the 10th edition of NFDC Film Bazaar were:

- Sa Re Ga Ma planning to produce 100 films in the next five years, Richie Mehta planning to shoot two projects in Delhi (Film Office)

- Dina Dattani to work on A Foolish Man (Co-Production Market) as executive producer

Abhay Deol picked 3 Film Bazaar titles, Leeches, Labour of Love and Kaagaz Ki Kashti for digital release.

Talking about the most significant market in South Asia, Nina Lath Gupta (Managing Director, NFDC Film Bazaar) says, “I would attribute the success of Film Bazaar to the fact that it does not simply present projects for investment and films for sale, but puts in a great deal of effort into the development of projects and training of filmmakers - developing scripts in labs, pitching and presentation training in the Co-Production Market, Work-in-Progress Labs that look at the first cut of a film and not only advise on its strengths and flaws but even assist in editing, advising on possible reshoots etc, and finally presenting them in the Viewing Room where every distributor, buyer and festival programmer can view these films, contact the filmmaker and make a deal. We believe it is this approach that has contributed to the success of the Film Bazaar. The event is not simply a market - it is a complex amalgamation of training, development, promotion and curating a selection of good films for the consideration of the domestic and international market."

The ‘Open Pitch’ in the Co-Production Market (which was introduced in 2015) upped the ante with the introduction of ‘Video Presentations’ while pitching the CPM projects, with NFDC Film Bazaar probably being the only platform for filmmakers to do this.

"I don't think I have ever seen a video pitch like this happening in any other film market in the world," German Producer Michael Henrichs said.

Sharing his thoughts on the introduction of Video Pitch in Co-Production Market, Paolo Bertolin, festival programmer of Venice International Film Festival and film critic said, “Open Pitch is an important addition to the structuring of Film Bazaar; in particular, a very good way of creating interest in the projects in the Co-Production Market. Especially because it highlights what really the projects are representing, and what the directors and producers are looking for. It is easier for the decision-makers who are attending the Co-Production Market to decide on which projects they really need to meet or they are really interested in. They can get an immediate feel or vibe of how the people are dealing with their subjects with their way of making the projects first and then hopefully turning into a film, it should definitely become a permanent feature in the future.”

Actor Renuka Shahane, whose debut directorial venture Tribhanga (Three Curve Bent) participated in the Open Pitch, said, “The video pitch at the NFDC Co-Production Market was a very useful tool for writers/directors because it not only gave the participating producers an exact idea of the tone and type of script we were pitching. It also gave it in a succinct spanner. It saved us a lot of trouble in trying to explain our work. I’m extremely grateful to all at NFDC who have nurtured our video pitches in such an understanding manner adding immense value to our pitching efforts.”

The Knowledge Series sessions at NFDC Film Bazaar 2016 culminated with a Masterclass by Producer Philip Lee, who spoke on ‘Mounting and Positioning the Epic Across Cultures’ In a freewheeling discussion spanning his work on critically acclaimed and box office hit films such as The Dark Knight, The Revenant, Cloud Atlas, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and most recently for Assassin’s Creed as executive producer, to be released 2016.

Michel Reilhac, (ex-Head of Film Acquisitions at Arte France who curated the VR NEXT sidebar at Cannes and Venice International Film Festival 2016 and has also directed 6 VR shorts) did an engaging presentation on ‘Busting Myths, Immersive Technology and its role in Future Cinema Narratives’.

Facebook Head of Media partnerships Saurabh Doshi’s session on ‘The Facebook Workshop, Facebook’s Guide to Filmmaking’ was another enlightening session, especially with the boom in online content being generated, and then promoted on Facebook.

Meri Pyaari Bindu releases on May 12th

Yash Raj Films’ Meri Pyaari Bindu starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra will release on May 12^th 2017. Directed by Akshay Roy and produced by Maneesh Sharma, the film is written by Suprotim Sengupta. The music is by Sachin- Jigar and lyrics are by Kausar Munir.

 

International Competition depicts different sheds of relationship at IFFI 2016

In the ‘Meet with Directors of International Competition’ at the 47^th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2016, the Directors and Producers of the International Cinema expressed their happiness and excitement for the awesome reception they got from the audiences at the IFFI 2016. Further they narrated their experiences while making the films.

Ms. Estelle Artus, Director of ‘According to Her’, added that this film is a fictional story based on her experience. Ms. Artus said that it is the story of Veronica, who moves to New York from Russia for raising her son, leaving her career as a pianist behind. Living in an environment of French expatriates in US makes her more isolated. This film also depicts how Veronica’s dependance on her husband increases and a sense of personal dislocation sets in her. She further said that she was surprised that many in India were also able to relate themselves to the film.

Ms. Russudan Glurjidze, Director of the film ‘House of Others’, said that her film depicts the emotions of families dislocated due to the civil war in Georgia. Her film shows the difficulties of starting a new life in an environment of peace after the war.

Shri Baris Kaya, Director of the film ‘Rauf’ said that his film depicts the story of a platonic love relation between a 9 year old boy with a 20 year old girl, under the shadow of war. He also said that his film is a Kurdish and Turkish joint collaboration and shows that both can live together as friends. He also said that in Turkey, the environment is increasingly becoming difficult for making films. He said that they were fortunate to have made the film during the time of peace and at present, it is more difficult to make films of these genres.

Shri Tomas Weinreb, Director of the film ‘I, Olga Hepnarova’ said that his film is about the life of a young lonely lesbian outsider who couldn't play the part society desired of her. Her inability to connect with the people made her to become a mass murderer when she was only 22-year-old. He also said that the film takes place during 1970’s which is a very disturbing phase in the history of Czech Republic.

Venezuelan film ‘Tamara’ premieres as the mid Festival Film at IFFI, 2016

 IFFI 2016 saw the World Premiere of the path breaking Venezuelan Film ‘Tamara’ in Goa yesterday. The film is a social drama that explores the journey of Teo Almanza, a transgender, who is in search for true self. It depicts the day-to-day struggle one undergoes with societal taboos as well as inner conflicts regarding who a person wants to become in contrast to what the society wants the person to be.

‘Tamara’ is a reaction to the norms and the codes of conduct prescribed by a society that refuse any change in the societal mind set attributed to the human condition. It is a film about Transphobia, the hatred that the society exhibits against transgenders. The film is inspired by the life and struggles of Tomas Mariano Adrian Hernandez, now Tamara Adrian. She is the first transgender person to become the Member of Parliament in Venezuela.

Sharing her experiences with the media, Ms. Elia Schneider, the Venezuelan writer-director, said that the most difficult part of the film was how not to tell the story of Tamara. This story has taken five years to translate into the film and as it is dealing with a sensitive social issue, it is a very important theme that needs to be debated widely in the society, she added.

Talking about her experiences in life, Ms. Tamara Adrian said that her story is the story of all the underprivileged and excluded minorities world over, especially the transgender community, that face a discrimination on a daily basis. For every transgender, there are two kinds of troubles.  One is to fight against yourself and recognize who you are and the second is a fight against the lack of identity, exclusion and violence by rest of the world, she added. 

Ms. Tamara noted that human rights are for all humans equally and no one should be deprived of that. She hoped that cinema would increasingly bring such issues to the fore and start debates in the society to initiate an Evolution in the Collective Consciousness across the globe.

Replying to a question on discrimination being ingrained in the impressionable minds of young children by the society, Luis Fernandez, the lead actor of the film, noted that discrimination against minorities is deep seated in our societies and there is a need for all of us to unlearn these prejudices in the very first place. He added that we have to educate our children from the very beginning to see the world with an open mind and accept diversities in the society around us.

Elia K. Schneider has directed movies like A Dot and A line (2004) and A Distant Place (2010). She won the Best Director Award for her film Punto Y Raya (2004) at the Bagota Film Festival. Other members of the crew present during the interaction with the media were Joseph Novoa, Producer, Prakriti Into Maduro Martin, Actress of the film Tamara.

Please find attached the press release for your perusal.

Disha Patani approached for a dance based web series

Disha Patani who made her Bollywood debut with the blockbuster MS Dhoni , already has a hit T-Series song alongside Tiger Shroff - Going by the trade verdict, the next big star to step into Bollywood ,has even managed to bag a big ticket international project opposite cinema legend Jackie Chan in Kung Fu Yoga,speaking volumes for the kind of potential she shows.

The trained gymnast and dancer enjoys doing things the unconventional way and turns to gymnastics and dance as a method of staying fit - The actress trains at a suburban studio and enjoys uploading videos of her stunts and dance moves - Hence it comes as no surprise that the actress has been approached for a dance based web series.

Says a source, " Disha's posts are extremely popular over social media and infact post MS Dhoni her popularity has increased three fold . Her dance videos too are also very viewed .She has been approached for a dance based web series that will make a great platform to show off her skills...Though she is excited with the concept , they are still in talks as she is still going through movie scripts"

When contacted Disha, she confirms the news and says. "Yes, I'm in talks with a web channel for something on these lines...dancing is something I have always been passionate about but its too soon to talk about it right now".

A.R.Rehman graced the thrid day of Film Bazar

The revered A. R. Rahman graced the third day of the ​10th NFDC Film Bazaar 2016, and discussed in detail the process of creating the ‘Live-In-VR Experience’ of his performance of ‘Vande Mataram’ being screened at the Virtual Reality Lounge powered by Samsung GearVR in the Knowledge Series, as well as the experience of virtual reality as a whole.

“We had made the video, and we felt like NFDC Film Bazaar is a very interesting place. I felt very good attending the Bazaar last time, and so we decided to premiere the VR experience here,” he said.

Moderated by producer, director and author Nasreen Munni Kabir, it was a highly interactive session where Rahman and the audience shared their opinions on the technology of the future. The Virtual Reality Lounge has received overwhelming attention at Film Bazaar 2016, with Chris Milk’s films enjoying a special popularity, including his animated film ‘Evolution of Verse’.

Delighted with the response, Director Finance, NFDC, N J Shaikh, said, "Again a memorable day as predicted! The star attraction of the day was A.R. Rahman's presence to share his VR experience which had the crowd totally charged up! The other major highlight was Philip Lee's session at the Producer's Lab. The other eminent speakers also added sparkle to the day & there was excitement and anticipation in the air, which was very palpable. VR Lounge, Viewing Room & Industry screening continued to attract maximum footfalls. In all, a very enriching day at Film Bazaar."

Stories Told In Vernacular and Small Town India

Filmmakers Nagraj Manjule (Marathi film Sairat), Bhaskar Hazarika (Assamese film, Kothanodi) and Raam Reddy (Kannada film, Thithi) engaged in a discussion about depicting stories set in small towns in an authentic way.  “When I came to the Bazaar a few years ago with Fandry, it opened up so many avenues for me,” Nagraj Manjule said. “Mr. Shyam Benegal and many other filmmakers saw my film, which created so many opportunities. It’s a very important platform.” he added.

Spicing Up the Urbanscape in Mainstream Films

Director Aanand L. Rai, who attended the Film Bazaar for the first time this year, participated in a discussion with film critic Rajeev Masand on the above topic. He said, “What is very promising about Film Bazaar is that it has given a platform to original voices. For me, Film Bazaar is one of the most important initiatives for the filmmakers, and I am very sure that this is the place where we will find our future filmmakers.”

The director picked up Nil Battey Sannata (‘Film Bazaar Recommends’ & WIP, 2015) for national release and has returned this year with his film Nimmo, (a part of ‘Film Bazaar Recommends’ & WIP, 2016). As for his expectations from Film Bazaar 2016, he said, “I’m just hoping for a great experience for my director. I also hope the purity of the filmmakers here will rub off on me as well.”

Technology In Storytelling For Cinema

“I’d like to thank NFDC Film Bazaar for giving me the opportunity to elaborate on virtual reality and the extent of its potential,” said Avinash Changa, CEO, WeMakeVR, who presented on 'Technology In Storytelling for Cinema’ and spoke at length about the various possible uses of virtual reality technology ranging from immersive film experiences to travel to therapy.

The first half of the day included the Investors’ Pitch for ‘Film Bazaar Recommends Part 2’ in which several film trailers were presented, including Atanu Mukherjee's ‘Rukh’, featuring Manoj Bajpayee. There was also a discussion on ‘Ownership of the Film: The Chain of Documents That A Finished Film Must Have’ with panelists Madhu Gadodia (Equity Partner, Naik Naik & Company), Datta Dave (Partner Tulsea Pictures) and Michael Henrichs (Producer), moderated by media specialist and author Vanita Kohli Khandekar and ‘Technology Changing Production Landscape’ with VP & Head Sales-APAC, Prime Focus moderated by Nyay Bhushan (India Correspondent, Hollywood Reporter).

Is Farah Khan planning Main Hoon Na 2?

This week on Spices and Secrets with Zarine Khan, Zarine shares with the audience how the Khan household has always been the centre of entertainment for the who’s who of Bollywood. In the episode, we will see acclaimed director Farah Khan and dynamic actor Jackie Shroff in Zarine’s kitchen, catching up and spilling secrets over a sumptuous dish of hara masala mutton and aloo chakana.

Sticking with the theme of the show, Farah divulges a secret to an elated Zarine, that will come as a thrilling surprise to all Bollywood lovers. Farah revealed that has begun writing Main Hoon Na 2, the much anticipated sequel to her 2004 blockbuster, which starred heartthrob Shahrukh Khan and Zarine’s son Zayed Khan.

 

Reminiscing about the time she has spent with the Khan family, Farah says, “Zarine’s home has always been my go-to whenever I’m craving my favourite Mughlai food. She has the most inviting home I’ve known and today, even my kids enjoy her lavish food and warmth.”

 

Over a lavishly laid meal, Jackie shares that he is fondly called ‘Aloo’ by his loved ones. When asked about his favourite food, Jackie says nothing can beat a homemade meal cooked by mothers. Even though the world’s greatest chef’s are all men, in Jackie’s opinion, at the end of the day, everyone craves food cooked by their mother.

 

Zarine recounts her memories of Jackie when he was a young actor and worked on many projects with her brother-in-law Feroz Khan. Jackie still remembers being tossed a gold coin as a signing bonus for Feroz’s film, which he has preserved to this day. Farah reveals to the audience Jackie’s Achilles’ heel, which she discovered while shooting for a song with him and Anil Kapoor - Jackie can either sing or dance, not do both together! She quips that it makes her wonder how his son, young Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff turned out to be such an exemplary dancer.

 

Jackie also shares his favourite recipe with the audience, a quick stir-fried pumpkin with fennel and chillies, which in his words, takes less than ten minutes from the pan to his stomach. Farah mentions that Jackie’s children love the roast chicken that she prepares, and so he always makes it a point to pack some of it for his children whenever he visits Farah’s house.

 

Zarine then put her guests through the ‘Khan-swering’ machine, a challenge of taste, smell and touch, where guests are blindfolded and have to rely on their senses to guess the ingredient they are presented with. The boisterous game brings out the competitive side of her guests as they play the Battle of the Senses to win Zarine’s coveted hamper!

 

Join Zarine Khan every Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM on Living Foodz, as she charms you with her gastronomic secrets!

Two Indian Films to Compete with 13 Foreign Films in International Competition Section of 47th IFFI

‘Ishti’, a film focussing on stigmas of Indian society; and ‘Sahaj Paather Gappo’ (Colours of Innocence), a film that reflects the struggles of a family challenged by situations, will compete in the International Competition section of the 47^th International Film Festival of India. The names of these two Indian films were announced by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

The 13 other films were announced at a press conference on November 1st, 2016 in New Delhi. The International Competition section has 15 films from across the globe, including these 2 films from the Indian Panorama section.

‘Ishti’ is a Sanskrit film, set in the mid-twentieth century Kerala, where young Namboothiri Brahmins successfully challenge the orthodox, patriarchal traditions of their community. ‘Ishti’, a Sanskrit word, means the search for oneself, yaga, etc.

‘Sahaj Paather Gappo’ (Colours of Innocence)is a film directed by Manas Mukul Pal, which reflects the struggles of a family going through tough times, the early maturity of kids and the sacrifice of their wills, by focussing on a story of two brothers.

These films will be judged by an esteemed jury and awards will be presented to the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor-Male, Best Actor-Female and a Special Jury Award.

The films competing under this section are ‘According to Her’, ‘Daughter’, ‘House of Others’, ‘I, Olga Hepnarova’, ‘Mellow Mud’, ‘Nelly’, ‘Personal Affairs’, ‘Rauf’, ‘Scarred Hearts’, ‘The Last Family’, ‘The Long Night of Francisco Sanctis’, ‘The Throne’, ‘The Student’, ‘Ishti’ and ‘Sahaj Paather Gappo.

47th IFFI - Indian Panorama Directors meet the Press

In the ‘Meet the Directors of Indian Panorama series, Non-Feature  filmmakers, Utpal Borpujari of  “Memories of Forgotten War”, Umesh Mohan Bagade,   Director of  Film ‘Chaukat’  (‘Frames’)  and Niranjan Kumar Kujur Director of ‘Edpa Kana’,  met the press here in Goa today.

Interacting with media Utpal Borpujari,  Director of  ‘Memories of a Forgotten war’ said that the film is a documentary about the memories of people from the states of Nagaland and Manipur, who fought and witnessed the World War II. This film is based on war, yet is an anti-war film, as it shows that even the soldiers have feelings for their enemies and were just fighting on orders, and not for their personal reasons.

The crew of the film interviewed 29 war veterans across the globe and it was quite a tough task because most of the soldiers from the war had passed away or were not in a condition to talk. Further the Director added that the youngest interviewee was 92 year old and the oldest was 96.

Talking about the bombings in Nagaland and Manipur during the World War II, he added that the people were simply the victims of circumstances, while they had no connection with the cause of the war.

Utpal Borpujari wrote extensively on areas like culture, literature and politics, before turning a scriptwriter and filmmaker.

 Director of the film ‘Chaukat’, Umesh Mohan Bagade while addressing the media said that his film is all about Human values and the mind-set of humans bound itself in the shackles of traditions and beliefs. His film show that a woman, who earlier refrains herself from feeding the nomad because of the prayers she had to offer, later on realises that the nomad needs the food rather than the deity to whom she was offering the food in first place.

 Umesh Mohan Bagade has worked on 5 short film projects, 20 TVC projects as a writer and director.

 Umesh Mohan Bagade’s current profile mostly revolves around concept writing, direction and the beauty of conveying a story through audio-visuals.

 interacting with media Shri Niranjan Kumar Kujur, the Director of ‘“Edpa Kana” Said his film portrays a very common issue of various states. He said that the story of his film revolves around the issue of casteism and religion conversions, sensitive topics to deal with. Belonging to a tribal community and observing these issues closely in tribal as well as mainstream civilizations, he made a film upon it, describing the dilemma of people going through such issues. The film is based on a true love story, where the couple are from same tribe and different religions, trying to convert each other.

Edpa Kana is about Ashok, the main protagonist who is caught between the dual realities of orthodox village life and his progressive city life as he struggles to speak his mind.

Niranjan Kumar Kujur graduated in Cinema with a diploma in Direction and Screenplay Writing from SRFT Institute, Kolkata. 

While answering a question, all three directors together spoke about how art and cinema are not the only factors to bring change in the society, but they do play a key role in addressing the society at large with the problems the world is facing. Furthermore, Niranjan said that cinema can only show you the way, but you have to walk down the road by yourself, to bring the change in yourself.

Preservation of Indian Films can be enhanced through Collaborative Efforts with AMPAS

At the 47^th International Film Festival of India, Mr. Sid Ganis, Former President of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and American Motion Picture Executive and Producer and Ms. Tessa Idlewine, the Preservationist at the AMPAS addressed the Press conference in Goa today. Mr. Sid Ganis said that the Academy has been developing a very close relationship with the Indian Film makers and with Goa through the International Film Festival of India. In the past few years, the Academy is getting to know Indian Celebrities and Film makers and wanting to enhance and expand their relationship with Indian Film Industry. He further added that the Academy is not just an Academy for America or Hollywood alone, but about Film makers and artists across the world.

Ms. Tessa Idlewine, the Preservationist at the AMPAS described about the criteria, how a film is being selected for preserving, saying that firstly the preference is given to the Oscar nominated films and that is not all. Apart from the Oscar nominated films, the ones which are unique, important and decaying are also preserved. Out of the 37 films under the project, 21 have been restored successfully. Commenting over the preservation of the work of Satyajit Ray, Tessa said that the AMPAS is working continuously to save the artwork of the maestro and has saved his trilogy ‘Apu’, where the negatives of the films were almost burnt. At the 47th IFFI, she has held a workshop on Restoration of Satyajit Ray Preservation Project.

 

Mr. Senthil Rajan, Director Directorate of Film Festival told media that National Film Achieves of India (NFAI) and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will have more collaboration to preserve, conserve and restore more number of Indian Films in future. Mr. Sid Ganis, the Former President at AMPAS and Ms. Tessa Idlewine, currently Preservationist at AMPAS further discussed about the 25 year old Active Preservation Program that started in 1991 and has 4 full time Preservationists. They also talked about the Academy vaults and the 92,000 film titles stored in them.

 

Shabana, Waheeda, Raveena grace Anjali Chhabria's book launch

Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rehman and Raveena Tandon were present to support Psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria at the launch of her book: Death is not the answer.

The event was a starry affair with the woman of the moment, , Shabana Azmi, Wahida Rehman and Raveena Tandon, in attendance. The psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria even took to the stage to read out excerpts from different chapters of the novel. Kunickaa Sadanand Lall, Ila Arun actor Suresh Oberoi also came to root for the author. Not to forget, Raveena Tandon was in Kanpur and came bit the supportive friend as she stood by Anjali's side on her big day.

Dr. Anjali Chhabria, founder of Mindtemple, finished her MMBS from J.J. Group of Hospitals in the year 1985 and has been a practicing consultant and psychiatrist for the past 20 years. She further pursued a Diploma in Psychotherapies and completed her M.D. in 1990 from Nair Charitable Hospital, (Mumbai).She has been on Board of directors for the NGO ‘Naraottam Sakseria Foundation’ since 2010. She is a consulting psychiatrist for Singapore International School since 5 years. She is also a panel member for Salaam Bombay Foundation. Dr. Chhabria has been the president of the Bombay Psychiatrist Society from 2001-2002.Dr. Anjali has been a speaker on various topics of mental health in several seminars and conferences, national and international. She has given her views in articles on various emotional health and interpersonal relationships issues in The Times of India, Mid-day, DNA, India Today, Indian Express, Physician’s Digest, Femina, Women’s era, Savy and Harmony. She also contributes to a regular column for the magazine ‘Sindhian’ and for Delhi based ‘Free Press Journal’. In addition, she is a regular speaker ‘on air’ for the local radio station ‘Radio Mirchi’ and has given inputs at other local radio stations like 92.7 F.M. She has also given her expert opinion as a part of a documentary film by BBC on anorexia. Thus, through various talk shows on T.V. as well as through radio, films and articles in the media, she has made people aware of the importance of healthy emotional behavior.Dr. Chhabria has conducted innumerable workshops for children, adults and geriatrics such as Stress Management, Parenting and Emotional Empowerment. She has been a lecturer at prestigious institutions like R.N.Cooper & K.E.M group of hospitals as well as a visiting faculty member for many educational institutes all over Mumbai like SNDT University, SIES College, DAV school (Nerul), Tata Institute of Social Sciences etc.

She has also been a part of esteemed panels for various television shows as well as a chief guest for contests such as Gladrags Mega Model and Man Hunt. Dr. Anjali Chhabria has been one of the first few to offer the newest treatments for mental disorders like Repetitive Trans-cranial Magnetic Treatment (rTMS) since 2011, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) since 2012 and Trans-cranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) treatment since the current year 2013 in affiliation with Delhi based Dr. Sanjay Chugh.

Did you know that India is the world's suicide capital with over 2. 6 lakh cases reported every year? But what we know about the causes of suicide lags far behind our knowledge of many other life-threatening illnesses, partly because the stigma surrounding suicidal behaviour has limited society's investment in suicide research. It is said that more than 50 per cent of all those who attempt suicide tell someone about their intention. So how do you recognize suicidal symptoms in people around you and get help?