Duo joined by Altitude, BBC Film, Lionsgate execs.
The second group of judges for The Big Screen Awards 2023 has been announced, ahead of the ceremony on November 23 at The Brewery in London.
New judges include Krishnendu Majumdar, former chair of Bafta and co-founder of UK production company Me + You Productions; and Fiona Lamptey, former director of UK features at Netflix and founder and producer at Fruit Tree Media.
Also joining the judging panel are Kristin Irving, BBC Film commissioning executive; Stuart Brown, head of programme and acquisitions at the BFI; and Paul Sophocli, senior theatrical sales manager at Lionsgate.
The second group of judges for The Big Screen Awards 2023 has been announced, ahead of the ceremony on November 23 at The Brewery in London.
New judges include Krishnendu Majumdar, former chair of Bafta and co-founder of UK production company Me + You Productions; and Fiona Lamptey, former director of UK features at Netflix and founder and producer at Fruit Tree Media.
Also joining the judging panel are Kristin Irving, BBC Film commissioning executive; Stuart Brown, head of programme and acquisitions at the BFI; and Paul Sophocli, senior theatrical sales manager at Lionsgate.
- 9/29/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The board will develop a 10-year strategy for the festival’s industry programme.
Film and TV director Raisah Ahmed will chair the new industry advisory board of the Glasgow Film Festival (Gff), that will also include executives from Film4, Protagonist and Netflix.
The board will “drive further development of Glasgow Film Festival’s industry offer, providing new opportunities for Scotland-based talent to meet, collaborate, pitch ideas, and develop their work together”, said David Smith, director, Screen Scotland.
The board will announce its 10-year strategy for the industry programme at the next Gff which takes place February 28 – March 10, 2024.
Ahmed’s credts...
Film and TV director Raisah Ahmed will chair the new industry advisory board of the Glasgow Film Festival (Gff), that will also include executives from Film4, Protagonist and Netflix.
The board will “drive further development of Glasgow Film Festival’s industry offer, providing new opportunities for Scotland-based talent to meet, collaborate, pitch ideas, and develop their work together”, said David Smith, director, Screen Scotland.
The board will announce its 10-year strategy for the industry programme at the next Gff which takes place February 28 – March 10, 2024.
Ahmed’s credts...
- 9/19/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The board will develop a 10-year strategy for the festival’s industry programme.
Film and TV director Raisah Ahmed will chair the new industry advisory board of the Glasgow Film Festival (Gff), that will also include executives from Film4, Protagonist and Netflix.
The board will “drive further development of Glasgow Film Festival’s industry offer, providing new opportunities for Scotland-based talent to meet, collaborate, pitch ideas, and develop their work together”, said David Smith, director, Screen Scotland.
The board will announce its 10-year strategy for the industry programme at the next Gff which takes place February 28 – March 10, 2024.
Ahmed’s credts...
Film and TV director Raisah Ahmed will chair the new industry advisory board of the Glasgow Film Festival (Gff), that will also include executives from Film4, Protagonist and Netflix.
The board will “drive further development of Glasgow Film Festival’s industry offer, providing new opportunities for Scotland-based talent to meet, collaborate, pitch ideas, and develop their work together”, said David Smith, director, Screen Scotland.
The board will announce its 10-year strategy for the industry programme at the next Gff which takes place February 28 – March 10, 2024.
Ahmed’s credts...
- 9/19/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Hot Docs has wrapped its 30th anniversary edition, handing out its top cash prize and announcing the audience top picks after an 11-day festival, which presented 214 films from 72 countries at 308 live screenings at venues across Toronto.
Philippe Falardeau’s “Lac-Mégantic—This Is Not an Accident” topped the overall audience poll to win the 2023 Hot Docs Audience Award. The four-part series from the Oscar-nominated director explores the causes of one of Canada’s worst rail disasters and what’s needed to prevent such accidents in the future.
“Someone Lives Here,” by Zack Russell, won the Rogers Audience Awards for Best Canadian Documentary, which comes with Cdn. $50,000 cash, and also claimed the second-highest spot in the overall audience poll. The film also won the inaugural Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, a jury-chosen prize, at the main awards ceremony held Saturday.
“Someone Lives Here”
“Someone” tells the story of Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright,...
Philippe Falardeau’s “Lac-Mégantic—This Is Not an Accident” topped the overall audience poll to win the 2023 Hot Docs Audience Award. The four-part series from the Oscar-nominated director explores the causes of one of Canada’s worst rail disasters and what’s needed to prevent such accidents in the future.
“Someone Lives Here,” by Zack Russell, won the Rogers Audience Awards for Best Canadian Documentary, which comes with Cdn. $50,000 cash, and also claimed the second-highest spot in the overall audience poll. The film also won the inaugural Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, a jury-chosen prize, at the main awards ceremony held Saturday.
“Someone Lives Here”
“Someone” tells the story of Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright,...
- 5/8/2023
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
Projects come from 34 different countries.
Projects from Rodrigo Reyes, Ike Nnaebue and Sean McAllister are among 48 titles that will be pitched to international and UK industry representatives and experts at this year’s Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket.
One of the world’s largest documentary and factual pitching forums, MeetMarket moved to the beginning of the festival and will take place on June 15-16 with all projects in the development or production stage.
The projects have been selected from more than 500 submissions. Rodrigo Reyes, whose doc Sanson And Me was the winner of DocFest’s 2022 international competition, is pitching Mexican-us co-pro Warrior Mothers.
Projects from Rodrigo Reyes, Ike Nnaebue and Sean McAllister are among 48 titles that will be pitched to international and UK industry representatives and experts at this year’s Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket.
One of the world’s largest documentary and factual pitching forums, MeetMarket moved to the beginning of the festival and will take place on June 15-16 with all projects in the development or production stage.
The projects have been selected from more than 500 submissions. Rodrigo Reyes, whose doc Sanson And Me was the winner of DocFest’s 2022 international competition, is pitching Mexican-us co-pro Warrior Mothers.
- 4/25/2023
- by Heather Fallon Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
Further producers include Nikki Parrott and Tom Wood.
Twelve UK producers including Damian Jones, Emily Morgan, Nikki Parrott and Tom Wood are heading to Paris later this month for a series of co-production meetings arranged through a partnership between the British Film Institute (BFI) and France’s national film centre, the Cnc.
The meetings will take place from April 20-21.
Scroll down for the full list of participants
“After a successful trip of French producers to the BFI London Film Festival (Lff) last October organised by the BFI with Institut francais in the UK and Unifrance, the BFI is delighted...
Twelve UK producers including Damian Jones, Emily Morgan, Nikki Parrott and Tom Wood are heading to Paris later this month for a series of co-production meetings arranged through a partnership between the British Film Institute (BFI) and France’s national film centre, the Cnc.
The meetings will take place from April 20-21.
Scroll down for the full list of participants
“After a successful trip of French producers to the BFI London Film Festival (Lff) last October organised by the BFI with Institut francais in the UK and Unifrance, the BFI is delighted...
- 4/5/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
BFI, Screen Scotland back Tigerlily Productions’ feature documentary ‘Hong Kong Mixtape’ (exclusive)
It is the debut feature from Hong Kong Chinese-Scottish filmmaker San San F Young.
The British Film Institue (BFI) Doc Society and Screen Scotland have boarded feature doc Hong Kong Mixtape, the debut from Hong Kong Chinese-Scottish filmmaker San San F Young.
It is being produced by London and Glasgow-based Tigerlily Productions and is now in post.
The film examines the fight to protect creative freedoms in Hong Kong amid China’s introduction of a national security law that restricts certain words, images, books, slogans and songs.
Hong Kong Mixtape weaves the personal story of the film’s director, Young,...
The British Film Institue (BFI) Doc Society and Screen Scotland have boarded feature doc Hong Kong Mixtape, the debut from Hong Kong Chinese-Scottish filmmaker San San F Young.
It is being produced by London and Glasgow-based Tigerlily Productions and is now in post.
The film examines the fight to protect creative freedoms in Hong Kong amid China’s introduction of a national security law that restricts certain words, images, books, slogans and songs.
Hong Kong Mixtape weaves the personal story of the film’s director, Young,...
- 1/13/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
BFI London Film Festival has revealed its line-up for its second Works-in-Progress showcase, including a documentary about Hong Kong’s draconian National Security law and a TV narrative feature starring Sir Lenny Henry and Malachi Kirby (pictured above).
The showcase will take place on Oct. 9.
It consists of seven recently completed or in production/post-production audio-visual projects from emerging British talent made for cinema, television and immersive platforms.
The audience will include international buyers, festival programmers and, via a secure digital platform, a number of other industry professionals.
The talent selected for the workshop will also, with assistance from the British Council as well as the BFI Lff, get an opportunity to network with various industry players such as buyers, commissioners, producers and programmers via a number of initiatives including a reception for new talent and a producers’ lunch.
2021 marks the workshop’s second year. Last year’s projects included...
The showcase will take place on Oct. 9.
It consists of seven recently completed or in production/post-production audio-visual projects from emerging British talent made for cinema, television and immersive platforms.
The audience will include international buyers, festival programmers and, via a secure digital platform, a number of other industry professionals.
The talent selected for the workshop will also, with assistance from the British Council as well as the BFI Lff, get an opportunity to network with various industry players such as buyers, commissioners, producers and programmers via a number of initiatives including a reception for new talent and a producers’ lunch.
2021 marks the workshop’s second year. Last year’s projects included...
- 10/4/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The second edition of the showcase will take place on October 9.
The second edition of the BFI London Film Festival (Lff)’s Work-in-Progress showcase has selected seven projects from emerging British talent, to present to an invited audience of international buyers and festival programmers at the event on October 9.
The in-person showcase will include extracts screened from each project, followed by a Q&a with the director and producer. Projects include cinema, television and immersive works; all are recently completed or in production or post-production.
The works include Dionne Edwards’ debut feature Pretty Red Dress, backed by BBC Film and the BFI,...
The second edition of the BFI London Film Festival (Lff)’s Work-in-Progress showcase has selected seven projects from emerging British talent, to present to an invited audience of international buyers and festival programmers at the event on October 9.
The in-person showcase will include extracts screened from each project, followed by a Q&a with the director and producer. Projects include cinema, television and immersive works; all are recently completed or in production or post-production.
The works include Dionne Edwards’ debut feature Pretty Red Dress, backed by BBC Film and the BFI,...
- 10/4/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Seeking to expand its scripted offering, Banijay Rights has signed a first look development deal with Tigerlily Productions, a U.K. production company whose credits include David Farr’s “The Ones Below” and “Remainder” with Tom Sturridge.
The deal covers scripted programming developed, created and produced by Tigerlily for the U.K. and international markets.
Tigerlily Productions, which was founded by Natasha Dack-Ojumu and Nikki Parrott in 2000, has been delivering feature films and factual TV. The banner’s current development slate includes the scripted series “Angela,” a tense hospital crime drama set in Salford; the psychological drama “I See Through You;” and the female-led crime drama “Where The Bodies Are Buried” which is based on on Christopher Brookmyer’s novel of the same name.
“(Banijay Rights’s) combined knowledge and global position in the fiction space will ensure that our new dramas will have the best possible start, as well...
The deal covers scripted programming developed, created and produced by Tigerlily for the U.K. and international markets.
Tigerlily Productions, which was founded by Natasha Dack-Ojumu and Nikki Parrott in 2000, has been delivering feature films and factual TV. The banner’s current development slate includes the scripted series “Angela,” a tense hospital crime drama set in Salford; the psychological drama “I See Through You;” and the female-led crime drama “Where The Bodies Are Buried” which is based on on Christopher Brookmyer’s novel of the same name.
“(Banijay Rights’s) combined knowledge and global position in the fiction space will ensure that our new dramas will have the best possible start, as well...
- 8/21/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Gunpowder & Sky has teamed up with Working with Weinstein producer Tigerlily Production to develop a comedy series about women in the world of corporate banking.
The two companies are working on Assets, which follows five female interns, who must decide whether to fight, play or change the game as they struggle through a system which is designed wholly against them.
The producing team, who between them have worked on shows including The Thick of It, Misfits and Humans, said that the show “provides a fresh response to workplace sexism, patriarchy and the glass ceiling in a post #MeToo world”. It is exec produced by Natasha Dack, Nikki Parrott and Jennifer Monks.
“Gunpowder & Sky is driven by telling realistic, and sometimes unfortunately relatable stories,” said Pasa Mustafa, Creative Director at Gunpowder & Sky. “Tigerlily Productions have built an international reputation for tackling powerful subject matter with sensitivity and artistry. To that end,...
The two companies are working on Assets, which follows five female interns, who must decide whether to fight, play or change the game as they struggle through a system which is designed wholly against them.
The producing team, who between them have worked on shows including The Thick of It, Misfits and Humans, said that the show “provides a fresh response to workplace sexism, patriarchy and the glass ceiling in a post #MeToo world”. It is exec produced by Natasha Dack, Nikki Parrott and Jennifer Monks.
“Gunpowder & Sky is driven by telling realistic, and sometimes unfortunately relatable stories,” said Pasa Mustafa, Creative Director at Gunpowder & Sky. “Tigerlily Productions have built an international reputation for tackling powerful subject matter with sensitivity and artistry. To that end,...
- 12/13/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
International directors Luca Guadagnino, Annemarie Jacir, Ruben Ostland, Nadine Labaki and Lee Chang-Dong also invited.
Rose Garnett, the head of BBC Films, Lizzie Francke, senior development and production executive at the BFI, and Tessa Ross, the former head of Film4 and now an independent producer at House Productions, are among the leading UK figures invited to join AMPAS on Monday June 25.
The Us Academy said this is its most diverse membership drive with a record 928 people invited to join the Academy from 59 countries. The invitation list comprised 49% females and 38% people of colour.
Further international executive invitees included renowned sales people Sharon Harel-Cohen,...
Rose Garnett, the head of BBC Films, Lizzie Francke, senior development and production executive at the BFI, and Tessa Ross, the former head of Film4 and now an independent producer at House Productions, are among the leading UK figures invited to join AMPAS on Monday June 25.
The Us Academy said this is its most diverse membership drive with a record 928 people invited to join the Academy from 59 countries. The invitation list comprised 49% females and 38% people of colour.
Further international executive invitees included renowned sales people Sharon Harel-Cohen,...
- 6/26/2018
- by Louise Tutt
- ScreenDaily
My Week With Marilyn producer makes claims in new Channel 4 documentary.
In a new Channel 4 documentary, British producer David Parfitt has accused disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein of assaulting him.
According to the BBC, Parfitt claims Weinstein attacked him during the production of My Week With Marilyn after he was unhappy with a positive test screening reaction to the film.
“He pinned me up against a Coke machine and threatened all sorts of stuff. It was very scary,” said Parfitt in the film, which airs 10pm on Channel 4.
“He was just furious the film in our version worked. [Weinstein] “decided there wasn’t enough of Marilyn in the film and that he wanted more Marilyn.”
A spokesman for Weinstein told the BBC: “Mr Parfitt and Mr Weinstein had creative differences on the film, any conflict between them was solely over their different visions for the film… while Mr Weinstein has apologised for boorish behaviour in certain situations in the past...
In a new Channel 4 documentary, British producer David Parfitt has accused disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein of assaulting him.
According to the BBC, Parfitt claims Weinstein attacked him during the production of My Week With Marilyn after he was unhappy with a positive test screening reaction to the film.
“He pinned me up against a Coke machine and threatened all sorts of stuff. It was very scary,” said Parfitt in the film, which airs 10pm on Channel 4.
“He was just furious the film in our version worked. [Weinstein] “decided there wasn’t enough of Marilyn in the film and that he wanted more Marilyn.”
A spokesman for Weinstein told the BBC: “Mr Parfitt and Mr Weinstein had creative differences on the film, any conflict between them was solely over their different visions for the film… while Mr Weinstein has apologised for boorish behaviour in certain situations in the past...
- 2/20/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
My Week With Marilyn producer makes claims in new Channel 4 documentary.
In a new Channel 4 documentary British producer David Parfitt has accused disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein of assaulting.
According to the BBC, Parfitt claims Weinstein attacked him during the production of My Week With Marilyn after he was unhappy with a positive test screening reaction to the film.
“He pinned me up against a Coke machine and threatened all sorts of stuff. It was very scary,” said Parfitt in the film, which airs 10pm on Channel 4.
“He was just furious the film in our version worked. [Weinstein] “decided there wasn’t enough of Marilyn in the film and that he wanted more Marilyn.”
A spokesman for Weinstein told the BBC: “Mr Parfitt and Mr Weinstein had creative differences on the film, any conflict between them was solely over their different visions for the film… while Mr Weinstein has apologised for boorish behaviour in certain situations in the past...
In a new Channel 4 documentary British producer David Parfitt has accused disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein of assaulting.
According to the BBC, Parfitt claims Weinstein attacked him during the production of My Week With Marilyn after he was unhappy with a positive test screening reaction to the film.
“He pinned me up against a Coke machine and threatened all sorts of stuff. It was very scary,” said Parfitt in the film, which airs 10pm on Channel 4.
“He was just furious the film in our version worked. [Weinstein] “decided there wasn’t enough of Marilyn in the film and that he wanted more Marilyn.”
A spokesman for Weinstein told the BBC: “Mr Parfitt and Mr Weinstein had creative differences on the film, any conflict between them was solely over their different visions for the film… while Mr Weinstein has apologised for boorish behaviour in certain situations in the past...
- 2/20/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Harvey Weinstein is to be the subject of another hard-hitting documentary after UK broadcaster Channel 4 ordered a film for its current affairs strand Dispatches. The broadcaster has ordered the doc from Tigerlily Productions, the film and TV production company set up by Natasha Dack-Ojumu and Nikki Parrott. It is the latest UK project to look at the sexual harassment allegations against the Miramax and Weinstein Company founder after the BBC ordered a…...
- 1/11/2018
- Deadline TV
Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to "The Ones Below," the debut feature from British playwright and theater director David Farr. Starring Clemence Poesy ("Harry Potter") and David Morrissey ("The Walking Dead"), the psychological thriller focuses on a young suburban couple engaged in a battle of wills with their new neighbors. It world premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Read More: "Scandinavia Stands Tall in 2015 Oscar Race" Set in contemporary London, "The Ones Below" follows Kate (Poesy) and Justin (Stephen Campbell Moore), affluent parents-to-be whose lives are upended when Teresa (Laura Bim) and Jon (Morrissey), also expecting, move into the apartment downstairs. "The Ones Below" is produced by Nikki Parrott of Tigerlily Films in association with Protagonist Pictures, with funding from BBC Films and BFI. Executive producers are Dixie Linder, Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba...
- 11/9/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Read More: Watch: Michael Caine and Clemence Poesy Form an Unlikely Bond in Exclusive Clip From 'Last Love' Magnolia Pictures has gained U.S. rights to "The Ones Below," a film that proposes to be a psychological thriller akin to Roman Polanski's work. The story takes place in modern-day London and centers around a young engaged couple, played by Clemence Posey of "Harry Potter" fame and Stephen Campbell Moore. The two must deal with the torment that their new tenants downstairs make them suffer through. The film screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles said of the upcoming film, "David Farr has concocted an incredibly satisfying and clever suspense thriller evocative of classics like 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'Fatal Attraction.'" "The Ones Below" is a Cuba Pictures production, produced by Nikki Parrott of Tigerlily Films in association with Protagonist Pictures,...
- 11/9/2015
- by Elle Leonsis
- Indiewire
On Screen Off Record from The Act of Killing producer Signe Byrge Sørensen.
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and have filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and have filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
- 11/14/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
On Screen Off Record from The Act of Killing producer Signe Byrge Sørensen.
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
- 11/14/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Hanna co-writer David Farr is making his feature directing debut with The Ones Below, a psychological thriller that’s just kicked off principal photography in London. Not to be confused with Legendary and Universal’s current catacombs pic As Above/So Below, The Ones Below focuses on two affluent couples living above and below each other whose lives become fatally interlinked. Clémence Poésy (The Tunnel, Harry Potter), David Morrissey (The Walking Dead), Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys) and Finnish actress Laura Birn (A Walk Among The Tombstones) star in the ensemble that’s also scripted by Farr.
The story follows upstairs couple Kate (Poésy) and Justin (Campbell Moore) who are expecting their first baby, and Jon (Morrissey) and Teresa (Birn) who move in downstairs and are also expecting a child. In contrast to Kate, Teresa is full of joy at the prospect of imminent motherhood. Pregnancy brings the women together in shared confidence,...
The story follows upstairs couple Kate (Poésy) and Justin (Campbell Moore) who are expecting their first baby, and Jon (Morrissey) and Teresa (Birn) who move in downstairs and are also expecting a child. In contrast to Kate, Teresa is full of joy at the prospect of imminent motherhood. Pregnancy brings the women together in shared confidence,...
- 9/30/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
David Farr’s psychological thriller starts shooting with Clemence Poesy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Principal photography has started in London on David Farr’s directorial debut The Ones Below.
The psychological thriller is about two affluent couples living above and below each other, with both wives expecting babies. A tragic accident throws the couples into “a nightmare of psychological terror.”
The cast is led by Clemence Poesy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Farr is the screenwriter of Hanna and a veteran of theatre including as artistic director of The Gate, Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and associate director of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Nikki Parrott produces for Cuba Pictures in association with Tigerlily Films. Executive producers are Dixie Linder with Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba Pictures, Christine Langan and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films with Lizzie Francke as the lead executive for the BFI. The film is...
Principal photography has started in London on David Farr’s directorial debut The Ones Below.
The psychological thriller is about two affluent couples living above and below each other, with both wives expecting babies. A tragic accident throws the couples into “a nightmare of psychological terror.”
The cast is led by Clemence Poesy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Farr is the screenwriter of Hanna and a veteran of theatre including as artistic director of The Gate, Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and associate director of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Nikki Parrott produces for Cuba Pictures in association with Tigerlily Films. Executive producers are Dixie Linder with Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba Pictures, Christine Langan and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films with Lizzie Francke as the lead executive for the BFI. The film is...
- 9/30/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
David Farr’s psychological thriller starts shooting with Clemence Poesy, David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Principal photography has started in London on David Farr’s directorial debut The Ones Below.
The psychological thriller is about two affluent couples living above and below each other, with both wives expecting babies. A tragic accident throws the couples into “a nightmare of psychological terror.”
The cast is led by Clemence Poesy, David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Farr is the screenwriter of Hanna and a veteran of theatre including as artistic director of The Gate, Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and associate director of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Nikki Parrott produces for Cuba Pictures in association with Tigerlily Films. Executive producers are Dixie Linder with Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba Pictures, Christine Langan and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films with Lizzie Francke as the lead executive for the BFI. The film is...
Principal photography has started in London on David Farr’s directorial debut The Ones Below.
The psychological thriller is about two affluent couples living above and below each other, with both wives expecting babies. A tragic accident throws the couples into “a nightmare of psychological terror.”
The cast is led by Clemence Poesy, David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Farr is the screenwriter of Hanna and a veteran of theatre including as artistic director of The Gate, Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and associate director of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Nikki Parrott produces for Cuba Pictures in association with Tigerlily Films. Executive producers are Dixie Linder with Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba Pictures, Christine Langan and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films with Lizzie Francke as the lead executive for the BFI. The film is...
- 9/30/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
David Farr’s psychological thriller starts shooting with Clemence Poesy, David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Principal photography has started in London on David Farr’s directorial debut The Ones Below.
The psychological thriller is about two affluent couples living above and below each other, with both wives expecting babies. A tragic accident throws the couples into “a nightmare of psychological terror.”
The cast is led by Clemence Poesy [pictured], David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Farr is the screenwriter of Hanna and a veteran of theatre including as artistic director of The Gate, Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and associate director of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Nikki Parrott produces for Cuba Pictures in association with Tigerlily Films. Executive producers are Dixie Linder with Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba Pictures, Christine Langan and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films with Lizzie Francke as the lead executive for the BFI. The film is...
Principal photography has started in London on David Farr’s directorial debut The Ones Below.
The psychological thriller is about two affluent couples living above and below each other, with both wives expecting babies. A tragic accident throws the couples into “a nightmare of psychological terror.”
The cast is led by Clemence Poesy [pictured], David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Farr is the screenwriter of Hanna and a veteran of theatre including as artistic director of The Gate, Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and associate director of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Nikki Parrott produces for Cuba Pictures in association with Tigerlily Films. Executive producers are Dixie Linder with Nick Marston and Ben Hall of Cuba Pictures, Christine Langan and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films with Lizzie Francke as the lead executive for the BFI. The film is...
- 9/30/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- 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
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