17th International Film Festival 2012 concluded with awards and rhythm music

17th IFFK-          Philippines film Sta,Nina directed by Emmanuel QuindoPalo won Suvarna Chakoram  award in the 17th edition of theInternational Film Festival of Kerala.The concluding ceremony and award giving function of the 17th  IFFK came to a close with the screening of the film  Like someone in love  directed  by Abbas kiriostami  .Oommen Chandy Chief Minister of Kerala inaugurated the closing ceremony and distributed the Chakoram awards.African (Mali) director Sulaimanne Cisse  was the Guest of Honour.Minister for Sports and Cinema K.B. Ganesh Kumar gave away the Fipresci, Natpac awards.K.C.Joseph Minister for Culture &Rural Development presided over them function. K. Priyadarsan the Festival Director welcomed the august gathering ,Bina Paul ,Artistic Director announced the awards and K.ManojKumar,  Academy Secretary proposed a vote of thanks. Paul Cox ,the Jury Chairman of the competition section,jury of Natpac ,Fipresci,Hassankutty and P.K.Nair the person  who started curation and preservation of films in the National a film Archive of India as its first Director was also present.The Competition Section of IFFK is restricted to films fom Asia, Africa and Latin America. Suvarna Chakoram -the Golden Crow Pheasant Award- with a Cash  prize of INR 15 lakhs (US $ 30,000 approx)  The Silver Crow Pheasant Award-Rajatha Chhakoram- and Cash prize of INR 4 lakhs (US$ 8,000 approx) to the Best Director went to  Francisca Silva who directed the Spanish  film  Ivan's Woman.  Nitin Kakkar won the Debut Film Award and a Cash Prize of INR 3 lakhs (US$ 6,000 approx) for his film  Filimistan.Shutter  directed Joy Mathew   won the Audience Prize (voted as the Best Entry in Competition by the festival delegates) -Rajata Chakoram and a Cash Prize of INR 2 lakhs (US $ 4,000 approx) .FIPRECI (The International Federation of Film Critics) selected the Repentant an Algerian film directed by Merzar Allouache  and for the best Malayalam film Ithramatram  directed by  K.Gopinathan. . The NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Film Centre) award for the Best Asian Film in Competition was given to the Hindi film Id directed by  Kamal.NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film went to  Ee Adutha Kalathu directed by Arunkumar Aravind.The Best Indian Debut Director award (Rs. 50,000/- and memento)named Hassankutty award constituted by Ms. Mira Nair in memory of her Assistant Director late Hassankutty  is bagged by  Manoj Kana for his film  Chayilyam. 

Sta, Nina won Suvarrna Chakoram award in 17th Iffk 2012

Philippines film Sta,Nina directed by Emmanuel QuindoPalo won Suvarna Chakoram  award in the 17 th Iffk 2012.

Pandit Ravi Shankar is no more - End of an epoch of Hindustani classical music

Indian sitar virtuoso Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar dies at 92. “With an instrument perplexing to most Westerners, Ravi Shankar helped connect the world through music. The sitar virtuoso hobnobbed with the Beatles, became a hippie musical icon and spearheaded the first rock benefit concert as he introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over nearly a century.From George Harrison to John Coltrane, from Yehudi Menuhin to David Crosby, his connections reflected music's universality, though a gap persisted between Shankar and many Western fans. Sometimes they mistook tuning for tunes, while he stood aghast at displays like Jimi Hendrix's burning guitar.” With the death of Pandit Ravi Shankar, passes an era of Hindustani classical music - an era which saw the Indian musical artform going global in the true sense of the word. Ravi Shankar, born as Robindro Shounkor Chowdhury to a Bengali Brahmin family in Varanasi in 1920, was the last of the surviving ambassadors of that movement. A recepient of the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, the Music Council UNESCO award 1975, the Magsaysay Award from Manila. He won three Grammy awards and is presently nominated for his last album, a record recorded at his residence in the US. He was also nominated for an Oscar for his musical score for the movie Gandhi. Shankar also wrote three books: two in English, My Music, My Life and Raga Mala (the latter an autobiography), and Raag Anurag in Bengali. The legendary sitar artiste died today at a hospital in San Diego in the US.

No ban for Midnight’s Children: Deepa Mehta in ‘in conversation’ programme of 17th IFFK 2012

Famous filmmaker Deepa Mehta said that her film Midnight’s Children has not been banned in India .normally distributors are deciding about the number of screening in a particular festival she added. She was talking at the ‘in conversation’ programme organized in connection with the IFFK. Deepa Mehta quoted that the theme of ‘finding home ‘is always classical. She opined that she would like to be known as a humanist filmmaker rather than a feminist director. Deepa Mehta explained that it was always difficult to adapt a screenplay from a book. Magical realism in her latest film Midnights children are based on truth and she said that she was not making a harry potter movie. She also said, music is always an integral part of her movies because it can always push the story forward. In a reply to a question about the ending of film, Deepa Mehta replied that the film concludes with the message that there is always a hope. 

 

Info Afro collaboration in film making are very essential -Souleymane Cisse

Due to historical reasons   Indo afro film collaborations are inevitable for  the growth of  good cinema   ,said the Mali born African film maker Souleymane Cisse.Cisse was giving the Aravindan Memorial Lecture in the Nila Theatre in connection with 17th International Film Festival of India. His films have reached after passing through real hard ships ..His film  Waati, which is a story regarding the apartheid that existed in south Africa till the 90’s was banned in south Africa and other countries  because of political censorships. Before starting the lecture Souleymane Cisse requested the audience for two minutes of silence as a moment of respect for the suffering women and children in his country, Mali. He then described his journey from his childhood where he dreamt of films everyday and then to Moscow film school and then back to Mali.  While answering a question Cisse said he wouldnt' make films according to the order of Producers who are particular in the formula  and interference .He was really proud and delighted that his film Waati is being screened in the in the 17th IFFK. Martiele Knaebel , director of Firbourg  Festival and Martin Armande  a French Curator were also present during the lecture .

17th International Film Festival of Kerala inagurated

  Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the 17th International Film Festival of Kerala at Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram. The Chief Minister said that his ministry would  take appropriate measures to have a film festival complex here.K B Ganesh Kumar, Minister for Cinema, Sports and Forest presided over. Shasi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resources Development ,Govt. of India released the Festival Book handing over a copy to Mayor  K Chandrika. Actor Mohanlal was the Guest of honour. Festival Jury Chairman Paul Cox and other jury members were also present. 

      Alfred Hitchcock’s silent movie ,‘The Ring’  , released in 1927 , was the opening film.. This film  from the silent era was exhibited with a live background score performed by a special team of seven musicians led by noted jazz master Soweto Kinch. The live orchestration was a treat for the new generation who had never had this ‘silent on the screen and live on instruments’ experience. This film  was restored by the British Film Institute as part their project of restoration of lost films. The live orchestration played to the silent movie after its restoration was performed in Britain only two weeks ago.  

A total number of 198 films from 51 nations across the world are included in festival schedule.The competition section includes 14 films from Asia, Latin America and Africa, apart from four Indian films. Retrospective category comprises masterpiece films of six cinema maestros including Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock and Alain Resnais. In connection with the birth centenary of Malayalam actor Sathyan, a special exhibition is b ring arranged in Kanakakunnu Palace.

Retrospective of Alain Resnais in the 17th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala

Alain Resnais, the most celebrated French film director, is the inceptor of new wave in French cinema. An active film personality, of 90 years, in all fields of the industry for over 75 years, Resnais have directed 49 titles, while did editing for 19, camera for four, penned five scripts and proved his acting talent in three. Hiroshima Mon Amour was the first feature film of the director. The 90-minute movie is a love story of a French actress who sets out to make a film against war. The film bagged the U.N. Award and the Award for the Best Foreign Actress in the 1959 Cannes Film Festival. In 1960, the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics awarded the movie the Best Film Award, and the Critics Award.The award for the best film, actress, sound-mixing and script was received for the 1977 film Same Old Song. The musical comedy deals with the life of six people who are inter-related in Paris. He has also produced documentaries based on films of Pablo Picasso and Paul Gauguin. The 17^th International Film Festival of Kerala admires this multi faceted aueter by including  11 films directed by him in the retrospective category. the films of Alain Resnais included in this festival are Muriel (1963), Same Old Song (1997), Last Year at Marienbad (1961),Stavisky (1974), Private fears in Public Spaces or Coeurs (2006), Guernica (1950), Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), Night and Fog (1955), Statues Also Die (1953), Toute La Memoire Du Monde (1956) and Le Chant Du Styrene (1959).

Retrospective of Helena Ignez with her Brazilian films in 17TH IFFK

17th International Film Festival of Kerala, is honoring Helena Ignez, the iconic Brazilian actor on completion of her 53 year long career. Seven of her most talked about films to be screened under Retrospective category of this festival. Being a prominent person of Cinema Marginal, she gave new face to female characters in Brazilian Cinema. The Red Light Bandit directed by Rogerio Sganzerla, The Priest and the Girl by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, Mr. Sganzerla- The Signs of Light by Joel Pizzini, Belair by Noa Bressane and Bruno Safadi duo and The Residentes by Tiago Mata Machado in which she acted. While Light in Darkness, where she was the director and Cancoes de Baal, directed with Michele Matalon are the films included in this package.

 

MY CHOICE (Selected films ) 17th International Film Festival of Kerala(IFFK) 2012

 Amour    

Director: Michael Haneke

Outrage Beyond

Directior: Takeshi Kitano

Student

Directior: Darezhan Omyrbaev

Rose

Directior: Wojciech Smarzowsk

Caesar Must Die

Directio: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Tavia

18 Days)    

Director: Ahmad Abdalla, Mariam Abou Ouf

Pieta

Director: Ki-duk Kim

Arirang     

Director: Ki-duk Kim.

 Beyond the Hills

Director: Cristian Mungiu

The Catch Me and You

Directior: Bernardo Bertolucci

 Like Someone in Love

Director: Abbas kiarostami

Angels Share

Directior: Ken Loach

Le Havre

Directior: Aki Kaurismki

Mekong Hotel     

Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Polluting Paradise

Director: Fatih Akin

Rhino Season

Director: Bahman Ghobadi

Something in the Air

Director:Olivier Assayas

The Gardener

Director:Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Horses of God

Director: Nabil Ayouch

Midnights Children

Directior: Deepa Mehta

After The Battle

Director: Yousry Nasrallah

Expiation

Director:Aleksandr Prshkin

Forbela

Director:Vincente Alves do O

Four Suns

Director:Bohdan Slama

My Tribe

Director:Gholamreza Azadi

Night Across the Street

Director:Raoul Ruiz

Celluloid Man

Directio: Shivendra Singh Dungarpu

Main Jury of Chakoram Awards in17th IFFK 2012

The auteur   film maker Paul Cox would be the Jury Chairperson of the 17^th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).Anne Demy-George ,a  film scholar  and a Phd student on Iranian cinema, Govind Nihalani  Cinematographer turned Director , Dang Nhat Ming ,a filmmaker from Vietnam and Pierre Yameogo ,of  Afix , a Paris based production company,  will be the other members .