The first edition of India’s Cinevesture International Film Festival (Ciff) has revealed 20 projects that will participate in its accompanying market.
Comprising 17 features and three series, several of the projects are by creators who have found acclaim both internationally and in South Asia.
From Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Busan title “Something Like an Autobiography”) comes Hindi and English-language unconventional romance “To Hell With Love.” Alankrita Srivasttava (Tokyo winner “Lipstick Under My Burkha”) has English and Hindi-language drama “Girls of Orlem,” an adaptation of Lindsay Pereira’s bestselling novel “Gods and Ends.” Gurvinder Singh is prepping Hindi, Punjabi and English-language historical thriller series “The Trial.”
“#Jack” is a thriller film from Bhaskar Hazarika (Tribeca selection “Aamis”), while “Chhaal” (“The Skin”) by Don Palathara (Rotterdam title “Family”) is a folk thriller adapted from a story by Vijayan Detha. “Encounter” by Anurag Singh (the Jatt and Juliet franchise) is a drama-thriller in...
Comprising 17 features and three series, several of the projects are by creators who have found acclaim both internationally and in South Asia.
From Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Busan title “Something Like an Autobiography”) comes Hindi and English-language unconventional romance “To Hell With Love.” Alankrita Srivasttava (Tokyo winner “Lipstick Under My Burkha”) has English and Hindi-language drama “Girls of Orlem,” an adaptation of Lindsay Pereira’s bestselling novel “Gods and Ends.” Gurvinder Singh is prepping Hindi, Punjabi and English-language historical thriller series “The Trial.”
“#Jack” is a thriller film from Bhaskar Hazarika (Tribeca selection “Aamis”), while “Chhaal” (“The Skin”) by Don Palathara (Rotterdam title “Family”) is a folk thriller adapted from a story by Vijayan Detha. “Encounter” by Anurag Singh (the Jatt and Juliet franchise) is a drama-thriller in...
- 3/18/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Sharmila Tagore in Suman Ghosh’s Berlin EFM Indian Title ‘Puratawn,’ First Look Unveiled (Exclusive)
Prolific filmmaker Suman Ghosh has unveiled the first look for his new film “Puratawn” (“Ancient”), starring veteran Indian actor Sharmila Tagore.
Tagore takes on the role of a matriarch grappling with the challenges of aging. As her 80th birthday is celebrated by her daughter and son-in-law at the ancestral house, the unfolding events over the next week become the focal point of the narrative, delving into the complexities that shape their collective journey.
Rituparna Sengupta’s Bhavna Aaj O Kal (“Datta”) is producing the film, which is seeking a sales agent at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market.
Ghosh is a festival veteran with 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor,” 2019’s “Aadhaar” and 2023’s “Scavenger of Dreams” all premiering at Busan and 2024 documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” at Rotterdam. He scored a major commercial hit with “Kabuliwala,...
Tagore takes on the role of a matriarch grappling with the challenges of aging. As her 80th birthday is celebrated by her daughter and son-in-law at the ancestral house, the unfolding events over the next week become the focal point of the narrative, delving into the complexities that shape their collective journey.
Rituparna Sengupta’s Bhavna Aaj O Kal (“Datta”) is producing the film, which is seeking a sales agent at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market.
Ghosh is a festival veteran with 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor,” 2019’s “Aadhaar” and 2023’s “Scavenger of Dreams” all premiering at Busan and 2024 documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” at Rotterdam. He scored a major commercial hit with “Kabuliwala,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
After two years of being forced online by the pandemic, the 11th edition of India’s Dharamshala Film Festival is back with a physical edition.
Highlights include the India premieres of Cannes jury prize winner and Pakistan’s Oscar entry, Saim Sadiq’s “Joyland,” and Gianfranco Rosi’s Pope Francis documentary “In Viaggio.”
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959. The festival directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam are filmmakers in their own right. Their chronicles of the Tibetan condition including 2005’s “Dreaming Lhasa,” 2010’s “The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom” and 2018’s “The Sweet Requiem” have received considerable festival play, including at Toronto and San Sebastian.
Indian program highlights include Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Venice and El Gouna title “Once Upon a...
Highlights include the India premieres of Cannes jury prize winner and Pakistan’s Oscar entry, Saim Sadiq’s “Joyland,” and Gianfranco Rosi’s Pope Francis documentary “In Viaggio.”
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959. The festival directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam are filmmakers in their own right. Their chronicles of the Tibetan condition including 2005’s “Dreaming Lhasa,” 2010’s “The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom” and 2018’s “The Sweet Requiem” have received considerable festival play, including at Toronto and San Sebastian.
Indian program highlights include Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Venice and El Gouna title “Once Upon a...
- 10/26/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Eighty films from 32 countries, including 21 feature narratives and 43 short films, will be be showcased at the 11th Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff) in Dharamsala next month, as announced on Thursday.
The highlights include the India premieres of Cannes Jury Prize Winner and 2022 Oscar Nominee, Joyland by Saim Sadiq; Once Upon A Time in Calcutta by Aditya Vikram Sengupta; the Anurag Kashyap-presented debut feature by Parth Saurabh, Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar (On Either Sides of the Pond); 2022 Oscar Nominee, Writing with Fire by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Sen; and Fire in the Mountains (India 2021) by Ajitpal Singh.
The India premieres of these acclaimed international features will also take place at Diff 2022: Eternal Spring by Jason Loftus; In Viaggio by Gianfranco Rosi; Lullaby by Alauda Ruiz de AzAa; Mother Lode by Matteo Tortone; Navalny by Daniel Roher; Neptune Frost by Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams; They Carry Death by Helena GirAn...
The highlights include the India premieres of Cannes Jury Prize Winner and 2022 Oscar Nominee, Joyland by Saim Sadiq; Once Upon A Time in Calcutta by Aditya Vikram Sengupta; the Anurag Kashyap-presented debut feature by Parth Saurabh, Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar (On Either Sides of the Pond); 2022 Oscar Nominee, Writing with Fire by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Sen; and Fire in the Mountains (India 2021) by Ajitpal Singh.
The India premieres of these acclaimed international features will also take place at Diff 2022: Eternal Spring by Jason Loftus; In Viaggio by Gianfranco Rosi; Lullaby by Alauda Ruiz de AzAa; Mother Lode by Matteo Tortone; Navalny by Daniel Roher; Neptune Frost by Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams; They Carry Death by Helena GirAn...
- 10/20/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
The London Indian Film Festival (Liff), is back for its 13th year and we have a sneak peek into the exciting films that will be showcased at the prestigious festival! This year’s Liff spans 14 days from 23rd June – 6th July, screening in various cinemas across London as well as regionally in Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds. Plus the BFI Player will host a selection of short films. Plus there will be films available at LoveLIFFatHome.com but more to come on that later.
As with every year, the festival strives to bring thought-provoking, unique viewpoints and outstanding independent films to audiences with the selection of films Liff brings to the screen. Not only featuring world premieres, and special screenings, Liff also features masterclasses and incredible Q&a events after the screenings. Liff brings an in-depth look into cinema.
Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE says, “We are delighted at the...
As with every year, the festival strives to bring thought-provoking, unique viewpoints and outstanding independent films to audiences with the selection of films Liff brings to the screen. Not only featuring world premieres, and special screenings, Liff also features masterclasses and incredible Q&a events after the screenings. Liff brings an in-depth look into cinema.
Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE says, “We are delighted at the...
- 5/12/2022
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Anurag Kashyap’s “Dobaaraa” has been set as the opening night film of the London Indian Film Festival. Despite its name, the festival will play at venues across the U.K., and will present 24 features and 18 shorts.
“Dobaaraa” is a supernatural thriller that Liff describes as involving a young woman trapped between two lives in different decades. Kashyap has previously told Variety that “Dobaaraa” is a Hindi-language adaptation of Oriol Paulo’s 2018 Spanish-language film “Mirage.” It stars Taapsee Pannu, an actor known for her eclectic choice of projects.
In “Mirage,” a 12-year-old boy witnesses a death during a thunderstorm and is killed himself. Twenty-five years later the woman who moves into the same apartment is connected to the boy through a television set during a similar storm and has the opportunity to save his life.
“Dobaaraa” was produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor, through Cult Movies, a new...
“Dobaaraa” is a supernatural thriller that Liff describes as involving a young woman trapped between two lives in different decades. Kashyap has previously told Variety that “Dobaaraa” is a Hindi-language adaptation of Oriol Paulo’s 2018 Spanish-language film “Mirage.” It stars Taapsee Pannu, an actor known for her eclectic choice of projects.
In “Mirage,” a 12-year-old boy witnesses a death during a thunderstorm and is killed himself. Twenty-five years later the woman who moves into the same apartment is connected to the boy through a television set during a similar storm and has the opportunity to save his life.
“Dobaaraa” was produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor, through Cult Movies, a new...
- 5/10/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Festival ran from April 28-May 1.
Once Upon A Time In Calcutta and Jaggi have triumphed at 2022 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla).
Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Once Upon A Time In Calcutta won the grand jury prize for best feature film while Anmol Sidhu’s Jaggi took the inaugural Uma da Cunha Award for best feature film debut as well as the Audience Choice Award for best feature.
In the short film category, the grand jury prize went to Amrita Bagchi’s Succulent and the grand jury prize for best short in the inaugural Spotlight on South Asia section...
Once Upon A Time In Calcutta and Jaggi have triumphed at 2022 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla).
Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Once Upon A Time In Calcutta won the grand jury prize for best feature film while Anmol Sidhu’s Jaggi took the inaugural Uma da Cunha Award for best feature film debut as well as the Audience Choice Award for best feature.
In the short film category, the grand jury prize went to Amrita Bagchi’s Succulent and the grand jury prize for best short in the inaugural Spotlight on South Asia section...
- 5/4/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The 2022 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has announced the winners of its annual filmmaker awards, with Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” winning the grand jury prize for feature film. Anmol Sidhu’s “Jaggi” was the recipient of the Uma da Cunha Award for feature film debut, as well as the audience choice award for feature.
“This year’s edition of the film festival was wonderful in so many ways,” said Iffla executive director Christina Marouda. “The excitement felt by the reunion of so many of our filmmakers, patrons, and film fans back in the theaters was something we all shared. The months and weeks leading to the festival, we weren’t sure whether people would show up after a three-year break from an in-person festival. We were overwhelmed to see everyone coming back, eager to reconnect with the community and the Iffla family,...
“This year’s edition of the film festival was wonderful in so many ways,” said Iffla executive director Christina Marouda. “The excitement felt by the reunion of so many of our filmmakers, patrons, and film fans back in the theaters was something we all shared. The months and weeks leading to the festival, we weren’t sure whether people would show up after a three-year break from an in-person festival. We were overwhelmed to see everyone coming back, eager to reconnect with the community and the Iffla family,...
- 5/3/2022
- by Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
It’s a tough game of survival in Calcutta, a city which keeps its people in their same old spaces with the same-same job opportunities, with little to no chance to change their lives for the better. For those few brave who try to challenge the rules of the societal game in Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s drama “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta”, things don’t go all too well. Ela (Sreelekha Mitra) gets punished for being born out of a wedlock as a daughter of a wealthy, married man and the city’s once-upon-a-time big performance star. She can’t be included to the inheritance, and her half-brother Bubu (Bratya Basu) is still sulking about his father’s infidelity four decades later, blocking her chances of getting the fair share out of the sale of the family house where he still lives alone, locked behind the barred door. Raja...
- 4/17/2022
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
“I believe that one can never leave home. I believe that one carries the shadows, the dreams, the fears and the dragons of home under one’s skin, at the extreme corners of one’s eyes and possibly in the gristle of the earlobe.” – Maya Angelou wrote in “Letter to My Daughter”.
Achal Mishra must be carrying this kind of inner picture of a house, which abides regardless of passing time. His debut “Gamak Ghar” (literally: village house) with Maithili dialogues, woven from semi-autobiographical elements, is an elegy told in images. A sorrowful tribute for what is irrecoverably lost, though keeps giving us a safe shelter in memories. This subtle, minimalistic movie announces an author, who dares to search for his own distinctive voice. He shows (un)ordinariness, a volatile beauty hidden in simplicity – as Aditya Vikram Sengupta also did in “Labour of Love”, but he gives them a different treatment.
Achal Mishra must be carrying this kind of inner picture of a house, which abides regardless of passing time. His debut “Gamak Ghar” (literally: village house) with Maithili dialogues, woven from semi-autobiographical elements, is an elegy told in images. A sorrowful tribute for what is irrecoverably lost, though keeps giving us a safe shelter in memories. This subtle, minimalistic movie announces an author, who dares to search for his own distinctive voice. He shows (un)ordinariness, a volatile beauty hidden in simplicity – as Aditya Vikram Sengupta also did in “Labour of Love”, but he gives them a different treatment.
- 4/16/2022
- by Joanna Kończak
- AsianMoviePulse
For Films, producer of “Labour of Love,” which won best debut for director Aditya Vikram Sengupta at the 2014 Venice Film Festival, has revealed a robust slate.
Other films from the company include Rotterdam selection “Jonaki” (2018) and Venice selection “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” (2021), both directed by Sengupta.
For Films is now actively developing three different kinds of projects, set in very different worlds. It has also expanded from Bengali-language films into the Hindi and English languages in an attempt to reach the widest possible audience.
One of the projects, with the working title “Death of an Elephant,” is a Hindi-language period piece based on a short story by renowned Bengali author, Tarasankhar Bandopadhyay, to be directed by Sengupta. The film is set in North India and requires an ensemble star cast. Discussions are on with cast. Several of Bandopadhyay’s works have been adapted as films, including “The Music Room” (1958) by Satyajit Ray.
Other films from the company include Rotterdam selection “Jonaki” (2018) and Venice selection “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” (2021), both directed by Sengupta.
For Films is now actively developing three different kinds of projects, set in very different worlds. It has also expanded from Bengali-language films into the Hindi and English languages in an attempt to reach the widest possible audience.
One of the projects, with the working title “Death of an Elephant,” is a Hindi-language period piece based on a short story by renowned Bengali author, Tarasankhar Bandopadhyay, to be directed by Sengupta. The film is set in North India and requires an ensemble star cast. Discussions are on with cast. Several of Bandopadhyay’s works have been adapted as films, including “The Music Room” (1958) by Satyajit Ray.
- 4/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art has set Audrey Diwan’s Happening and The African Desperate by Martine Syms will bookend the 51st edition of their collaboration, New Directors/New Films running April 20–May 1 in NYC.
The festival will introduce 26 features and 11 shorts and total of 39 directors — 21 of which are women.
“Portraits of individuals and communities navigating uncertain and turbulent circumstances in pursuit of freedom, self-determination, and survival set a remarkably contemplative tone to the lineup,” said La Frances Hui, curator of MoMa’s film department and event co-char.
Happening (L’Événement), winner of the 2021 Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion, is the portrait of a young woman attempting to secure an illegal abortion in 1960s provincial France. It was acquired by IFC Films and will be released May 6.
The African Desperate, a debut feature from Syms, rushes through 24 hours in the life of protagonist Palace...
The festival will introduce 26 features and 11 shorts and total of 39 directors — 21 of which are women.
“Portraits of individuals and communities navigating uncertain and turbulent circumstances in pursuit of freedom, self-determination, and survival set a remarkably contemplative tone to the lineup,” said La Frances Hui, curator of MoMa’s film department and event co-char.
Happening (L’Événement), winner of the 2021 Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion, is the portrait of a young woman attempting to secure an illegal abortion in 1960s provincial France. It was acquired by IFC Films and will be released May 6.
The African Desperate, a debut feature from Syms, rushes through 24 hours in the life of protagonist Palace...
- 3/29/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Golden Lion winner “Happening” will open the 2022 New Directors/New Films Festival, Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art announced Tuesday.
Now in its 51st year, the New Directors/New Films Festival screens the best films made by young filmmakers, many of which tend to be their debut features. The festival has served as an early showcase for many notable directors, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kelly Reichardt, Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke, Wong Kar Wai, Guillermo del Toro and Luca Guadagnino. This year, the festival will screen 26 features and 11 shorts.
“Portraits of individuals and communities navigating uncertain and turbulent circumstances in pursuit of freedom, self-determination, and survival set a remarkably contemplative tone for the lineup,” 2022 Nd/Nf co-chair and MoMa department of film curator La Frances Hui said in a statement. “This year’s new directors look inward and draw on events past and present...
Now in its 51st year, the New Directors/New Films Festival screens the best films made by young filmmakers, many of which tend to be their debut features. The festival has served as an early showcase for many notable directors, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kelly Reichardt, Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke, Wong Kar Wai, Guillermo del Toro and Luca Guadagnino. This year, the festival will screen 26 features and 11 shorts.
“Portraits of individuals and communities navigating uncertain and turbulent circumstances in pursuit of freedom, self-determination, and survival set a remarkably contemplative tone for the lineup,” 2022 Nd/Nf co-chair and MoMa department of film curator La Frances Hui said in a statement. “This year’s new directors look inward and draw on events past and present...
- 3/29/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Mumbai Film Festival Considers Physical Screenings After Filmmakers’ Appeal to Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Updated: Filmmakers have a glimmer of hope after the Mumbai Film Festival said it would consider physical screenings, but did not make any promises.
“We feel the disappointment of the filmmakers,” a statement released by the festival board of trustees and team on Monday said. “We are working on a plan to manage a physical screening for films in our selection that do not screen in India in the near future. Whenever that is possible, we will get in touch and work with the filmmakers to make it happen.”
“But we do not, as we have said repeatedly, want to make promises we cannot keep. We have never requested any of our filmmakers to make choices in our favor or to hold back from whatever they feel is the best platform for their film and we do not want to do it now,” the statement added.
The statement also revealed...
“We feel the disappointment of the filmmakers,” a statement released by the festival board of trustees and team on Monday said. “We are working on a plan to manage a physical screening for films in our selection that do not screen in India in the near future. Whenever that is possible, we will get in touch and work with the filmmakers to make it happen.”
“But we do not, as we have said repeatedly, want to make promises we cannot keep. We have never requested any of our filmmakers to make choices in our favor or to hold back from whatever they feel is the best platform for their film and we do not want to do it now,” the statement added.
The statement also revealed...
- 2/28/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Update, 02/28, 05:30Am: Organizers of the Mumbai Film Festival (Mami) have responded to an open letter published last week by a collection of Indian filmmakers criticizing the decision to not hold physical screenings at this year’s event.
In a statement, the fest said they “feel the disappointment of the filmmakers” and that the move had been a “last resort”. They added that a key sponsor had pulled out of the event. Below is the statement in full.
“We feel the disappointment of the filmmakers. The last two years have been very hard on the filmmaking community. Similarly, we as an academy, all our benefactors, collaborators, and partners have also suffered. Amongst many things, we have had an associate sponsor discontinue their partnership with us. While that has put accumulating pressure on us, we also understand the difficulties of our partners.
“For us, cancelling an edition of the festival is the last resort.
In a statement, the fest said they “feel the disappointment of the filmmakers” and that the move had been a “last resort”. They added that a key sponsor had pulled out of the event. Below is the statement in full.
“We feel the disappointment of the filmmakers. The last two years have been very hard on the filmmaking community. Similarly, we as an academy, all our benefactors, collaborators, and partners have also suffered. Amongst many things, we have had an associate sponsor discontinue their partnership with us. While that has put accumulating pressure on us, we also understand the difficulties of our partners.
“For us, cancelling an edition of the festival is the last resort.
- 2/28/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s a tough game of survival in Calcutta, a city which keeps its people in their same old spaces with the same-same job opportunities, with little to no chance to change their lives for the better. For those few brave who try to challenge the rules of the societal game in Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s drama “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta”, things don’t go all too well. Ela (Sreelekha Mitra) gets punished for being born out of a wedlock as a daughter of a wealthy, married man and the city’s once-upon-a-time big performance star. She can’t be included to the inheritance, and her half-brother Bubu (Bratya Basu) is still sulking about his father’s infidelity four decades later, blocking her chances of getting the fair share out of the sale of the family house where he still lives alone, locked behind the barred door. Raja...
- 11/25/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Speakers on the Knowledge Series panels discussed the precarious position of South Asian independent filmmaking following the pandemic.
While India’s economy is recovering, cinemas reopening and the streaming business booming, as the devastating second wave of the pandemic recedes, this year’s edition of Film Bazaar Online (November 20-25) highlighted the precarious position of Indian and South Asian independent cinema in the post-Covid landscape.
Speakers on several panels during Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series talked about the usual indie filmmaker headaches of accessing funding and distribution, as well as the need for further training in areas such as animation and VFX,...
While India’s economy is recovering, cinemas reopening and the streaming business booming, as the devastating second wave of the pandemic recedes, this year’s edition of Film Bazaar Online (November 20-25) highlighted the precarious position of Indian and South Asian independent cinema in the post-Covid landscape.
Speakers on several panels during Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series talked about the usual indie filmmaker headaches of accessing funding and distribution, as well as the need for further training in areas such as animation and VFX,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Teemu Nikki’s Venice and Antalya winner “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic” won the Golden star for best film at the 5th El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt, which wrapped Friday. The award carries a cash prize of $50,000.
The film’s lead Petri Poikolainen won best actor, while Maya Vanderbeque, the young star of “Playground,” won best actress.
Egyptian filmmaker Omar El Zohairy’s Cannes winner “Feathers,” which also won the Variety award at El Gouna earlier, won best Arab narrative film.
Directors Aleksey Chupov and Natasha Merkulova’s “Captain Volkonogov Escaped” won the Netpac award and bronze in the narrative category.
Michel Franco’s “Sundown” won silver in the narrative competition, while Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” scored a special mention from Netpac.
Mounia Akl’s “Costa Brava, Lebanon” won the Fipresci award and the Green Star award for tackling environmental issues.
The film’s lead Petri Poikolainen won best actor, while Maya Vanderbeque, the young star of “Playground,” won best actress.
Egyptian filmmaker Omar El Zohairy’s Cannes winner “Feathers,” which also won the Variety award at El Gouna earlier, won best Arab narrative film.
Directors Aleksey Chupov and Natasha Merkulova’s “Captain Volkonogov Escaped” won the Netpac award and bronze in the narrative category.
Michel Franco’s “Sundown” won silver in the narrative competition, while Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” scored a special mention from Netpac.
Mounia Akl’s “Costa Brava, Lebanon” won the Fipresci award and the Green Star award for tackling environmental issues.
- 10/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Amid ongoing disruption in the Arab world’s unstable fest landscape, Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival is staying the course and increasingly proving its mettle in promoting the cream of the region’s cinematic crop while also providing key support in nurturing new works.
El Gouna chief Intishal Al Timimi proudly points out that the fifth edition of the Oct. 14-22 event has secured eight high-profile features from Arab directors, most of which will be having their Middle Eastern premieres in the Egyptian Red Sea resort after bowing in Cannes and Venice.
They comprise French-Moroccan veteran Nabil Ayouch’s high-energy hip-hop drama “Casablanca Beats”; and two works from Lebanon: Mounia Akl’s dramedy “Costa Brava, Lebanon,” which targets Lebanon’s political malaise; and Ely Dagher’s “The Sea Ahead,” about a young woman who returns from Paris to Beirut and reconnects with the life she had left behind. There...
El Gouna chief Intishal Al Timimi proudly points out that the fifth edition of the Oct. 14-22 event has secured eight high-profile features from Arab directors, most of which will be having their Middle Eastern premieres in the Egyptian Red Sea resort after bowing in Cannes and Venice.
They comprise French-Moroccan veteran Nabil Ayouch’s high-energy hip-hop drama “Casablanca Beats”; and two works from Lebanon: Mounia Akl’s dramedy “Costa Brava, Lebanon,” which targets Lebanon’s political malaise; and Ely Dagher’s “The Sea Ahead,” about a young woman who returns from Paris to Beirut and reconnects with the life she had left behind. There...
- 10/13/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The New Zealand International Film Festival had to cancel the Auckland leg of its multi-city exhibition series, but will continue in Wellington and Christchurch and other regional stops with a diverse lineup that includes an impressive Asian selection.
Wellington will screen a total of 164 feature films from 51 countries over 18 days (Nov. 4-21) across its eight venues. Christchurch will screen 95 features from 37 countries.
International highlights include Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter,” Zhang Yimou’s “One Second,” and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Oscars contender Jasmila Zbanic’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” Germany’s Oscar contender, Maria Schrader’s “I’m Your Man,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” and “My Salinger Year” also screen. So too does Jane Campion’s U.S.-set, New Zealand-made “The Power of the Dog.” The middle of the festival includes Cannes Palme D’or winner “Titane” and Paulo Sorrentino’s Venice grand...
Wellington will screen a total of 164 feature films from 51 countries over 18 days (Nov. 4-21) across its eight venues. Christchurch will screen 95 features from 37 countries.
International highlights include Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter,” Zhang Yimou’s “One Second,” and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Oscars contender Jasmila Zbanic’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” Germany’s Oscar contender, Maria Schrader’s “I’m Your Man,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” and “My Salinger Year” also screen. So too does Jane Campion’s U.S.-set, New Zealand-made “The Power of the Dog.” The middle of the festival includes Cannes Palme D’or winner “Titane” and Paulo Sorrentino’s Venice grand...
- 10/12/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
It’s a tough game of survival in Calcutta, a city which keeps its people in their same old spaces with the same-same job opportunities, with little to no chance to change their lives for the better. For those few brave who try to challenge the rules of the societal game in Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s drama “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta”, things don’t go all too well. Ela (Sreelekha Mitra) gets punished for being born out of a wedlock as a daughter of a wealthy, married man and the city’s once-upon-a-time big performance star. She can’t be included to the inheritance, and her half-brother Bubu (Bratya Basu) is still sulking about his father’s infidelity four decades later, blocking her chances of getting the fair share out of the sale of the family house where he still lives alone, locked behind the barred door. Raja...
- 9/20/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Aditya Vikram Sengupta is in Venice with his third feature drama “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” which runs in the main competition. Back in 2014, he was awarded Best Debut Director for “Labour of Love” (Asha Jaoar Majhe) here in Venice, at the festival he says discovered him and made him a braver filmmaker.
“Once Upon A Time…” is a film completely based on true events, and it tells a couple of interwoven stories that center around one woman and one young man, and their hardships. If there is a bit of a love story involved, this isn’t a film about love. It’s the common people Sengupta is interested in, and the city he calls his home.
We spoke with Aditya Vikram Sengupta on the day of the film’s world premiere.
In the opening credits, it is stated that your film was based on true events, and...
“Once Upon A Time…” is a film completely based on true events, and it tells a couple of interwoven stories that center around one woman and one young man, and their hardships. If there is a bit of a love story involved, this isn’t a film about love. It’s the common people Sengupta is interested in, and the city he calls his home.
We spoke with Aditya Vikram Sengupta on the day of the film’s world premiere.
In the opening credits, it is stated that your film was based on true events, and...
- 9/12/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Acclaimed French producer Catherine Dussart has a full production slate including new works from veterans Amos Gitai, Rithy Panh and Peter Greenaway.
Dussart is currently at the Venice Film Festival where Indian filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” co-produced by her Catherine Dussart Productions, is playing in the Horizons strand. Dussart is also on board Sengupta’s next, “Birthmark,” about two women who become part of a catastrophic plan hatched by a patriarchal family, which is at the Venice gap financing market.
Gitai started a Dussart-produced trilogy about Israelis and Palestinians engaging with each other harmoniously with “A Tramway in Jerusalem,” which won the Unimed Award at Venice in 2018. The second, “Laila in Haifa” was in the reckoning for a Venice Golden Lion in 2020. “Shikun,” which completes the trilogy, is set in a massive social housing project in Beersheba, in the Negev desert. The film,...
Dussart is currently at the Venice Film Festival where Indian filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” co-produced by her Catherine Dussart Productions, is playing in the Horizons strand. Dussart is also on board Sengupta’s next, “Birthmark,” about two women who become part of a catastrophic plan hatched by a patriarchal family, which is at the Venice gap financing market.
Gitai started a Dussart-produced trilogy about Israelis and Palestinians engaging with each other harmoniously with “A Tramway in Jerusalem,” which won the Unimed Award at Venice in 2018. The second, “Laila in Haifa” was in the reckoning for a Venice Golden Lion in 2020. “Shikun,” which completes the trilogy, is set in a massive social housing project in Beersheba, in the Negev desert. The film,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut feature, “Labour of Love,” bowed at Venice Days in 2014 where it won the Fedeora Award for best director of a debut film, en route to winning several international awards and at home in India. He’s back on the Lido with “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” his third feature, which screens in the Horizons strand.
“Labour of Love,” a lyrical look at a relationship, was set in Sengupta’s native city, Kolkata, the Eastern Indian metropolis formerly known as Calcutta, which is crumbling on the one hand and rapidly modernizing on the other. Both the city and memories feature prominently in India-Norway-France collaboration “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” where three lives collide against contrasting backdrops of simultaneous urban decay and growth. The film is shot by Gökhan Tiryaki, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s regular Dp.
Sengupta’s next film, “Birthmark,” about two women who...
“Labour of Love,” a lyrical look at a relationship, was set in Sengupta’s native city, Kolkata, the Eastern Indian metropolis formerly known as Calcutta, which is crumbling on the one hand and rapidly modernizing on the other. Both the city and memories feature prominently in India-Norway-France collaboration “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” where three lives collide against contrasting backdrops of simultaneous urban decay and growth. The film is shot by Gökhan Tiryaki, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s regular Dp.
Sengupta’s next film, “Birthmark,” about two women who...
- 9/6/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Indian filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta is back on the Lido with his third feature “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” which screens in the Horizons strand.
His debut, “Labour of Love” (2014) bowed at Venice Days where it won the Fedeora Award for best director of a debut film.
Inspired by true events, the film follows the life of a bereaved mother and an estranged wife trying to desperately find a new identity, love and independence. But she soon realizes that she is not the only scavenger in the city formerly known as Calcutta, now called Kolkata, which is brimming with hunger. The film explores the interconnected lives of people struggling to live in a city that is experiencing the aftermath of a communist regime.
“For me, exploring the city was not through the city and the infrastructure or the architecture of the locations, but through the cities and the worlds existing in these people,...
His debut, “Labour of Love” (2014) bowed at Venice Days where it won the Fedeora Award for best director of a debut film.
Inspired by true events, the film follows the life of a bereaved mother and an estranged wife trying to desperately find a new identity, love and independence. But she soon realizes that she is not the only scavenger in the city formerly known as Calcutta, now called Kolkata, which is brimming with hunger. The film explores the interconnected lives of people struggling to live in a city that is experiencing the aftermath of a communist regime.
“For me, exploring the city was not through the city and the infrastructure or the architecture of the locations, but through the cities and the worlds existing in these people,...
- 9/5/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A thought-provoking film about the importance of architecture by three-time Oscar nominee Wim Wenders, and an investigative documentary about the troubled life and times of Egyptian heart-throb Omar Sharif are among 30 feature film projects to be pitched as part of the 8th edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market, which runs Sept. 3-5 at the Venice Film Festival.
The projects, which all have at least 70% of their funding in place already, include the works of many other leading filmmakers, such as Fien Troch, Martin Rejtman, Jean-Gabriel Periot, Marjana Karanović, Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Simone Jaquemet.
Wenders’ documentary “The Secret of Places” investigates the role played by architecture in our everyday lives. It takes viewers on a tour of architect Peter Zumthor’s best-known buildings, and accompanies him during the construction of two recent creations – the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the extension of the Fondation Beyeler in Basel.
The projects, which all have at least 70% of their funding in place already, include the works of many other leading filmmakers, such as Fien Troch, Martin Rejtman, Jean-Gabriel Periot, Marjana Karanović, Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Simone Jaquemet.
Wenders’ documentary “The Secret of Places” investigates the role played by architecture in our everyday lives. It takes viewers on a tour of architect Peter Zumthor’s best-known buildings, and accompanies him during the construction of two recent creations – the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the extension of the Fondation Beyeler in Basel.
- 8/5/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Taking place September 1 through 11, the Venice Film Festival has now unveiled its lineup, after a few teases of what it contains (the opening night selection of Madres Paralelas by Pedro Almodovar and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune). Among the selections are Jane Campion’s The Power of a Dog, Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, Ana Lily Amirpour’s Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, and Edgar Wright’s The Last Night in Soho will premiere there, along with new shorts by Radu Jude and Tsai Ming-liang.
Check out the line below for the festival that will feature 50% capacity at screenings.
Venezia 78 – Competition
Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar
Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour
Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé
The Power Of The Dog,...
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, and Edgar Wright’s The Last Night in Soho will premiere there, along with new shorts by Radu Jude and Tsai Ming-liang.
Check out the line below for the festival that will feature 50% capacity at screenings.
Venezia 78 – Competition
Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar
Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour
Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé
The Power Of The Dog,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This year’s line-up includes five female directors in competition.
The line-up of the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for the full line-up
This year’s selection saw the festival take a backward step for gender balance, with five female directors selected in the main competition, down from last year’s eight. 26% of films in the overall line-up are directed by women, down from 28% in 2020.
The high-profile titles picked for competition this year include Pablo Larrain’s Spencer; Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God...
The line-up of the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for the full line-up
This year’s selection saw the festival take a backward step for gender balance, with five female directors selected in the main competition, down from last year’s eight. 26% of films in the overall line-up are directed by women, down from 28% in 2020.
The high-profile titles picked for competition this year include Pablo Larrain’s Spencer; Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God...
- 7/26/2021
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The Venice film festival runs September 1-11.
The line-up for the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) is being unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The press conference will be live-streamed here below, and the story will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival in competition. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will also have its world premiere at the festival out of competition on September 3.
Bong Joon Ho will preside over the competition jury that also includes Chloé Zhao,...
The line-up for the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) is being unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The press conference will be live-streamed here below, and the story will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival in competition. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will also have its world premiere at the festival out of competition on September 3.
Bong Joon Ho will preside over the competition jury that also includes Chloé Zhao,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Cannes Titles To Stream Online
A pair of documentaries selected for this year’s Cannes Classics program will screen for free on the festival’s website and on the Cine+ Dailymotion platform as of this evening (July 2) from 7pm local time. The two films, both just shy of one hour in length, are Daphné Baiwir’s The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland, a portrait of the famed actress who was the first female president of the Cannes jury in 1965, and Emmanuel Barnault’s Pieces Of Cannes, a look at the French festival’s 74-year history. The films will be available until July 4 at 10pm local time.
Venice Gap Financing Projects
Venice Film Festival has revealed the 30 projects that will take part in its Gap-Financing Market during this year’s industry-focused Production Bridge, running September 1-11. The event will offer filmmaking teams one-on-one meetings with international decision-makers. Among the selected titles are The Secret Of Places,...
A pair of documentaries selected for this year’s Cannes Classics program will screen for free on the festival’s website and on the Cine+ Dailymotion platform as of this evening (July 2) from 7pm local time. The two films, both just shy of one hour in length, are Daphné Baiwir’s The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland, a portrait of the famed actress who was the first female president of the Cannes jury in 1965, and Emmanuel Barnault’s Pieces Of Cannes, a look at the French festival’s 74-year history. The films will be available until July 4 at 10pm local time.
Venice Gap Financing Projects
Venice Film Festival has revealed the 30 projects that will take part in its Gap-Financing Market during this year’s industry-focused Production Bridge, running September 1-11. The event will offer filmmaking teams one-on-one meetings with international decision-makers. Among the selected titles are The Secret Of Places,...
- 7/2/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) today unveils the lineup for its 19th edition (HAF19), with 29 projects from established Asian directors and producers such as Hur Jin-Ho, Kawase Naomi, Ning Hao, Ogigami Naoko, Wang Bing, Yee Chih-Yen, emerging filmmakers like Cai Chengjie, Oliver Chan, Roya Sadat, Yang Mingming, as well as nine first-feature directors.
Returning to its regular March slot, HAF19 will run concurrently with the 25th Hong Kong Filmart (Filmart) from 15 to 17 March. It will again take place online following Haf’s first-ever virtual edition held in August 2020.
“Despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Haf remains strongly committed to filmmakers,” Haf director Jacob Wong said. “We will have our dedicated online meeting platform this year for accredited Haf and Filmart participants to schedule and conduct meetings directly. It’s hassle-free and user-friendly, requiring no download or additional log-on.”
HAF19 selected the 29 projects, including nine documentaries,...
Returning to its regular March slot, HAF19 will run concurrently with the 25th Hong Kong Filmart (Filmart) from 15 to 17 March. It will again take place online following Haf’s first-ever virtual edition held in August 2020.
“Despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Haf remains strongly committed to filmmakers,” Haf director Jacob Wong said. “We will have our dedicated online meeting platform this year for accredited Haf and Filmart participants to schedule and conduct meetings directly. It’s hassle-free and user-friendly, requiring no download or additional log-on.”
HAF19 selected the 29 projects, including nine documentaries,...
- 1/19/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Twenty-nine projects from across Asia have been selected to take part in March’s Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf), which will go virtual for the second time.
Scheduled to take place March 15-17, 2021, Haf will run concurrently with the Hong Kong FilMart. Both events were postponed last year to August due to the pandemic and eventually migrated online.
They will return to their usual March slot this year in tweaked virtual format. A new online meeting platform “requiring no download or additional log-on” will be set up for participants this year, said Haf director Jacob Wong.
The 29 shortlisted projects, including nine documentaries, were selected from 321 submissions from 80 countries and regions, Haf said on Monday.
Shortlisted projects include those to be directed by established filmmakers as well as emerging talent. The strongest presences are from Hong Kong, mainland China and India.
Two of the eight mainland Chinese projects are produced...
Scheduled to take place March 15-17, 2021, Haf will run concurrently with the Hong Kong FilMart. Both events were postponed last year to August due to the pandemic and eventually migrated online.
They will return to their usual March slot this year in tweaked virtual format. A new online meeting platform “requiring no download or additional log-on” will be set up for participants this year, said Haf director Jacob Wong.
The 29 shortlisted projects, including nine documentaries, were selected from 321 submissions from 80 countries and regions, Haf said on Monday.
Shortlisted projects include those to be directed by established filmmakers as well as emerging talent. The strongest presences are from Hong Kong, mainland China and India.
Two of the eight mainland Chinese projects are produced...
- 1/18/2021
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Line-up includes nine documentaries and nine first-time feature directors.
The Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) has announced the 29 projects selected for this year’s edition, including established Asian directors and producers such as Hur Jin-Ho, Naomi Kawase and Ning Hao, as well as emerging filmmakers and nine first-time feature directors.
Returning to its regular March slot, Haf will take place online from March 15-17, coinciding with Filmart Online, which runs March 15-18. Haf and Filmart also took place virtually in August 2020.
“Despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Haf remains strongly committed to filmmakers,” said Haf director Jacob Wong.
The Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) has announced the 29 projects selected for this year’s edition, including established Asian directors and producers such as Hur Jin-Ho, Naomi Kawase and Ning Hao, as well as emerging filmmakers and nine first-time feature directors.
Returning to its regular March slot, Haf will take place online from March 15-17, coinciding with Filmart Online, which runs March 15-18. Haf and Filmart also took place virtually in August 2020.
“Despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Haf remains strongly committed to filmmakers,” said Haf director Jacob Wong.
- 1/18/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
“I believe that one can never leave home. I believe that one carries the shadows, the dreams, the fears and the dragons of home under one’s skin, at the extreme corners of one’s eyes and possibly in the gristle of the earlobe.” – Maya Angelou wrote in “Letter to My Daughter”.
“Gamak Ghar” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
Achal Mishra must be carrying this kind of inner picture of a house, which abides regardless of passing time. His debut “Gamak Ghar” (literally: village house) with Maithili dialogues, woven from semi-autobiographical elements, is an elegy told in images. A sorrowful tribute for what is irrecoverably lost, though keeps giving us a safe shelter in memories. This subtle, minimalistic movie announces an author, who dares to search for his own distinctive voice. He shows (un)ordinariness, a volatile beauty hidden in simplicity – as Aditya Vikram Sengupta also did...
“Gamak Ghar” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
Achal Mishra must be carrying this kind of inner picture of a house, which abides regardless of passing time. His debut “Gamak Ghar” (literally: village house) with Maithili dialogues, woven from semi-autobiographical elements, is an elegy told in images. A sorrowful tribute for what is irrecoverably lost, though keeps giving us a safe shelter in memories. This subtle, minimalistic movie announces an author, who dares to search for his own distinctive voice. He shows (un)ordinariness, a volatile beauty hidden in simplicity – as Aditya Vikram Sengupta also did...
- 10/30/2020
- by Joanna Kończak
- AsianMoviePulse
by Imran Firdaus
Introduction
“Asha Jaoar Majhe” is an Indian Bengali language film made by Aditya Vikram Sengupta and produced by For Films. The film is about the recession that affected India as well as the world a couple of years back, including a lower middle class married couple who work hard day-night to sustain their lives. This nameless couple does not get a chance to meet each other except in the morning when the husband enters home and the wife leaves for work. Aesthetically slow paced, “Asha Jaoar Majhe” has not only portrayed the life of the couple but also portrayed the space, time, and belonging in which they live. Apparently, no conversation happens among the characters all over the film, but through moving images and the acting of the protagonists, the filmmaker creates an indulging, cognitive dialog with the audience
Mise-en-scene Analysis
Etymologically, the word mise-en-scene came from...
Introduction
“Asha Jaoar Majhe” is an Indian Bengali language film made by Aditya Vikram Sengupta and produced by For Films. The film is about the recession that affected India as well as the world a couple of years back, including a lower middle class married couple who work hard day-night to sustain their lives. This nameless couple does not get a chance to meet each other except in the morning when the husband enters home and the wife leaves for work. Aesthetically slow paced, “Asha Jaoar Majhe” has not only portrayed the life of the couple but also portrayed the space, time, and belonging in which they live. Apparently, no conversation happens among the characters all over the film, but through moving images and the acting of the protagonists, the filmmaker creates an indulging, cognitive dialog with the audience
Mise-en-scene Analysis
Etymologically, the word mise-en-scene came from...
- 6/5/2020
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
By Sayandeep Bandyopadhyay
Over the years, we have seen many great filmmakers emerging from Bengal, the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Buddhadeb Dasgupta being the most notable examples. They have given us many memorable movies which are now considered as true masterpieces. Their minimalist approach towards movies, inspired by the Italian neo-realism movement, has earned them many accolades all over the world. Recently, though, that run of rich, artistic, independent movies for which Bengal was known for has been dried up. The films that are being produced nowadays are not up to the mark. Amongst these, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film “Asha Jaoar Majhe” (Labour of Love) is like a breath of fresh air.
Watch This Title
Here the title serves as the synopsis. The film is about an unnamed married couple, played by Ritwik Chakrabarty and Basabdutta Chatterjee, who work in opposite shifts to make...
Over the years, we have seen many great filmmakers emerging from Bengal, the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Buddhadeb Dasgupta being the most notable examples. They have given us many memorable movies which are now considered as true masterpieces. Their minimalist approach towards movies, inspired by the Italian neo-realism movement, has earned them many accolades all over the world. Recently, though, that run of rich, artistic, independent movies for which Bengal was known for has been dried up. The films that are being produced nowadays are not up to the mark. Amongst these, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film “Asha Jaoar Majhe” (Labour of Love) is like a breath of fresh air.
Watch This Title
Here the title serves as the synopsis. The film is about an unnamed married couple, played by Ritwik Chakrabarty and Basabdutta Chatterjee, who work in opposite shifts to make...
- 8/9/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
A dreamscape where the decaying remnants of the huge mansions of the past are filled with vegetation that communicates in its own language is where “Jonaki” is set for the most part. The dreams and memories of an eighty-year-old woman are shown to us as she sees them.
“Jonaki” is screening at Indian Film Festival Los Angeles
“Jonaki” (Lolita Chatterjee) is in her deathbed and the memory of her whole life, which starts from her love affair with a Christian boy (Jim Sarbh), is being shown to the viewers. In her memories, everyone looks at their most memorable forms to her. She is in her eighty-year form while everyone else looks much younger when the memory is from her teenage years. Her doomed love and the arranged marriage where she was not happy that follows it, cover the basic story but the film has a lot more to tell.
The...
“Jonaki” is screening at Indian Film Festival Los Angeles
“Jonaki” (Lolita Chatterjee) is in her deathbed and the memory of her whole life, which starts from her love affair with a Christian boy (Jim Sarbh), is being shown to the viewers. In her memories, everyone looks at their most memorable forms to her. She is in her eighty-year form while everyone else looks much younger when the memory is from her teenage years. Her doomed love and the arranged marriage where she was not happy that follows it, cover the basic story but the film has a lot more to tell.
The...
- 3/27/2019
- by Jithin Mohan
- AsianMoviePulse
The 17th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles is nearly upon us and the feature and short film lineups have been announced. Opening on April 11th with a special screening of Sriram Raghavan's stellar Andhadhun and tribute to leading lady Tabu, Iffla continues through the 14th with a number of fantastic films and events. The festival closes with the world premiere of Megha Ramaswamy's The Odds and a screening of Tiff alum and acclaimed documentary Reason by Anand Patwardhan I can definitely recommend the above-mentioned Andhadhun, Slamdance award-winner Cat Sticks, Aditya Vikram Sengupta's Bengali Rotterdam alum Jonaki, Dar Gai's Nambau Dev In Search of Silence, and the shorts Bebaak by Shazia Iqbal and Maya by Vikas Chandra. I'm very much looking forward to digging...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/25/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Andhadhun to open festival as previously announced.
The 2019 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles has announced its line-up including the La premiere of Ritesh Batra’s Photograph and Anamika Haksar’s Taking The Horse To Eat Jalebis, both of which debuted at Sundance in January.
The festival will also present Ronak Shah’s Love Goes Through Your Mind and host the world premiere of Varun Chounal’s Gabroo.
Three Kolkata-set films will also screen at the festival; Chippa starring Lion’s Sunny Pawar, Slamdance honorable mention Cat Sticks, and Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Jonaki.
The festival features a strong female representation.
The 2019 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles has announced its line-up including the La premiere of Ritesh Batra’s Photograph and Anamika Haksar’s Taking The Horse To Eat Jalebis, both of which debuted at Sundance in January.
The festival will also present Ronak Shah’s Love Goes Through Your Mind and host the world premiere of Varun Chounal’s Gabroo.
Three Kolkata-set films will also screen at the festival; Chippa starring Lion’s Sunny Pawar, Slamdance honorable mention Cat Sticks, and Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Jonaki.
The festival features a strong female representation.
- 3/11/2019
- by Mark A. Silba
- ScreenDaily
National Award winning actress Tabu will be honoured at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in April. Announcing the lineup of films and the other activities of the festival, Christina Marouda, Iffla Executive Director, said in a statement: "We have been discussing honouring Tabu for a long time, and this year felt like the right time. Her work and personality embody everything that Iffla is about -- being fearless, versatile, independent in spirit, unwilling to compromise, brilliant in the range of her performances, and simply beautiful."
"With half of the festival's 2019 lineup directed by female filmmakers, this couldn't be a stronger celebration of women in Indian cinema," he said.
While Tabu's recently released film Andhadhun will be the opening film of the festival, other female filmmakers' work will also be showcased on the occassion. With several feature, shots and documentaries -- films will be shown in nine languages.
'Taking...
"With half of the festival's 2019 lineup directed by female filmmakers, this couldn't be a stronger celebration of women in Indian cinema," he said.
While Tabu's recently released film Andhadhun will be the opening film of the festival, other female filmmakers' work will also be showcased on the occassion. With several feature, shots and documentaries -- films will be shown in nine languages.
'Taking...
- 3/1/2019
- GlamSham
Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s “Manta Ray” won the Mumbai Film Festival’s Golden Gateway award in the international competition on Thursday. It previously won best film at Venice’s Horizon section and has toured the Toronto, Thessaloniki, San Sebastian festivals.
Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses” won the Silver Gateway award in the competition, after winning accolades worldwide, including three awards at Berlin. Another globally lauded film, Gabrielle Brady’s, “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” won the international competition’s grand jury prize.
Rima Das’ “Bulbul Can Sing” won the Golden Gateway in the India Gold competition section. Das’ “Village Rockstars” was feted in Mumbai in 2017, and is India’s entry to the Oscars foreign language category. The Silver Gateway in the Indian competition was split between Ridham Janve’s “The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain” and Rotterdam title “Jonaki”, by Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
“Jonaki” also won a special mention at the...
Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses” won the Silver Gateway award in the competition, after winning accolades worldwide, including three awards at Berlin. Another globally lauded film, Gabrielle Brady’s, “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” won the international competition’s grand jury prize.
Rima Das’ “Bulbul Can Sing” won the Golden Gateway in the India Gold competition section. Das’ “Village Rockstars” was feted in Mumbai in 2017, and is India’s entry to the Oscars foreign language category. The Silver Gateway in the Indian competition was split between Ridham Janve’s “The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain” and Rotterdam title “Jonaki”, by Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
“Jonaki” also won a special mention at the...
- 11/1/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Dano’s directorial debut “Wildlife,” which has had considerable festival play including Sundance, Cannes and Toronto is among the titles in the international competition at the 20th Mumbai film festival.
The festival runs Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, 2018. U.S. director, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”) will give a masterclass.
Other international competition titles include deceased Chinese director Hu Bo’s “An Elephant Sitting Still” which won awards at Berlin and Hong Kong; “And Breathe Normally” which won Isold Uggadottir the directing award at Sundance; Tiago Melo’s “Azougue Nazare,” which won at Rotterdam; Gabrielle Brady’s “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” which won prizes at Edinburgh and Tribeca; Dominic Sangma’s “Ma-Ama”; Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s “Manta Ray” which won an award at Venice; Christina Coe’s “Nancy” which won the screenwriting prize at Sundance; Alireza Motamedi’s “Reza”; Etienne Kallos’ “The Harvesters”; Marcello Martinessi’s “The Heiresses,” which won awards at Berlin,...
The festival runs Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, 2018. U.S. director, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”) will give a masterclass.
Other international competition titles include deceased Chinese director Hu Bo’s “An Elephant Sitting Still” which won awards at Berlin and Hong Kong; “And Breathe Normally” which won Isold Uggadottir the directing award at Sundance; Tiago Melo’s “Azougue Nazare,” which won at Rotterdam; Gabrielle Brady’s “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” which won prizes at Edinburgh and Tribeca; Dominic Sangma’s “Ma-Ama”; Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s “Manta Ray” which won an award at Venice; Christina Coe’s “Nancy” which won the screenwriting prize at Sundance; Alireza Motamedi’s “Reza”; Etienne Kallos’ “The Harvesters”; Marcello Martinessi’s “The Heiresses,” which won awards at Berlin,...
- 10/2/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Abhay Deol, the actor-turned producer is going to make his mark in tinsel town. His move from acting to production, is all set with not a single but three in-line ‘indie’ movies that he chose from this year’s Ndfc Film Bazaar.The list includes –Brahmanand S Singh’s documentary ‘Kaagaz Ki Kashti’ about the life and times of the legendary gazal singer Jagjit Singh, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s ‘Labor of Love’ and Payal Sethi’s short film ‘Leeches’. These movies were a part of Viewing Room at the 10th edition of Ndfc Film Bazaar. The ‘Aisha’ famed actor has named his production house as ‘Abhay Deol Presents’. Not just blindly going for commercial films, Abhay has decided to give a platform to independent films that deserve a proper launch pad with a world-wide audience reach. During his interview, Abhay was brimming up with new ideas as to how we...
- 11/23/2016
- FilmiPop
Exclusive/Film Bazaar: Indian actor Abhay Deol has set up a banner to acquire critically-acclaimed Indian independent films and work with online platforms to give them a straight-to-digital worldwide release.
The new venture, Abhay Deol Presents, has already acquired three titles – Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Venice 2014 title Labour Of Love; Payal Sethi’s award-winning short Leeches; and Brahmanand S. Siingh’s documentary Kaagaz Ki Kashti, about Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, which received a standing ovation when it premiered at Mumbai Film Festival last month.
“As an actor I’ve always wanted to balance mainstream and non-mainstream work but realised there needed to be changes in the distribution system for independent films to happen,” said Deol whose acting credits include indie titles Shanghai and Dev D. “Now digital is here, independent filmmakers finally have a platform, so I decided to take the plunge and explore this space.”
Deol is currently assembling a distribution team to exploit the titles...
The new venture, Abhay Deol Presents, has already acquired three titles – Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Venice 2014 title Labour Of Love; Payal Sethi’s award-winning short Leeches; and Brahmanand S. Siingh’s documentary Kaagaz Ki Kashti, about Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, which received a standing ovation when it premiered at Mumbai Film Festival last month.
“As an actor I’ve always wanted to balance mainstream and non-mainstream work but realised there needed to be changes in the distribution system for independent films to happen,” said Deol whose acting credits include indie titles Shanghai and Dev D. “Now digital is here, independent filmmakers finally have a platform, so I decided to take the plunge and explore this space.”
Deol is currently assembling a distribution team to exploit the titles...
- 11/21/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive/Film Bazaar: Labour of Love writer-director Aditya Vikram Sengupta will begin shooting his new Bengali-language feature film Jonaki in December.
Sengupta says Jonaki, which literally translates as ‘firefly,’ is “an abstract film based on the story of my grandmother who was in a coma for four days. I wondered what she was thinking.”
Veteran actress Lolita Chatterjee plays the 80-year-old lead. “It’s a very brave step for her in a very difficult film,” said Sengupta..
Sengupta added, “A festival run and an online release might be the most viable options. A theatrical release plan is unlikely to work for this subject and treatment.”
Sengupta’s debut feature Labour of Love (Asha Jaoar Majhe), about a young married couple in Kolkata, won the Fedeora award for best debut film in Venice Days 2014 and a National Film Award in India.
Samir Sarkar of Mumbai-based Magic Hour Films is producing and financing. He said, “I...
Sengupta says Jonaki, which literally translates as ‘firefly,’ is “an abstract film based on the story of my grandmother who was in a coma for four days. I wondered what she was thinking.”
Veteran actress Lolita Chatterjee plays the 80-year-old lead. “It’s a very brave step for her in a very difficult film,” said Sengupta..
Sengupta added, “A festival run and an online release might be the most viable options. A theatrical release plan is unlikely to work for this subject and treatment.”
Sengupta’s debut feature Labour of Love (Asha Jaoar Majhe), about a young married couple in Kolkata, won the Fedeora award for best debut film in Venice Days 2014 and a National Film Award in India.
Samir Sarkar of Mumbai-based Magic Hour Films is producing and financing. He said, “I...
- 11/21/2016
- by uditaj@gmail.com (Udita Jhunjhunwala)
- ScreenDaily
Promising projects from Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East will be showcased for international co-production opportunities.
The Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22) has unveiled this year’s Cinefoundation Atelier selection, comprising 15 projects in development from upcoming director talent.
The 12th edition of the showcase will give the invited directors and their producers access to potential funding partners during the festival in a bid to accelerate completion of the films. The titles include:
Abou Leila Amin Sidi-Boumediène (Algeria)La Cordillera Santiago Mitre (Argentina)Tantas Almas Nicolás Rincón Gille (Colombia)Ni dieux ni maîtres Eric Cherrière (France)Memories and My Mother Aditya Vikram Sengupta (India)Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts Mouly Surya (Indonesia)Daoud’s Winter Koutaiba Al Janabi (Iraq)Death In Bed David Volach (Israel)Sow The Wind Danilo Caputo (Italy)Femme Fatale Kyoko Miyake (Japan)The Whole-Timers Bibhusan Basnet & Pooja Gurung (Nepal)Animas José Ortuño (Spain)My Favorite Fabric Gaya Jiji (Syria)Iguana Tokyo Kaan Müjdeci...
The Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22) has unveiled this year’s Cinefoundation Atelier selection, comprising 15 projects in development from upcoming director talent.
The 12th edition of the showcase will give the invited directors and their producers access to potential funding partners during the festival in a bid to accelerate completion of the films. The titles include:
Abou Leila Amin Sidi-Boumediène (Algeria)La Cordillera Santiago Mitre (Argentina)Tantas Almas Nicolás Rincón Gille (Colombia)Ni dieux ni maîtres Eric Cherrière (France)Memories and My Mother Aditya Vikram Sengupta (India)Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts Mouly Surya (Indonesia)Daoud’s Winter Koutaiba Al Janabi (Iraq)Death In Bed David Volach (Israel)Sow The Wind Danilo Caputo (Italy)Femme Fatale Kyoko Miyake (Japan)The Whole-Timers Bibhusan Basnet & Pooja Gurung (Nepal)Animas José Ortuño (Spain)My Favorite Fabric Gaya Jiji (Syria)Iguana Tokyo Kaan Müjdeci...
- 3/7/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Industry experts tip the hottest pitches and works-in-progress at Goa’s Film Bazaar, from animation to a serial killer story.
Industry attendees were praising the quality of this year’s projects at Film Bazaar, setting the stage for indie Indian films to continue to make waves around the globe at festivals and beyond.
Films from Film Bazaar Recommends (some still in post-production) stirring buzz from international buyers and festival programmers include Rohit Mittal’s serial killer mockumentary Autohead; Goan director Miransha Naik’s village bullying story Juje; Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s thriller An Off-Day Game; Pushan Kripalani’s marriage drama The Threshold; and Bauddhayan Mukherji’s The Violin Player, about a Bollywood session violinist.
Hot documentaries – both in Film Bazaar Recommends — include Alka Rahuram’s women’s boxing story Burqa Boxers (which has been sold for a narrative re-imagining) and Rahul Jain’s Machines, a sensory look at a textile factory in Gujarat.
In the Co-Production...
Industry attendees were praising the quality of this year’s projects at Film Bazaar, setting the stage for indie Indian films to continue to make waves around the globe at festivals and beyond.
Films from Film Bazaar Recommends (some still in post-production) stirring buzz from international buyers and festival programmers include Rohit Mittal’s serial killer mockumentary Autohead; Goan director Miransha Naik’s village bullying story Juje; Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s thriller An Off-Day Game; Pushan Kripalani’s marriage drama The Threshold; and Bauddhayan Mukherji’s The Violin Player, about a Bollywood session violinist.
Hot documentaries – both in Film Bazaar Recommends — include Alka Rahuram’s women’s boxing story Burqa Boxers (which has been sold for a narrative re-imagining) and Rahul Jain’s Machines, a sensory look at a textile factory in Gujarat.
In the Co-Production...
- 11/24/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: French producer Catherine Dussart, who co-produced Gurvinder Singh’s The Fourth Direction, has boarded Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Memories And My Mother, which is selected for the Co-Production Market at Film Bazaar this year.
Dussart’s Catherine Dussart Productions (Cdp) will co-produce the film with India’s For Films, founded by Sengupta and producers Jonaki Bhattacharya and Vikram Mohinta. She is also looking for German and other co-producers for the Bengali-language project, which has already secured backing from France’s Cinemas Du Monde.
Sengupta previously directed Labour Of Love, which won best debut at Venice in 2014 and played at around 50 other film festivals.
“He is one of India’s most interesting young directors,” said Dussart. “I was stunned by Labour Of Love and loved this project, which deals with the rapid transformation of Kolkata and has underlying socio-political themes.”
Sengupta said he plans to start shooting in Kolkata in July 2016 during the monsoon season and work...
Dussart’s Catherine Dussart Productions (Cdp) will co-produce the film with India’s For Films, founded by Sengupta and producers Jonaki Bhattacharya and Vikram Mohinta. She is also looking for German and other co-producers for the Bengali-language project, which has already secured backing from France’s Cinemas Du Monde.
Sengupta previously directed Labour Of Love, which won best debut at Venice in 2014 and played at around 50 other film festivals.
“He is one of India’s most interesting young directors,” said Dussart. “I was stunned by Labour Of Love and loved this project, which deals with the rapid transformation of Kolkata and has underlying socio-political themes.”
Sengupta said he plans to start shooting in Kolkata in July 2016 during the monsoon season and work...
- 11/22/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Co-production Market to feature new projects from Kanu Behl, Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Nandita Das, along with Ritesh Batra’s first project as a producer.
Film Bazaar, hosted by India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), has unveiled the 19 South Asian projects selected for this year’s Co-production Market.
The line-up includes new projects from Kanu Behl, whose Titli premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2014; Aditya Vikram Sengupta, director of Venice 2014 title Labor Of Love; acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage; and Fahad Mustafa, whose credits include award-winning documentary Katiyabaaz.
In addition, Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox) is stepping into producing with Raj Rish More’s Pirates, which Batra will produce through his new outfit Poetic License Motion Pictures.
Drishyam Films’ Manish Mundra is bringing a new project from Amit V Masurkar (Sulemani Keeda), while acclaimed filmmaker Nandita Das will present her new project Manto at Film Bazaar.
The market is introducing a new feature this year – Open...
Film Bazaar, hosted by India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), has unveiled the 19 South Asian projects selected for this year’s Co-production Market.
The line-up includes new projects from Kanu Behl, whose Titli premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2014; Aditya Vikram Sengupta, director of Venice 2014 title Labor Of Love; acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage; and Fahad Mustafa, whose credits include award-winning documentary Katiyabaaz.
In addition, Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox) is stepping into producing with Raj Rish More’s Pirates, which Batra will produce through his new outfit Poetic License Motion Pictures.
Drishyam Films’ Manish Mundra is bringing a new project from Amit V Masurkar (Sulemani Keeda), while acclaimed filmmaker Nandita Das will present her new project Manto at Film Bazaar.
The market is introducing a new feature this year – Open...
- 10/12/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
The always amazing London Indian Film Festival, which begins this Thursday July 16th and runs through July 26th, is set to thrill, entertain and move audiences with it’s brilliant line up of films! Talking about the festival, Liff’s Executive & Programming Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney said, “This year’s Festival is bigger and better than ever and showcases World-class Indian films and talent. In all, this richly diverse festival will screen 20 features in a gamut of languages including Marathi, Tamil, Hindi, English, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu and Konkani.”
Not only does the festival showcase amazing independent films from India (more about that in a bit), this year, once again, the festival boasts an incredible master class! This epic event will feature a rare on-stage interview with one of India’s most acclaimed and best loved commercial directors, widely attributed for revolutionising Tamil cinema, and inspiring Bollywood. Mani Ratnam talks about...
Not only does the festival showcase amazing independent films from India (more about that in a bit), this year, once again, the festival boasts an incredible master class! This epic event will feature a rare on-stage interview with one of India’s most acclaimed and best loved commercial directors, widely attributed for revolutionising Tamil cinema, and inspiring Bollywood. Mani Ratnam talks about...
- 7/13/2015
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
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