Imagineers Studio, the Paris-based production company with a focus on French and European superheroes, is in production on Tristan Aurouet’s Fantax set to start shooting in Paris and the UK in the summer of 2025.
The live-action film is about Fantax, a once beloved superhero, who is haunted by the death of his daughter but must fight against a society that rejects him.
The film is adapted from popular French comic book series created by J.K. Melwyn-Nash (aka Marcel Navarro) and artist Chott (Pierre Mouchot) in 1946. Imagineers Studio was founded by Florent Lamy of Elevate Artist Management (Eam) who...
The live-action film is about Fantax, a once beloved superhero, who is haunted by the death of his daughter but must fight against a society that rejects him.
The film is adapted from popular French comic book series created by J.K. Melwyn-Nash (aka Marcel Navarro) and artist Chott (Pierre Mouchot) in 1946. Imagineers Studio was founded by Florent Lamy of Elevate Artist Management (Eam) who...
- 5/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
For posh Hollywood insiders like all of us here today, the first few months of every year are invariably spent deliriously awash in an avalanche of awards screeners. Be they online (like our own Film Independent Spirit Awards virtual screening room) or the extremely fun physical kind you can play DVD frolf with after the Oscars, the first fiscal quarter of the New Year never lacks for viewing options. But then what? What is there to look forward to? Taxes? Spring training? National Potato Chip Day? Luckily, there are at least three upcoming 2024 narrative features for which we’re super-stoked…
Why? Because each of these projects comes courtesy of a Film Independent Fellow–aka our favorite people in the world. We’re talking four staggeringly talented filmmakers, representing three projects and seven different Artist Development cohorts, from the early Obama years to the current stewardship of our republic by good ol’ Sleepy Joe.
Why? Because each of these projects comes courtesy of a Film Independent Fellow–aka our favorite people in the world. We’re talking four staggeringly talented filmmakers, representing three projects and seven different Artist Development cohorts, from the early Obama years to the current stewardship of our republic by good ol’ Sleepy Joe.
- 1/8/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Eimi Imanishi is thematically expanding her Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival winner, “Battalion to My Beat,” as a narrative feature film titled “Doha – The Rising Sun.”
The film, written and directed by Imanishi, will follow Mariam, a young woman who is forced to return home to Western Sahara when she is deported from Europe. Adrift in the very place that was once her home, she desperately searches for the means to assert agency over her own life.
Imanishi participated in Film Independent’s directors lab, followed by the Sundance Institute’s screenwriting and directing labs in 2018. She then met New York-based producer Shrihari Sathe who came on board to produce “Doha.” The producing team has since expanded to include Eric Dupont (“Last Film Show”), who was Oscar-nominated for “Ave Maria”; Virginie Lacombe (“Port Authority”) from France; and Barcelona-based Belén Sanchez (“Tobacco Barns”). Yacine Laloui from the Algiers-based Lunja Productions will...
The film, written and directed by Imanishi, will follow Mariam, a young woman who is forced to return home to Western Sahara when she is deported from Europe. Adrift in the very place that was once her home, she desperately searches for the means to assert agency over her own life.
Imanishi participated in Film Independent’s directors lab, followed by the Sundance Institute’s screenwriting and directing labs in 2018. She then met New York-based producer Shrihari Sathe who came on board to produce “Doha.” The producing team has since expanded to include Eric Dupont (“Last Film Show”), who was Oscar-nominated for “Ave Maria”; Virginie Lacombe (“Port Authority”) from France; and Barcelona-based Belén Sanchez (“Tobacco Barns”). Yacine Laloui from the Algiers-based Lunja Productions will...
- 1/3/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Micky Levy, to direct psychological horror.
Angela Sarafyan (Westworld) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (The House Of Sand And Fog) have been cast in the psychological horror She’s Not Gone which The Coven is launching for worldwide sales at Cannes market.
Micky Levy, who wrote the Warner Bros. feature Rails And Ties starring Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden, will direct the story about a woman who must battle her demonic inheritance and untangle her mother’s secretive past to save herself and two young children.
“The film explores the deep bond between mothers and daughters and delves into the experience...
Angela Sarafyan (Westworld) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (The House Of Sand And Fog) have been cast in the psychological horror She’s Not Gone which The Coven is launching for worldwide sales at Cannes market.
Micky Levy, who wrote the Warner Bros. feature Rails And Ties starring Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden, will direct the story about a woman who must battle her demonic inheritance and untangle her mother’s secretive past to save herself and two young children.
“The film explores the deep bond between mothers and daughters and delves into the experience...
- 4/30/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Kino Lorber has struck a deal with Paris-based sales firm Wide for North American distribution rights to Carlos Conceição’s Locarno Film Festival war drama Tommy Guns.
The pic will receive a North American premiere at New Directors/New Films, the annual film festival hosted jointly by MoMA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Conceição and actor João Arrais will be in attendance, and a theatrical release via Kino Lorber will follow on April 12.
Billed as “a genre-fluid fantasia” that engages with Angola’s colonial past, the pic opens in 1974, one year before the country’s independence from Portuguese rule. Wealthy colonists are fleeing the country as Angolan revolutionaries gradually reclaim land. It’s against this backdrop that a young tribal girl crosses paths with a Portuguese soldier, which introduces her to a new world of love and danger. At the same time, another group of soldiers, completely...
The pic will receive a North American premiere at New Directors/New Films, the annual film festival hosted jointly by MoMA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Conceição and actor João Arrais will be in attendance, and a theatrical release via Kino Lorber will follow on April 12.
Billed as “a genre-fluid fantasia” that engages with Angola’s colonial past, the pic opens in 1974, one year before the country’s independence from Portuguese rule. Wealthy colonists are fleeing the country as Angolan revolutionaries gradually reclaim land. It’s against this backdrop that a young tribal girl crosses paths with a Portuguese soldier, which introduces her to a new world of love and danger. At the same time, another group of soldiers, completely...
- 2/28/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman and Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Shochiku has acquired Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show (Chhello Show) for Japan and has set a theatrical release on January 20. Last Film Show is among the 15 films shortlisted for International Feature Oscar and the first Indian title to make the cut in 21 years.
The Gujarati-language movie is a semi-autobiographical drama that pays homage to the cinema of the past — a reminder of childhood innocence and the universal magic of the movies. It follows Samay, a 9-year-old boy living with his family in a remote village in India who discovers films for the first time and is absolutely mesmerized.
Last Film Show made its World Premiere as the Opening Film of Spotlight at Tribeca and has had a strong festival career, winning such prizes as Best Picture at Spain’s Valladolid, Audience Favorite at Mill Valley and the Los Angeles Asian World Film Festival’s Snow Leopard for Best Picture.
The Gujarati-language movie is a semi-autobiographical drama that pays homage to the cinema of the past — a reminder of childhood innocence and the universal magic of the movies. It follows Samay, a 9-year-old boy living with his family in a remote village in India who discovers films for the first time and is absolutely mesmerized.
Last Film Show made its World Premiere as the Opening Film of Spotlight at Tribeca and has had a strong festival career, winning such prizes as Best Picture at Spain’s Valladolid, Audience Favorite at Mill Valley and the Los Angeles Asian World Film Festival’s Snow Leopard for Best Picture.
- 1/9/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Paris-based sales company Wide has acquired world sales rights to Angola-born Portuguese filmmaker Carlos Conceição’s Angolan War of Independence drama Tommy Guns, which made a well-received debut in Competition at the Locarno Film Festival on Friday.
Set against the final violent days of the conflict in 1974, the film gives a dual perspective of the conflict through the tale of a young local girl who discovers love and death when her path crosses that of a young Portuguese soldier.
The film is lead produced by Terratreme Filmes, the Lisbon-based collective created by award-winning Portuguese directors João Matos, Susana Nobre, Tiago Hespanha, Pedro Pinho, Leonor Noivo and Luisa Homem in 2008.
Virginie Lacombe and Arnaud Quesada at Paris-based Virginie Films are on board as co-producers and Conceição and Margarida Ventura take associate producer credits under their Portuguese Mirabilis banner.
Wide head of acquisitions Maxime Montagne, who finalised the deal in Locarno...
Set against the final violent days of the conflict in 1974, the film gives a dual perspective of the conflict through the tale of a young local girl who discovers love and death when her path crosses that of a young Portuguese soldier.
The film is lead produced by Terratreme Filmes, the Lisbon-based collective created by award-winning Portuguese directors João Matos, Susana Nobre, Tiago Hespanha, Pedro Pinho, Leonor Noivo and Luisa Homem in 2008.
Virginie Lacombe and Arnaud Quesada at Paris-based Virginie Films are on board as co-producers and Conceição and Margarida Ventura take associate producer credits under their Portuguese Mirabilis banner.
Wide head of acquisitions Maxime Montagne, who finalised the deal in Locarno...
- 8/5/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer Shrihari Sathe of New York-based production company Dialectic is enjoying the best time of his life, with no less than three of his projects, each completely different in style, genre and tone, being selected at A-list festivals.
The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.
The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.
The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.
The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.
- 2/12/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Italian powerhouse Medusa has acquired Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” which is being sold worldwide by Orange Studio. Medusa will distribute in Italy.
Orange Studio and Medusa revealed the deal on the sidelines of the ongoing Venice Film Festival.
Nalin is known for his eclectic, and visually striking, body of work including “Samsara,” “Valley of Flowers” and “Angry Indian Goddesses.”
The partly autobiographical drama “Last Film Show” takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where it was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.
The film follows 9-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He passionately falls in love with films against his father’s wish. Samay strikes a deal with Fazal,...
Orange Studio and Medusa revealed the deal on the sidelines of the ongoing Venice Film Festival.
Nalin is known for his eclectic, and visually striking, body of work including “Samsara,” “Valley of Flowers” and “Angry Indian Goddesses.”
The partly autobiographical drama “Last Film Show” takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where it was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.
The film follows 9-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He passionately falls in love with films against his father’s wish. Samay strikes a deal with Fazal,...
- 9/5/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Shameik Moore, best known for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” is attached to lead “Silver Star,” opposite Sydney Sweeney. MK2 Films is handling international sales, with the U.S. rights being held by MK2 Films and the producers.
Moore will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
From his break-out role in the Sundance hit “Dope,” Moore led the voice cast of blockbuster “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and will again in the sequel currently in production. Moore is in production on Season 2 of Hulu Originals’ series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
Moore will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
From his break-out role in the Sundance hit “Dope,” Moore led the voice cast of blockbuster “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and will again in the sequel currently in production. Moore is in production on Season 2 of Hulu Originals’ series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
- 6/9/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Shameik Moore is newly attached to lead upcoming feature Silver Star opposite Sydney Sweeney, we can reveal.
The Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse and Wu-Tang: An American Saga actor will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America. We first revealed the project last year.
Filming is scheduled for fall 2021 in the U.S. London and Miami based Alacran Pictures (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote) have recently boarded the project as financing partners.
Mk2 is handling international sales and will be shopping the...
The Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse and Wu-Tang: An American Saga actor will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America. We first revealed the project last year.
Filming is scheduled for fall 2021 in the U.S. London and Miami based Alacran Pictures (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote) have recently boarded the project as financing partners.
Mk2 is handling international sales and will be shopping the...
- 6/9/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Pan Nalin’s “The Last Film Show,” (aka “Chhello Show”) which opens Tribeca’s Spotlight section on June 10, has attracted buyers around the world, ahead of its world premiere.
Neue Visionen has acquired the film for Germany, Karma Films for Spain, Shochiku for Japan, Red Cape and Nachson for Israel and Nos Lusomundo for Portugal.
Nalin is known for his eclectic, and visually striking, body of work including “Samsara,” “Valley of Flowers” and “Angry Indian Goddesses.”
The partly autobiographical drama takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “The Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.
The film follows nine-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He...
Neue Visionen has acquired the film for Germany, Karma Films for Spain, Shochiku for Japan, Red Cape and Nachson for Israel and Nos Lusomundo for Portugal.
Nalin is known for his eclectic, and visually striking, body of work including “Samsara,” “Valley of Flowers” and “Angry Indian Goddesses.”
The partly autobiographical drama takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “The Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.
The film follows nine-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He...
- 6/9/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The world premiere of Pan Nalin’s “The Last Film Show” (Chhello Show), which opens the Tribeca Film Festival’s Spotlight section, promises to be a welcome return to a big-screen cinema experience after a year blighted by Covid-19.
The partly autobiographical drama takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “The Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.
The film follows nine-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He passionately falls in love with films against his father’s wish. Samay strikes a deal with Fazal, the projectionist, who will let him watch movies for free in exchange for eating the contents of his lunchbox. Their...
The partly autobiographical drama takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “The Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.
The film follows nine-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie at the Galaxy Cinema. He passionately falls in love with films against his father’s wish. Samay strikes a deal with Fazal, the projectionist, who will let him watch movies for free in exchange for eating the contents of his lunchbox. Their...
- 4/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
MK2 Films has come on board “Silver Star,” a timely crime drama headlined by “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney and directed by Ruben Amar (“Swim Little Fish Swim”).
MK2 Films has acquired international sales to the indie road movie, and will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual American Film Market this week. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2021 in the U.S.
“Silver Star” tells the story of a Bonnie-and-Clyde-type couple, Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who’s fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world, and Franny (Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Sweeney’s credits include “Euphoria,...
MK2 Films has acquired international sales to the indie road movie, and will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual American Film Market this week. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2021 in the U.S.
“Silver Star” tells the story of a Bonnie-and-Clyde-type couple, Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who’s fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world, and Franny (Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Sweeney’s credits include “Euphoria,...
- 11/9/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has been set to star in feature crime drama Silver Star.
The film will chart the story of an unlikely couple: Buddy, a 20-year-old fresh out of jail, and Franny (Sweeney), a pregnant 19-year-old. After his botched robbery attempt at the bank that foreclosed on Buddy’s childhood home, he abducts her, triggering an unexpected journey together.
Casting for the male lead is underway, and filming is scheduled for early 2021 in the U.S.
The original screenplay will be directed by writer-director Ruben Amar (Swim Little Fish Swim), who is producing under his banner Les Films de la Fusée with actress-producer Lola Bessis (Picnic at Hanging Rock), Virginie Lacombe (Port Authority) of Virginie Films and Jamin O’Brien (Eighth Grade) of The Community.
Amar and Bessis wrote, produced and directed SXSW 2013 pic Swim Little Fish Swim. Lacombe produced 2019 Cannes Un Certain Regard entry Port Authority and...
The film will chart the story of an unlikely couple: Buddy, a 20-year-old fresh out of jail, and Franny (Sweeney), a pregnant 19-year-old. After his botched robbery attempt at the bank that foreclosed on Buddy’s childhood home, he abducts her, triggering an unexpected journey together.
Casting for the male lead is underway, and filming is scheduled for early 2021 in the U.S.
The original screenplay will be directed by writer-director Ruben Amar (Swim Little Fish Swim), who is producing under his banner Les Films de la Fusée with actress-producer Lola Bessis (Picnic at Hanging Rock), Virginie Lacombe (Port Authority) of Virginie Films and Jamin O’Brien (Eighth Grade) of The Community.
Amar and Bessis wrote, produced and directed SXSW 2013 pic Swim Little Fish Swim. Lacombe produced 2019 Cannes Un Certain Regard entry Port Authority and...
- 10/28/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
International sales outfit Orange Studio has boarded Los Angeles-based Indian director Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” and will commence sales at the upcoming American Film Market.
The film follows the 10-year-old son of a poor tea seller in India who begins a magical journey into the world of 35mm with the help of a film projectionist friend. It is currently shooting in remote parts of India.
“The ‘Last Film Show’ for me is a cinematic mission,” said Nalin. “I have spent years developing and preparing it. Now, it’s impossible to believe that we are actually halfway through filming in these spectacular vistas where lambs and lions roam freely.”
Nalin’s 2001 feature “Samsara” won numerous awards globally, and more recently, his “Angry Indian Goddesses” won the Audience Choice Award at Rome and the 1st Runner Up Audience Choice Award at Toronto in 2016.
Orange Studio is a subsidiary of French telecom giant Orange.
The film follows the 10-year-old son of a poor tea seller in India who begins a magical journey into the world of 35mm with the help of a film projectionist friend. It is currently shooting in remote parts of India.
“The ‘Last Film Show’ for me is a cinematic mission,” said Nalin. “I have spent years developing and preparing it. Now, it’s impossible to believe that we are actually halfway through filming in these spectacular vistas where lambs and lions roam freely.”
Nalin’s 2001 feature “Samsara” won numerous awards globally, and more recently, his “Angry Indian Goddesses” won the Audience Choice Award at Rome and the 1st Runner Up Audience Choice Award at Toronto in 2016.
Orange Studio is a subsidiary of French telecom giant Orange.
- 11/6/2019
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Here’s a first clip of Cannes Un Certain Regard pic Port Authority, produced by Martin Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions and Call Me By Your Name outfit Rt Features. Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), newcomer Leyna Bloom and McCaul Lombardi (American Honey) star.
Writer-director Danielle Lessovitz’s feature debut, a result of Rt and Sikelia’s joint venture to foster emerging filmmakers, is a love story set in New York’s kiki ballroom scene (the Lgbt subculture that includes competitive performances and dance). Lessovitz is one of Deadline‘s Cannes Ones To Watch.
The movie follows Paul (Whitehead), an early twentysomething who arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches eyes with Wye (Bloom), a girl voguing with her brothers on the sidewalk. After Paul seeks her out in secret, an intense love blossoms. But when he discovers that Wye is trans, he is forced to confront his desire for...
Writer-director Danielle Lessovitz’s feature debut, a result of Rt and Sikelia’s joint venture to foster emerging filmmakers, is a love story set in New York’s kiki ballroom scene (the Lgbt subculture that includes competitive performances and dance). Lessovitz is one of Deadline‘s Cannes Ones To Watch.
The movie follows Paul (Whitehead), an early twentysomething who arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches eyes with Wye (Bloom), a girl voguing with her brothers on the sidewalk. After Paul seeks her out in secret, an intense love blossoms. But when he discovers that Wye is trans, he is forced to confront his desire for...
- 5/17/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Seven of the selected projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women.
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has revealed the 11 new projects selected for the 2019 FeatureLab training programme.
Seven of the projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women and nine women producing.
For the first time a documentary project is in the line-up: Cristina Picchi’s About The End.
Focusing on first and second feature films, the lab selects projects at an advanced stage of production and helps a team of directors, scriptwriters and producers get their ideas on screen.
This year’s line-up has...
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has revealed the 11 new projects selected for the 2019 FeatureLab training programme.
Seven of the projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women and nine women producing.
For the first time a documentary project is in the line-up: Cristina Picchi’s About The End.
Focusing on first and second feature films, the lab selects projects at an advanced stage of production and helps a team of directors, scriptwriters and producers get their ideas on screen.
This year’s line-up has...
- 4/30/2019
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), newcomer Leyna Bloom and McCaul Lombardi (American Honey) lead cast in the recently wrapped feature drama Port Authority, produced by Martin Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions and Call Me By Your Name outfit Rt Features.
Writer-director Danielle Lessovitz’s feature debut, a result of Rt and Sikelia’s joint venture to foster emerging filmmakers, is a love story set in New York’s kiki ballroom scene (the Lgbt subculture that includes competitive performances and dance).
The movie follows Paul (Whitehead), an early twentysomething who arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches eyes with Wye (Bloom), a girl voguing with her brothers on the sidewalk. After Paul seeks her out in secret, an intense love blossoms. But when he discovers that Wye is trans, he is forced to confront his desire for her and the deep-seated violence of those around him.
Rodrigo Teixeira of Rt Features,...
Writer-director Danielle Lessovitz’s feature debut, a result of Rt and Sikelia’s joint venture to foster emerging filmmakers, is a love story set in New York’s kiki ballroom scene (the Lgbt subculture that includes competitive performances and dance).
The movie follows Paul (Whitehead), an early twentysomething who arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches eyes with Wye (Bloom), a girl voguing with her brothers on the sidewalk. After Paul seeks her out in secret, an intense love blossoms. But when he discovers that Wye is trans, he is forced to confront his desire for her and the deep-seated violence of those around him.
Rodrigo Teixeira of Rt Features,...
- 10/19/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Martin Scorsese to produce both features.
Rt Features and Martin Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions are in Cannes touting their production and financing partnership on Danielle Lessovitz’s Port Authority and Croatian writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic’s coming-of-age drama Murina.
Both films come out of Rt Features joint venture to champion emerging filmmakers from around the world that kicked off with Jonas Carpignano’s Cannes 2017 premiere A Ciambra.
Port Authority is a love story set in New York’s kiki ballroom scene that is set to begin shooting in New York City this August. Rodrigo Teixeira of Rt Features, Madeleine Films...
Rt Features and Martin Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions are in Cannes touting their production and financing partnership on Danielle Lessovitz’s Port Authority and Croatian writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic’s coming-of-age drama Murina.
Both films come out of Rt Features joint venture to champion emerging filmmakers from around the world that kicked off with Jonas Carpignano’s Cannes 2017 premiere A Ciambra.
Port Authority is a love story set in New York’s kiki ballroom scene that is set to begin shooting in New York City this August. Rodrigo Teixeira of Rt Features, Madeleine Films...
- 5/9/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Rodrigo Teixeira’s Rt Features and Martin Scorsese’s Sikelia Prods. are re-teaming to produce and finance a pair of feature debuts: Danielle Lessovitz’s “Port Authority” and Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic’s “Murina.”
Rt Features launched a joint venture in 2014 with Scorsese’s Sikelia Prods. in order to discover emerging talents from around the world and produce their
Rt and Sikelia Prods. had “A Ciambra” in Directors’ Fortnight last year. Other recent Rt credits include Luca Guadagnino’s Oscar-winning “Call Me By Your Name” among its recent credits.
“Port Authority” is a love story set in New York’s underground ballroom culture. The film follows Paul, a midwestern teenager, who arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches feelings for Wye, a 22 year old girl voguing on the sidewalk. When he discovers Wye is trans, crisis occurs and he is forced to confront his own identity and what it means to belong.
Rt Features launched a joint venture in 2014 with Scorsese’s Sikelia Prods. in order to discover emerging talents from around the world and produce their
Rt and Sikelia Prods. had “A Ciambra” in Directors’ Fortnight last year. Other recent Rt credits include Luca Guadagnino’s Oscar-winning “Call Me By Your Name” among its recent credits.
“Port Authority” is a love story set in New York’s underground ballroom culture. The film follows Paul, a midwestern teenager, who arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches feelings for Wye, a 22 year old girl voguing on the sidewalk. When he discovers Wye is trans, crisis occurs and he is forced to confront his own identity and what it means to belong.
- 5/9/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Danielle Lessovitz was a “key artistic collaborator” on Directors’ Fortnight title Mobile Homes.
Paris-based mk2 has acquired world sales rights on Danielle Lessovitz’s debut feature Port Authority, a tragic love story set against the backdrop of the Bronx which is due to shoot this autumn.
The $2m production will be the debut feature of San Francisco-born, New York-based Lessovitz, who is described as a “key artistic collaborator” on Vladimir de Fontenay’s Mobile Home, which premieres at Directors’ Fortnight this year.
The deal was struck between mk2 films and the film’s lead producer Virginie Lacombe of Madeleine Films. Netherlands production house Keplerfilm is co-producing.
The story revolves around Paul, a teenager living in a youth shelter in NYC, who meets Wye who belongs to the “ball community” and expresses herself through “voguing” - a queer dance style inspired by the poses struck by fashion models.
When Paul realizes Wye was born a boy he...
Paris-based mk2 has acquired world sales rights on Danielle Lessovitz’s debut feature Port Authority, a tragic love story set against the backdrop of the Bronx which is due to shoot this autumn.
The $2m production will be the debut feature of San Francisco-born, New York-based Lessovitz, who is described as a “key artistic collaborator” on Vladimir de Fontenay’s Mobile Home, which premieres at Directors’ Fortnight this year.
The deal was struck between mk2 films and the film’s lead producer Virginie Lacombe of Madeleine Films. Netherlands production house Keplerfilm is co-producing.
The story revolves around Paul, a teenager living in a youth shelter in NYC, who meets Wye who belongs to the “ball community” and expresses herself through “voguing” - a queer dance style inspired by the poses struck by fashion models.
When Paul realizes Wye was born a boy he...
- 5/24/2017
- ScreenDaily
Mentors include Israel Film Fund executive director Katriel Schory and film director Thanos Anastopoulos.Scroll down for the nine projects
The TorinoFilmlab has revealed the nine projects that will take part in the 2016 edition of FrameWork, the initiative’s flagship lab for first and second feature film projects.
Amongst the first and second-time filmmakers is Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi, whose first feature A Respectable Family debuted in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2012, and Israeli director Tom Shoval, whose 2013 drama Youth was named best Israeli feature at the 2013 Jerusalem Film Festival.
This year’s mentors include Israel Film Fund executive director Katriel Schory, script consultants Franz Rodenkirchen, Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten and Anita Voorham, film director Thanos Anastopoulos, cinematographer Marko Brdar, post-production expert Niko Remus, producer Didar Domehri, acting coach and casting director Tatiana Vialle, sound designer Peter Albrechtsen and film promotion consultant Joanna Solecka.
The first session will take place in Izola (Slovenia) from May 30 to...
The TorinoFilmlab has revealed the nine projects that will take part in the 2016 edition of FrameWork, the initiative’s flagship lab for first and second feature film projects.
Amongst the first and second-time filmmakers is Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi, whose first feature A Respectable Family debuted in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2012, and Israeli director Tom Shoval, whose 2013 drama Youth was named best Israeli feature at the 2013 Jerusalem Film Festival.
This year’s mentors include Israel Film Fund executive director Katriel Schory, script consultants Franz Rodenkirchen, Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten and Anita Voorham, film director Thanos Anastopoulos, cinematographer Marko Brdar, post-production expert Niko Remus, producer Didar Domehri, acting coach and casting director Tatiana Vialle, sound designer Peter Albrechtsen and film promotion consultant Joanna Solecka.
The first session will take place in Izola (Slovenia) from May 30 to...
- 4/13/2016
- ScreenDaily
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
From April 8th to the 11th, Indian films will once again be showcased in the Us at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla). In its 12th year, Iffla boasts an incredible lineup of fabulous films that reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema. Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani says, “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.”
Iffla 2014 presents 33 films that include feature films, documentaries and shorts. The festival will have 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.
Bollywood will be well represented with three outstanding films all showing during the festival’s run.
Iffla 2014 presents 33 films that include feature films, documentaries and shorts. The festival will have 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.
Bollywood will be well represented with three outstanding films all showing during the festival’s run.
- 3/21/2014
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
France’s Cite Films has sold Pan Nalin’s documentary Faith Connections to Madman Entertainment for Australia & New Zealand and Contact Films for Benelux at the Afm.
The film was previously sold to France (Sophie Dulac Distribution), Nfp (Germany & Austria), Filmcoopi (Switzerland) at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where it received its world premiere.
Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.
Cite Films also co-produced the film with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Producers on the film include Dhingra, Nalin, Raphael Berdugo and Virginie Lacombe.
Faith Connections is making its Indian premiere at the upcoming International Film Festival of India (Iffi, Nov 20-30).
The film was previously sold to France (Sophie Dulac Distribution), Nfp (Germany & Austria), Filmcoopi (Switzerland) at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where it received its world premiere.
Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.
Cite Films also co-produced the film with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Producers on the film include Dhingra, Nalin, Raphael Berdugo and Virginie Lacombe.
Faith Connections is making its Indian premiere at the upcoming International Film Festival of India (Iffi, Nov 20-30).
- 11/11/2013
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Pan Nalin’s documentary Faith Connections has been sold to Germany following its world premiere at Toronto.
Nfp has acquired rights for Germany to the India-French co-production, filmed at India’s Kumbh Mela religious festival. Advanced negotiations are also underway for sales to Canada, the Us, Germany and India.
The film is being sold by Raphael Berdugo’s Cite Films, which also co-produced with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Berdugo, Dhingra, Nalin and Virginie Lacombe are credited as producers.
Cite Films has already closed deals with Sdd (Sophie Dulac Distribution) for France while the Swiss rights have gone to Filmcoopi
Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.
Nalin has previously directed feature documentary Ayurveda: Art Of Being and narrative features Samsara and The Valley Of Flowers.
Christoph Ott, vp of...
Nfp has acquired rights for Germany to the India-French co-production, filmed at India’s Kumbh Mela religious festival. Advanced negotiations are also underway for sales to Canada, the Us, Germany and India.
The film is being sold by Raphael Berdugo’s Cite Films, which also co-produced with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Berdugo, Dhingra, Nalin and Virginie Lacombe are credited as producers.
Cite Films has already closed deals with Sdd (Sophie Dulac Distribution) for France while the Swiss rights have gone to Filmcoopi
Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.
Nalin has previously directed feature documentary Ayurveda: Art Of Being and narrative features Samsara and The Valley Of Flowers.
Christoph Ott, vp of...
- 9/10/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Pan Nalin’s documentary Faith Connections has been sold to France and Switzerland ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.
Sdd (Sophie Dulac Distribution) has acquired French rights to the India-French co-production, filmed at India’s Kumbh Mela religious festival, while the Swiss rights went to Filmcoopi. Advanced negotiations are also underway for sales to Canada, the Us, Germany and India.
The film is being sold by Raphael Berdugo’s Cite Films, which also co-produced with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Berdugo, Dhingra, Nalin and Virginie Lacombe are credited as producers.
Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.
Nalin has previously directed feature documentary Ayurveda: Art Of Being and narrative features Samsara and The Valley Of Flowers.
“We decided...
Sdd (Sophie Dulac Distribution) has acquired French rights to the India-French co-production, filmed at India’s Kumbh Mela religious festival, while the Swiss rights went to Filmcoopi. Advanced negotiations are also underway for sales to Canada, the Us, Germany and India.
The film is being sold by Raphael Berdugo’s Cite Films, which also co-produced with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Berdugo, Dhingra, Nalin and Virginie Lacombe are credited as producers.
Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.
Nalin has previously directed feature documentary Ayurveda: Art Of Being and narrative features Samsara and The Valley Of Flowers.
“We decided...
- 9/2/2013
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Faith Connections (France/India) directed by Pan Nalin will have its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2013.
In Faith Connections, Nalin travels to Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s most extraordinary religious events. There, he encounters remarkable men of mind and meditation, some facing an inextricable dilemma; to embrace the world or to renounce it. Faith Connections explores such diverse and moving stories as a young runaway kid, a Sadhu, a mother desperately looking for her lost son, a yogi who is raising an abandoned baby, and an ascetic who keeps his calm by smoking cannabis — all connected by one faith against the spectacular display of devotion.
The documentary has been produced by Gaurav Dhingra (Peddlers, Haraamkhor), Raphael Berdugo (Eros, Caramel) and Virginie Lacombe (Le fils de l’autre, Soongava – Dance of the Orchid).
Pan Nalin, who hails from Gujarat, earlier made Samsara and Valley of Flowers.
In Faith Connections, Nalin travels to Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s most extraordinary religious events. There, he encounters remarkable men of mind and meditation, some facing an inextricable dilemma; to embrace the world or to renounce it. Faith Connections explores such diverse and moving stories as a young runaway kid, a Sadhu, a mother desperately looking for her lost son, a yogi who is raising an abandoned baby, and an ascetic who keeps his calm by smoking cannabis — all connected by one faith against the spectacular display of devotion.
The documentary has been produced by Gaurav Dhingra (Peddlers, Haraamkhor), Raphael Berdugo (Eros, Caramel) and Virginie Lacombe (Le fils de l’autre, Soongava – Dance of the Orchid).
Pan Nalin, who hails from Gujarat, earlier made Samsara and Valley of Flowers.
- 7/31/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
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.