Indian filmmaker Rima Das is back at the Toronto International Film Festival for the third time with “Tora’s Husband” this year, after “Village Rockstars” in 2017 and “Bulbul Can Sing” in 2018.
“Tora’s Husband” follows a small-business owner and his family in the eastern Indian state of Assam, as the country emerges from Covid-19 lockdown.
” ‘Tora’s Husband’ tells the stories of common people whose lives and livelihood are directly or indirectly affected by the pandemic, yet they have to keep going,” Das told Variety. “My family wasn’t directly affected by the pandemic, but there was a constant sense of fear and restlessness. I lost my father during these times, though not due to Covid, it is still difficult to come to terms with his loss.”
Das is a renaissance woman of Indian cinema who writes, shoots, directs, edits and produces her own films. Her previous two films were...
“Tora’s Husband” follows a small-business owner and his family in the eastern Indian state of Assam, as the country emerges from Covid-19 lockdown.
” ‘Tora’s Husband’ tells the stories of common people whose lives and livelihood are directly or indirectly affected by the pandemic, yet they have to keep going,” Das told Variety. “My family wasn’t directly affected by the pandemic, but there was a constant sense of fear and restlessness. I lost my father during these times, though not due to Covid, it is still difficult to come to terms with his loss.”
Das is a renaissance woman of Indian cinema who writes, shoots, directs, edits and produces her own films. Her previous two films were...
- 9/10/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Indian Film Festival Los Angeles, which recently rolled the films in its canceled 2020 edition over to 2021 due to the pandemic, has announced a project called Iffla Over the Years. The virtual showcase highlights works by the festival’s alumni filmmakers, from Anurag Kashyap and Shonali Bose to Manish Acharya and Rima Das.
Announcing the project, Iffla founder Christina Marouda said: “Traveling through 17 years of programming has allowed us to reconnect with so many of our alumni with whom we share fond memories. We are excited with this opportunity to collaborate with them to offer new audiences worldwide the chance to discover some of the most visionary voices of Indian independent cinema in recent years. We also hope recent Iffla attendees have a chance to catch up with films from our first decade, and early attendees who could not join us in recent years are able to discover some of the newer gems we’ve presented.
Announcing the project, Iffla founder Christina Marouda said: “Traveling through 17 years of programming has allowed us to reconnect with so many of our alumni with whom we share fond memories. We are excited with this opportunity to collaborate with them to offer new audiences worldwide the chance to discover some of the most visionary voices of Indian independent cinema in recent years. We also hope recent Iffla attendees have a chance to catch up with films from our first decade, and early attendees who could not join us in recent years are able to discover some of the newer gems we’ve presented.
- 6/18/2020
- by Shalini Dore
- Variety Film + TV
Rima Das, a self-taught filmmaker, emerged with the impressive and empathic coming-of-age tale “Village Rockstars,” set in rural Assam. Premiered in 2017 at Tiff, her movie later grabbed several National Awards in India, including The Best Feature Film. Following its success, Das comes back with “Bulbul Can Sing”. Once again the director takes us to the idyllic location of her village Kalardiya. This strategy reminds of the eminent writer R.K. Narayan, who created the alluring universe of a daily routine and simplicity in his stories about fictional South Indian town Malgudi, adapted for a small screen by Shankar Nag. Narayan, a chronicler of common life and people, had a keen eye for detail. Das, alike him, compassionately portrays casual people in ordinary situations and shares the author’s interest in women acting against prevailing traditions. Yet the journey of her characters is much more intimate and intrinsic.
“Bulbul Can Sing” is...
“Bulbul Can Sing” is...
- 11/16/2019
- by Joanna Kończak
- AsianMoviePulse
“Delighted to have won the Liff Audience Award. So happy that the film actually connected with Indians abroad and with non Indians alike, who are not facing this version of inequality on a daily basis”.
Anubhav Sinha
director of “Article 15”
winner of the (Liff audience award)
The 10th anniversary of the UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival, supported by the Bagri Foundation and the British Film Institute (BFI) opened with Anubhav Sinha walking the red carpet, for his heard hitting thriller “Article 15”, and closed in London, with an array of high profile awards and a sold out screening of “Photograph” at BFI Southbank, London, with director Ritesh Batra in attendance for a Q&a. The festival featured the biggest line-up to date, celebrating a decade, with 100 events across 5 cities in the UK which will continue to run until July 8th.
The festival showcased a number of high...
Anubhav Sinha
director of “Article 15”
winner of the (Liff audience award)
The 10th anniversary of the UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival, supported by the Bagri Foundation and the British Film Institute (BFI) opened with Anubhav Sinha walking the red carpet, for his heard hitting thriller “Article 15”, and closed in London, with an array of high profile awards and a sold out screening of “Photograph” at BFI Southbank, London, with director Ritesh Batra in attendance for a Q&a. The festival featured the biggest line-up to date, celebrating a decade, with 100 events across 5 cities in the UK which will continue to run until July 8th.
The festival showcased a number of high...
- 7/2/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The 10th anniversary of the UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival, was once again a huge success. The prestigious festival featuring the biggest line-up to date, with 100 events across 5 cities in the UK brought audiences into the world of these incredible films with special screenings that included Q and A conversations and as well as fascinating talks and master classes on filmmaking!
Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE, Executive & Programming Director of Liff, says, “On our 10th Birthday year I’m delighted that we have not only expanded to 5 cities with 100 screenings, but also showcased our strongest film selection ever, helmed by the world premiere of politically daring film Article 15. Continuing to push the boundaries of diversity, I’m very pleased that our women protagonist led and Lgbtq+ themed films have seen audiences flocking to them, redefining images of Indian and South Asian culture in the media.”
Liff...
Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE, Executive & Programming Director of Liff, says, “On our 10th Birthday year I’m delighted that we have not only expanded to 5 cities with 100 screenings, but also showcased our strongest film selection ever, helmed by the world premiere of politically daring film Article 15. Continuing to push the boundaries of diversity, I’m very pleased that our women protagonist led and Lgbtq+ themed films have seen audiences flocking to them, redefining images of Indian and South Asian culture in the media.”
Liff...
- 7/1/2019
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
A special poster for the golden jubilee of the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) was released as the India Pavilion was inaugurated on Wednesday at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.
Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Jerome Paillard, Executive Director, Marche Du Film, Cannes Film Market, Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Film Certification and National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das were part of the inaugural session.
Apart from the special Iffi poster which flaunts a golden peacock in all its glory, a comprehensive Film Guide was given out to showcase the importance of the film ecosystem and government incentives to shoot in India, according to a statement by the Press Information Bureau.
Khare, in his address, highlighted the emerging trends in the country's media and entertainment industry.
He spoke about the growing importance of regional cinema in the country; the increasing role of states in giving incentives to shoot films,...
Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Jerome Paillard, Executive Director, Marche Du Film, Cannes Film Market, Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Film Certification and National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das were part of the inaugural session.
Apart from the special Iffi poster which flaunts a golden peacock in all its glory, a comprehensive Film Guide was given out to showcase the importance of the film ecosystem and government incentives to shoot in India, according to a statement by the Press Information Bureau.
Khare, in his address, highlighted the emerging trends in the country's media and entertainment industry.
He spoke about the growing importance of regional cinema in the country; the increasing role of states in giving incentives to shoot films,...
- 5/15/2019
- GlamSham
Rima Das, a self-taught filmmaker, emerged with the impressive and empathic coming-of-age tale “Village Rockstars,” set in rural Assam. Premiered in 2017 at Tiff, her movie later grabbed several National Awards in India, including The Best Feature Film. Following its success, Das comes back with “Bulbul Can Sing”. Once again the director takes us to the idyllic location of her village Kalardiya. This strategy reminds of the eminent writer R.K. Narayan, who created the alluring universe of a daily routine and simplicity in his stories about fictional South Indian town Malgudi, adapted for a small screen by Shankar Nag. Narayan, a chronicler of common life and people, had a keen eye for detail. Das, alike him, compassionately portrays casual people in ordinary situations and shares the author’s interest in women acting against prevailing traditions. Yet the journey of her characters is much more intimate and intrinsic.
Bulbul Can Sing is...
Bulbul Can Sing is...
- 2/15/2019
- by Joanna Kończak
- AsianMoviePulse
Flos: Foreign Language Oscar Submissions
Rima Das and I first met in 2016 when I gave the Cannes Producer Workshop Tour of the Marché. Then she was making ‘Man with the Binoculars : Antardrishti’. We met again in Tallinn at the Black Nights Film Festival where her film ‘Village Rockstars’ was playing. Since that time, she has made her third film, ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ which premiered in Toronto in 2018 and showed again at the AFI Fest this fall when we caught up again and had a long discussion of her short career which has succeeded to such an extent that ‘Village Rockstars’ was submitted by India for Academy Award consideration for Best Foreign Language Film.Dhunu is played by Bhanita Das in ‘Village Rockstars’
Village Rockstars premiered at Tiff 2017 (Toronto Ff), played in San Sebastian, Goteborg and more than 70 other festivals.
The Hollywood Reporter aptly describes it as “A film that...
Rima Das and I first met in 2016 when I gave the Cannes Producer Workshop Tour of the Marché. Then she was making ‘Man with the Binoculars : Antardrishti’. We met again in Tallinn at the Black Nights Film Festival where her film ‘Village Rockstars’ was playing. Since that time, she has made her third film, ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ which premiered in Toronto in 2018 and showed again at the AFI Fest this fall when we caught up again and had a long discussion of her short career which has succeeded to such an extent that ‘Village Rockstars’ was submitted by India for Academy Award consideration for Best Foreign Language Film.Dhunu is played by Bhanita Das in ‘Village Rockstars’
Village Rockstars premiered at Tiff 2017 (Toronto Ff), played in San Sebastian, Goteborg and more than 70 other festivals.
The Hollywood Reporter aptly describes it as “A film that...
- 12/28/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Seven world premieres amongst 16 films.
The first 16 titles from the 2019 Berlin Film Festival (Feb 7-17) Generation section have been revealed.
For the 42nd edition of the Generation strand, there are eight films for Generation 14plus and eight for Generation Kplus so far.
Titles in the former include the European premiere of Stupid Young Heart from Finland’s Selma Vilhunen, who was nominated for the best live action short Oscar for Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything? in 2014.
There will also be a European premiere of Bulbul Can Sing from Indian director Rima Das. Das’ previous film Village Rockstars...
The first 16 titles from the 2019 Berlin Film Festival (Feb 7-17) Generation section have been revealed.
For the 42nd edition of the Generation strand, there are eight films for Generation 14plus and eight for Generation Kplus so far.
Titles in the former include the European premiere of Stupid Young Heart from Finland’s Selma Vilhunen, who was nominated for the best live action short Oscar for Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything? in 2014.
There will also be a European premiere of Bulbul Can Sing from Indian director Rima Das. Das’ previous film Village Rockstars...
- 12/19/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Cinema Rima Das' Assamese film 'Village Rockstars' is the story of a young girl who wants to buy a guitar and start a rock band.IANSIndia's official entry for the best "Foreign Language Film" category at the Oscars 2018, Village Rockstars, is out of the race for the honour, as is Iram Haq's Norwegian drama What Will People Say, starring Indian actors. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Monday announced that nine films have advanced to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards, according to the official Oscars website. An Assamese movie, Village Rockstars is set in director Rima Das' own village of Chhaygaon in Assam. It is the story of "poor but amazing children" who live a fun-filled life. So far, Mother India, Salaam Bombay! and Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India are...
- 12/18/2018
- by Geetika
- The News Minute
Every Indian village or small town has a unique characteristic, story, and a quirk. With an extremely slow pace of life, abundant extra time at disposal and fewer opportunities for growth, there is an interdependent lifestyle which sometimes can result in funnily intermingling relationships. In such towns, gossip spreads faster than wildfire and sticks longer than any powerful glue because the next best gossip takes a long time to happen. So sometimes an unbelievable lie masquerades as an undebatable truth, leading to further quirky and funny situations based on that false truth as a foundation.
“Bornodi Bhotiai” is essentially a tale of a town. A quaint little town called Majuli which is a river island town surrounded by the river Brahmaputra. It is an Assamese feature film created by a Majulial Anupam Kaushik Borah.
This is a story of a few characters interrelated to each other for quirky reasons. There...
“Bornodi Bhotiai” is essentially a tale of a town. A quaint little town called Majuli which is a river island town surrounded by the river Brahmaputra. It is an Assamese feature film created by a Majulial Anupam Kaushik Borah.
This is a story of a few characters interrelated to each other for quirky reasons. There...
- 12/7/2018
- by Prashen H Kyawal
- AsianMoviePulse
No matter how much you loved “Crazy Rich Asians” — that glittering Singapore-set spin on the princess movie, which charmed audiences to the tune of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars earlier this year — don’t be surprised when the Academy fails to give it a single above-the-line Oscar nomination. When that happens, it will no doubt inspire a dozen or more outraged editorials, as #OscarsSoWhite critics bemoan the lack of Asian talent among this year’s nominees.
Why wait? The time for such think pieces is now, especially since Hollywood’s tendency to snub Asian talent is hardly limited to studio projects. Just compare the history of Oscar’s foreign-language category to that of world cinema overall, where the influence of such Asian masters as John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, Jia Zhangke and Edward Yang has been ignored over the years. And if the organization doesn’t wake up and realize the bias,...
Why wait? The time for such think pieces is now, especially since Hollywood’s tendency to snub Asian talent is hardly limited to studio projects. Just compare the history of Oscar’s foreign-language category to that of world cinema overall, where the influence of such Asian masters as John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, Jia Zhangke and Edward Yang has been ignored over the years. And if the organization doesn’t wake up and realize the bias,...
- 12/6/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
In the wetlands of northeast India, a group of kids had a dream to make it big as a rock band. Their instruments weren’t real, but that didn’t matter. Their dream was real.
“Children can dream no matter where they come from,” director Rima Das told TheWrap’s Steve Pond at a Q&A on Monday following a screening of her film “Village Rockstars,” India’s entry into the Oscar foreign film race.
The children’s dream and one camera were the only ingredients necessary to make “Village Rockstars,” a story following 10-year-old Dhunu, a young girl (played by Bhanita Das) with a dream to get a guitar and start a band with some friends. Her dream remains strong despite the world around her. Dhunu’s village is constantly hit with heavy floods and her widowed mother (Basanti Das) constantly battles adversity to support the family.
Also Read:...
“Children can dream no matter where they come from,” director Rima Das told TheWrap’s Steve Pond at a Q&A on Monday following a screening of her film “Village Rockstars,” India’s entry into the Oscar foreign film race.
The children’s dream and one camera were the only ingredients necessary to make “Village Rockstars,” a story following 10-year-old Dhunu, a young girl (played by Bhanita Das) with a dream to get a guitar and start a band with some friends. Her dream remains strong despite the world around her. Dhunu’s village is constantly hit with heavy floods and her widowed mother (Basanti Das) constantly battles adversity to support the family.
Also Read:...
- 11/20/2018
- by Omar Sanchez
- The Wrap
A version of this story about “Village Rockstars” first appeared in the Foreign Language Issue of TheWrap’s Oscar magazine.
“Village Rockstars,” a lyrical film by Rima Das, plays out like a less raucous version of “The Florida Project” transplanted to the small Indian village of Chhaygaon, where kids carve musical instruments out of Styrofoam and dream of stardom.
The film is India’s entry in this year’s Oscar foreign-language race, and this interview is one in a series of conversations TheWrap is having with the foreign directors in contention.
Also Read: Oscars Foreign Language Race 2018: Complete List of Submissions
How did you come of this story?
Rima Das I grew up in that village. For a couple of years, I was living in Mumbai, and when I was back in my village shooting my first film I met these children in the village. And they taught me how to unlearn.
“Village Rockstars,” a lyrical film by Rima Das, plays out like a less raucous version of “The Florida Project” transplanted to the small Indian village of Chhaygaon, where kids carve musical instruments out of Styrofoam and dream of stardom.
The film is India’s entry in this year’s Oscar foreign-language race, and this interview is one in a series of conversations TheWrap is having with the foreign directors in contention.
Also Read: Oscars Foreign Language Race 2018: Complete List of Submissions
How did you come of this story?
Rima Das I grew up in that village. For a couple of years, I was living in Mumbai, and when I was back in my village shooting my first film I met these children in the village. And they taught me how to unlearn.
- 11/18/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Manta RayThe week after the 20th Mumbai Film Festival (Mami) has been a busy one for the Indian festival calendar. The festival of cinema led us Indians seamlessly to the Festival of Lights: Diwali that lights up moonless city nights across India. It is only in the absence of the possibility of watching non-mainstream world cinema in our local theatres that one is reminded of the delirious days of a film festival. Even as the Mumbai Film Festival closed its curtains for the year, it signed off with a set of awards celebrating the best of the international and Indian fare. If there were bets for the international competition winner I would have gone with my hunch and placed my bets on Manta Ray by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng. The film went on to win the Golden Gateway Award; the highest laurel in Mami given in two categories, the International Competition and the India Gold.
- 11/14/2018
- MUBI
The early money might be on Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” (Mexico) and Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” (Poland), but Asia appears to have a real shot at the Oscar foreign-language category, with a mixture of heavy-hitters and dark horses from an eclectic line-up.
The continent’s frontrunner is easily Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.” The film follows a family of petty thieves and the repercussions that ensue after they take in a waif. Moving, eloquent, and with an emphasis on the family unit, this is a film that could sway even the most cynical. The film will also benefit from its Magnolia Pictures’ release in the U.S.
From South Korea, Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” winner of the Fipresci Prize at Cannes, is mesmerising. Beginning as a frustrated youth drama, it gradually moves into missing-person thriller territory, culminating in a cathartic finale. The film is...
The continent’s frontrunner is easily Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.” The film follows a family of petty thieves and the repercussions that ensue after they take in a waif. Moving, eloquent, and with an emphasis on the family unit, this is a film that could sway even the most cynical. The film will also benefit from its Magnolia Pictures’ release in the U.S.
From South Korea, Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” winner of the Fipresci Prize at Cannes, is mesmerising. Beginning as a frustrated youth drama, it gradually moves into missing-person thriller territory, culminating in a cathartic finale. The film is...
- 11/8/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s “Manta Ray” won the Mumbai Film Festival’s Golden Gateway award in the international competition on Thursday. It previously won best film at Venice’s Horizon section and has toured the Toronto, Thessaloniki, San Sebastian festivals.
Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses” won the Silver Gateway award in the competition, after winning accolades worldwide, including three awards at Berlin. Another globally lauded film, Gabrielle Brady’s, “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” won the international competition’s grand jury prize.
Rima Das’ “Bulbul Can Sing” won the Golden Gateway in the India Gold competition section. Das’ “Village Rockstars” was feted in Mumbai in 2017, and is India’s entry to the Oscars foreign language category. The Silver Gateway in the Indian competition was split between Ridham Janve’s “The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain” and Rotterdam title “Jonaki”, by Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
“Jonaki” also won a special mention at the...
Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses” won the Silver Gateway award in the competition, after winning accolades worldwide, including three awards at Berlin. Another globally lauded film, Gabrielle Brady’s, “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” won the international competition’s grand jury prize.
Rima Das’ “Bulbul Can Sing” won the Golden Gateway in the India Gold competition section. Das’ “Village Rockstars” was feted in Mumbai in 2017, and is India’s entry to the Oscars foreign language category. The Silver Gateway in the Indian competition was split between Ridham Janve’s “The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain” and Rotterdam title “Jonaki”, by Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
“Jonaki” also won a special mention at the...
- 11/1/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 20th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival culminated Thursday with an awards ceremony that saw Thai cinematographer-turned-director Phuttiphong Aroonpheng's Manta Ray winning the Golden Gateway award for best film in the international competition category.
Manta Ray is set against the backdrop of the Rohingya refugee crisis in Burma, the drama premiered at Venice earlier this year, where it won the Orizzonti/Horizon Prize for best film.
Indian director Rima Das' Bulbul Can Sing, which premiered at Toronto, won the Golden Gateway award in the India Gold section, giving her back-to-back wins. Her previous film, Village Rockstars, picked up the same prize last year ...
Manta Ray is set against the backdrop of the Rohingya refugee crisis in Burma, the drama premiered at Venice earlier this year, where it won the Orizzonti/Horizon Prize for best film.
Indian director Rima Das' Bulbul Can Sing, which premiered at Toronto, won the Golden Gateway award in the India Gold section, giving her back-to-back wins. Her previous film, Village Rockstars, picked up the same prize last year ...
- 11/1/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The 20th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival culminated Thursday with an awards ceremony that saw Thai cinematographer-turned-director Phuttiphong Aroonpheng's Manta Ray winning the Golden Gateway award for best film in the international competition category.
Manta Ray is set against the backdrop of the Rohingya refugee crisis in Burma, the drama premiered at Venice earlier this year, where it won the Orizzonti/Horizon Prize for best film.
Indian director Rima Das' Bulbul Can Sing, which premiered at Toronto, won the Golden Gateway award in the India Gold section, giving her back-to-back wins. Her previous film, Village Rockstars, picked up the same prize last year ...
Manta Ray is set against the backdrop of the Rohingya refugee crisis in Burma, the drama premiered at Venice earlier this year, where it won the Orizzonti/Horizon Prize for best film.
Indian director Rima Das' Bulbul Can Sing, which premiered at Toronto, won the Golden Gateway award in the India Gold section, giving her back-to-back wins. Her previous film, Village Rockstars, picked up the same prize last year ...
- 11/1/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rima Das' breakthrough feature Village Rockstars wowed audiences worldwide on the festival circuit, picked up four wins at India's National Awards and is now the country's entry for the foreign-language Oscar. As if that weren't enough, the self-taught filmmaker immediately followed up those accomplishments with her second feature, Bulbul Can Sing, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and is showing this week at the Mumbai Film Festival.
Both films have received high praise from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter's reviewer calling Village Rockstars "an unshowy winner," while Bulbul Can Sing was hailed as "quietly insightful." Das ...
Both films have received high praise from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter's reviewer calling Village Rockstars "an unshowy winner," while Bulbul Can Sing was hailed as "quietly insightful." Das ...
- 10/29/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Rima Das' breakthrough feature Village Rockstars wowed audiences worldwide on the festival circuit, picked up four wins at India's National Awards and is now the country's entry for the foreign-language Oscar. As if that weren't enough, the self-taught filmmaker immediately followed up those accomplishments with her second feature, Bulbul Can Sing, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and is showing this week at the Mumbai Film Festival.
Both films have received high praise from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter's reviewer calling Village Rockstars "an unshowy winner," while Bulbul Can Sing was hailed as "quietly insightful." Das ...
Both films have received high praise from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter's reviewer calling Village Rockstars "an unshowy winner," while Bulbul Can Sing was hailed as "quietly insightful." Das ...
- 10/29/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Some of the year’s most buzzed-about festival titles and Oscar contenders are among the nominees for this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Apsa is similar to the EFAs except awarding films from across the Asia Pacific. Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, Japan’s submission to the Oscars, leads with three nominations followed by Burning from South Korea and Nadine Labaki's Lebanese legal drama Capharnaum each with two
Other Oscar submissions this year that snagged nominations include the Cannes best actress winner Akya from Kazakhstan, the queer drama Malila: The Farewell Flower that is Thailand’s entry and India’s child musical Village Rockstars.
Other Oscar submissions this year that snagged nominations include the Cannes best actress winner Akya from Kazakhstan, the queer drama Malila: The Farewell Flower that is Thailand’s entry and India’s child musical Village Rockstars.
- 10/18/2018
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
First-time submissions come from Malawi and Niger as Austrlia and New Zealand join the list.
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
- 10/8/2018
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
First-time submissions come from Malawi and Niger as Austrlia and New Zealand join the list.
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
- 10/8/2018
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
A whopping 87 countries submitted entries in the Foreign-Language Film race at the 2019 Oscars. That is down by five from last year’s record 92 submissions but up by two from 2017, which had broken the benchmark of 83 set in 2015. The nations represented ranged from A (Afghanistan) to Y (Yemen). Among the contenders is the Mexican entry “Roma” by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”). This Venice Film Festival winner is a strong contender in both this and the Best Picture race at the Oscars.
Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film is made difficult by the two-step process.
First, the several hundred academy members of the Foreign-Language Film screening committee are required to watch a number of the submissions (upwards of a dozen) over a two-month period that ends in mid December. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top six vote-getters make it to the next round, as...
Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film is made difficult by the two-step process.
First, the several hundred academy members of the Foreign-Language Film screening committee are required to watch a number of the submissions (upwards of a dozen) over a two-month period that ends in mid December. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top six vote-getters make it to the next round, as...
- 10/8/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the official list of submissions for the 2019 Oscar for best foreign language film. There are 87 countries vying for the prize this awards season, including first-time entrants Malawi and Niger. Included among the titles are high-profile contenders such as Mexico’s “Roma” and Poland’s “Cold War,” both of which are vying to break out of the foreign race and earn nominations for best picture, best director, and more.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Click here to view predictions for the foreign language Oscar race from IndieWire’s awards editor Anne Thompson.
2018 Foreign Oscar Submissions
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director
Australia, “Jirga,...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Click here to view predictions for the foreign language Oscar race from IndieWire’s awards editor Anne Thompson.
2018 Foreign Oscar Submissions
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director
Australia, “Jirga,...
- 10/8/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced today that 87 countries have qualified for this year’s Foreign Language Film competition. With some of the
strongest entries in recent years this is shaping up as one of the richest fields of contenders in memory. Of course one of the Netflix titles, Mexico’s Roma from director Alfonso Cuaron has been widely acclaimed at numerous festivals and already won top prize at Venice which makes it the front runner here. It is also expected to be in contention for a Best Picture nomination as well as other categories and that could enhance its chances. However could an upset be in the offing? I would say there are a number of equally fine movies in the mix here including Japan’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Shoplifters; Denmark’s riveting The Guilty; Germany’s epic Never Look Away from previous Oscar winner...
strongest entries in recent years this is shaping up as one of the richest fields of contenders in memory. Of course one of the Netflix titles, Mexico’s Roma from director Alfonso Cuaron has been widely acclaimed at numerous festivals and already won top prize at Venice which makes it the front runner here. It is also expected to be in contention for a Best Picture nomination as well as other categories and that could enhance its chances. However could an upset be in the offing? I would say there are a number of equally fine movies in the mix here including Japan’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Shoplifters; Denmark’s riveting The Guilty; Germany’s epic Never Look Away from previous Oscar winner...
- 10/8/2018
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
FilmsAssamese film "Village Rockstars", Malayalam film "Bhayanakam", Bengali movie "Nagarkirtan", and "Sinjar" will be showcased at the festival's India Pavilion.IANSPoster of 'Village Rockstar' By Radhika Bhirani National Award-winning films from Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Lakshadweep will represent India's regional cinema prowess at the 71st Cannes Film Festival where a delegation led by Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani will push for their distribution and exhibition in the global market. The prestigious film jamboree, where Nandita Das' "Manto" and Rohena Gera's "Sir" are in separate competition sections, will get under way in the French Riviera on Tuesday. Assamese film "Village Rockstars", Malayalam film "Bhayanakam", Bengali movie "Nagarkirtan", and "Sinjar", a film from Lakshadweep made in the Jasari language, will be showcased at the festival's India Pavilion, organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting along with Ficci. "With a strong Indian delegation at the festival, we are positive that the world will see the diversity of our cinema and the exceptional cinematic talent our country possesses," Leena Jaisani, Assistant Secretary General, Ficci, told Ians. Irani, who has been persistent in drawing attention to the need to celebrate the country's regional cinema, will inaugurate the India Pavilion on Wednesday. The other delegates will include Ashok Kumar Parmar, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Vinod K. Jacob, Joint Secretary, (Ed), Ministry of External Affairs; Censor Board Chairperson Prasoon Joshi, Censor Board member Vani Tripathi Tikoo, filmmakers Shaji N. Karun, Jahnu Barua and Bharat Bala, as well as actress Parvathy. Tikoo feels the domestic boundaries within Indian cinema need to go. "It's either good or bad cinema. The thrust has to be on Indian cinema as good narratives are coming from every region," Tikoo told Ians, adding that it's high time that as one of the largest film producing nations in the world, "we start respecting our cinema". She rued how films from languages other than Hindi find relevance within India after gaining "olive branches", referring to the laurel wreaths that movies flaunt after touring international film festivals. "It should be the reverse," averred Tikoo, who said the idea behind taking such titles to Cannes -- "the largest film market" -- is to ease the struggle a bit for films which have fantastic narratives, but find it hard to get the right exhibition platform. Bala, known for patriotic videos like "Vande Mataram" and "Jana Gana Mana", pointed out that in the last several years, most Indian films which have got a positioning at foreign fests are regional titles. "With the presence at Cannes Film Festival, the idea is to get them into the market, find a larger distribution stream and to work on existing co-production treaties," Bala told Ians. He agreed that the distribution mechanism for regional cinema isn't great within India itself, but said things are changing due to streaming platforms like Amazon and Netflix, which have enabled their global reach. Actress Rasika Dugal, who will be in Cannes for "Manto", finds it a great initiative. "There's a lot of beautiful work happening in films in different parts of India which we don't hear about... We either get to see it at a film festival or through a friend... So, I think it's high time it gets a push," Rasika told Ians. The films apart, the delegation's focus will be on leveraging co-productions with the countries with which India has co-production treaties, along with the other potential countries, promote ease of film shooting in India and position the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) at festival circuits. The India Pavilion will also see the launch of "T for Tajmahal", poster of "Bhonsle" by actor Manoj Bajpayee and producer Devashish Makhija, and actor Dhanush-starrer Indo-French co-production "The Extraordinary Journey Of Fakir". At the main fest, two women filmmakers' projects from India have made it to competition sections. Das' Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer "Manto" is in the Un Certain Regard Section, while Gera's "Sir" is in the Cannes Critics' Week sidebar. On the red carpet too, there will be women power galore as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut, Huma Qureshi and Mallika Sherawat will be seen walking the red carpet for various brand endorsements, while actors like Rasika and Tillotama Shome will represent their movies. (Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in ) ...
- 5/7/2018
- by Megha
- The News Minute
“Village Rockstars” and “Lovesick” were among the films that took home top prizes at the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles on Sunday.
The 16th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles featured a Los Angeles and official Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. premiere screening of “Village Rockstars,” directed by Rima Das, which won the Grand Jury Award for best feature film. “Lovesick,” directed by Priya Giri Desai was presented the Audience Choice Award for documentary.
Other winners from the evening were Mahesh Narayanan’s “Take Off,” which the audience chose as their favorite narrative feature, and Ruthy Pribar’s “The Caregiver,” the grand jury’s choice for short film. The event took place from April 11-15 at Regal L.A. Live: A Barco Innovation Center in Los Angeles.
Film critic Carlos Aguilar, director Haifaa Al Mansour and actor Sujata Day served as members of the narrative jury, while the shorts...
The 16th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles featured a Los Angeles and official Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. premiere screening of “Village Rockstars,” directed by Rima Das, which won the Grand Jury Award for best feature film. “Lovesick,” directed by Priya Giri Desai was presented the Audience Choice Award for documentary.
Other winners from the evening were Mahesh Narayanan’s “Take Off,” which the audience chose as their favorite narrative feature, and Ruthy Pribar’s “The Caregiver,” the grand jury’s choice for short film. The event took place from April 11-15 at Regal L.A. Live: A Barco Innovation Center in Los Angeles.
Film critic Carlos Aguilar, director Haifaa Al Mansour and actor Sujata Day served as members of the narrative jury, while the shorts...
- 4/17/2018
- by Ariana Brockington
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s a film that has none of the tantalizing glamour, music or performances promised by its title, yet turns out to be deeply satisfying in a completely unexpected way. Village Rockstars trains its camera on a young girl just this side of puberty, growing up poor and fatherless, but with a joyful heart and the quiet support of her hard-working mom. When she conceives the idea of creating a band and owning a real guitar, it becomes the exhilarating symbol of realizing indomitable dreams, if always just a bit out of reach. Shot in a laid-back, barely scripted style, the...
- 11/14/2017
- by Deborah Young
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The first thing that strikes you when you watch the credit reel of Village Rockstars is the number of times Rima Das’s name appears. She dons the hat of director, writer, producer, cinematographer and even that of the editor.
The self-taught director had a small crew when she was shooting her previous film Man with the Binoculars, but for Village Rockstars, the only hand of support she had was that of a cousin, a college student.
The self-taught director had a small crew when she was shooting her previous film Man with the Binoculars, but for Village Rockstars, the only hand of support she had was that of a cousin, a college student.
- 10/13/2017
- by TNM NEWS
- The News Minute
Assamese filmmaker Rima Das talks to Anupama Chopra after her film Village Rockstars received tremendous applause at the Toronto Film Festival. The filmmaker tells us how she went about single handedly making the film with a two member crew...
- 9/12/2017
- Film Companion
Rima Das' Assamese film, Village Rockstars to make its World Premiere at Toronto Read More...
- 9/8/2017
- Bollywood Trade
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