Cannes Film Festival Rumours
The 62nd Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24, 2009) has almost finalised its programme that will be announced on April 23 at a press conference in Cannes. However, there are all sorts of speculations: According to Cine Europa, the festival is set to include an impressive list of directors who have previously won honours on the Croisette. Among the European titles are Looking for Eric by the UK’s Ken Loach, Antichrist by Denmark’s Lars von Trier, Broken Embraces [trailer, film focus] by Spain’s Pedro Almodovar, The White Tape by Austria’s Michael Haneke, Mr Nobody by Belgium’s Jaco van Dormael and Vincere by Italy’s Marco Bellocchio. Read more »
26 films at Berlinale 2009 in Competition for Golden Bear but India is out
Twenty six films will be presented in the Competition programme of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival, 18 of which will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears in the Berlinale Palast. This year too India remains unrepresented. Iranian film 'Darbareye Elly' (About Elly) by Asghar Farhadi (Fireworks Wednesday) With Golshifteh Farahani, pictured, and Taraneh Alidousti has been selected. Read more »
IFFI Goa: 40 countries, 100 films, Tabbu and Rekha along Goa Beaches
India's biggest film festival,39th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), since its opening Saturday, November 22, 2008, has been marred by controversies. Hindu extremists force MF Husain's Award-winning film to get cancelled. Observers say, it's business as usual as most of the IFFIs in the past were marred by bad organisation. "Look at the festival's website, it's awful. It's more embarrassing as IFFI is a government sponsored event of an IT-savvy India," commented one delegate. Read more »
39th Film Festival of India in Goa
The Indian government is keen to showcase country's global ambitions through this year's 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008, to be held in Goa from 22nd Nov- December 2, 2008. The Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Anand Sharma said that the Indian Cinema has over the years attracted global attention, and the events like IFFI-2008 should serve as a platform to evoke greater interest of global audience. Read more »
Mira Nair’s film ‘risks insulting Islam’ suggests UNDP
Rome – A controversy, involving film director Mira Nair, has hit the 3rd Rome Film Festival (22-31 October, 2008). The United Nations Development Programme has disowned its own film “How Can It Be?” by Mira Nair, exploring gender equality in a story set in Brooklyn, New York, in which a Muslim immigrant woman finds the courage to leave her husband and young son for another (married) man. The UNDP, instead of sponsoring the project, has pulled out. Read more »
Golden Bear for 'The Milk of Sorrow'
Berlinale 2009 – European films grabbed ten of the 12 awards (including six out of eight Bears) at the 59th Berlin International Festival, Saturday, Feb 14, 2009. The jury unanimously awarded the Golden Bear for Best Film to Claudia Llosa’s Spanish/Peruvian title The Milk of Sorrow- the first Spanish title in 26 years to win the Golden Bear and the film also picked up the Fipresci Prize. Read more »
Choreographer Farah Khan will address 59th Berlinale on "Film and Fate"
Berlin- by Kathy Robinson for iefilmi. Berlinale Talent Campus 2009 will have Cinematographer and Oscar® award winner Janusz Kamiński, and director and choreographer Farah Khan among the first Campus experts. Indian Farah Khan will explain how themes of fate and destiny dominate the Indian cinema for decades. Read more »
Rotterdam Film Festival Fund and Titles announced
Rotterdam — 38th International Film Festival Rotterdam (21 Jan- 1 Feb 2009) has disclosed its first titles Thursday, November 6, 2008. It also announced details about Hubert Bals Fund, saying that fund's next instalment would be given to a worthy winner at this year's IFFI India (Goa Film Festival) starting from 22 November. Read more »
London Film Festival ends on an Indian note
India was the talk of the town as the 52nd London Film Festival ended Thursday, October 30, 2008, with the European premiere of Danny Boyle’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, based on Vikas Swarup's novel Q & A. This year’s Festival hosted 191 feature films and 109 short films from 43 countries including a record 15 world premieres. Read more »
'Colours of Passion' by Ketan Mehta at LFF08
'Colours of Passion' (Rang Rasiya 2008), directed by Ketan Mehta and based on a classic Indian novel ‘Raja Ravi Varma,’ will have its world premiere at the London Film Festival, 2008. This is after a long time that audiences will be able to see a Ketan Mehta film. 'Colours Of Passion' has taken more than usual time in production. The film will remind Indians of an on going controversy involving India's best known living painter MF Husain who has been made a target by extremist Hindus in India. Read more »