Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Culture & Society / Film

Bollywood Newswatch

by

dum-laga-ke-haisha

Dum Laga Ke Haisha Opening Film At River To River Festival

Yash Raj Films’ Dum Laga Ke Haisha was the opening film at the 15th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival which took place from 5th Dec, 2015 to 10th Dec, 2015. The film’s director Sharat Katariya was in attendance to present the much loved & appreciated film starring Ayushmann Khurrana & Bhumi Pednekar at the festival, the 1st in the world totally devoted to films from & about India along with many other special events. In the framework of the 50 Giorni Di Cinema Internazionale A Firenze, the festival takes place in the beautiful twenties Odeon cinema, in the heart of the lovely city of Florence.

Film Federation Of India Makes An Ardent Appeal

The Film Federation of India (FFI) has ardently appealed to all the members of the film fraternity to pledge one day’s theatrical collections from all across the country for the relief work in Chennai. In a note sent to all the association bodies and its members, FFI president J P Chowksey said that the amount can be deposited in the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. In Chennai, he said several actors had helped people on the streets and some cinema houses opened their doors for the homeless or those seeking shelter. He added that the film industry has always come forward to offer help whenever there has been any calamity of this nature in the country.

Government Level Film Festival On Disability Ends

A total of 40 films including features, shorts & documentaries were screened at the very 1st Government run International Film Festival for Persons with Disabilities (IFFPD) which ended recently with the presentation of awards by Social Justice & Empowerment Mnister Thaawar Chand Gehlot. Minister of State in the Ministry Vijay Sampla & Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Col. Rajyawardhan Rathore were also present. Speaking on the occasion. Vivek Oberoi said that it was heartening to see that the disabled were being brought into the mainstream in an inclusive society. Gehlot said 500 entries had been received for the film festival which in itself was a big feat. In the years to come, the festival may be expanded to achieve more success and achieve its objective of creating greater awareness about the problems of the disabled. During the opening day, he had said the Government was taking several initiatives for empowering people with disabilities and one such initiative was the Accessible India Campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, which marks the International day of Persons with Disabilities. This Campaign intends to create a disabled friendly public infrastructure in 50 most important cities to bring the people with disabilities into the mainstream.

Bombay High Court Acquits Salman Khan Of All Charges

It’s been more than 13 years since the case of Salman Khan being accused of killing people on the streets has been in court expecting a verdict. The latest update on the case is that, recently, the Bombay High Court has acquitted Salman Khan of all the criminal charges. It was Justice A. R. Joshi, who, while pronouncing the justice, said that the prosecution has failed to prove charges against Khan on all counts. As per the media reports, he asserted that the court has come to the conclusion that the prosecution has failed to bring material on record to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant (Salman Khan) was driving and under the influence of alcohol, also, whether the accident occurred due to bursting (of tyre) prior to the incident or tyre burst after the incident.Needless to say that Salman Khan, who was present in the court during the verdict, along with his sister Alvira Khan – Sharma and her husband Aayush Sharma, got emotional, after the verdict was delivered. He, then, was seen reciting the ‘kalma’ with tears of joy & relief rolling down from his eyes. Speaking about the verdict, Salman’s lawyer Amit Desai mentioned that he did not take that as a personal victory and that his entire team had worked hard on this for 6 months now.

Sanjay Gupta’s Next With Hrithik Roshan In legal trouble

After the release of Jazbaa, Sanjay Gupta has fast moved onto his next venture which would feature Hrithik Roshan. But of late it seems that the film which will be produced by Rakesh Roshan has landed in legal trouble with model – actor Sudhanshu Pandey accusing Gupta and the Roshans for copyright infringement. Rakesh Roshan has totally denied these allegations and said, “We haven’t launched any film yet so where is the question of it being similar.” However, while the makers the of the untitled film, Sanjay Gupta & Rakesh Roshan, except for this statement have chosen to stay mum about the topic. Besides Siraj Ahmad had been contracted by Pandey to develop the screenplay & dialogues of Farmayish.

Jacqueline’s Movier Definition Of Fear To Open Delhi Film Festival

Jacqueline Fernandez will be making her international debut with the film
Definition Of Fear for which she had started shooting long ago. And now it has been revealed that the film is in its final stages and will soon be screened at the Delhi Film Festival. The thriller will be screened on the festival’s opening day and the actress will be flying down to the capital to attend its very 1st public screening. Directed by James Simpson, Definition Of Fear has Jacqueline Fernandez playing the role of a psychologist. The film will also have an Indian release apart from its overseas one.

Mani Ratnam Conducts IFTDA Master Class

Padmashri Mani Ratnam, the director known for cult films like ‘Nayagan’, ‘Anjali’, ‘Bombay’, ‘Roja’, ‘Dil Se’, ‘OK Kanmani’ et al and the winner of 6 National awards & 10 Filmfare Awards will have his 1st ever IFTDA Master Class in Mumbai. The initiative was taken by the director’s fraternity of Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and the event took place on 16th Nov, 2015 at 3:30 pm at ISKCON, Juhu. The IFTDA ‘Meet The Director’ Master Class session aimed to bring together 2 masters, one who shared his expertise and another who moderated the session. The Mani Ratnam session was moderated by renowned filmmaker Sudhir Mishra. The session was held for a duration of 2 hours and it also comprised of a Q & A session with the audiences. These master class was attended by students, assistant directors, aspirants & general public for free of cost. Established in 1950, Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) is the only legitimate organization that collectively represents film & television directors from India. It encapsulates within itself formidable talents of Indian cinema irrespective of region and language. IFTDA prides itself of having more than 10,000 plus active members. The Mani Ratnam Master Class was partnered by Anupam Kher’s An Actor Prepares. The previous IFTDA master class session was conducted by ace director Anand L. Rai, who felt that “The IFTDA master class initiative by IFTDA is one – of – its – kind initiative and should be attended by every movie buff & film enthusiasts.” The Mani Ratnam class was 2nd in the ‘Meet The Director’ Master Class series.

Sridevi Takes Legal Action

The magnum opus ‘Puli’ starring Vijay & Sridevi though had buzz but failed to live upto expectations. And now, the veteran actress is miffed with the makers for not clearing her remuneration for the film. Sridevi is yet to receive Rs. 50 lakhs of her fee which was supposed to be given after the release of the film. However, since the actress hasn’t received the amount as yet she decided to go the legal way and has apparently filed a complaint at the producers’ council in Mumbai. Though the actress hasn’t divulged any details as yet, one of the producers of the film Shibu Thameens recently posted a tweet referring to the issue, saying, “Will clarify Sridevi mam’s complaint, postpone my surgery and joining my partner pts in Chennai”.

50 Cr Copyright Infringement Case Filed

The makers of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ which created waves at the box office are facing a Rs. 50 crore copyright infringement law suit that claims the entire plot line & even some locales were blatantly inspired from another script. The suit filed in the Bombay High Court by director & TV producer Mahim Joshi, alleges the infringement is `career damaging’, si1950y. As per Joshi’s claims, the story of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ is grounds for a 100% infringement along with prominent similarities in the screenplay & locales. Along with his petition to the High Court, Joshi has also furbished documents that include detailed comparisons of the film’s scenes and the sequences shot by Joshi. Following this, in its hearing held recently, the High Court bench presided by Justice Gautam Patel, has directed all parties including producers Rockline Venkatesh, Rajessh Bhatt and Salman Khan, a co – producer, writer KV Vijayendra Prasad & director Kabir Khan, to maintain accounts of business with respect to the movie. It also directed all respondents to file their replies by 21st Oct, 2015.

Censor Board Refuses To Give Reasons

40 days after the censor board declared to the media that they have refused to give a censor certificate to Kamal Swaroop’s documentary ‘Battle For Banaras’, the censor board is yet to officially communicate to the producer the reason for the rejection of the film. The documentary was officially invited to play at the 17th Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival but the invitation was withdrawn in the absence of clarity on the censor certificate. “This lack of clarity & communication from the censor board is irresponsible,” says Manu Kumaran,the producer of the film. The film was screened for the censor board on 27th August. Inspired by Nobel laureate Elias Canetti’s book, “Crowds And Power”, the documentary, ‘Battle For Banaras’ captures the excitement, the madness & the noise behind the high octane poll battle in the holy city of Banaras, Produced by Manu Kumaran & Mediente International Films, the documentary was shot in 4K, over a 44 day schedule in Banaras during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

‘Angry Indian Goddesses’ Lapped Up

‘Angry Indian Goddesses’ has been receiving appreciation across film festivals and is being loved by audiences at large. Followed by its sale to GAS (Germany – Austria -Switzerland), France, Benelux (Belgium -Netherlands – Luxembourg), Spain, Portugal & Canadian territories at Toronto International Film Festival 2015, the film went on to win the 1st Runner Up at the Grolsch People’s Choice Award at TIFF. With packed public screenings and positive word of mouth, the film has now been lapped up by Italia Film (Disney affiliated company)for the Middle East market. It includes 15 countries namely, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Yemen & Sudan. It is a great feat for an Indian Film as it continues to travel to other international festival including this years prestigious Rome International Film Festival (16th Oct, 2015 to 23rd Oct, 2015), where it is the lone Indian film. Rome film festival line up includes 37 films from across 24 countries. The film was also a special screening at the 35th Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax and recently had it’s European Premiere at the 11th edition of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) on 28th Sept, 2015.

James Bond Poster Exhibition Held At Liberty Cinema

While the world awaits the 24th James Bond Film ‘Spectre’, the cult fiction spy James Bond was in Mumbai through his ageless posters. And met his fans at Osianama at Liberty Cinema, For, The Shaken But Not Stirred exhibition at Osianama Part 1 opened on recently to mark the 53rd Anniversary of 1st Bond Film ‘Dr. No’ starring Sean Connery. With this exhibition of original, timeless Landmark Bond posters from the US to Japanese to French to Italian versions, The Osian’s Film Archive begins to share its vast Hollywood Collection with the masses.

‘Court’ To Compete With Films From 80 Countries At The Oscars

India’s official entry to the Oscars, ‘Court’, will be competing with films from 80 countries in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards. The Oscars have this year received film entries from 81 countries in this category including Paraguay, which is a 1st time entrant. The Marathi language film ‘Court’ is directed by Chaitanya Tamhane. Giving ‘Court’ a tough competition will also be renowned director Majid Majidi’s Iranian film ‘Muhammad: The Messenger Of God’, which is Iran’s official entry to the Oscars this year. On the other hand, Paraguay’s maiden film entry for the Oscars is titled ‘Cloudy Times’, directed by Arami Ullón.

Eros International Media’s Proposal Approved

The Government has cleared Eros International Media’s proposal of setting up a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). The approval followed recommendation of the Foreign Investments Promotion Board (FIBP) and will involve a foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 49.90 lakh. The Government cleared as many as 11 FDI proposals worth Rs 1,567.91 crore, including that of Eros International Media. Additionally, approval was also granted to Amar Ujala Publications Limited for foreign shareholding in the company up to 26% of the post issue paid up equity share capital pursuant to proposed initial public offering, issue of equity shares to FIIs / FPIs / NRIs and transfer of 26,90,234 shares by existing shareholders for an aggregate consideration of Rs 50 crore.

‘Kadambari’ Bags Top Award

Bengali film ‘Kadambari’ by Suman Ghosh about Kadambari Devi, sister – in – law of Rabindranath Tagore with whom he is supposed to have had a close personal relationship and who eventually committed suicide, won the Best Film award at the 4th Washington South Asian Film Festival.

Chaitanya Tamhane won the “Best Director” award for ‘Court’, a Hindi and Marathi film, which is India’s official entry for the Academy Awards. Aparna Sen received the “Special Achievement Award”, while Huma Beg from Pakistan got the “Special Appreciation Award Documentary”. ‘Sarmad Khoosat’ received the Special Award for Contribution to Pakistan TV & Films. The Festival of independent alternate cinema on the theme of “Art and culture transcend boundaries” had 14 features, 10 shorts & 1 documentary from India, Pakistan, United States & Canada.

Vir & Soha’s Film ’31 October’ In Censor Trouble

Soha Ali Khan & Vir Das’ next release ’31 October’ is in Censor trouble. The film was recently submitted to the Board for certification. However, they have raised objections on certain scenes.”The makers are considering the changes that have been suggested but since these are integral to the film’s narrative, they are trying to figure out how to go about it. They can’t afford to lose the core essence of the film by incorporating any random cuts. All of this would mean that the film may not really make it for its 30th Oct, 2015 release.

Censor Board Allows Producers To Modify ‘A’ films to ‘UA’ for television

In a significant move to end the deadlock between the producers and the censor board over the conversion of Adults films to ‘UA’ to make them suitable for television viewing, the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to let producers voluntarily cut their films and submit them for censor certification. Explaining the important decision to allow filmmakers the liberty to decide on how to cut their films for re -certification the CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani says, “As we all know, all Adult films have to be re -certified before telecast. However producers complained about a delay in the re -certification process as the CBFC often found the material unpalatable for family viewing on the home medium. Now we’ll allow producers to make the cuts that would make their ‘A’ films eligible for a ‘UA’ certificate and bring their films to us.” This is not to say that the films would become automatically eligible when submitted.

Southern Films Round Up

by

Srinda

Srinda At Last Talks Of Her Failed Marriage

Srinda, one of the leading actress in the industry who does comic roles with such ease opened up about her marriage recently in an interview with a leading magazine. The actress said that she had married Ashab at the age of 19, right after her graduation, following a brief love affair. The couple had soon realized that the marriage was not going smooth and started living separately. In the meanwhile they had their only son Arhaan. Srinda mentioned that though they are living apart they are not legally divorced. She says that she does not harbour any grudge or hold resentment about her past.

Selvaraghavan’s Next Strictly For Adults

Selvaraghavan’s next Movie Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam has been certified with an A certificate without any cuts. This film has been written by the most admired director of the younger generation & directed by his wife & former associate Geethanjali Selvaraghavan.

The film deals with an adult subject which warrants a certificate and they were not ready for any cuts in an attempt to make it suitable for non – adults. Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam has been produced by Kola Bhaskar who has worked as an Editor in many films directed by Selva. Bhasker’s son Balakrishna Kola & Punjab based actress Wamiqa Gabbi make their Kollywood debuts, playing lead roles in this film. The team plans to release the film within the end of December 2015 if all things work out as planned.

Brahmanandam Out from Ravi Teja’s New Movie

Comedy king Brahmanandam, who is ruling the roost in Telugu cinema for decades, is no longer our film makers favorite. The actor is constantly failing to live up to his reputation and also became monotonous with his bland performances. Following the debacles of Sher and Bruce Lee, Tollywood filmmakers are shying away to rope in the king of comedy in their respective films. The latest update is that Brahmanandam has been replaced with actor Purdhvi for an important role in Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja’s new movie directed by new comer Chakri. Initially, the makers had approached Brahmanandam and offered him a crucial role in this film but eventually dropped the idea and brought Prudhvi on board for the same role.

Jiiva & Bobby Combo In Kavalai Vendam

R. S. Infotainment had released the 1st look poster of Jiiva & Bobby Simha starrer Kavalai Vendam in Jun, 2015 itself, but the project got delayed due to the sudden walking out of the heroine Keerthi Suresh.

Now Kajal Agarwal has been roped in for the lead heroine role and the shooting of Kavalai Vendam is all set to resume from Pongal 2016. The film is directed by Deekay of Yamirukka Bayamey fame and has Jiiva, Bobby Simha, Kajal Agarwal, Nikki Galrani, Mayliswamy and Karunakaran in the cast. The story is said to be based on modern marriages and according to the team will be a laugh riot on the lines of the timeless classic Kadhalikka Neramillai.

Amy Jackson is female Chitti

Reports coming in from Shankar’s Enthiran 2 team suggest that British beauty Amy Jackson will be playing a female robot obviously opposite the Chitti character performed with delightful aplomb by Superstar Rajinikanth in the original. Arnold Schwarzennegger & Kaththi villain Neil Nitin Mukesh play the chief antagonists while a leading Bollywood heroine will be the love interest for Rajini in Enthiran 2. Official announcement of the project is expected any time.

Prakash Raj Enacts A Baddie’s Role

G. V. Prakash the fast rising hero will be teaming up with director M. Rajesh for a new film titled Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru.

While the cast & the crew members of the film is yet to be announced, veteran actor Prakash Raj has been roped into play the role of a lead villain. The multilingual actor who was last seen with Kamal Haasan in Thoongavanam has signed the agreement to star in the film. Talks are also on with top heroines to play the leading lady in the film. G. V. Prakash. who will also be scoring music for the film has already composed one song and the shooting is expected to begin soon.

Nannaku Prematho Audio Release Date Fixed

The audio release of Young Tiger NTR’s upcoming movie Nannaku Prematho is going to be held on 25th Dec, 2015. This is NTR’s 25th film in his career. The Sukumar directorial is tipped to be a revenge drama and features Rajendra Prasad & Jagapathi Babu in pivotal roles.

Currently, the shooting of the film is progressing at rapid pace in Spain. Except for some portions of the talkie and an item number, the entire shooting would be wrapped up in this schedule. The unit is expected to return to Hyderabad on 20th Dec, 2015. BVSN Prasad is producing the film and is planning to release it on 13th Jan, 2016 for Pongal.

Rakul Preet Singh is playing the leading lady in the film which has music by Devi Sri Prasad.

Bellamkonda 1s Now Speedunnodu

Bellamkonda Srinivas, who made an impressive debut with Alludu Seenu, has signed another project with Bheemaneni Srinivasa Rao. The film, a remake of Tamil hit Sundarapandian is nearing completion. Produced by Bheemaneni Sunitha, the film features Sonarika Bhadoria of Jadoogadu fame as the leading lady.

The makers have finally finalised Speedunnodu as the film’s title. Starring Sasi Kumar & Lakshmi Menon, the Tamil version has become one of the biggest hits of the year and grabbed the attention of filmmakers from other languages. Bheemaneni has acquired the rights and is producing this film under his banner Good Will Cinema. The film is likely to hit the screens for Pongal.

Prabhas Launches Garam’s Teaser

Young Rebelstar Prabhas has launched the teaser of Aadi starrer Garam. The actor wished the team of Garam all success. “Garam title is interesting. Teaser looks promising. Aadi is looking energetic with a new look in this film. Hope, this film becomes a big hit at the box office and gives a break to director Madan,” said Prabhas. The film produced by Sai Kumar features Adah Sharma as the leading lady. Madan of Pellaina Kothalo fame wields the mega phone. The shooting of the film is almost completed and the makers are planning to release the film soon. T Surendra Reddy cranks the lens, while Agasthya of Aa Naluguru fame wields the baton of music.

Arjun To Direct Aishwaria

The top notch of South India with roots from Karnataka Arjun, action king, director & producer has taken a firm decision to direct a youthful love story starring his daughter Aishwarya in the lead role. He is producer & director of this bilingual. A film in the direction & production of father Arjun is the debut for Aishwarya in Kannada. She has made already debuted in Patutha Yaanai a Tamil film. Aishwarya film in Kannada will be a romantic one. Arjun is very impressed with the story he has developed and anxious to bring it on celluloid silver screen.

Master Piece For Christmas

The one & only release of Rocking star Yash for 2015 is on 23rd Dec, 2015, on the eve of Christmas. This year Yash enjoyed the super success of Mr And Mrs Ramachari and very strong preparation in Master Piece by debut director Manju Mandavya for Hombale Films is coming up without any publicity for the film. No doubt the expectations are high on the 2 roles of Yash in Master Piece. From dialogue to direction Manju Mandavya’s preparation is very strong and the team effort is making it to receive big hype. Noted producer & distributor duo Jayanna & Bhogendra are distributing the film. The earlier film of Yash & Radhika Pandit Mr And Mrs Ramachari was produced by the same duo.

Foreign Films Roundup

by

TV4 ENTERTAINMENT

SKY INVESTS IN TV4 ENTERTAINMENT

European pay TV operator Sky has invested $0.3 million in LA based TV4 Entertainment, which owns a growing portfolio of special interest television channels. The channels are distributed across multiple online platforms in US, including Hulu, Amazon, Sony, Vimeo, YouTube & Roku. TV4’s portfolio includes a dozen channels, reaching millions of unique users every month. It has more than 30 new channels in development. The portfolio includes: DocComTV aimed at documentary devotees; All Warrior Network for fans of the warrior genre; Motorland, a video network for automotive enthusiasts; the Ultimate Champion Network, which has programming for combat sports fans & The Clarity Project, a channel exploring child illness.

DAN TO HEAD TV BUSINESS AFFAIRS FOR WME

WME is bolstering its business development ranks, enlisting Warner Bros. TV business affairs veteran Dan Limerick as head of TV business affairs. The announcement of Dan Limerick’s appointment comes just hours after WBTV said the executive would be departing the company. With Limerick on board, Catherine Sugar, a 17 year WME veteran who previously headed business affairs, is shifting to a new role as WME’s head of business affairs for global TV. Both executive appointments come as WME / IMG revs up an ambitious expansion plan to broaden the company’s reach with a host of production & distribution initiatives, from film financing to event production to traditional TV program development & distribution. Mark Shapiro, the former head of ESPN & Dick Clark Prods, is leading the charge as IMG’s New York based chief content officer.

PIXAR MAY SUFFER 1ST LOSS AT BOX OFFICE

The Good Dinosaur is shaping up to be a novelty. After 16 films, including such classics as Toy Story & Wall – E, the story of a young Apatosaurus’ quest to reunite with his family is shaping up to be Pixar’s 1st box office failure. With a production budget of $200 million and roughly $150 million spent on marketing, industry analysts & executives say that Pixar and its parent company Disney must make $500 million to break even theatrically. Currently, the film has made $131.3 million globally and is showing signs of fading fast. At this point, many project that The Good Dinosaur will be lucky to crack the $400 million mark. That would make it the lowest grossing Pixar film since A Bug’s Life made $363.4 million worldwide in 1998.

IAIN TO OPEN LONDON’S FOCUS SUMMIT

Iain Smith, executive producer on Mad Max: Fury Road & chairman of British Film Commission will deliver the opening speech at the Focus Summit, an event that focuses on developments in media landscape. Other keynote speakers at the summit, which takes place on 15th Dec, 2015 in London, include Michael Katz, VP international programming & planning at A & E Networks, & Patrick Collister, lead creative at Google’s The Zoo. The event, which will follow themes of convergence, collaboration & creativity, will seek to understanding the impact of “second screeners” on the creative process; look at the different types of creative partnerships that now exist; examine the changing relationship with today’s audience and ask how producers are handling the transition.

EX MACHINA BAGS BEST FILM AT BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

Alex Garland’s sci – fi movie Ex Machina was the big winner at the British Independent Film Awards, taking 4 prizes. The movie bagged “Best Film”, Garland took the prizes for “BEST Director” & “Best Screenplay” and the craft award was picked up by Andrew Whitehurst for “Best Visual Effects”. The ceremony, which was hosted by Richard Ayoade, took place at London’s old Billings gate Market. Tom Hardy won “Best Actor” for his dual role as Ronnie & Reggie Kray in Legend & Saoirse Ronan picked up the “Best Actress” prize for Brooklyn.

MATTEW TO STAR IN THE END OF LONGING

Friends star Matthew Perry will lead the cast in the world premiere of his playwriting debut, The End Of Longing, at the Playhouse Theatre, London, from 2nd Feb, 2016 to 14th May, 2016. The fast paced, bittersweet comedy will be directed by Lindsay Posner reuniting the pair, following their 1st West End collaboration on “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” at the Comedy Theatre in 2003. The End Of Longing centers on Jack, Stephanie, Joseph & Stevie, 4 lost souls, entering their 40’s and searching for meaning. After sharing 1 raucous night together in a downtown Los Angeles bar, their lives become irreversibly entwined in a rollercoaster journey that forces them to confront the darker sides of their relationships.

KAREN SETS UP SIDNEY STREET PRODUCTIONS

Karen Ross, the creative director of the UK version of MasterChef, has set up a production company named Sidney Street Productions with the backing of Endemol Shine. Sidney Street Productions will specialize in producing food, factual & lifestyle formats. MasterChef executive editor David Ambler, who has worked alongside Ross on the show for the past & years, will oversee all versions of the format from the New Year from within Shine TV. Ross launched a re – versioned MasterChef in 2005, originally as series producer, steering it from its original early evening BBC Two slot (as MasterChef Goes Large) to a returning primetime hit for BBC One with 3 successful further iteration.

ADAM JOINS MULTI – CHANNEL NETWORK COLLECTIVE STUDIO 71

Collective Studio 71, a multi – channel network formed by the merger of Collective Digital Studio & ProSiebenSat.1’s Studio 71, Germany’s largest MCN, has hired Adam Boorstin as executive Vice President of global digital distribution. Boorstin most recently served as head of partnerships at BuzzFeed
Motion Pictures. In his new role, Boorstin will oversee distribution for all Collective Studio 71’s content and lead the expansion of Collective Studio 71’s distribution network to new platforms. Boorstin will be responsible for forging new partnerships with distributors. He will identify new opportunities to distribute existing content, while also exploring exclusive custom content deals for Collective Studio 71 creators with VOD, subscription VOD & OTT platforms. He will report to CDS CEO Reza Izad.

HAIL, CAESAR!’ TO OPEN BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

Joel Coen & Ethan Coen’s Hail, Caesar! will open the 66th Berlin International Film Festival on 11th Feb, 2015. “It’s wonderful that Joel Coen & Ethan Coen are once again opening the Berlinale. Their humor, unique characters & fantastic narrative skill are guaranteed to thrill the audience. Hail, Caesar! is the perfect start for the 2016 Berlinale,” festival director Dieter Kosslick said. In 1998, the Coen Brothers’ comedy The Big Lebowski played in the Berlinale competition program and their Western True Grit opened the festival in 2011. Hail, Caesar! is set during the latter years of Hollywood’s Golden Age, during the studio system’s heyday.

2 MULTIPLEXES TO BOW IN 2016

1 key challenge facing Moroccan cinema is screen shortage, 31 theaters for a population of 30 million, and the continuing loss of spectators in the older picture palaces, which continue to serve as important venues for Moroccan films. The country has only 2 multiplexes: a 14 screener in Casablanca and a 9 plex in Marrakech, both run by the French – Moroccan group Megarama. Extraordinary but true: These 2 multiplexes generate 2 3rd’s of all box office revenues. Megarama also runs a duplex in Fez. The situation will be partially relieved in 2016 with the opening of 2 new multiplexes by Megarama, which were initially scheduled for 2014, but have been successively postponed due to planning permission issues for the host shopping malls. In Feb, 2016 Megarama hopes to open an 11 screen complex, with 1,400 seats, in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, followed by an 8 screen venue, with 1,000 seats, in the international port city of Tangiers.

COPPOLA OUTLINES LIVECINEMA PLANS

At a round table interview at the 15th edition Marrakech Film Festival, jury prexy Francis Ford Coppola revealed details of his upcoming “live cinema” project, whose 1st trial run, Distant Vision was tested 5th Jun, 2015 in Oklahoma City Community College and live streamed to private showings in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and the Coppola family residence in Napa Valley. The 76 year old helmer also gave an insight into key moments in his career, his views on the future of the film industry and his general take on the complex international crisis resulting from recent terrorist attacks around the world. Coppola explained that his interest in live cinema came from the discussion a few years back that 3D was the “future of cinema.”

NABIL PREPS SOCIAL DRAMA RAZZIA

46 year old Nabil Ayouch is Morocco’s best known helmer, due to his incisive social dramas that highlight the plight of characters from impoverished backgrounds who resort to desperate actions. His 2012 pic, Horses Of God, about the 2003 Casablanca suicide bombers, was sold to 40 countries and officially presented in US by Jonathan Demme, where it was Morocco’s candidate for the Foreign Language Academy Award & Golden Globes. Given the rising tide of terrorist attacks throughout the world, attributed in part to under privileged environments, Ayouch’s Horses Of God is increasingly cited as a poignant insight into the underlying causes of terrorism. “Horses Of God was a premonition of what happened in Paris, not just the situation in Morocco,” said Ayouch. For his most recent film, Much Loved, Ayouch decided to switch his gaze to a more subtle form of violence provoked by poverty.

SARIM UNVEILS PLANS TO REINFORCE MOROCCAN CINEMA

After his 1st 12 months at the helm of the Moroccan Cinema Center (CCM), Sarim Fassi Fihri recently took stock of his achievements to date and outlined his plans for the coming months, including tax schemes designed to attract foreign productions. 57 year old Sarim Fassi Fihri, has a long track record as a film producer and has worked on an extensive number of important foreign & domestic productions, including Nabil Ayouch’s 1st film Mektoub & Alain Chabat’s Asterix And Obelix – Mission Cleopatra. From 2005 he presided the Moroccan film producers association, AMPAC and had a major role in terms of discussing national film policy, including organization of the industry meetings, Assises Nationales Du Cinéma, in 2007 & 2012. During his 1st 12 months in the post, he has had to handle a series of complex situations, including negotiations with the Government for new tax schemes aimed at boosting the domestic exhibition sector and attracting more foreign productions to Morocco.

MARRAKECH’S COUNTRY TRIBUTE AT ITS 15TH FEST

Atom Egoyan headed a 23 person delegation of leading Canadian producers & directors, including Brandon Cronenberg, Michel Poulette & Stephen Dunn, recently, at the 15th Marrakech International Film Festival. Launched in mid – 2000’s, Marrakech’s country tribute has become one of the fest’s highlights, filling the stage in the main auditorium of the Palais Des Congress with a galaxy of talent. This year’s ceremony follows on the heels of the 2013 tribute to Scandinavian Cinema and last year’s tribute to Japanese Cinema. Sarim Fassi Fihri, prexy of the Moroccan Cinema Center (CCM) presided the ceremony and highlighted the fact that both Morocco & Canada are bi – lingual countries “that beat with a single heart” He praised the achievements of his sister institution in Canada, the National Film Office, and referred to the multiple achievements of Canadian cinema in the international film panorama, pioneered by leading directors, from established helmers such as David Cronenberg & Denys Arcand to the generation of new talent such as Xavier Dolan who screened his 1st feature, I Killed My Mother, aged 20, in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, and then shared Cannes’ Grand Jury Prize in 2014 for Mommy.

CESC GAY ON HIS NEW MOVIESTAR SERIES

Cesc Gay’s 7th feature, Truman has Javier Camara as Tomas, a college instructor in Canada who travels to Madrid to bid farewell to his old friend Julian, an actor diagnosed with terminal cancer played by Ricardo Darin, star of Juan Jose Campanella’s Oscar winning The Secret In Their Eyes. Julian’s main concern is finding a new family for Truman, his ageing boxer friend. Directed by an audience friendly auteur & produced by Marta Esteban at Imposible Films & Diego Dubcovsky at Argentina’s BD Cine, Truman is a comedy of melancholy, wise, wistful & well-observed,” said reviewer Joe Leydon. An emotionally raw, even harsh dramedy, balancing dark twists and the excesses of the soul, Truman is performing well in Spain where it cumed $2.7 million, ranking No. 8 in its 5th week at theaters.

CHILDREN OF SATURN AIMS TO JUMP AT VENTANA SUR

Eugeni Guillem’s Children Of Saturn is the highest profile of Catalan project trio pack which was pitched this week at Ventana Sur’s Beyond the Window, in a search for potential partners & financing. A cannibal coming – of – ager – an intriguing mix – Children Of Saturn will mark the debut of Guillem, who comes from Barcelona film school Escac, a genre talent incubator whose alums include Juan Antonio Bayona & Kike Maillo. He has shot musical clips & shorts, plus a segment in the omnibus slasher The Innocents, directed by a dozen of Escac alumni. Children Of Saturn has an estimated initial budget of $4 million and was pitched for the 1st time at Oct 2015’s Sitges Film Festival, at Pitchbox, a new initiative launched in collaboration with online platform Filmarket Hub.

AL JAZEERA’S BEIN MEDIA INKS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR 600 PIC DEAL

Al Jazeera owned beIN Media group has inked a 5 year multimillion dollar 600 title output deal with Italia Film International, the prominent Beirut based Middle East film distributor with close Hollywood ties. The pact will give it considerable content muscle and strengthen its ambitions to become a top entertainment paybox in the Arab world. beIN, until recently an Al Jazeera sports spinoff, is launching 2 channels, called beIN Movies 1 & 2 in Middle East, in a likely pay TV landscape game changer in the region where so far Orbit Showtime Network OSN was the single paybox offering movies, original programming & general entertainment. Financial terms of what is being touted as the biggest output deal ever inked in Middle East were not disclosed.

DOHA FILM INSTITUTE APPOINTS NAOMI & LUCIA AS MASTERS FOR QUMRA EVENT

The 2nd edition of Doha Film Institute’s innovative Qumra event is starting to take shape with 2 prominent female filmmakers recruited as masters: Japan’s Naomi Kawase & Argentina’s Lucrecia Martel. Both are widely known auteurs on the fest & arthouse circuits. Kawase most recently made a splash with her bittersweet drama An, about a solitary baker & 76 year old culinary genius, which opened the Cannes Un Certain Regard section this year and went on to sell widely. She is considered a purveyor of lyrical minimalism. Martel, who is Latin America’s most prominent woman director, is currently in post on period piece Zama, about an officer of Spanish Crown operating in Argentina’s wild backwaters towards the end of the 18th century on the eve of the country’s independence movements. As part of their role as Qumra Masters, they will each participate in a series of masterclasses, workshops & one – on – one sessions with directors of participating DFI backed projects & industry professionals from around the world, and also screen one of their pics for Doha audiences. Qumra, which is an Arab word believed to be the origin of the word “camera,” is a unique format event dedicated to fostering 1st & 2nd works from Arab world and beyond through a formula that blends creative workshop & festival elements.

ICFLIX PREPPING COME BACK 1ST ARABIC PRODUCTION ABOUT ISLAMIC STATE

Icflix, the Dubai based VOD platform founded by chairman Fadi Mehio & CEO Carlos Tibi in 2012 is upping its commitment to Moroccan market, by signing production deals with leading Moroccan filmmakers. The platform has also announced that it is prepping 1st Arabic production about Islamic State, Come Back, which will be shot in English, French & Arabic, lensing in Belgium, Turkey, France and multiple Middle Eastern countries, to be released in early summer of 2016. Icflix currently vies with Starz as the leading VOD platform in the 370 million Middle East -North Africa (MENA) market, that has a young & highly wired demographic. MENA market is particularly attractive to producers of Arabic content. Icflix offers Hollywood, Bollywood & Arabic content (which it terms Jazwood). Its first Arabic productions were acquired in 2014, including the Egyptian productions HIV & Al Makida that were released in Oct, 2014.

CO – PRODUCTIONS ALLOW GULF FEST TO THRIVE

The ever changing Middle East festival scene has been shaken up by instability lately just as Arab film industry gains more traction. In this scenario the Dubai International Film Festival is becoming more pivotal as a platform to nurture & launch fresh Arab fare, as it continues to boost its role as a driver for the nascent biz in the Gulf. In May, 2015 the nearby Abu Dhabi film fest shockingly shuttered after 8 editions during which it had gradually earned a significant spot on the map. Just days later Dubai, now at its 12th edition, announced it would reinstate the Dubai Film Connection co – production platform, which had been scrapped in haste in 2014.

UAE EARNS REP AS INTERNATIONAL HUB FOR HI – PRODUCTIONS

What do the latest Star Wars, Fast AND Furious & Star Trek, installments have in common? They were all recently shot in United Arab Emirates, where a combination of incentives, security, transportation, state – of – the art studio space, a futuristic skyline & exotic desert ambiance are positioning Dubai & Abu Dhabi as the prime Middle East hub for different types of international productions. In Oct, 2015, after 3 months in Vancouver & Canada, Paramount’s Star Trek: Beyond touched down in Dubai for a 2 week shoot, brought by executive producer Jeffrey Chernov who in 2010 had come with Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol in which Tom Cruise famously rappels down from Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

MUREN TO BE FELICITATED AT PARIS IMAGES DIGITAL SUMMIT

Veteran VFX master Dennis Muren will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2nd Digital Creation Genie Awards and part of the Paris Images Digital Summit. Kudo will be awarded at a 28th Jan, 2015 ceremony to be held at Enghien – Les – Bains Centre Des Arts. Muren will deliver a Master Class on Sat 30th Jan, 2015 during event’s Festival Day. Running 28th Jan, 2016 to 30th Jan, 2016 and launched by the Ile De France Commission, the Paris Images Digital Summit is devoted to digital creation in its multiple manifestations, the latest trends & innovations in digital visual effects, CGI, motion – capture, 3D & disruptive technologies in cinema, television, advertising, video games & transmedia. California born, Muren is a VFX specialist best celebrated for his contributions to some of the defining features of Steven Spielberg, James Cameron & George Lucas which reshaped Hollywood: Star Wars saga, ET The Extra -Terrestrial (1982), Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Abyss (1989), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) & Super 8 (2011)

BRIE TO BE FELICITATED BY CAPRI – HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL

Brie Larson will be felicitated by the 20th edition of the Capri -Hollywood film festival dedicated to launching Oscar hopefuls and establishing a bridgehead between Hollywood & Italy’s film & showbiz communities. Larson, an awards season frontrunner for her intense, Oscar buzz generating performance as Ma in Lenny Abrahamson’s Room is expected to make the trek to the Italo isle off the coast of Naples to receive a “Best Actress” of the Year nod. In making the announcement, Capri topper Pascal Vicedomini noted that Larson, who is 26, “is considered the new rising star in Hollywood,” thanks to her work this year in Room & Trainwreck opposite Amy Schumer. Room, which opens in Italy in Mar, 2016, will bow locally from the festival where other awards buzz pics will also launch, including John Crowley’s Brooklyn, Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl, Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth & Justin Kurzel directed Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender & Marion Cotillard.

LEONE GROUP & EAGLE PICTURES FORGE DISTRIBUTION PACT

Italy’s Leone Film Group, the company originally founded by spaghetti western master Sergio Leone, has forged a strategic pact with local indie distributor
Eagle Pictures that will see them co – release the next 2 installments in Lionsgate’s The Divergent Series – Allegiant & Ascendant – and also Keanu Reeves starrer John Wick 2 & Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, toplining Andrew Garfield. Additionally going forward Eagle will be exclusively handling distribution on plenty of Leone’s new titles over the next 3 years. The companies will equally split costs & profits for distribution on all Italo platforms on the 4 announced pics. Leone’s heirs, who entered the Italo distribution arena in 2000, have output deals with Lionsgate & Dreamworks and close rapports with several US indies, including The Weinstein Company.

DOCU PRODUCER TO FIRE UP FICTION FEATURES & INTERNATIONAL CO – PRODUCTION

A winner of the 2015 Berlinale Co – production Market Pitch, for Abner Benaim’s Plaza Catedral, a tangled false friendship drama with thriller elements, set against the background of Panama’s social divide and of Colombia’s Cartagena Festival PuertoLab with Road To La Paz, a humanizing road movie tale, Juarez Allen broke through in 2011 co -producing Victor Kossakovsky’s Vivan Las Antipodas, a big poetic geo – docu which played Venice. Currently producing Benaim’s doc, My Name Is Not Ruben Blades, with Ruben Blades, based out of her Buenos Aires shingle Gema Films, Juarez Allen sees her future, however, more in fiction features & international co -production, one of Latin America’s current production drivers. That may not be the biggest of asks.

4 MOVIES MAKE MARKET RUNNING

4 Movies namely Era El Cielo, This Too Shall Pass, Sangre En La Boca & No Kids made some of the market running, in announcements, trading, at this week’s 7th Ventana Sur, Latin America’s top film market which for the 1st time fully caught the Latin American film industry in ongoing market transformation, as Netflix and other Internet content distributors feature ever more in film economics. Primer Plano, the Argentine sales – distribution company, recognized that about 40% of its sales revenues now come from Over-The-Top operators. As Argentina’s INCAA Film Institute launched last week its own Argentine movie VOD platform, rumors ran rife at Ventana Sur, about Netflix 6 figure dollar sum offers for packages of films, though whether any deals of this caliber have actually gone down is a moot question.

4 LATIN – AMERICAN COMPANIES TO CO – PRODUCE MARILYN

In an increasingly common pan – regional alliance for Latin America, 4 Latin American companies, Argentina’s Maravilla Cine, Chile’s Don Quijote & Rampante & Uruguay’s Cordon Films, are teaming up to co – produce real life inspired drama Marilyn. Argentine Martin Rodriguez Redondo’s feature debut. The project was selected for San Sebastian’s 2014 Europe -Latin American Co -production Forum, Chile’s Sanfic industry lab & Australab – FicValdivia. Winner of an Argentine INCAA Film Institute script contest & an Ibermedia co -production award, Marilyn is based on the true story of Marcelo B, today called Marilyn, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting dead his mother & brother with a shotgun in 2009 and then was partner in Argentina’s 1st gay marriage in prison. The film will roll from Jul, 2016 produced by Maravilla Cine’s Buenos Aires based Paula Zyngierman, production manager on standout Argentine films. Marilyn focuses on the character of Marcos, a boy who lives in a farm on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. While his father does the heavy work, he stays at home with his mother & transvestites when he is alone. After the father’s death, Marcos is forced by his mother to take charge of the farm work for the 1st time, suppressing his feminine behavior. Verbal & physical violence against Marcos grows. One morning he explodes.

MORBIDO TV LOADS UP ON GENRE

AG Studios’ Morbido TV, its flagship pay TV channel for Latin America & US Hispanic, is loading up on horror, fantasy, sci – fi, occult and more and driving into original content production, as it aims for a spring 2016 launch.Despite Morbido TV’s
start – up status, it hires, own shows & early buys rep one of the most ambitious rollouts of a regional genre channel which, in Morbido TV’s case, aims to be much more: A talent hub, production force & driver of a pan – regional culture industry richly grounded in Latin American sensibility. Morbido TV will be the 1st 24 hour horror – fantasy genre channel in Latin America said Eduardo Caso, CEO of AG Networks, AG Studios multi – platform division. Among new plans, Mexico’s Rafa Lara is attached to direct Terror Mx, Morbido TV’s 1st original production, an episodic series framing “the complete history of horror -fantasy cinema in Mexico,
Pablo Guisa Koestinger, the charismatic Morbido Fest CEO Morbido TV content head, announced at Ventana Sur’s Blood Window.

GABRIELA TO MAKE HER DEBUT AS A DIRECTOR

“A woman director who likes to make Tarantino movies,” says Rodrigo Teixeira,
Gabriela Amaral Almeida has just shot her debut, the violent The Friendly Animal, for Teixeira’s RT Features, producer of Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha, Robert Eggers’ The Witch & James Gray’s upcoming To The Stars. Lensed by ace cinematographer Barbra Alvarez and a Western or so it seems in its huit clos set – up and gathering primal brutality, Animal turns on restaurant owner who is attacked, shoots one aggressor. Turning the tables, with the help of his waitress, he takes his staff & clients hostage, holing up in his restaurant.

RT FEATURES & MUNDIAL PACT FOR ERA EL CIELO

Brazil’s RT Features & Mundial, a joint venture of IM Global & Canana, the top Mexican production house, have pacted for Mundial to acquire world sales rights to Era El Cielo, written by Lucia Puenzo and highly anticipated next feature of Brazilian Marco Dutra. Deal links Mundial with Rodrigo Teixeira’s Sao Paulo based RT Features, one of Latin America’s most exciting & unusual film outfits.
Producer of Noah Baumbach’s Francis Ha, Robert Eggers’ The Witch & James Gray’s upcoming To The Stars, RT Features has also driven hard into a new generation of Brazilian directors, melding arthouse concerns with genre & narrative drive.

MANEGLIA & SCHEMBORI PREP 2 MOVIES FOLLOW UP

Paraguayan filmmakers Juan Carlos Maneglia & Tana Schembori are developing comedy adventure film Los Buscadores (Seekers), their follow up to 2012’s box office & festival’s hit action thriller 7 Boxes, which Breaking Glass Pictures picked up for US, sold by Shoreline Ent. Dubbed a “Paraguayan Indiana Jones” Seekers takes place in modern day Paraguay, with local characters and is spoken in Spanish, Guarani & Jopara, a mix of both languages. Seekers original screenplay was written by Juan Carlos Maneglia, who will co – direct alongside Tana Schembori. Set in the neighbourhood of Chacarita, a picturesque, colorful & vibrant community, right next to downtown Asuncion, the plot kicks off when a young paperboy accidentally discovering a map in a book given to him by his grandfather. He teams up with other paperboys in search for a buried treasure known as “Plata Yvyguy”.

2 MOVIES TOP BLOOD WINDOW’S BLOODY WORKS IN PROGRESS

Laura Casabe’s dramedy thriller Benavidez’s Case & Sebastian & Federico Rotstein’s horror pic Terror 5 won 2 prizes a piece at Blood Window’s 3rd Bloody Works in Progress edition in Ventana Sur. Produced by Magali Nieva Umansky at Ninja Films Argentina and toplining Norma Aleandro, Benavidez’s Case won a color correction award plus VFX supervision granted by Mexican production house Sofia Films. Benavidez’s Case also snagged opening credits design & a basic pay TV distribution deal for Latin America from Mexico’s Morbido Film Festival. Produced by Argentina’s Camargo Cine, Sebastian Perillo & Werner Cine, Terror 5 snagged concept graphic poster design service also from the Morbido Fest, plus a plaudit from Argentina’s Full Dimensional Award, consisting of a teaser post – pro work & 3D conversion plus 5 work days of 7.1 sound mixing, Foley & DCP conversion.

PALESTINIAN GAY FILM FESTIVAL BREAkS BARRIERS

It was an LGBT themed film festival held outside the borders of Palestine, featuring a number of works by directors who were neither gay nor Palestinian. But the 1st ever Kooz Queer festival which had a modest bow earlier this month in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, made little ripples of history in its own right. The tiny 3 day festival, established by grassroots org Aswat – Palestinian Gay Women and held across a handful of Haifa coffee shops & art venues, opened up a dialogue about the overlaps of occupation & sexuality; and of the borders of individual identity in the context of an uncertain international existence. The goal of the festival was to provide platform for home grown, gay themed films at a time when most LGBT Palestinians still feel a need to stay closeted.

IMAX T0 SURPASS CGV ADDS 25 SCREENS

South Korea’s CJ – CGV has ordered an additional 25 IMAX giant screens which it will locate in its rapidly expanding Chinese theater circuit. The deal, announced to coincide with the CineAsia exhibitors & distributors convention in Hong Kong, lifts IMAX to over 500 theatre signings in Greater China. It also takes IMAX’s network total in the Asia region to 520 theatres, with 275 open & 245 contracted to open. The deal brings CJ CGV’s IMAX commitment to 122 theaters, with 2 in Vietnam, 20 in South Korea & 100 in China. The company is IMAX’s 2nd largest exhibitor partner in Asia and its 3rd largest globally. The theatres will be installed in new construction projects, most of which are located in 1st or 2nd tier cities in China.

Movie Review: ‘Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie’ is really heart warming, touchy & Sensitive

by

Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie

Producers: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paul Feig & Michael J. Travers
Director: Steve Martino
Star Cast: Alex Garfin, William Alex Waunsch, Madisyn Shipman & Troy Andrews
Genre: Comedy
Verdict: GOOD

Plot: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” gang make their big screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world’s most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic & heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis, the Red Baron.

Aces: The short episodic stories in The Peanuts Movie series are heart warming, touchy & sensitive. It makes you go down on a nostalgic trip down memory lane of your own childhood.

Minuses: Some of the gags, used in The Peanuts Movie, though fall flat.

Last Word: Recommended for viewers of all age and hailing from all walks of life. The Peanuts Movie is really funny too. Go have fun!

Movie Review: ‘Sorry Daddy’ has nothing new to offer. It’s like an old wine packaged in a new bottle

by

sorry-daddy

Banner: S. K. Films
Producer: Wasim Khan
Director: Shakoor Sir & Vijay Pal
Star Cast: Shameem Khan, Tinu Verma, Mukesh Tiwari, Raghubir Yadav, Razzak Khan, Shehzad Khan, Gayatri Singh etc
Music: Vishnu Deva & Liyakat Ajmeri

Director duo Shakoor Sir & Vijay Pal have really made a mockery of a good theme in their debut directorial offering Sorry Daddy. Although the age old theme of street children or even the kidnapped ones being forced to beg, after their body parts are mutilated, is nothing new and represented time and again since its 1st attempt in Nanha Farishta.

Sorry Daddy is actually a children’s action drama film set in the early 2014’s. The story centre’s around the turbulent relationship between Inspector Ravi Sharma (Shameem Khan) and the street children, a relationship which is affected by children’s issues with alcohol abuse and temperament. Inspector Ravi Sharma is an honest & intelligent police officer. He burst the racket of Daddan’s (Mukesh Tiwari) illegal wine factory to show his intention against the enemy of law & society. Meanwhile, his daughter Anishka seeks his help to find out her lost school friend Aditya, who is a very bright student but always looks puzzled because of his drunken father who fights with his mother every time. One day the fight takes an ugly turn and father dies accidentally. Aditya runs away from the home in fear. Ravi arrests his mother as murderer and she lands up in prison. Innocent Aditya walks randomly in the city and meets a gang of street beggars who want to help him. But unfortunately, he lands up in the clutches of Sevak Ram (Tinu Verma). Sevak Ram is a socialist who runs a self organization for the betterment of these street children. But the truth is that he makes them handicap and pushes them in begging business.

Sorry to say but Sorry Daddy is the most pathetic film ever made in the history of Indian Cinema. The debutante directors Shakoor Sir & Vijay Pal have failed miserably in delivering the goods. Right from the word go nothing seems to work for this badly presented film. There is just one song which has been repeated throughout the film and it gets on your nerves.

Performance wise senior actors like Tinu Verma, Razzak Khan, Mukesh Tiwari, Shehzad Khan & Raghubir Yadav are mercifully wasted. Even the new actors like Shameem Khan, Gayetri Singh and hordes of others have hammed like nobody’s business. All this new actors especially Shameem Khan are more like mini financiers who finance the films just to satisfy their urge to don the grease paint & face the arc lights. They neither have the talent, the figure or even the looks to be actors. With no screen presence they end up looking more like beggars on the streets.

Tail Piece: Sorry Daddy is a sheer waste of time & energy. So stay miles away from the theatre that still has the daring to screen Sorry Daddy in their cinema halls.

Movie Review: ‘The Silent Heroes’ is the most beautiful & the most sensitive film about people with physical disability

by

the silent heroes

Banner: Hans Production & Reality Films
Producer: Mahesh Bhatt & Kamal Birani
Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Star Cast: Maanuv Bharadwaj, Priyanka Panchal, Mann Bagga, Simran Deep, Nirmal Kumar Pant and other real life heroes
Music: Rahul Mishra & Aashish Jha

First things first the debutante director Mahesh Bhatt of The Silent Heroes should not be confused with our erstwhile director Mahesh Bhatt of the Bhatt Empire. The present director Mahesh Bhatt of The Silent Heroes is a journalist turned debutante director. He deserves all kudos for making such a beautiful and sensitive film about people who are battling with their life with all their physical deformity & physical disability intact. And another plus point of The Silent Heroes is that it was shot at the beautiful locales of the Himalayan Mountains Of Uttarkhand.

So The Silent Heroes is an adventure drama movie following the story of 13 real life deaf children. In fact The Silent Heroes showcases the fictional story of 13 deaf children from a school in Uttarkhand who want to work on something which will bring them respect and the world will look up to them. This school is run by 2 teachers who feel that if these children become mountaineers then their dream to rise high above everyone will be realised, after all mountaineering is a difficult sport and attempting the same with deaf children is a much bigger challenge. So the children and their families get excited about this and want to pursue this dream but they need someone to train them and believe in their nearest impossible dream. The rest of the story is of their trainer and his haunting past which compels him to help them, then follows their rigorous training and unfolding events in the Himalaya and rejections by other trainers, their final expedition and then extreme weather and challenges during this expedition with an unexpected & extremely thrilling climax to this expedition and their dream journey through the mountains.

Hats off to the producers team of Kamal Birani & Mahesh Bhatt, who incidentally also doubles up as a director, for making such a courageous & awe inspiring film The Silent Heroes minus all the commercial trappings is especially made to boost up the morale and lift up the spirit of the global disabled people. The credit should also be given to the entire cast & crew for being part of such a brilliant film like The Silent Heroes.

Performance wise all the actors like Maanuv Bharadwaj, Priyanka Panchal, Mann Bagga, Simran Deep, Nirmal Kumar Pant etc and even the real life characters are brilliantly outstanding.

Tail Piece: The Silent Heroes is certainly a not to be missed film at any cost. But how many real takers are there of such good films as most of the audiences are too fond of the regular masala films which are full of naach gaanas & dishoom dishoom.

The Top 50 Sexiest Women On The Planet List

by

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra holds onto sexiest woman crown in “50 sexiest Asian women list” founded by award winning Entertainment Editor Asjad Nazir for UK based Eastern Eye newspaper.

Amongst all the top 50 sexiest women figuring on the recently revealed Planet list Priyanka Chopra tops the list. The list is founded by none other than Asjad Nazir the award winning Entertainment Editor of UK based Eastern Eye newspaper. The complete list will feature in Eastern Eye on Friday 11th Dec, 2015.

Priyanka Chopra once again beat off tough global competition to retain her title as the sexiest Asian woman in the world this year, as featured in 2015’s “50 Sexiest Asian Women” list.

The singer & actress came out on top following millions of votes pouring in from across the globe for the 2015 edition of the popular annual poll conducted by UK based Eastern Eye newspaper. This is the 3rd time in the past 4 years that Priyanka has topped the long running list of 50 sexiest Asian women on the planet.

The stunning win rounds off another dream year for the actress, which includes winning accolades for her 2014 film Mary Kom, hit Bollywood film Dil Dhadakne Do and American TV serial Quantico.

On the eve of gaining this recognition Priyanka Chopra averred, “Now that’s a title I’m happy to hold on to. I’m bringing sexy back! A big thank you to everyone who’s voted for me. Thank you also to Eastern Eye for making me feel ‘sexy’; well, at least for another year. A piece of advice to the ladies – it’s all in the mind. Remember, sexy is as sexy does.”.

While entertainment editor of Eastern Eye averred, “Priyanka Chopra is doing India proud on the global stage and winning loads of admirers. This was illustrated by the largest ever number of votes by non – Asians that she received from all over the world. She is clearly building bridges internationally through her art and will continue to do so in the coming years. And by excelling in TV, film & music, the multi – talented actress has shown just how far hard work can take you.”

The mass interest in the 12th edition of the list was such that it was trending on Twitter across India & Pakistan during the voting process.

Popular television actress Sanaya Irani rose one place from last year to come 2nd and fellow small screen star Drashti Dhami took the 3rd spot. A – list Bollywood actresses Deepika Padukone (4) & Katrina Kaif (5) completed the top 5. Others in the top 10 are Nia Sharma (6), Kareena Kapoor Khan (7), Gauahar Khan (8), Sonam Kapoor (9) and the highest placed Pakistani, Mahira Khan, (10).

The highest placed newcomer in this year’s list is young Indian television actress Niti Taylor (15), who thanked her fans for all their love, support & blessing, which elevated her into the list for the 1st time.

Just like in the past few years, the biggest surprise was the dominance of television stars. Sanaya Irani (2), Drashti Dhami (3), Nia Sharma (6) & Gauahar Khan (8) all retained their places in the top 10. Other small screen actresses in the list included Preetika Rao (11), Shakti Mohan (12), Asha Negi (13), Surbhi Jyoti (17), Charlie Chauhan (22), Hina Khan (26), Anita Hassanandani (28), Sukiriti Kandpal (31) & Mohena Singh (43).

Asjad Nazir further averred, “There are 27 small screen stars in the list this year, which once again shows television has become the most powerful & popular medium of all. Even the winner, Priyanka Chopra, made her television debut with Quantico this year. This shows that TV plays arguably the biggest part in the lives of people around the world. It also illustrates why so many movie producers are now signing TV actresses for big film projects and why movie stars are venturing into TV.”

The highest placed British woman is once again Jasmin Walia (28) & Canadian actress Hannah Simone (35), a newcomer in the list, is the highest placed North American. At 48 years of age, Madhuri Dixit (44) is the oldest lady in the 2015 countdown & 20 year old actress Radhika Madan (24) is the youngest.

Others in the 2015 list include Shraddha Kapoor (19), Bipasha Basu (25), Alia Bhatt (27), Parineeti Chopra (33), Mehreen Syed (38) & Kanika Kapoor (48).

The full countdown of 2015’s 50 Sexiest Asian Women will be published in the UK’s most established & popular Asian newspaper, Eastern Eye, on 11th Dec, 2015.

Asjad Nazir concluded by explaining, “What continues to make this list really special is the strong presence of ‘real women’ who the public can relate to. Most fans look at the all – round qualities of those they are voting for and that is why more women than men vote annually.”

With a 47 year heritage, The Asian Media & Marketing Group, publishes a stable of market leading magazines for the Asian community in UK & USA. The company hosts a number of hugely successful events & award dinners affiliated with its magazines. AMG is now Britain’s biggest Asian publishing house and its titles includes Eastern Eye newspaper, Garavi Gujarat newsweekly, Asian Trader, Pharmacy Business, Asian Hospitality, the Asian Rich List, the Asian Rich List Midlands and the GG2 Power List.”

Marathi Filmfare Awards Ceremony 2015

by

ajeenkya_dy_patil

Ajeenkya DY Patil Filmfare Awards was a Lai Bhaari affair

The Ajeenkya D Y Patil University Filmfare Awards 2014 (Marathi), the 1st ever Filmfare awards for excellence in Marathi cinema, was held recently at the Kashinath Ghanekar Natyagruha, Thane. Among the films that took home multiple black ladies were the commercially successful Lai Bhaari (which marked the debut of actor Riteish Deshmukh in Marathi cinema), next was Fandry, which explores the caste system through the eyes of a Dalit who falls in love with an upper caste girl and Rege, which underlined the curiosity of kids about the world of crime.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ajeenkya DY Patil observed, “As the title sponsor of the event, it’s a small endeavour on our part to promote Marathi cinema that is growing by leaps & bounds with each passing year. Further it is also a matter of great pride for the Ajeenkya DY Patil Group to be associated with the 1st ever Marathi Filmfare awards.”

Veteran Marathi actor Ramesh Deo received the lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the industry. Actor Kranti Redkar shone in a peach gown as the host. “It was a Marathi manoos that 1st gave us the gift of cinema,” said Ritesh Deshmukh, referring to the legendary filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke. “The 1st national award in 1953 too went to a Marathi film called Shyamchi Aai. And now, with films like Court, it is safe to say Marathi cinema has put Indian cinema back on the global map,” he said. Bollywood actors Varun Dhawan & Tabu made a surprise cameo to present the awards and floored the audience by spouting lines in Marathi.

The highlight reel of the evening glowed with sizzling performances by actors Sachin Pilgaonkar & Sonali Kulkarni.

Incidentally speaking the Ajeenkya DY Patil University aims to contribute to the creation of innovation oriented Indian society by focusing on academic excellence in teaching, research & quality of service. Their purpose is to help transform individuals into the thinkers, the dreamers & the innovators of tomorrow and is proud to call itself an Innovation University.

The University offers future oriented, highly experiential and hands on programs with a unique learning experience. The emphasis at Ajeenkya D Y Patil University (ADYPU) is always on creating an exciting & a highly charged environment, where a mix of youthful vibrancy with experience & maturity, global viewpoint with local reality, emerging technology with traditional wisdom and existing knowledge with rebellion & constant questioning leads to an exciting journey throughout the programs.

Movie Review: ‘Hate Story 3’ is the most illogical erotic thriller ever seen on celluloid silver screen

by

Hate Story 3

Banner: T – Series
Producer: Bhushan Kumar & Vikram Bhatt
Director: Vishal Pandya
Star Cast: Sharman Joshi, Zarine Khan, Karan Singh Grover, Daisy Shah, Priyanshu Chatterjee et al.
Music: Meet Bros, Baman & Amaal Malik

It’s really true that too many well – known cooks ultimately spoil the broth. In further spoiling the illogical recipe of Hate Story 3, the main chefs (Read the entire team barring the editor & the composers) are producers Bhushan Kumar & Vikram Bhatt, who is also the story writer), director Vishal Pandya in tandem with the rooster of actors (Zarine Khan, Karan Singh Grover, Daisy Shah, Priyanshu Chatterjee et al (barring Sharman Joshi).

The loosely scripted scenario of Hate Story 3 kicks starts with Aditya Diwan (Sharman Joshi) who happens to be a Mumbai-based millionaire having his fingers dipped in many pies. He controls a cola company and owns hotels across the globe and decides to open a super – specialty clinic in tribute to his deceased brother (Priyanshu Chatterjee). He is also married to his brother’s ex girlfriend Siya (Zarine Khan). Just when it looks like he has everything going for him, his whole life turns upside down. As business tycoon Saurabh Singhania (Karan Singh Grover), who likes to stand at the edge of skyscrapers, makes Aditya an ‘indecent proposal’ which involves Siya, immediately triggering a war between the 2 of them. The attacks, counter attacks and many, many bathing scenes forms the rest of the story.

Director Vishal Pandya’s directorial treatment in Hate Story 3, a sequel to Hate Story 2 and a heady cocktailed concoction of several Hollywood flicks, leaves much to be desired. Even otherwise he hardly had anything to do. As the composers, the choreographer, the actors did all the work (by dancing & bathing the moment they get a chance) and then the editor putting everything together in a racy & presentably watchable form.

Performance wise the entire credit goes only to Sharman Joshi who succeeds in delivering the goods amidst the entire confusion confounding situation. The 2 heroines Zarine Khan & Daisy Shah are the best bathing show pieces that Bollywood must have ever seen. And what can one say about 2 of the most stiff & wooden albeit zombie oriented act of Karan Singh Grover, he was good only in the one minute long shot on the hospital bed, & Priyanshu Chatterjee.

Tail Piece: The serialized sequels of Hate Story’s will continue emerging from the House of T – Series. Don’t bother just avoid it and if at all you are tempted to watch just have fun and don’t take it seriously.

Movie Review: ‘In The Heart Of The Sea’ is an absolutely boring fare

by

In-the-Heart-of-the-Sea

Producer: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Will Ward, Joe Roth & Paula Weinstein
Director: Ron Howard
Star Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cilian Murphy, Tom, Holland,& Ben Gleeson
Genre: Adventure
Verdict: POOR

Plot: In 1820, the whaling ship Essex is crewed by Captain George Pollard Jr 1st officer, Owen Chase 2nd officer Matthew Joy, and cabin boy Thomas Nickerson. During their voyage, the ship is sunk when it is rammed & split in half by a very large & enraged bull sperm whale, ultimately leaving its crew shipwrecked at sea for 90 days and more than a thousand miles away from the land. After the attack, the crew sails for South America and is forced to resort to Cannibalism.

Aces: It’s the directorial treatment of Ron Howard and the performances of the principal actors that saves the day and makes the movie watchable to some extent.

Minuses: The loose screenplay & some of the repetitive scenes when the ship is at sea and especially when it is sinking. And also the editing could have been crisper.

Last Word: There is nothing new that we have not seen before but of course the lovers of adventure may get hooked by its grandeur.

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives