Sarvnik Kaur’s documentary “Against the Tide” has won the Golden Gateway Award at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival. The film previously won awards at Sundance, Sydney and Seattle and best documentary at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on the same evening as Mumbai.
Diwa Shah’s San Sebastian winner “Bahadur: The Brave” received Mumbai’s Silver Gateway Award. The festival’s Gender Sensitivity Award, for a film that challenges gender stereotypes and norms, which is decided by India’s Film Critics Guild, was won by Leesa Gazi’s “Barir Naam Shahana” (“A House Named Shahana”). The Special Jury Award went to Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” which premiered at Cannes earlier this year.
The Rashid Irani Young Critics’ Choice Award, a program created by the festival to nurture young writers on cinema, was won by Shahrukhkhan Chavada’s “Kayo Kayo Colour?” Dominic Sangma’s Locarno title “Rimdogittanga” (“Rapture”) won the Netpac Award.
Diwa Shah’s San Sebastian winner “Bahadur: The Brave” received Mumbai’s Silver Gateway Award. The festival’s Gender Sensitivity Award, for a film that challenges gender stereotypes and norms, which is decided by India’s Film Critics Guild, was won by Leesa Gazi’s “Barir Naam Shahana” (“A House Named Shahana”). The Special Jury Award went to Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” which premiered at Cannes earlier this year.
The Rashid Irani Young Critics’ Choice Award, a program created by the festival to nurture young writers on cinema, was won by Shahrukhkhan Chavada’s “Kayo Kayo Colour?” Dominic Sangma’s Locarno title “Rimdogittanga” (“Rapture”) won the Netpac Award.
- 11/4/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
India’s official entry to the 2023 Oscars, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” and Rima Das’ acclaimed 2017 festival favorite “Village Rockstars,” are amongst the films screening at the inaugural Nirvana – Festival de la Culture et du Cinema Indiens.
Taking place in Saint-Tropez May 26-28, the festival will also screen Shubhashish Bhutiani’s 2016 Venice winner “Hotel Salvation” and Rajat Kapoor’s “Rk/Rkay” (2022). On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the director’s cut of the international version of Ketan Mehta’s freedom fight themed “The Rising” (2005) will be screened.
Indian filmmakers Sundaram Tagore, Deepa Sahi, Surina Narula and Sanjay Bhutiani will speak at a roundtable on Indo-French cinema.
In addition, there will be a culinary exhibition of Indian cuisine, performances from Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan and Lou Rampèu de Sant-Troupès and an introduction to yoga by Praveen Bisht. Author Bhuvan Lall’s book “India on...
Taking place in Saint-Tropez May 26-28, the festival will also screen Shubhashish Bhutiani’s 2016 Venice winner “Hotel Salvation” and Rajat Kapoor’s “Rk/Rkay” (2022). On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the director’s cut of the international version of Ketan Mehta’s freedom fight themed “The Rising” (2005) will be screened.
Indian filmmakers Sundaram Tagore, Deepa Sahi, Surina Narula and Sanjay Bhutiani will speak at a roundtable on Indo-French cinema.
In addition, there will be a culinary exhibition of Indian cuisine, performances from Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan and Lou Rampèu de Sant-Troupès and an introduction to yoga by Praveen Bisht. Author Bhuvan Lall’s book “India on...
- 5/3/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Venice Film Festival, Netflix and The Gotham Film & Media Institute are teaming up on a program of movies at iconic New York venue, the Paris Theater. Scroll down for program lineup in full.
Titled Venice Film Festival Presents: Next Generation, the four day event (April 20-23) will showcase films from the first ten years of La Biennale di Venezia’s Biennale College Cinema.
Screenings will be accompanied by in-depth discussions pairing new filmmakers with established directors, producers, and writers. The opening night will feature a screening of mystery-thriller Our Father, The Devil with remarks from Venice Director Alberto Barbera and Head of Programme Savina Neirotti. Indie Spirit winner Nikyatu Jusu, whose Sundance film Nanny was picked up by Amazon and Blumhouse, will serve as moderator for the opening night discussion with director Ellie Foumbi.
Biennale College Cinema is an incubator program for low-budget films by emerging filmmakers. Among...
Titled Venice Film Festival Presents: Next Generation, the four day event (April 20-23) will showcase films from the first ten years of La Biennale di Venezia’s Biennale College Cinema.
Screenings will be accompanied by in-depth discussions pairing new filmmakers with established directors, producers, and writers. The opening night will feature a screening of mystery-thriller Our Father, The Devil with remarks from Venice Director Alberto Barbera and Head of Programme Savina Neirotti. Indie Spirit winner Nikyatu Jusu, whose Sundance film Nanny was picked up by Amazon and Blumhouse, will serve as moderator for the opening night discussion with director Ellie Foumbi.
Biennale College Cinema is an incubator program for low-budget films by emerging filmmakers. Among...
- 3/30/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The incredible London Indian Film Festival, UK and Europe’s largest South Asian Film Festival, continues to screen upbeat movies on the last Sunday of each month. Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE, Executive & Programming Director of Liff says, “After a challenging few months, we are bringing some much needed uplifting entertainment and as always our quality films offer fresh views of India and South Asia; movies that may even challenge and certainly leave you thinking.”
Featuring, as always, some brilliant films, the 3rd film in the festival’s Spring online programme is the much-loved festival hit and award-winning (32 International Awards) Hotel Salvation. The screening, for UK viewers, will take place on Sunday 25 April on Liff’s hybrid platform, www.loveliffathome.com.
A heart-warming comedy, Hotel Salvation, also known as Mukti Bhavan is a gentle charmer focussing on 77-year-old Dayanand Kumar, played by Lalit Behl, who has an ominous dream convincing him that his end is near.
Featuring, as always, some brilliant films, the 3rd film in the festival’s Spring online programme is the much-loved festival hit and award-winning (32 International Awards) Hotel Salvation. The screening, for UK viewers, will take place on Sunday 25 April on Liff’s hybrid platform, www.loveliffathome.com.
A heart-warming comedy, Hotel Salvation, also known as Mukti Bhavan is a gentle charmer focussing on 77-year-old Dayanand Kumar, played by Lalit Behl, who has an ominous dream convincing him that his end is near.
- 4/10/2021
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
by Sayandeep Bandyopadhyay
Shubhashish Bhutiani, who is known for his critically acclaimed short film Kush, has now come up with his independent feature film “Mukti Bhawan” (Hotel Salvation). The film starring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl digs deep in a father-son relationship. Like Kush, “Hotel Salvation” has also been welcomed with open arms by various film festivals and will close the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
“Hotel Salvation” is Screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Daya (Lalit Behl), after having a nightmare, decides that his time has finally come and inspired by the dream, decides to spend the rest of his life in Varanasi, the holy city by the Ganges River, to attain inner peace. He leaves his son Rajiv (Adil Hussain) with a tough choice; either to assist him on this journey or to let him leave alone, in a totally unexpected, for him, series of events...
Shubhashish Bhutiani, who is known for his critically acclaimed short film Kush, has now come up with his independent feature film “Mukti Bhawan” (Hotel Salvation). The film starring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl digs deep in a father-son relationship. Like Kush, “Hotel Salvation” has also been welcomed with open arms by various film festivals and will close the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
“Hotel Salvation” is Screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Daya (Lalit Behl), after having a nightmare, decides that his time has finally come and inspired by the dream, decides to spend the rest of his life in Varanasi, the holy city by the Ganges River, to attain inner peace. He leaves his son Rajiv (Adil Hussain) with a tough choice; either to assist him on this journey or to let him leave alone, in a totally unexpected, for him, series of events...
- 12/6/2020
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival invite you for a journey through taste, colors, and sounds of the Asian continent, hoping they can provide food for your thoughts and solace for your spirits.
The Programme of this year’s Festival comprises more than forty titles representing the extreme variety of Asian cinemas – from horror cinema to sweet melodramas, from grasping auteur cinema to relaxing journeys around the continent.
All the films will be presented online between November 25 and December 6.
Preparing this year’s edition forced the organisers to face up to completely new challenges – from the matters of logistics to finding new ways of thinking about their mission, priorities, building bridges between filmmakers and audiences outside the screening rooms. The online edition of the Festival is not a compromise, but a different way to reach the, perhaps even wider, audiences, discover the rich variety of Asian cultures, and explore the contemporary...
The Programme of this year’s Festival comprises more than forty titles representing the extreme variety of Asian cinemas – from horror cinema to sweet melodramas, from grasping auteur cinema to relaxing journeys around the continent.
All the films will be presented online between November 25 and December 6.
Preparing this year’s edition forced the organisers to face up to completely new challenges – from the matters of logistics to finding new ways of thinking about their mission, priorities, building bridges between filmmakers and audiences outside the screening rooms. The online edition of the Festival is not a compromise, but a different way to reach the, perhaps even wider, audiences, discover the rich variety of Asian cultures, and explore the contemporary...
- 11/2/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) – the premiere venue for the best annual showcase of independent cinema from India and its Diaspora – announced today a special virtual showcase, the first of its kind, Iffla Over the Years: 17 days celebrating 17 years of Indian cinema. Accessible via the Iffla website (www.indianfilmfestival.org) beginning on June 19 through July 5, 2020, this virtual showcase of over 120 narrative features, documentaries, and short films by festival alumni will be available online either freely or via popular streaming services. Many of these fascinating films have never seen a general release in the U.S.
Iffla Over the Years is the festival’s response to the ongoing uncertainty in the film festival world. To that end, the previously announced 2020 lineup will be moved to 2021 so that filmmakers and audiences can join together and share the festival experience in person.
“We are beyond thrilled to be presenting this online showcase of alumni films,...
Iffla Over the Years is the festival’s response to the ongoing uncertainty in the film festival world. To that end, the previously announced 2020 lineup will be moved to 2021 so that filmmakers and audiences can join together and share the festival experience in person.
“We are beyond thrilled to be presenting this online showcase of alumni films,...
- 6/20/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Indian Film Festival Los Angeles, which recently rolled the films in its canceled 2020 edition over to 2021 due to the pandemic, has announced a project called Iffla Over the Years. The virtual showcase highlights works by the festival’s alumni filmmakers, from Anurag Kashyap and Shonali Bose to Manish Acharya and Rima Das.
Announcing the project, Iffla founder Christina Marouda said: “Traveling through 17 years of programming has allowed us to reconnect with so many of our alumni with whom we share fond memories. We are excited with this opportunity to collaborate with them to offer new audiences worldwide the chance to discover some of the most visionary voices of Indian independent cinema in recent years. We also hope recent Iffla attendees have a chance to catch up with films from our first decade, and early attendees who could not join us in recent years are able to discover some of the newer gems we’ve presented.
Announcing the project, Iffla founder Christina Marouda said: “Traveling through 17 years of programming has allowed us to reconnect with so many of our alumni with whom we share fond memories. We are excited with this opportunity to collaborate with them to offer new audiences worldwide the chance to discover some of the most visionary voices of Indian independent cinema in recent years. We also hope recent Iffla attendees have a chance to catch up with films from our first decade, and early attendees who could not join us in recent years are able to discover some of the newer gems we’ve presented.
- 6/18/2020
- by Shalini Dore
- Variety Film + TV
Going live online on Wednesday May 13th with its first selection of films, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival (Liff) & Birmingham Indian Film Festival (Biff) will showcase its 9 award-winning short films that reflect the focus and ethos of Satyajit Ray’s passion for empathetic stories on the struggles of common people. After a 10 year run and becoming the largest annual Indian film event in Europe, the festival team were challenged on how to present the four city festival this June.
In reaction to the current challenging times, the solution of finding new ways to stay connected with audiences, comes via the delivery of an online version of the festival, on its own Ott Platform, for viewing at home. Liff is the first Indian film festival to make this digital leap and will continue to push the boundaries by showing high quality movies in a diversity of South Asian languages...
In reaction to the current challenging times, the solution of finding new ways to stay connected with audiences, comes via the delivery of an online version of the festival, on its own Ott Platform, for viewing at home. Liff is the first Indian film festival to make this digital leap and will continue to push the boundaries by showing high quality movies in a diversity of South Asian languages...
- 5/14/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Adil Hussain, prominent star of Indian independent cinema, will be present at the Busan International Film Festival as the male lead of two Indian world premieres.
In Vijay Jayapal’s “Nirvana Inn,” Hussain headlines alongside Sandhya Mridul (“Bridge”) and Rajshri Deshpande (“Sexy Durga”). At an earlier stage, the film was at the Busan Asian Project Market in 2018 and subsequently received post-production support from the festival’s Asian Cinema Fund.
Hussain also stars in veteran filmmaker Goutam Ghose’s “The Wayfarers” (“Raahgir”) alongside Tilottama Shome (“Sir”).
“The role I play in “Raahgir “is of the poorest of the poor, a tribal man from Central India, a wayfarer, but a giant of a human, who’s humanity is put to the test by the circumstances he suddenly finds himself in. In “Nirvana Inn” my character journeys through the darkest of human despair and guilt and unfathomable sadness which descends on him, and is beyond his control,...
In Vijay Jayapal’s “Nirvana Inn,” Hussain headlines alongside Sandhya Mridul (“Bridge”) and Rajshri Deshpande (“Sexy Durga”). At an earlier stage, the film was at the Busan Asian Project Market in 2018 and subsequently received post-production support from the festival’s Asian Cinema Fund.
Hussain also stars in veteran filmmaker Goutam Ghose’s “The Wayfarers” (“Raahgir”) alongside Tilottama Shome (“Sir”).
“The role I play in “Raahgir “is of the poorest of the poor, a tribal man from Central India, a wayfarer, but a giant of a human, who’s humanity is put to the test by the circumstances he suddenly finds himself in. In “Nirvana Inn” my character journeys through the darkest of human despair and guilt and unfathomable sadness which descends on him, and is beyond his control,...
- 10/3/2019
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
by Sayandeep Bandyopadhyay
Shubhashish Bhutiani, who is known for his critically acclaimed short film Kush, has now come up with his independent feature film Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation). The film starring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl digs deep in a father-son relationship. Like Kush, “Hotel Salvation” has also been welcomed with open arms by various film festivals and will close the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
“Hotel Salvation” screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
Daya (Lalit Behl), after having a nightmare, decides that his time has finally come and inspired by the dream, decides to spend the rest of his life in Varanasi, the holy city by the Ganges River, to attain inner peace. He leaves his son Rajiv (Adil Hussain) with a tough choice; either to assist him on this journey or to let him leave alone, in a totally unexpected, for him, series of...
Shubhashish Bhutiani, who is known for his critically acclaimed short film Kush, has now come up with his independent feature film Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation). The film starring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl digs deep in a father-son relationship. Like Kush, “Hotel Salvation” has also been welcomed with open arms by various film festivals and will close the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
“Hotel Salvation” screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
Daya (Lalit Behl), after having a nightmare, decides that his time has finally come and inspired by the dream, decides to spend the rest of his life in Varanasi, the holy city by the Ganges River, to attain inner peace. He leaves his son Rajiv (Adil Hussain) with a tough choice; either to assist him on this journey or to let him leave alone, in a totally unexpected, for him, series of...
- 5/27/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Entering the 15th Week, Mukti Bhawan titled Ganges Ni Kaeru in Japan has been winning hearts of critics and audience, completing 100 day run in Japan. A rare phenomenon, for an independent film, probably the first from India to achieve this.?
According to Mr Yuji Sadai, Bitter Ends Incorp. that distributed the film in Japan; ?the film is still running in all major cities in Japan in 30 screens. Not only the Press, audiences love the film too. When we first saw the film, we knew it would touch the hearts of our people, we are very happy.??
Shubhashish Bhutiani, the writer and director of the film said, ?I am deeply humbled by the amazing response Mukti Bhawan has received in Japan. I could not have imagined this! I am happy that a film rooted in India has connected with people. I thank my cast and crew for making this film possible.
According to Mr Yuji Sadai, Bitter Ends Incorp. that distributed the film in Japan; ?the film is still running in all major cities in Japan in 30 screens. Not only the Press, audiences love the film too. When we first saw the film, we knew it would touch the hearts of our people, we are very happy.??
Shubhashish Bhutiani, the writer and director of the film said, ?I am deeply humbled by the amazing response Mukti Bhawan has received in Japan. I could not have imagined this! I am happy that a film rooted in India has connected with people. I thank my cast and crew for making this film possible.
- 2/7/2019
- GlamSham
Cinestaan International Sales has sold rights Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” to pay-tv group Astro for 12 Southeast Asian territories including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. The film had previously been licensed to some 30 other territories including the U.K., U.S., Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
The film premiered at Venice in 2016, where it won the Grand Prix Enrico Fulchignoni and the Unesco Gandhi Medal. Sajida Sharma and Sanjay Bhutiani produced for India’s Red Carpet Moving Pictures with a grant from Venice’s Biennale College and a post-production package from Busan’s Asian Cinema Fund.
Separately, Celestial Tiger Entertainment, which is part-owned by Astro’s ultimate owner Ananda Krishnan, has bought rights to six of the movies recognized at Sunday’s Hong Kong Film Awards.
Cte has exclusive first-run rights for its Celestial Movies and cHK channels in key Southeast Asian markets, for best film winner “Our Time Will Come.
The film premiered at Venice in 2016, where it won the Grand Prix Enrico Fulchignoni and the Unesco Gandhi Medal. Sajida Sharma and Sanjay Bhutiani produced for India’s Red Carpet Moving Pictures with a grant from Venice’s Biennale College and a post-production package from Busan’s Asian Cinema Fund.
Separately, Celestial Tiger Entertainment, which is part-owned by Astro’s ultimate owner Ananda Krishnan, has bought rights to six of the movies recognized at Sunday’s Hong Kong Film Awards.
Cte has exclusive first-run rights for its Celestial Movies and cHK channels in key Southeast Asian markets, for best film winner “Our Time Will Come.
- 4/18/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Shubhashish Bhutiani, who is known for his critically acclaimed short film Kush, has now come up with his independent feature film Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation). The film starring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl digs deep in a father-son relationship. Like Kush, “Hotel Salvation” has also been welcomed with open arms by various film festivals.
Buy This Title
Daya (Lalit Behl), after having a nightmare, decides that his time has finally come and inspired by the dream, decides to spend the rest of his life in Varanasi, the holy city by the Ganges River, to attain inner peace. He leaves his son Rajiv (Adil Hussain) with a tough choice; either to assist him on this journey or to let him leave alone, in a totally unexpected, for him, series of events that leave him with no other options but to go with his father to Varanasi. Rajiv, who is already facing...
Buy This Title
Daya (Lalit Behl), after having a nightmare, decides that his time has finally come and inspired by the dream, decides to spend the rest of his life in Varanasi, the holy city by the Ganges River, to attain inner peace. He leaves his son Rajiv (Adil Hussain) with a tough choice; either to assist him on this journey or to let him leave alone, in a totally unexpected, for him, series of events that leave him with no other options but to go with his father to Varanasi. Rajiv, who is already facing...
- 2/14/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation) is winning Awards all over the world making it India’s highest award winning feature this year with a tally of 12 already, including Two National and 10 International Awards.
Adil Hussain won the Best Actor Award at the DC South Asian Film Festival held on 10th September 2017 in Washington DC, USA for his outstanding performance in Mutki Bhawan. He said,” I would like to express my gratitude to my Director who guided me to be able to bring in the nuances. The award is for all of us. Celebration of the entire team of Mukti Bhawan, their efforts and above all love for the project.”
Shubhashish Bhutiani, writer-director of the film was delighted to learn about the award and expressed, “Adil is one of the finest actors in the industry, I am thrilled at this win and very happy for him. He is any director’s dream actor.
Adil Hussain won the Best Actor Award at the DC South Asian Film Festival held on 10th September 2017 in Washington DC, USA for his outstanding performance in Mutki Bhawan. He said,” I would like to express my gratitude to my Director who guided me to be able to bring in the nuances. The award is for all of us. Celebration of the entire team of Mukti Bhawan, their efforts and above all love for the project.”
Shubhashish Bhutiani, writer-director of the film was delighted to learn about the award and expressed, “Adil is one of the finest actors in the industry, I am thrilled at this win and very happy for him. He is any director’s dream actor.
- 9/13/2017
- by BollySpice Editors
- Bollyspice
Father and son face up to mortality in this beautiful debut feature from a young Indian writer-director
Twenty-six-year-old Indian writer-director Shubhashish Bhutiani’s nimble debut feature trails Rajiv (Adil Hussain) as he accompanies his dying father Daya (Lalit Behl) to Hotel Salvation, a sort of spiritual hospice on the banks of the Ganges. Guests are permitted to stay free of charge for 15 days, in the hope that they experience “salvation” in the moments before death (marijuana-laced lassi optional). If it sounds a little bit Eat Pray Love, it is – though Bhutiani keeps a fairly tight rein on former “famous writer” Daya’s divine journey, paying more attention to the knotty dynamic between father and son. In this sense, the film works more as a kind of reverse Toni Erdmann, with Rajiv finally turning off his phone and shouldering the burden of his cantankerous father. It looks beautiful too, with night-time...
Twenty-six-year-old Indian writer-director Shubhashish Bhutiani’s nimble debut feature trails Rajiv (Adil Hussain) as he accompanies his dying father Daya (Lalit Behl) to Hotel Salvation, a sort of spiritual hospice on the banks of the Ganges. Guests are permitted to stay free of charge for 15 days, in the hope that they experience “salvation” in the moments before death (marijuana-laced lassi optional). If it sounds a little bit Eat Pray Love, it is – though Bhutiani keeps a fairly tight rein on former “famous writer” Daya’s divine journey, paying more attention to the knotty dynamic between father and son. In this sense, the film works more as a kind of reverse Toni Erdmann, with Rajiv finally turning off his phone and shouldering the burden of his cantankerous father. It looks beautiful too, with night-time...
- 8/27/2017
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
Kathryn Bigelow restages the city’s 1967 race riots with authenticity and urgency, while Shubhashish Bhutiani touches on death, modernity and Hindu philosophy
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 8/25/2017
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Shubhashish Bhutiani’s dreamy comedy-drama about a businessman embarking on a final journey with his father is smart, spellbinding and achingly relatable
This beautifully rendered Indian arthouse film, the debut of young director Shubhashish Bhutiani, enacts a subtle family comedy-drama that anyone who has spent time with an ageing parent could relate to easily.
Middle-class businessman Rajiv (Adil Hussain) lives with his wife Laila (Geetanjali Kulkarni), grownup daughter Sunita (Palomi Ghosh) and elderly father Daya (the Falstaffian Lalit Behl), a curmudgeonly former schoolteacher with whom Daya has, at best, a rocky, adversarial relationship.
Continue reading...
This beautifully rendered Indian arthouse film, the debut of young director Shubhashish Bhutiani, enacts a subtle family comedy-drama that anyone who has spent time with an ageing parent could relate to easily.
Middle-class businessman Rajiv (Adil Hussain) lives with his wife Laila (Geetanjali Kulkarni), grownup daughter Sunita (Palomi Ghosh) and elderly father Daya (the Falstaffian Lalit Behl), a curmudgeonly former schoolteacher with whom Daya has, at best, a rocky, adversarial relationship.
Continue reading...
- 8/25/2017
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
BFI, in partnership with British Council, has released India on Film: 1899-1947, Treasures from the BFI National Archive, an unparalleled collection of extremely rare films of India, (250 Newly digitised Films), which have survived from the earliest days of cinema. This visual record of early twentieth century offers a unique factual account giving new audiences an eye opening insight into the people, places, traditions and most famous landmarks of India.
India on Film: 1899-1947 consolidates the BFI’s commitment to preserving and sharing world film heritage, by making these significant collections accessible for audiences globally. Newly digitised specifically as part of UK/India 2017, a year-long celebration of the long-standing relationship between India and the UK, can be seen both on the BFI Player (for UK viewers) and the BFI YouTube Channel, enabling audiences in India and internationally, an opportunity to access and engage with the online collection online.
Highlights includes the...
India on Film: 1899-1947 consolidates the BFI’s commitment to preserving and sharing world film heritage, by making these significant collections accessible for audiences globally. Newly digitised specifically as part of UK/India 2017, a year-long celebration of the long-standing relationship between India and the UK, can be seen both on the BFI Player (for UK viewers) and the BFI YouTube Channel, enabling audiences in India and internationally, an opportunity to access and engage with the online collection online.
Highlights includes the...
- 8/21/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Parting is such sweet sorrow and none more so than to see the end of the 2017 London Indian Film Festival. After a rollercoaster week’s worth of films, we saw the closing of the London portion of the festival at the BFI Southbank with the English premiere of Sexy Durga.
The night began with a star-studded red carpet event. BollySpice was on hand to mix with the movers and shakers of the Festival. In particular, we caught up with executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney who had promised at the beginning of the run that this year would be the best ever. We asked him whether he stood by that comment. “In terms of the films? Yes, this has been the best ever. We had such a good selection of films, many from other festivals where they have won awards.”
There were many famous names from the Festival line-up who graced the red carpet.
The night began with a star-studded red carpet event. BollySpice was on hand to mix with the movers and shakers of the Festival. In particular, we caught up with executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney who had promised at the beginning of the run that this year would be the best ever. We asked him whether he stood by that comment. “In terms of the films? Yes, this has been the best ever. We had such a good selection of films, many from other festivals where they have won awards.”
There were many famous names from the Festival line-up who graced the red carpet.
- 7/2/2017
- by Jonathan Howell
- Bollyspice
The fabulous Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival in London and Birmingham, is UK and Europe’s largest platform of independent cinema from the Indian subcontinent. The brilliant London festival has closed but the amazing movies continue in Birmingham until July 2nd.
The festival has grown significantly in stature and reputation, with pan-Indian and Indian sub continental cinema in several languages, all subtitled in English, Bsl (British Sign Language) incorporated in some talks, and this year attracted major award winning films including Newton, Hotel Salvation and The Cinema Travellers, as well as world premieres like the Tamil comedy, Ticket – The Movie.
Festival executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney said: “It is wonderful that the festival continues to lead the debate and not simply reflect the changing shape of Indian cinema; from this year’s Indian virtual reality showcases to bringing carefully curated important new talent to the world stage...
The festival has grown significantly in stature and reputation, with pan-Indian and Indian sub continental cinema in several languages, all subtitled in English, Bsl (British Sign Language) incorporated in some talks, and this year attracted major award winning films including Newton, Hotel Salvation and The Cinema Travellers, as well as world premieres like the Tamil comedy, Ticket – The Movie.
Festival executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney said: “It is wonderful that the festival continues to lead the debate and not simply reflect the changing shape of Indian cinema; from this year’s Indian virtual reality showcases to bringing carefully curated important new talent to the world stage...
- 7/1/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
One evening at the dinner table, Dayanand Kumar (Lalit Behl) announces to his family that he has had a dream that means his time has come, and that he needs to donate a cow and travel to the holy city of Varanasi to die.
“How can he possibly know his time is up?” asks his son Rajiv’s wife. Maybe it’s just one of those things you know when the time has come. Daya believes that a persistent and recurring dream means his death is approaching, so he heads to the Hotel Salvation in Varanasi in order to, well, achieve a final salvation. “Death is a process,” announces the proprietor of the hotel, and wonders if Daya is ready to start that final journey towards his own death. The rules at the Hotel Salvation are strict, and the time that Daya is permitted to stay is limited is fifteen days; if you die,...
“How can he possibly know his time is up?” asks his son Rajiv’s wife. Maybe it’s just one of those things you know when the time has come. Daya believes that a persistent and recurring dream means his death is approaching, so he heads to the Hotel Salvation in Varanasi in order to, well, achieve a final salvation. “Death is a process,” announces the proprietor of the hotel, and wonders if Daya is ready to start that final journey towards his own death. The rules at the Hotel Salvation are strict, and the time that Daya is permitted to stay is limited is fifteen days; if you die,...
- 6/27/2017
- by Katherine Matthews
- Bollyspice
As we told you the renowned London Indian Film Festival is back for another year with a new and exciting selection of fabulous cutting-edge films that reaffirm the festival’s position as the ‘punk-rock of Indian cinema’. With films that range from subjects covering stories of gangsters, comedy themes, horror elements, thrillers, immigration and diaspora issues, environment, economics, religion, politics, and the lives of Indian royalty this year’s festival that runs from 22-29 June is not to be missed.
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
- 6/3/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, which has already won ten Indian and international film awards, has been acquired for the UK by BFI Distribution.
The film won the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni at last year’s Venice Film Festival – an award given by the International Council of Film and Television at Unesco to the Venice film that best represents the values of peace and human rights. Last weekend it won Best Film at the New York Indian Film Festival. Hotel Salvation is now a strong contender to be India’s Academy Award entry in 2018.
This gentle and tender Indian comedy follows the ordeal of an over-worked modern son forced to accompany his 77-year-old father, who is in search of salvation, to the holy city of Varanasi. The film showcases bravura performances from renowned actors Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl (Titli) and Geetanjali Kulkarni (Court).
The film...
The film won the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni at last year’s Venice Film Festival – an award given by the International Council of Film and Television at Unesco to the Venice film that best represents the values of peace and human rights. Last weekend it won Best Film at the New York Indian Film Festival. Hotel Salvation is now a strong contender to be India’s Academy Award entry in 2018.
This gentle and tender Indian comedy follows the ordeal of an over-worked modern son forced to accompany his 77-year-old father, who is in search of salvation, to the holy city of Varanasi. The film showcases bravura performances from renowned actors Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl (Titli) and Geetanjali Kulkarni (Court).
The film...
- 5/13/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: C International Sales sells Indian drama to slew of territories including UK and Germany.
C International Sales has closed a slew of sales on award-winning Indian drama Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), including deals with the BFI for the UK & Eire and Cargo Records for Germany.
The independently-produced drama, which premiered at Venice last year, has also gone to Lanterna de Pedra for Portugal, Bitter’s End for Japan, Mano Entertainment for South Korea, Ster Kinekor for South Africa, Darpan for Singapore and Cineplex for Taiwan.
The film, which also screened at Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) last year, has also been acquired by the festival for release in the Middle East. Diff is currently screening the film at its DIFF365@Vox dedicated arthouse screen at Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, the film stars Adil Hussain (Life Of Pi) as a man whose elderly father decides it’s time to...
C International Sales has closed a slew of sales on award-winning Indian drama Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), including deals with the BFI for the UK & Eire and Cargo Records for Germany.
The independently-produced drama, which premiered at Venice last year, has also gone to Lanterna de Pedra for Portugal, Bitter’s End for Japan, Mano Entertainment for South Korea, Ster Kinekor for South Africa, Darpan for Singapore and Cineplex for Taiwan.
The film, which also screened at Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) last year, has also been acquired by the festival for release in the Middle East. Diff is currently screening the film at its DIFF365@Vox dedicated arthouse screen at Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, the film stars Adil Hussain (Life Of Pi) as a man whose elderly father decides it’s time to...
- 5/10/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Mukti Bhawan has been on a winning spree since the first time it was showcased at film festivals. The film was recently invited for the New York Indian Film Festival where it won the best film award, rounding up the number of awards won to a grand 10!
“Every appreciation coming our way matters. The fact that this is our first venture, being awarded the best film across the globe and nationally, means a lot to us. Having won the best special mention awards at the National awards, obviously made us we happy and now Nyiff has multiplied to that making us ecstatic. Nyiff been known to support films about India and Indian diaspora since 2001, has been actively trying to educate America and Americans about India and its people. To think our film represented our country internationally over again and won, makes us feel very proud,” enthused Sanjay Bhutiani, the producer...
“Every appreciation coming our way matters. The fact that this is our first venture, being awarded the best film across the globe and nationally, means a lot to us. Having won the best special mention awards at the National awards, obviously made us we happy and now Nyiff has multiplied to that making us ecstatic. Nyiff been known to support films about India and Indian diaspora since 2001, has been actively trying to educate America and Americans about India and its people. To think our film represented our country internationally over again and won, makes us feel very proud,” enthused Sanjay Bhutiani, the producer...
- 5/10/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
It’s over but it opened L.A.’s newest spring season of unlimited international film screenings all over the city throughout the month of April and into Cannes.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) opened with “Lipstick Under My Burkha” and its impressive ensemble cast of Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur in a dramatic, but irreverent and vibrant film about women and faith. The film premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival 2016 and has been lighting up the festival circuit, including just winning the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival. Director Alankrita Shrivastava is confirmed to attend and additional talent to be confirmed.
“Lipstick Under My Burkha”
Iffla concluded on April 9 with a red carpet and gala that featured the Los Angeles premiere of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” starring Adil Hussain who was in attendance, as well as the...
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) opened with “Lipstick Under My Burkha” and its impressive ensemble cast of Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur in a dramatic, but irreverent and vibrant film about women and faith. The film premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival 2016 and has been lighting up the festival circuit, including just winning the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival. Director Alankrita Shrivastava is confirmed to attend and additional talent to be confirmed.
“Lipstick Under My Burkha”
Iffla concluded on April 9 with a red carpet and gala that featured the Los Angeles premiere of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” starring Adil Hussain who was in attendance, as well as the...
- 4/21/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– Cardiff Animation Nights will be returning to run a dedicated animation strand at Cardiff Independent Film Festival (C.I.F.F.) for a second year this May. This year’s animation strand at C.I.F.F. will comprise three programs of animated short films in competition for the Best Animation Award, as well as an Animated Family Shorts program curated by renowned Cardiff-based studio Cloth Cat Animation, networking events, and an Animation Quiz run by the team at Skwigly Animation Magazine.
The competition program features animated short films from across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia, including Mikey Hill’s The Orchestra, Anete Melece’s Analysis Paralysis, Chris Shepherd’s Johnno’s Dead, Ross Hogg’s Life Cycles and Alois Di Leo’s Way of Giants.
Lineup Announcements
– Cardiff Animation Nights will be returning to run a dedicated animation strand at Cardiff Independent Film Festival (C.I.F.F.) for a second year this May. This year’s animation strand at C.I.F.F. will comprise three programs of animated short films in competition for the Best Animation Award, as well as an Animated Family Shorts program curated by renowned Cardiff-based studio Cloth Cat Animation, networking events, and an Animation Quiz run by the team at Skwigly Animation Magazine.
The competition program features animated short films from across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia, including Mikey Hill’s The Orchestra, Anete Melece’s Analysis Paralysis, Chris Shepherd’s Johnno’s Dead, Ross Hogg’s Life Cycles and Alois Di Leo’s Way of Giants.
- 4/13/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
A Billion Colour Story wins audience award for best narrative.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (Iffla) wrapped on Sunday with a screening of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Hotel Salvation and the presentation of the awards.
Bobby Sarma Baruah’s The Golden Wing (pictured) won the grand jury prize for best feature, while Karishma Dube’s Devi earned the best short prize.
In the audience awards, Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s A Billion Colour Story won best feature (narrative) and An Insignificant Man by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla took the best feature (documentary) prize.
Amar Kaushik’s Aaba was named best short.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles took place from April 5-9 at Regal L.A. Live.
For further details click here.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (Iffla) wrapped on Sunday with a screening of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Hotel Salvation and the presentation of the awards.
Bobby Sarma Baruah’s The Golden Wing (pictured) won the grand jury prize for best feature, while Karishma Dube’s Devi earned the best short prize.
In the audience awards, Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s A Billion Colour Story won best feature (narrative) and An Insignificant Man by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla took the best feature (documentary) prize.
Amar Kaushik’s Aaba was named best short.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles took place from April 5-9 at Regal L.A. Live.
For further details click here.
- 4/10/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Mukti Bhawan has received overwhelming praise from critics and fans. It is been called a masterpiece and now it has won a National Award. Written and Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, the film stars Lalit Behl, Adil Hussain, Geetanjali Kulkarni, and Navninda Behl.
We have a statement from Director Shubhashish Bhutiani about his excitment on winning the special mention (feature film) for Mukti Bhawan in 64th National film awards.
“I am so honoured and thrilled to receive this award. It’s a film so close to my heart and I am so glad that Adil has been recognised. He is one of India’s best actors. It is such a wonderful coincidence that we have received this honour on the day of the films release. I hope this only encourages people to go see the film.”
He says about the film set in Varanasi, “Mukti Bhawan isn’t a story of death,...
We have a statement from Director Shubhashish Bhutiani about his excitment on winning the special mention (feature film) for Mukti Bhawan in 64th National film awards.
“I am so honoured and thrilled to receive this award. It’s a film so close to my heart and I am so glad that Adil has been recognised. He is one of India’s best actors. It is such a wonderful coincidence that we have received this honour on the day of the films release. I hope this only encourages people to go see the film.”
He says about the film set in Varanasi, “Mukti Bhawan isn’t a story of death,...
- 4/8/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Mukti Bhawan
Starring Lalit Behl, Adil Hussain, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Navninda Behl.
Written & Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani
24 is too young to think about death, let alone make a melancholic meditative movie on mortality. Debutant Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Mukti Bhawan sweeps us into a world where death is not the end but a release into a realm of imperishable freedom.
Or Moksha, if you will.
Crafted with the care of a jeweller working on a specially intricate piece, the director brings to life the most precious and vital truth about death. As he takes us, along with his two protagonists, on a journey to the holy city of death Varanasi, the film somewhere along its resplendent route to salvation, becomes a treatise on life as defined by the inevitability of death.
Like all the most important directors of the world from Satyajit Ray to Ritesh Batra, Bhutani has a keen eye for detail.
Starring Lalit Behl, Adil Hussain, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Navninda Behl.
Written & Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani
24 is too young to think about death, let alone make a melancholic meditative movie on mortality. Debutant Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Mukti Bhawan sweeps us into a world where death is not the end but a release into a realm of imperishable freedom.
Or Moksha, if you will.
Crafted with the care of a jeweller working on a specially intricate piece, the director brings to life the most precious and vital truth about death. As he takes us, along with his two protagonists, on a journey to the holy city of death Varanasi, the film somewhere along its resplendent route to salvation, becomes a treatise on life as defined by the inevitability of death.
Like all the most important directors of the world from Satyajit Ray to Ritesh Batra, Bhutani has a keen eye for detail.
- 4/7/2017
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
Here’s an interesting story about how Palomi Ghosh landed her part in Mukti Bhawan! When Palomi mustered courage to sing for A R Rahman in front of a packed audience at Iffi Goa, she didn’t know she was about to sign a film thanks to the courage she showed, “For someone who passed her university years in North Carolina State University singing covers of A R Rahman songs I never thought I would ever get the chance to be in the same room as the God himself. But I couldn’t let the chance of speaking with him, albeit in a jam-packed auditorium. So I asked him ‘What would it take to work with him?’ he responded in his quiet voice, ‘surprise me!’, so I tried. I sang a Konkani-jazz number from my film Nachom-ia Kumpasar (Palomi bagged the special jury, National Award for the film) and he promptly said ‘Taken!
- 3/25/2017
- by BollySpice Editors
- Bollyspice
Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha will open the 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, which will be held April 5-9 at the Regal L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.
Lipstick, which stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, is a drama about women and faith that premiered at last year’s Tokyo Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival.
Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Hotel Salvation will screen as the closing night film. The director’s short film Kush won Iffla’s Audience Award in 2014.
The festival, which showcases Indian cinema, is being...
Lipstick, which stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, is a drama about women and faith that premiered at last year’s Tokyo Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival.
Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Hotel Salvation will screen as the closing night film. The director’s short film Kush won Iffla’s Audience Award in 2014.
The festival, which showcases Indian cinema, is being...
- 3/7/2017
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (Iffla) features two world premieres, five North American premieres.
The Los Angeles premiere of Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burka and Shubhashish Bhutiani’s debut feature Hotel Salvation bookend the festival, set to run from April 5-9.
Iffla top brass announced a line-up of narrative and documentary features on Tuesday that includes two world premieres, five North American premieres and five Us premieres.
The festival includes several directing debuts. Actress Konkona Sen Sharma will screen A Death In The Gunj, while Ananya Kasaravalli brings The Chronicles Of Hari and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy will present Billion Colour Story.
Highlights are expected to include the Us premiere of Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla’s documentary An Insignificant Man, about polarising political figure Arvind Kejriwal and his progressive Aam Aadmi Party at the 2013 Delhi state elections.
“As India’s diverse array of talented filmmakers continues to be recognised around...
The Los Angeles premiere of Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burka and Shubhashish Bhutiani’s debut feature Hotel Salvation bookend the festival, set to run from April 5-9.
Iffla top brass announced a line-up of narrative and documentary features on Tuesday that includes two world premieres, five North American premieres and five Us premieres.
The festival includes several directing debuts. Actress Konkona Sen Sharma will screen A Death In The Gunj, while Ananya Kasaravalli brings The Chronicles Of Hari and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy will present Billion Colour Story.
Highlights are expected to include the Us premiere of Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla’s documentary An Insignificant Man, about polarising political figure Arvind Kejriwal and his progressive Aam Aadmi Party at the 2013 Delhi state elections.
“As India’s diverse array of talented filmmakers continues to be recognised around...
- 3/7/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: C International Sales has picked up the project’s international rights.
C International Sales has picked up international rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to Tip Top Taj Mahal, starring The Lunchbox actress Nimrat Kaur.
New Zealand producer John Barnett, whose credits include Oscar-nominated drama Whale Rider (2002), is producing the English-language project with Sally Campbell (Evil Dead). UK-based director Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) will direct.
Based on Jacob Rajan’s play Krishnan’s Dairy, the film tells the story of an Indian couple who, following an arranged marriage, emigrate to New Zealand with their young son.
Desperately missing home, the wife escapes into a fantasy world by telling her son the love story behind the building of the Taj Majal. Rajan scripted the adaptation with Justin Lewis and Kate McDermott.
“This is a universal story,” said Barnett. “The story of our characters, Gobi, Zina and Apu, is one that...
C International Sales has picked up international rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to Tip Top Taj Mahal, starring The Lunchbox actress Nimrat Kaur.
New Zealand producer John Barnett, whose credits include Oscar-nominated drama Whale Rider (2002), is producing the English-language project with Sally Campbell (Evil Dead). UK-based director Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) will direct.
Based on Jacob Rajan’s play Krishnan’s Dairy, the film tells the story of an Indian couple who, following an arranged marriage, emigrate to New Zealand with their young son.
Desperately missing home, the wife escapes into a fantasy world by telling her son the love story behind the building of the Taj Majal. Rajan scripted the adaptation with Justin Lewis and Kate McDermott.
“This is a universal story,” said Barnett. “The story of our characters, Gobi, Zina and Apu, is one that...
- 2/11/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Created in 1995, Fica is the oldest European Asian Film Festival and the sole European Film Festival to focus on entire Asian Continent from the Suez Canal to the Pacific Ocean, from the Indian Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. The 22nd edition gathered more than 30.000 audience members for the most important European focus on Asian independent and arthouse movies.
During our 23rd edition from February 07th-14th, the Festival features over 90 movies, many rarely-seen, others never-been-released before, enhancing our duty of discovering, defending, promoting and even remembering cinematographic masterpieces.
Following sections for this year’s Film Festival:
* Contemporary Asian Cinema:
Competition of unreleased feature films in France
Competition of unreleased documentaries in France
Premiere Screening
* Main Topic: Asian Country Sides
* Oishii! Japanese Culinary Arts Movies
* Masters of Sri Lanka Cinema
* Focus on Georgian Cinema
* Japanimation – Young Audience
Official Competition: Fiction Features
For the second year in a row, Viff of Asian...
During our 23rd edition from February 07th-14th, the Festival features over 90 movies, many rarely-seen, others never-been-released before, enhancing our duty of discovering, defending, promoting and even remembering cinematographic masterpieces.
Following sections for this year’s Film Festival:
* Contemporary Asian Cinema:
Competition of unreleased feature films in France
Competition of unreleased documentaries in France
Premiere Screening
* Main Topic: Asian Country Sides
* Oishii! Japanese Culinary Arts Movies
* Masters of Sri Lanka Cinema
* Focus on Georgian Cinema
* Japanimation – Young Audience
Official Competition: Fiction Features
For the second year in a row, Viff of Asian...
- 1/20/2017
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Hotel Salvation, which has already won a prestigious Unesco Award at Venice this year and subsequently screened at the Busan Festival ( where it got great reviews) was screened at the Dubai Festival on the 12th and 14th of December, where Adil Hussain, Shubhashish Bhutiani and the producers were present to walk the red carpet.
With the buzz on it increasing with each festival, Shiv Om Visuals Private Limited and its owner Rajkumar Menda and Pravesh Sippy boarded the film as Associate Producers. They too were present in Dubai for its screenings.
With a firm marketing and release strategy in place, it is on it way to a theatrical release worldwide before the end of the first half of 2017. The Unesco Award ceremony will take place in Paris in February and it has already been invited to screen in Sweden and Germany thereafter.
Executive Producer Dina Dattani said, “We had been...
With the buzz on it increasing with each festival, Shiv Om Visuals Private Limited and its owner Rajkumar Menda and Pravesh Sippy boarded the film as Associate Producers. They too were present in Dubai for its screenings.
With a firm marketing and release strategy in place, it is on it way to a theatrical release worldwide before the end of the first half of 2017. The Unesco Award ceremony will take place in Paris in February and it has already been invited to screen in Sweden and Germany thereafter.
Executive Producer Dina Dattani said, “We had been...
- 12/16/2016
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Exclusive/Film Bazaar: Bangladesh’s Abu Shahed Emon writes and directs.
UK and India-based producer Dina Dattani has boarded Co-production Market project A Foolish Man (Apodartho) as executive producer.
Bangladesh’s Abu Shahed Emon has written and will direct the project, which Mostofa S. Farooki will produce. The film follows a man who is mercilessly bullied and pretends to be a policeman to gain respect.
“The project appealed to me because it’s a satirical drama and he’s been very clever with the writing,” Dattani said. “Also he’s been working on the script for several years now so he’s polished it to the point where it’s really ready to film.”
The $200,000 project has already raised $62,000 in financing through Farooki’s production company Chabial. Dittani is now working with the filmmakers to raise the rest of the budget, as well as working on sales and festival strategy.
Dattani also recently...
UK and India-based producer Dina Dattani has boarded Co-production Market project A Foolish Man (Apodartho) as executive producer.
Bangladesh’s Abu Shahed Emon has written and will direct the project, which Mostofa S. Farooki will produce. The film follows a man who is mercilessly bullied and pretends to be a policeman to gain respect.
“The project appealed to me because it’s a satirical drama and he’s been very clever with the writing,” Dattani said. “Also he’s been working on the script for several years now so he’s polished it to the point where it’s really ready to film.”
The $200,000 project has already raised $62,000 in financing through Farooki’s production company Chabial. Dittani is now working with the filmmakers to raise the rest of the budget, as well as working on sales and festival strategy.
Dattani also recently...
- 11/24/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
While news of some big studios shutting shop for local productions may be creating frown lines for the film industry, there’s a completely different breed of young Indie filmmakers who seem to have cracked a different code to circumvent these cash crunches. In their own search and struggle to work against the budgeting odds involved in movie-making, these young guns are redefining the Indian film business like never before. And one of the most promising names from this growing tribe is the 25-year-old National Award winning director Shubhashish Bhutiani, whose debut feature film ‘Mukti Bhawan’ (‘Hotel Salvation’) is all set for a world premiere at the upcoming International Venice Film Festival. Interestingly though this Indie film is rooted in India and at its core a story which is extremely universal in appeal.
Having earned a National Award, besides a spot in the race for the Oscars with his very...
Having earned a National Award, besides a spot in the race for the Oscars with his very...
- 9/14/2016
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Unesco jury has awarded the XXIIIrd prix “Enrico Fulchignoni” to Shubhashish Bhutiani for his movie Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan).
Jury’s motivation : “For the values finely expressed on the importance of family, time passed together in respect and with love, and those values of human rights which we all share.
The maturity and depth of emotions and cinematic vocabulary used to display these belie the young age of the director, and we look forward to seeing many more of his films in the future.
Hotel Salvation is part of the Biennale College – Cinema program at the Venice Film Festival which gives support since 2012 to the young filmmakers to bring their vision to the big screen and in this case the effort has borne marvelous fruit. ”
Cict-Unesco Jury was composed by : Jasmina Boijc (founder and director Unaff, Stanford University), Pierpaolo Saporito (President of Occam, the Un Observatory on Cultural Communication and v.
Jury’s motivation : “For the values finely expressed on the importance of family, time passed together in respect and with love, and those values of human rights which we all share.
The maturity and depth of emotions and cinematic vocabulary used to display these belie the young age of the director, and we look forward to seeing many more of his films in the future.
Hotel Salvation is part of the Biennale College – Cinema program at the Venice Film Festival which gives support since 2012 to the young filmmakers to bring their vision to the big screen and in this case the effort has borne marvelous fruit. ”
Cict-Unesco Jury was composed by : Jasmina Boijc (founder and director Unaff, Stanford University), Pierpaolo Saporito (President of Occam, the Un Observatory on Cultural Communication and v.
- 9/11/2016
- by Maria S
- Bollyspice
Bhutiani: 'I knew I never wanted to make a film that felt philosophical or spiritual because being in that space and talking to people, I found a very human quality to it' Photo: Courtesy of Venice Biennale College Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan) tells the story of a son (Adil Hussain), who reluctantly takes his father (Lalit Behl) to the holy city of Varsani, when he becomes convinced that it is time to die. His character-driven comedy drama charts the impact the move to the titular hotel – where residents are intended to check out permanently within 15 days - has on the pair’s relationship and the reverberations it causes in the rest of their family. Bhutiani’s film was one of four selected for this year’s Biennale College at Venice Film Festival (read about last year’s Biennale films here) – which pushes microbudget films from development through...
- 9/7/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The oldest film festival in the world is turning 73 this year, and IndieWire is partnering with Festival Scope to give 10 lucky readers the chance to win an online festival pass to the Venice Film Festival’s Sala Web program. Can’t make it all the way to Venice this year? Fortunately, you won’t have to.
Read More: 2016 Venice Film Festival: The Lineup So Far
This year’s Sala Web lineup includes titles from the festival’s Orizzonti section and from Biennale College, in addition to a select group of titles picked from various other sidebars. Highlights include “The Orchard Seller,” by 2015 Golden Lion winner Lorenzo Vigas, and new features from international directors like Wang Bing, Parviz Shahbazi, Tim Sutton and Jessica Woodworth. Sala Web screenings will be hosted on a secure site operated by Festival Scope on behalf of the Venice Film Festival. Digital tickets for Sala Web screenings...
Read More: 2016 Venice Film Festival: The Lineup So Far
This year’s Sala Web lineup includes titles from the festival’s Orizzonti section and from Biennale College, in addition to a select group of titles picked from various other sidebars. Highlights include “The Orchard Seller,” by 2015 Golden Lion winner Lorenzo Vigas, and new features from international directors like Wang Bing, Parviz Shahbazi, Tim Sutton and Jessica Woodworth. Sala Web screenings will be hosted on a secure site operated by Festival Scope on behalf of the Venice Film Festival. Digital tickets for Sala Web screenings...
- 8/25/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has announced 22 projects to receive Asian Cinema Fund support this year, including Park Kyoung Tae’s Ne Me Quitte Pas and Venice Biennale College project Hotel Salvation.
“Although this year’s number of submissions went down, in comparison, we had a lot of good documentary projects from Korea. We also have our first project from Bhutan selected for post-production support,” said Acf director Hong Hyosook.
Park previously co-directed, with Kim Dong-ryeong, the documentary Tour Of Duty, also an earlier Acf recipient that went on to win the Jury’s Special Prize at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 2013.
Continuing his exploration of filmmaking through collaboration with women working around Us military bases in Korea, Ne Me Quitte Pas delves into the past while looking into the disappearance of a prostitute who in 1972 wrote a bestseller about her life and loves around an army base.
Post-production Fund[p...
“Although this year’s number of submissions went down, in comparison, we had a lot of good documentary projects from Korea. We also have our first project from Bhutan selected for post-production support,” said Acf director Hong Hyosook.
Park previously co-directed, with Kim Dong-ryeong, the documentary Tour Of Duty, also an earlier Acf recipient that went on to win the Jury’s Special Prize at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 2013.
Continuing his exploration of filmmaking through collaboration with women working around Us military bases in Korea, Ne Me Quitte Pas delves into the past while looking into the disappearance of a prostitute who in 1972 wrote a bestseller about her life and loves around an army base.
Post-production Fund[p...
- 8/17/2016
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
The four micro-budget projects will be presented at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival in 2016.
Biennale College - Cinema, the Venice International Film Festival’s emerging filmmakers initiative, has selected four 2015/16 projects to move into the production phase of the programme.
The four teams will receive $160,000 (€150,000) to produce their projects, and will premiere them at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival (Aug 30 - Sept 10).
Now in it’s fourth year, the Biennale College program aims to nurture new international filmmakers by helping them to develop micro-budget films through workshops and industry mentors.
The four teams were chosen from the 12 projects that participated in the first round of workshops earlier this year.
Traditionally, only three films are chosen, but this year Alessandro Aronadio’s Orecchie (Ears) has been added as a one-time exception due to the project’s quality and interest.
The second and final round in the program includes two more workshops held on Dec 3 - 6, 2015 and Jan 10 -...
Biennale College - Cinema, the Venice International Film Festival’s emerging filmmakers initiative, has selected four 2015/16 projects to move into the production phase of the programme.
The four teams will receive $160,000 (€150,000) to produce their projects, and will premiere them at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival (Aug 30 - Sept 10).
Now in it’s fourth year, the Biennale College program aims to nurture new international filmmakers by helping them to develop micro-budget films through workshops and industry mentors.
The four teams were chosen from the 12 projects that participated in the first round of workshops earlier this year.
Traditionally, only three films are chosen, but this year Alessandro Aronadio’s Orecchie (Ears) has been added as a one-time exception due to the project’s quality and interest.
The second and final round in the program includes two more workshops held on Dec 3 - 6, 2015 and Jan 10 -...
- 12/2/2015
- ScreenDaily
Oscar winning director Jeffrey D Brown’s hard-hitting child trafficking drama Sold, executive produced by Emma Thompson and starring Gillian Anderson, which opened the 5th edition of the London Indian Film Festival (July 10-17), has won the festival’s Pure Heaven audience award.
Jeffrey D Brown said, “It’s really amazing. I hadn’t really anticipated this at all. I’m really grateful, humbled and speechless. I really hope this galvanises more people to see the film so that we can help the kids who’ve been through this ordeal and we can end this travesty around the globe.” Brown and producer Jane Charles are in advanced discussions with distributors with a view to securing a global release for Sold in early 2015.
The runner up for the audience award was Samruddhi Porey’s Hemalkasa, the festival’s closing night film starring Indian cinema icon Nana Patekar. The film is a...
Jeffrey D Brown said, “It’s really amazing. I hadn’t really anticipated this at all. I’m really grateful, humbled and speechless. I really hope this galvanises more people to see the film so that we can help the kids who’ve been through this ordeal and we can end this travesty around the globe.” Brown and producer Jane Charles are in advanced discussions with distributors with a view to securing a global release for Sold in early 2015.
The runner up for the audience award was Samruddhi Porey’s Hemalkasa, the festival’s closing night film starring Indian cinema icon Nana Patekar. The film is a...
- 7/18/2014
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
The festival’s Short Film Competition winner was Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush.
Jeffrey D Brown’s child trafficking drama Sold, starring Gillian Anderson, has won the London Indian Film Festival’s Pure Heaven audience award.
The film, which centres around a young Nepali girl’s struggle for survival after being sold into prostitution, opened the 5th edition of the London Indian Film Festival, which ran July 10-17. It is executive produced by Emma Thompson.
The runner up for the audience award was Samruddhi Porey’s Hemalkasa, the festival’s closing night film starring Indian cinema icon Nana Patekar.
The festival’s Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Competition was won by Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush. The award carries a cash prize of £1000.
Festival director Cary Sawhney said: “We’ve grown by at least 30% this year and we’re getting global films! We’ve got Hollywood films in the festivals, Indian films, British films, Bangladeshi...
Jeffrey D Brown’s child trafficking drama Sold, starring Gillian Anderson, has won the London Indian Film Festival’s Pure Heaven audience award.
The film, which centres around a young Nepali girl’s struggle for survival after being sold into prostitution, opened the 5th edition of the London Indian Film Festival, which ran July 10-17. It is executive produced by Emma Thompson.
The runner up for the audience award was Samruddhi Porey’s Hemalkasa, the festival’s closing night film starring Indian cinema icon Nana Patekar.
The festival’s Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Competition was won by Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush. The award carries a cash prize of £1000.
Festival director Cary Sawhney said: “We’ve grown by at least 30% this year and we’re getting global films! We’ve got Hollywood films in the festivals, Indian films, British films, Bangladeshi...
- 7/18/2014
- by sarah.cooper@screendaily.com (Sarah Cooper)
- ScreenDaily
Yatao Li’s Chinese entry Carry On won the Best Of Festival Award, while Aneta Kopacz’s Joanna from Poland prevailed in the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau Grand Jury Award.
Timothy Yeung’s 90 Days took the Panavision Best North American Short honours.
The festival ran from June 17-23 and screened 330 films from more than 3,000 submissions. Organisers handed out more than $115,000 in prizes, including $21,000 in cash awards, in 21 categories.
“The 2014 Palm Springs ShortFest far surpassed all of our expectations,” said festival director Kathleen McInnis (pictured at the Australian reception). “Our audience, filmmaker and industry attendance all soared, as did the striking talent we were able to showcase during our 20th anniversary year.
“Well over 800 filmmaker and industry guests made our Filmmaker Forums one of the most dynamic we have ever had, and most of the screenings had all filmmakers in attendance — a great bonus for our audience who love their Q&A sessions. Filmmakers brought...
Timothy Yeung’s 90 Days took the Panavision Best North American Short honours.
The festival ran from June 17-23 and screened 330 films from more than 3,000 submissions. Organisers handed out more than $115,000 in prizes, including $21,000 in cash awards, in 21 categories.
“The 2014 Palm Springs ShortFest far surpassed all of our expectations,” said festival director Kathleen McInnis (pictured at the Australian reception). “Our audience, filmmaker and industry attendance all soared, as did the striking talent we were able to showcase during our 20th anniversary year.
“Well over 800 filmmaker and industry guests made our Filmmaker Forums one of the most dynamic we have ever had, and most of the screenings had all filmmakers in attendance — a great bonus for our audience who love their Q&A sessions. Filmmakers brought...
- 6/23/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Independent films swept the 61st National Film awards in all the major categories. Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus was named the Best Feature Film.
The award for Best Director went to Hansal Mehta for Shahid. Shahid also won Rajkummar Rao the award for Best Actor which he shares with Suraj Venjaramoodu for Malayalam-film Perariyathavar.
The National Award for Best Actress went to Geetanjali Thapa for Liar’s Dice. The film also won the Best Cinematography award for Rajeev Ravi.
Fandry won the award for Best Debut Film of a Director. The award for Best Child Actor went to Somnath Avghade for Fandry which he shares with Sadhana for Tamil film Thanga Meengal.
The National award for Best Production Design went to Ashim Ahluwalia, Tabsheer Zutshi and Parichit Paralkar for Miss Lovely. The film also won the Special Jury award.
Best Children’s Film went to Batul Mukhtiyar’s Kaphal.
The award for Best Director went to Hansal Mehta for Shahid. Shahid also won Rajkummar Rao the award for Best Actor which he shares with Suraj Venjaramoodu for Malayalam-film Perariyathavar.
The National Award for Best Actress went to Geetanjali Thapa for Liar’s Dice. The film also won the Best Cinematography award for Rajeev Ravi.
Fandry won the award for Best Debut Film of a Director. The award for Best Child Actor went to Somnath Avghade for Fandry which he shares with Sadhana for Tamil film Thanga Meengal.
The National award for Best Production Design went to Ashim Ahluwalia, Tabsheer Zutshi and Parichit Paralkar for Miss Lovely. The film also won the Special Jury award.
Best Children’s Film went to Batul Mukhtiyar’s Kaphal.
- 4/16/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
A still from Alchemy
Nagraj Manjule’s critically acclaimed film Fandry won the Jury Grand Prize for narrative feature film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) 2014.
“It is an award for me that I am here in La, in the USA,” Manjule said in his acceptance speech.
Siddharth by Richie Mehta won the audience choice award in narrative feature category.
In the documentary category, Powerless (Katiyabaaz) by Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa won the Jury award and Pan Nalin’s Faith Connections won the Audience Choice award.
Alchemy, directed by Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat and Janmeet Singh, won the Jury Prize in the short film category while Kush by Shubhashish Bhutiani won the Audience Choice award.
The 12th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles was held from April 8-13, 2014.
Nagraj Manjule’s critically acclaimed film Fandry won the Jury Grand Prize for narrative feature film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) 2014.
“It is an award for me that I am here in La, in the USA,” Manjule said in his acceptance speech.
Siddharth by Richie Mehta won the audience choice award in narrative feature category.
In the documentary category, Powerless (Katiyabaaz) by Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa won the Jury award and Pan Nalin’s Faith Connections won the Audience Choice award.
Alchemy, directed by Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat and Janmeet Singh, won the Jury Prize in the short film category while Kush by Shubhashish Bhutiani won the Audience Choice award.
The 12th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles was held from April 8-13, 2014.
- 4/14/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
This year the 12th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) includes a lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films. The impressive program reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with cutting-edge filmmakers and emerging voices bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles.
The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally. Iffla will run April 8-13 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. Jadoo, an exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. The film is written and directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale. It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles and executive produced by Emma Thompson.
Iffla 2014 wil l present more than 33 films, including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.
“I'm thrilled and proud that Iffla's line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora,” said Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani. "We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films."
Program highlights include: the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar's Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of Netpac Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank and Asha , an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and Iffla alum Richie Mehta (Amal).
The festival's feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India's unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of
The Auction House , an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, Iffla alum Pan Nalin's beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.
The Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shootout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shoutout is a thrilling debut by Iffla alum writer/director Amit Kumar about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.
The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award® shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love.; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.
Festival Passes and Gala tickets are currently on sale at the festival's website.
For more information, please visit:
Website: www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ indianfilmfestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com /iffla
Tumblr: http://indianfilmfestival.tumblr.com/
About Iffla
Now in its 12th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
Opening Night Gala
Sold
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2014/97min
Director: Jeffrey D. Brown
Producer: Jane Charles
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Screenwriters: Joseph Kwong, Jeffrey D. Brown
Composer: John McDowell, Sammy Chand, Salim & Sulaiman Merchant
Cast: Susmita Mukherjee, Seema Biswas, Tillotama Shome, Niyar Saikia, Priyanka Bose, Ankur Vikal, Parambrata Chatterjee, Gillian Anderson, David Arquette
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jeffrey D. Brown adapts Patricia McCormick’s novel Sold – a National Book Award finalist – into a vivid, harrowing and inspiring story of a young girl’s resilience in the face of unspeakable cruelty.
Closing Night
Jadoo
Los Angeles Premiere
UK/2013/84 mins
Director: Amit Gupta
Producers: Amanda Faber, Isabelle Georgeaux, Richard Holmes, Nikki Parrott
Screenwriter: Amit Gupta
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Cast: Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, Madhur Jaffrey
Set in Leicester, England, Amit Gupta’s culinary comedy charts the chaos that ensues when young Shalini gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mark. The fact that Mark is not Indian is the least of Shalini’s concerns. Her father Raja and uncle Jagi have been at war for years. After a legendary falling out that caused them to close their family restaurant, each man opened his own establishment – directly across the street from one another! Shalini’s dream wedding would see both men put aside their differences and prepare the feast together, but resentment runs deep and neither man can hear mention of the other’s name without a spike in blood pressure. Both the prospect of disappointing their beloved Shalini and the threat of a new, hip restaurant opening in the area force Raja and Jagi to work together – but for how long? In this uproariously funny and heartfelt exploration of family bonds, shared history and gastronomic perfection, Gupta’s cast is endlessly appealing. Plus, there’s enough mouth-watering Indian food on display to have your stomach growling before the credits roll.
Feature Films
Before My Eyes (Ankhon Dekhi)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/107min
Director: Rajat Kapoor Producer: Manish Mundra
Screenwriter: Rajat Kapoor
Cast: Sanjay Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa, Rajat Kapoor, Taranjeet, Maya Sarao
Celebrated writer, director, and actor Rajat Kapoor (Midnight’s Children, Monsoon Wedding, Mixed Doubles, Mithya) paints an offbeat yet thought-provoking portrait of domestic life in modern day Delhi when an incident prompts head of the family Bauji to reject anything he himself has not experienced, much to the exasperation of his extended family but to the delight of his newfound philosopher disciples. Balancing the comical and the existential, both Bauji and the film ask the basic question, ‘Can you know truth without true experience?’
Brahmin Bulls
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/96min/2013
Director: Mahesh Pailoor
Producer: Yoshinobu Tsuji
Screenwriters: Anu Pradhan, Mahesh Pailoor
Cast: Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha, Cassidy Freeman, Monica Raymund, Michael Lerner
Mahesh Pailoor's tender, funny, and touching debut tells the story of estranged father and son Ashok and Sid, who reunite at Sid's Los Angeles home when Ashok arrives unexpectedly. Each man is keeping secrets from one another, and when the truth is revealed, parent and child must work even harder to close the rift between them.
Fandry
North American Premiere
India/2013/103min
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Producers: Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navalakha
Screenwriter: Nagraj Manjule
Cast: Kishor Kadam, Chhaya Kadam, Somnath Awghade, Suraj Pawar, Rajshree Kharat, Sakshi Vyavhare, Aishvarya Shinde, Nagraj Manjule
Marathi poet Nagraj Manjule's impressive debut feature tells the story of Jabya, a Dalit boy, and his family's struggle against daily prejudice in their Maharashtra village. Jabya's carefree childhood desires and antics are soon stifled by his family's "untouchable" status, and the film's gradual transformation into an insightful and damning look at caste discrimination builds from a murmur to a defiant roar. Refusing to reduce his Dalit characters to victims – most explicitly at the film's explosive conclusion - Manjule's socially reflective film has received critical acclaim in India.
Hank and Asha
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/73min
Director: James E. Duff
Producers: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Cast: Mahira Kakkar, Andrew Pastides
James E. Duff's feature directorial debut, the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, is an endearing tale of a long-distance connection in the digital age. Hank and Asha, two aspiring filmmakers separated by an ocean, connect with one another through video messages and quickly find themselves heading towards romance. That is, until Asha reveals some surprising news. Duff has created a captivating ode to the new possibilities open to us now that the world's gotten smaller.
Liar's Dice
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/104min
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Producers: Alan McAlex, Ajay G. Rai
Screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta
Established actress Geetu Mohandas steps behind the lens for her bracing directorial debut. A woman named Kamala and her daughter journey from their remote Himalayan village to Delhi in search of Kamala's missing husband. They find a guide in an unfriendly wanderer whose interest may lie more in his personal gain than in any help he can offer them. Beautifully shot by Rajeev Ravi (Gangs of Wasseypur), Mohandas' film evokes a hazardous world where answers may never be clear and a helping hand always comes at a price.
Phoring
North American Premiere
India/2013/128min
Director: Indranil Roychowdhury
Producers: Anasua Roychowdury, Sugata Bal
Screenwriters: Indranil Roychowdhury, Sugata Sinha
Cast: Akash Adhikary, Sohini Sarkar, Sourav Basak, Ritwick Charaborty, Shankar Debnath, Senjuti Roymukherjee
Indranil Roychowdhury's stunning feature debut is an evocative, unpredictable tale of confused adolescence in a struggling North Bengal town. Phoring, an imaginative adolescent boy, and his beautiful new teacher Doel form a close friendship that soon arouses doubt and suspicion when Doel's presence in the town is revealed to have less-than-noble origins. Roychowdhury accomplishes a tricky feat with his first film by luring us with the promise of an inspirational teacher-student story before ultimately delivering a much more complex and truthful account of the joys and pains of growing up.
Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (2013)
Los Angeles Premiere Germany-India-Netherlands/2013/109min
Director: Anup Singh
Producers: Bero Beyer, Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper, Thierry Lenouvel
Screenwriter: Anup Singh, Madhuja Mukherjee
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal
Set in 1940s Punjab, Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa details the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistan Partition through the experiences of one Sikh family, headed by Umber (Irrfan Khan). Following the family’s forceful displacement from their village, Umber’s desire for a male heir is stronger than ever. When his wife gives birth to their fourth daughter, Kanwar, Umber makes the fateful decision to raise her as a boy. This tragic choice ends up dividing the family in violent ways, and provokes a series of increasingly unsettling situations for Kanwar as she grows up. While in a sense a ghost story, the source of pain and suffering is all too real.
Siddharth
Los Angeles Premiere
Canada-India/2013/96min
Director: Richie Mehta
Producers: David Miller, Steven N. Bray
Screenwriter: Richie Mehta
Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee
A celebrated Iffla alum, Canadian director Richie Mehta returns to the festival with a heartbreaking story of parents Mahendra and Suman, whose son goes missing after being sent to work 200 miles north of Delhi. Carried by powerful yet restrained performances from Rajesh Tailang and Tannishtha Chatterjee as the parents, Mehta and cast capture the dignity of those facing the unthinkable. Mehta's chance encounter with a man searching for his lost son alerted him to the underreported plight of the families of 44,000 children estimated missing in India every year.
Ugly
North American Premiere
India/2013/128mins/Dcp
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Writer: Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vivek Rangachari, Arun Rangachari
Cast: Rahul Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Anshika Shrivastava
When ten-year-old Kali disappears from her father Rahul's car on the busy streets of Mumbai, the events that follow quickly spiral out of control and plunge into a morass of corruption and violence. Rahul and Kali's mother, Shalini, are divorced. Shalini is now married to Shoumik, the local police chief. When Shoumik learns that his stepdaughter is missing, he and Rahul clash in a breathless race to find the girl. With intricate plotting and vivid characterizations, Iffla alum Anurag Kashyap fashions a story that's sure to keep the heart racing.
Writers (Sulemani Keeda)
North American Premiere
India/2013/90min
Director: Amit V Masurkar
Writer: Amit V Masurkar
Producer: Datta Dave
Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev and Karan Mirchandani
Writing partners Dulal and Mainak dream of shaking up Bollywood in director Amit Masurkar's slacker comedy. The two young men take a job from the wealthy, oddball son of a famous B-movie producer, but soon fear they're on the path to selling out. Masurkar's film captures the creative spirit of Andheri West, a Mumbai suburb where writers, directors, and actors come from all over India with the dream of working in the film industry, and is a sweet taste of things to come from the new "hindie" cinema.
Documentary Features
The Auction House: A Tale of Two Brothers
World Premiere
UK/2014/85min
Director: Ed Owles
Producers: Ed Owles, Giovanna Stopponi
The auction houses of Kolkata used to be where the rich and famous found the right high-end objects to decorate their homes. Today, the family-owned Russell Exchange is the last, and oldest, one to remain in India. Director Ed Owles follows two brothers, with the older brother moving back to Kolkata from London with hopes of using his Western business acumen to bring the Exchange into the 21st century. However, in a country radically transformed by technology and a rising youth culture, it may already be too late.
Faith Connections
Los Angeles Premiere
France-India/2013/115min/Dcp
Director: Pan Nalin
Producers: Raphaël Berdugo, Gaurav Dhingra, Pan Nalin, Virginie Lacombe
Every three years, Hindus gather at one of four rotating sites for Kumbh Mela, a religious celebration of faith and devotion marked by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges. With 100 million people at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the pilgrimage is said to be the largest gathering on the planet. Iffla alum Pan Nalin crafts a moving and unique view of the mass gathering and presents unique stories of how individuals came to be there to share in the belief of the divine.
Powerless (Katiyabaaz)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/82min
Director: Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar
Producers: Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, Judy Tam, Leopold Koegler
Screenwriter: Fahad Mustafa
In Kanpur, a city of three million that has seen better days, one of the only ways for many residents to get electricity is to steal it. Co-directors Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar focus their attention on the likes of pirate engineers like Loha Singh and first female CEO at the local power authority Ritu Maheshwari. Coupled with beautiful photography of the intricately tied together powerlines of the city and a pulsating original score, they present a unique documentary about current-day India and its future battles over limited resources.
Shepherds of Paradise
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/50min
Director/Producer/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/Editor: Raja Shabir Khan
Composer: Bilal Iran
Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large flock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. Director Raja Shabir Khan presents lives few have ever seen, let alone lived, with simple beauty and real terror in a film that has won major National Awards in India. A cinematic wonder that must be seen to truly understand, Shepherds of Paradise is a testament of the power of film to transport us to other lands and experiences.
Bollywood By Night
Bombay Talkies
North American Premiere
India/117min/2013
Directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Guneet Monga
Screenwriters: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Rani Mukerji, Katrina Kaif, Randeep Hooda, Saqib Saleem, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
A quartet of short films directed by four of India’s most exciting contemporary filmmakers celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema in this omnibus film. Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap crafts a tale of ordinary people whose love of movies profoundly alters the course of their lives. Each story beautifully captures how lovers of cinema can’t help but carry that fascination into their day-to-day life. Haven’t we all wished, at one time or another, that our lives were more like a film?
Monsoon Shootout
Los Angeles Premiere
India-uk-Netherlands/2013/88min
Director: Amit Kumar
Producers: Trevor Ingman, Guneet Monga, Martijn De Grunt
Screenwriter: Amit Kumar
Cast: Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Geetanjali Thapa
A split-second decision made by a rookie police officer propels writer/director Amit Kumar’s debut feature, which fascinatingly splinters into three separate, equally pulse-pounding scenarios. In a secluded alley drenched in the pouring rain, principled cop Adi aims his gun at Shiva, a vicious gangster on the run. What Adi decides to do next will reverberate throughout his personal and professional life in ways he could never imagine. Kumar thus explores the ripple effect our choices have, and how we unknowingly alter the lives of those around us.
Shorts
Aarti
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
USA/2013/4min
Director: David Walter Lech
Producer: Terrie Samundra
A hypnotic look into the nightly “ceremony of light” ritual in a Hindu temple in Sheikhupur, Punjab.
Alchemy
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/5min
Directors: Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat, Janmeet Singh
Producer: Pritesh Varia
A bold and vibrant song to the intricate fabric of modern day India, a kaleidoscope of voices, colors and traditions.
Bhiwani Junction
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/18min
Director: Abhi Singh
Producer: Abhi Singh
A poignant documentary portrait of Himanshu, a 12-year old boxer, whose formidable commitment to the sport makes his lofty dreams to become an Olympic champion appear well within reach.
Black Rock (Kaatal)
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/22min
Director: Vikrant Pawar
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Two young lovers spend one last afternoon together. A beautiful meditation on the ephemeral nature of young love that has won three of India’s National Film Awards.
The Fly (Makhi)
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
India/2013/31min
Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Employed as a Fly Killer in an upscale restaurant, Pipal must ensure a fly-free environment by smacking dead the flies that buzz over the patrons’ heads. When a nearby drainage is closed and the source of the fly infestation eradicated, Pipal must find a way to produce enough live flies to save his job, in this delightfully absurdist commentary on urban India’s emerging work culture.
Beloved (Humsafar)
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors/Writers: Swapnil Awate, Laura Erbacher
Producer: Dsk Supinfocom
A sweeping single shot takes us on the breathtaking animated journey of two lovers and their eternal pursuit of harmony.
Jaya
Shorts Program 2
USA/2013/19min
Director: Puja Maewal
Producer: Puja Maewal
Young Jaya is able to survive the gruesome gang life in the unforgiving streets of Mumbai by posing as a boy. When she meets a wealthy businessman who looks like he could be the father who abandoned her, she sets out to reclaim her identity, in this engrossing drama that was shortlisted for a Student Academy Award®.
Kush
Shorts Program 1
India/2013/25min
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Producer: Shubhashish Bhutiani
A bus full of schoolchildren boisterously makes its way back from a field trip when the news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards breaks. As violence quickly erupts across the country, Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, must find a way to escape the unquenchable fury of retribution, in this gripping drama that was shortlisted for an Academy Award®.
Little Gypsy (Kachho Gadulo)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors: Saptesh Chaubal, Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat
Producer: D.S.K. Supinfocom
Inspired by the folk traditions of various parts of India, this stunning animated film sweeps us into a mythical journey that celebrates the power of play and imagination.
Love.Love.Love.
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
Russian Federation/2013/12min
Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram
Producers: Tanya Petrik, Guillaume Protsenko
An intimate ode to the wondrous force of love, as it takes new shapes and forms through the endless Russian winters. Love. Love.Love. won the Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Outpost
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India-usa/2013/17min
Director: Shiva Shankar Bajpai
Producer: Aditi Anand
In the barren desert of the India-Pakistan border, two lone army guards on the opposite sides of the line yearn for booze, mosquito repellent and some human contact, in this humorous glimpse into the absurdity of rigid immaterial divides.
Presence
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/17min
Directors: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Producers: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Long days and nights spent within the bellies of the rising structural beasts that rapidly transform the city of Bangalore bring on visions of ghosts that speak of the construction workers’ memories, longings and fears, in this haunting meditation on the migrant experience.
Skin Deep
Screens with Writers
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/20min
Director: Hardik Mehta
Producers: Devang Bhavsar, Niraj Kothari
Sanjay and Sushma plan to elope to escape a looming arranged marriage. They are in love and their future together shines bright and perfect and filled with possibility--that is, as long as an extra piece of skin that complicates their sex life gets fixed in what should be a routine medical procedure. But Mumbai’s electricity gods have other plans in store for them.
Small Yellow Field (Tau Seru)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
Australia-India/2013/8min
Director: Rodd Rathjen
Producer: Rodd Rathjen
In the remote vastness of the Himalayas, a young nomad's curiosity lies beyond the horizon. This stunningly photographed film made its world premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week.
The Puppet (Tamaash)
Screens with Shepherds Of Paradise
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/32min
Directors: Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
Producers: Datta Dave, Chaitanya Hegde, Omar Nissar Paul, Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
A mysterious puppet offers young Anzar the chance to escape his father’s relentless punishments over his poor school grades by granting him the power to inflict misfortune on his nemesis, his brilliant classmate, Sadat. However, his newfound peace is short-lived as Sadat falls severely ill and Anzar comes to realize that the puppet’s powers are spiraling out of his control...
The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally. Iffla will run April 8-13 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. Jadoo, an exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. The film is written and directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale. It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles and executive produced by Emma Thompson.
Iffla 2014 wil l present more than 33 films, including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.
“I'm thrilled and proud that Iffla's line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora,” said Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani. "We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films."
Program highlights include: the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar's Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of Netpac Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank and Asha , an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and Iffla alum Richie Mehta (Amal).
The festival's feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India's unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of
The Auction House , an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, Iffla alum Pan Nalin's beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.
The Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shootout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shoutout is a thrilling debut by Iffla alum writer/director Amit Kumar about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.
The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award® shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love.; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.
Festival Passes and Gala tickets are currently on sale at the festival's website.
For more information, please visit:
Website: www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ indianfilmfestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com /iffla
Tumblr: http://indianfilmfestival.tumblr.com/
About Iffla
Now in its 12th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
Opening Night Gala
Sold
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2014/97min
Director: Jeffrey D. Brown
Producer: Jane Charles
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Screenwriters: Joseph Kwong, Jeffrey D. Brown
Composer: John McDowell, Sammy Chand, Salim & Sulaiman Merchant
Cast: Susmita Mukherjee, Seema Biswas, Tillotama Shome, Niyar Saikia, Priyanka Bose, Ankur Vikal, Parambrata Chatterjee, Gillian Anderson, David Arquette
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jeffrey D. Brown adapts Patricia McCormick’s novel Sold – a National Book Award finalist – into a vivid, harrowing and inspiring story of a young girl’s resilience in the face of unspeakable cruelty.
Closing Night
Jadoo
Los Angeles Premiere
UK/2013/84 mins
Director: Amit Gupta
Producers: Amanda Faber, Isabelle Georgeaux, Richard Holmes, Nikki Parrott
Screenwriter: Amit Gupta
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Cast: Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, Madhur Jaffrey
Set in Leicester, England, Amit Gupta’s culinary comedy charts the chaos that ensues when young Shalini gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mark. The fact that Mark is not Indian is the least of Shalini’s concerns. Her father Raja and uncle Jagi have been at war for years. After a legendary falling out that caused them to close their family restaurant, each man opened his own establishment – directly across the street from one another! Shalini’s dream wedding would see both men put aside their differences and prepare the feast together, but resentment runs deep and neither man can hear mention of the other’s name without a spike in blood pressure. Both the prospect of disappointing their beloved Shalini and the threat of a new, hip restaurant opening in the area force Raja and Jagi to work together – but for how long? In this uproariously funny and heartfelt exploration of family bonds, shared history and gastronomic perfection, Gupta’s cast is endlessly appealing. Plus, there’s enough mouth-watering Indian food on display to have your stomach growling before the credits roll.
Feature Films
Before My Eyes (Ankhon Dekhi)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/107min
Director: Rajat Kapoor Producer: Manish Mundra
Screenwriter: Rajat Kapoor
Cast: Sanjay Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa, Rajat Kapoor, Taranjeet, Maya Sarao
Celebrated writer, director, and actor Rajat Kapoor (Midnight’s Children, Monsoon Wedding, Mixed Doubles, Mithya) paints an offbeat yet thought-provoking portrait of domestic life in modern day Delhi when an incident prompts head of the family Bauji to reject anything he himself has not experienced, much to the exasperation of his extended family but to the delight of his newfound philosopher disciples. Balancing the comical and the existential, both Bauji and the film ask the basic question, ‘Can you know truth without true experience?’
Brahmin Bulls
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/96min/2013
Director: Mahesh Pailoor
Producer: Yoshinobu Tsuji
Screenwriters: Anu Pradhan, Mahesh Pailoor
Cast: Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha, Cassidy Freeman, Monica Raymund, Michael Lerner
Mahesh Pailoor's tender, funny, and touching debut tells the story of estranged father and son Ashok and Sid, who reunite at Sid's Los Angeles home when Ashok arrives unexpectedly. Each man is keeping secrets from one another, and when the truth is revealed, parent and child must work even harder to close the rift between them.
Fandry
North American Premiere
India/2013/103min
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Producers: Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navalakha
Screenwriter: Nagraj Manjule
Cast: Kishor Kadam, Chhaya Kadam, Somnath Awghade, Suraj Pawar, Rajshree Kharat, Sakshi Vyavhare, Aishvarya Shinde, Nagraj Manjule
Marathi poet Nagraj Manjule's impressive debut feature tells the story of Jabya, a Dalit boy, and his family's struggle against daily prejudice in their Maharashtra village. Jabya's carefree childhood desires and antics are soon stifled by his family's "untouchable" status, and the film's gradual transformation into an insightful and damning look at caste discrimination builds from a murmur to a defiant roar. Refusing to reduce his Dalit characters to victims – most explicitly at the film's explosive conclusion - Manjule's socially reflective film has received critical acclaim in India.
Hank and Asha
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/73min
Director: James E. Duff
Producers: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Cast: Mahira Kakkar, Andrew Pastides
James E. Duff's feature directorial debut, the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, is an endearing tale of a long-distance connection in the digital age. Hank and Asha, two aspiring filmmakers separated by an ocean, connect with one another through video messages and quickly find themselves heading towards romance. That is, until Asha reveals some surprising news. Duff has created a captivating ode to the new possibilities open to us now that the world's gotten smaller.
Liar's Dice
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/104min
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Producers: Alan McAlex, Ajay G. Rai
Screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta
Established actress Geetu Mohandas steps behind the lens for her bracing directorial debut. A woman named Kamala and her daughter journey from their remote Himalayan village to Delhi in search of Kamala's missing husband. They find a guide in an unfriendly wanderer whose interest may lie more in his personal gain than in any help he can offer them. Beautifully shot by Rajeev Ravi (Gangs of Wasseypur), Mohandas' film evokes a hazardous world where answers may never be clear and a helping hand always comes at a price.
Phoring
North American Premiere
India/2013/128min
Director: Indranil Roychowdhury
Producers: Anasua Roychowdury, Sugata Bal
Screenwriters: Indranil Roychowdhury, Sugata Sinha
Cast: Akash Adhikary, Sohini Sarkar, Sourav Basak, Ritwick Charaborty, Shankar Debnath, Senjuti Roymukherjee
Indranil Roychowdhury's stunning feature debut is an evocative, unpredictable tale of confused adolescence in a struggling North Bengal town. Phoring, an imaginative adolescent boy, and his beautiful new teacher Doel form a close friendship that soon arouses doubt and suspicion when Doel's presence in the town is revealed to have less-than-noble origins. Roychowdhury accomplishes a tricky feat with his first film by luring us with the promise of an inspirational teacher-student story before ultimately delivering a much more complex and truthful account of the joys and pains of growing up.
Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (2013)
Los Angeles Premiere Germany-India-Netherlands/2013/109min
Director: Anup Singh
Producers: Bero Beyer, Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper, Thierry Lenouvel
Screenwriter: Anup Singh, Madhuja Mukherjee
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal
Set in 1940s Punjab, Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa details the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistan Partition through the experiences of one Sikh family, headed by Umber (Irrfan Khan). Following the family’s forceful displacement from their village, Umber’s desire for a male heir is stronger than ever. When his wife gives birth to their fourth daughter, Kanwar, Umber makes the fateful decision to raise her as a boy. This tragic choice ends up dividing the family in violent ways, and provokes a series of increasingly unsettling situations for Kanwar as she grows up. While in a sense a ghost story, the source of pain and suffering is all too real.
Siddharth
Los Angeles Premiere
Canada-India/2013/96min
Director: Richie Mehta
Producers: David Miller, Steven N. Bray
Screenwriter: Richie Mehta
Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee
A celebrated Iffla alum, Canadian director Richie Mehta returns to the festival with a heartbreaking story of parents Mahendra and Suman, whose son goes missing after being sent to work 200 miles north of Delhi. Carried by powerful yet restrained performances from Rajesh Tailang and Tannishtha Chatterjee as the parents, Mehta and cast capture the dignity of those facing the unthinkable. Mehta's chance encounter with a man searching for his lost son alerted him to the underreported plight of the families of 44,000 children estimated missing in India every year.
Ugly
North American Premiere
India/2013/128mins/Dcp
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Writer: Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vivek Rangachari, Arun Rangachari
Cast: Rahul Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Anshika Shrivastava
When ten-year-old Kali disappears from her father Rahul's car on the busy streets of Mumbai, the events that follow quickly spiral out of control and plunge into a morass of corruption and violence. Rahul and Kali's mother, Shalini, are divorced. Shalini is now married to Shoumik, the local police chief. When Shoumik learns that his stepdaughter is missing, he and Rahul clash in a breathless race to find the girl. With intricate plotting and vivid characterizations, Iffla alum Anurag Kashyap fashions a story that's sure to keep the heart racing.
Writers (Sulemani Keeda)
North American Premiere
India/2013/90min
Director: Amit V Masurkar
Writer: Amit V Masurkar
Producer: Datta Dave
Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev and Karan Mirchandani
Writing partners Dulal and Mainak dream of shaking up Bollywood in director Amit Masurkar's slacker comedy. The two young men take a job from the wealthy, oddball son of a famous B-movie producer, but soon fear they're on the path to selling out. Masurkar's film captures the creative spirit of Andheri West, a Mumbai suburb where writers, directors, and actors come from all over India with the dream of working in the film industry, and is a sweet taste of things to come from the new "hindie" cinema.
Documentary Features
The Auction House: A Tale of Two Brothers
World Premiere
UK/2014/85min
Director: Ed Owles
Producers: Ed Owles, Giovanna Stopponi
The auction houses of Kolkata used to be where the rich and famous found the right high-end objects to decorate their homes. Today, the family-owned Russell Exchange is the last, and oldest, one to remain in India. Director Ed Owles follows two brothers, with the older brother moving back to Kolkata from London with hopes of using his Western business acumen to bring the Exchange into the 21st century. However, in a country radically transformed by technology and a rising youth culture, it may already be too late.
Faith Connections
Los Angeles Premiere
France-India/2013/115min/Dcp
Director: Pan Nalin
Producers: Raphaël Berdugo, Gaurav Dhingra, Pan Nalin, Virginie Lacombe
Every three years, Hindus gather at one of four rotating sites for Kumbh Mela, a religious celebration of faith and devotion marked by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges. With 100 million people at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the pilgrimage is said to be the largest gathering on the planet. Iffla alum Pan Nalin crafts a moving and unique view of the mass gathering and presents unique stories of how individuals came to be there to share in the belief of the divine.
Powerless (Katiyabaaz)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/82min
Director: Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar
Producers: Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, Judy Tam, Leopold Koegler
Screenwriter: Fahad Mustafa
In Kanpur, a city of three million that has seen better days, one of the only ways for many residents to get electricity is to steal it. Co-directors Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar focus their attention on the likes of pirate engineers like Loha Singh and first female CEO at the local power authority Ritu Maheshwari. Coupled with beautiful photography of the intricately tied together powerlines of the city and a pulsating original score, they present a unique documentary about current-day India and its future battles over limited resources.
Shepherds of Paradise
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/50min
Director/Producer/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/Editor: Raja Shabir Khan
Composer: Bilal Iran
Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large flock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. Director Raja Shabir Khan presents lives few have ever seen, let alone lived, with simple beauty and real terror in a film that has won major National Awards in India. A cinematic wonder that must be seen to truly understand, Shepherds of Paradise is a testament of the power of film to transport us to other lands and experiences.
Bollywood By Night
Bombay Talkies
North American Premiere
India/117min/2013
Directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Guneet Monga
Screenwriters: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Rani Mukerji, Katrina Kaif, Randeep Hooda, Saqib Saleem, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
A quartet of short films directed by four of India’s most exciting contemporary filmmakers celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema in this omnibus film. Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap crafts a tale of ordinary people whose love of movies profoundly alters the course of their lives. Each story beautifully captures how lovers of cinema can’t help but carry that fascination into their day-to-day life. Haven’t we all wished, at one time or another, that our lives were more like a film?
Monsoon Shootout
Los Angeles Premiere
India-uk-Netherlands/2013/88min
Director: Amit Kumar
Producers: Trevor Ingman, Guneet Monga, Martijn De Grunt
Screenwriter: Amit Kumar
Cast: Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Geetanjali Thapa
A split-second decision made by a rookie police officer propels writer/director Amit Kumar’s debut feature, which fascinatingly splinters into three separate, equally pulse-pounding scenarios. In a secluded alley drenched in the pouring rain, principled cop Adi aims his gun at Shiva, a vicious gangster on the run. What Adi decides to do next will reverberate throughout his personal and professional life in ways he could never imagine. Kumar thus explores the ripple effect our choices have, and how we unknowingly alter the lives of those around us.
Shorts
Aarti
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
USA/2013/4min
Director: David Walter Lech
Producer: Terrie Samundra
A hypnotic look into the nightly “ceremony of light” ritual in a Hindu temple in Sheikhupur, Punjab.
Alchemy
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/5min
Directors: Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat, Janmeet Singh
Producer: Pritesh Varia
A bold and vibrant song to the intricate fabric of modern day India, a kaleidoscope of voices, colors and traditions.
Bhiwani Junction
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/18min
Director: Abhi Singh
Producer: Abhi Singh
A poignant documentary portrait of Himanshu, a 12-year old boxer, whose formidable commitment to the sport makes his lofty dreams to become an Olympic champion appear well within reach.
Black Rock (Kaatal)
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/22min
Director: Vikrant Pawar
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Two young lovers spend one last afternoon together. A beautiful meditation on the ephemeral nature of young love that has won three of India’s National Film Awards.
The Fly (Makhi)
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
India/2013/31min
Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Employed as a Fly Killer in an upscale restaurant, Pipal must ensure a fly-free environment by smacking dead the flies that buzz over the patrons’ heads. When a nearby drainage is closed and the source of the fly infestation eradicated, Pipal must find a way to produce enough live flies to save his job, in this delightfully absurdist commentary on urban India’s emerging work culture.
Beloved (Humsafar)
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors/Writers: Swapnil Awate, Laura Erbacher
Producer: Dsk Supinfocom
A sweeping single shot takes us on the breathtaking animated journey of two lovers and their eternal pursuit of harmony.
Jaya
Shorts Program 2
USA/2013/19min
Director: Puja Maewal
Producer: Puja Maewal
Young Jaya is able to survive the gruesome gang life in the unforgiving streets of Mumbai by posing as a boy. When she meets a wealthy businessman who looks like he could be the father who abandoned her, she sets out to reclaim her identity, in this engrossing drama that was shortlisted for a Student Academy Award®.
Kush
Shorts Program 1
India/2013/25min
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Producer: Shubhashish Bhutiani
A bus full of schoolchildren boisterously makes its way back from a field trip when the news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards breaks. As violence quickly erupts across the country, Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, must find a way to escape the unquenchable fury of retribution, in this gripping drama that was shortlisted for an Academy Award®.
Little Gypsy (Kachho Gadulo)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors: Saptesh Chaubal, Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat
Producer: D.S.K. Supinfocom
Inspired by the folk traditions of various parts of India, this stunning animated film sweeps us into a mythical journey that celebrates the power of play and imagination.
Love.Love.Love.
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
Russian Federation/2013/12min
Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram
Producers: Tanya Petrik, Guillaume Protsenko
An intimate ode to the wondrous force of love, as it takes new shapes and forms through the endless Russian winters. Love. Love.Love. won the Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Outpost
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India-usa/2013/17min
Director: Shiva Shankar Bajpai
Producer: Aditi Anand
In the barren desert of the India-Pakistan border, two lone army guards on the opposite sides of the line yearn for booze, mosquito repellent and some human contact, in this humorous glimpse into the absurdity of rigid immaterial divides.
Presence
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/17min
Directors: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Producers: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Long days and nights spent within the bellies of the rising structural beasts that rapidly transform the city of Bangalore bring on visions of ghosts that speak of the construction workers’ memories, longings and fears, in this haunting meditation on the migrant experience.
Skin Deep
Screens with Writers
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/20min
Director: Hardik Mehta
Producers: Devang Bhavsar, Niraj Kothari
Sanjay and Sushma plan to elope to escape a looming arranged marriage. They are in love and their future together shines bright and perfect and filled with possibility--that is, as long as an extra piece of skin that complicates their sex life gets fixed in what should be a routine medical procedure. But Mumbai’s electricity gods have other plans in store for them.
Small Yellow Field (Tau Seru)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
Australia-India/2013/8min
Director: Rodd Rathjen
Producer: Rodd Rathjen
In the remote vastness of the Himalayas, a young nomad's curiosity lies beyond the horizon. This stunningly photographed film made its world premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week.
The Puppet (Tamaash)
Screens with Shepherds Of Paradise
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/32min
Directors: Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
Producers: Datta Dave, Chaitanya Hegde, Omar Nissar Paul, Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
A mysterious puppet offers young Anzar the chance to escape his father’s relentless punishments over his poor school grades by granting him the power to inflict misfortune on his nemesis, his brilliant classmate, Sadat. However, his newfound peace is short-lived as Sadat falls severely ill and Anzar comes to realize that the puppet’s powers are spiraling out of his control...
- 4/8/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.