MeeraSahib Online

MIFF awards: Indian, British, Romanian films share top honours, Mike Pandey has been honoured with the V Shantaram Life Time Achievement

2012-02-10T02:42:00.000-08:00

Two films from India and one film each from the UK and Romania bagged top honours in the International Competition Section of the 12th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF). The Golden Conch, Silver Conch and other Trophies and Certificates were presented to the winners at the valedictory function of the Mumbai International Film Festival at NCPA, Mumbai this evening. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, S Jagatrakshakan was the chief guest. The winners (International Competition) are: Nitin Kumar Pamnani's film 'I am Your Poet' won the Best Documentary Film (up to 40 minutes duration) award comprising the Golden Conch and Rs 5 lakh (Rs 500,000) in cash. Pamnani's film in Hindi and Bhojpuri is about the poetry of Rama Shankar Yadav 'Vidrohi'. 'Shape of the Shapeless' by the New York based filmmaker Jayant Cherian was adjudged the second Best short Film with Silver Conch and Rs 250,000 in cash. Kim Longinotto's 'Pink Saris' won the Golden Conch for Best Documentary Film above 40 minutes duration. The British film maker's documentary tells the story of the 'Gulabi Gang' which is active in Uttar Pradesh, empowering women. The Silver Conch for Best Documentary above 40 minutes duration is shared by 'Dreaming Taj Mahal' by Nirmal Chandar and the Russian entry 'Home' by Olga Maurina. The Golden Conch for Best Fiction film went to 'Music in the Blood' by Alexandru Mavrodineanu from Romania. Anand Tharane and Krunal Rawal won the Golden Conch in the Best Animation Film Category for 'Prince'. The film is about a taxi named Prince and how it finds outdated when new sedans arrive on the streets of Mumbai. The International Jury Award was shared between two films Moni Bency's 'Mahashwetadevi -Close-up' and Mamta Murty's Fried Fish, Chicken Soup and Premier Show dealing with the alternative cinema tradition in Manipur. Anand Patvardhan's 'Jai Bhim Comrade' won the Best Film of the Festival Award for Producer. The award carries a prize money of Rs two lakh. Pankaj Johar's 'Still Standing' has won the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for Best Debut film as a Director. The award instituted by the Government of Maharashtra comprises a trophy and Rs 1 lakh in cash. The Indian Competition Section was reintroduced during MIFF 2012 to promote and encourage the Indian documentary film makers. Rajesh Jala's Hindi Bhojpuri documentary 'At the Stairs' won the Best Documentary Film Award fetching him the Golden Conch and Rs 5 lakh in cash. The film examines the lives of widows in Banaras seeking Moksha - liberation from the cycle of life and death. Veteran environmental film maker Mike Pandey has been honoured with the V Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival – MIFF 2012. The award carries a citation, a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs.The Award was presented to Mike Pandey by the Governor of Maharashtra, K Sankaranarayanan in the presence of Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Chaudhury Mohan Jathua, veteran film historian Vijaya Mulay and popular Marathi actor Amrutha Khanvilkar at the opening ceremony of the festival on Friday.Mike Pandey is one of India’s foremost wildlife and environmental filmmakers with over 300 national and international awards. He has made films like Shores of Silence, The Last Migration, Broken Wings and The Timeless Traveller.

NANNI MORETTI , JURY PRESIDENT OF THE 65th FESTIVAL DE CANNES 2012

2012-01-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

Nanni Moretti ,the Italian director would be the Jury President of the 65th edition of Cannes Film Festival. Nanni won the Palme d'Or in 2001 for his family drama "The Son's Room" as well as a director prize in 1994 for his film "Dear Diary." Moretti, who also acts, came to the Croisette last year with "We Have a Pope."

16th IFFI-Awards declared-'Future Lasts Forever' and'Abu Son of Adam' won Fipresci Prizes '

2011-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

FIPRECI (The International Federation of Film Critics) selected the Turkey-France-Germany film 'Future Lasts Forever ' directed by Ozcan Alper for the Fipresci prize . The Fipresci Jury also awarded 'Abu Son of Adam ' directed by Salim Ahmed as the best Malayalam film.

16th IFFK- Colombian film The Colours of the Mountains/Los colores de la montaña directed by Carlos César Arbeláez won Suvarna Chakoram

2011-12-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

The concluding ceremony and award giving function of the 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) came to a close with the screening of the award winning Colombian film The Colours of the Mountains/Los colores de la montaña directed by Carlos César Arbeláez. Bollywood director Subhash Ghai was the guest of honour.Minister for Sports and Cinema K.B. Ganesh Kumar gave away awards to the winners at the function presided over by Minister for Panchayats M.K. Muneer. Shibu Baby John Labour Minister presented the audience award. Priyadarsan the Festival Director welcomed the august gathering and K.G.Santhosh, Secretary proposed a vote of thanks.The Competition Section of IFFK is restricted to films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Suvarna Chakoram -the Golden Crow Pheasant Award- with a Cash prize of INR 15 lakhs (US $ 30,000 approx) for the Best Feature Film, to be shared equally between the Director and the Producer , went to Colombian film The Colours of the Mountains/Los colores de la montaña directed by Carlos César Arbeláez. The Silver Crow Pheasant Award-Rajatha Chhakoram- and Cash prize of INR 4 lakhs (US$ 8,000 approx) to the Best Director went to Hameed Reza Aligholian who directed the Iranian film Flamingo No.13. Sebastian Hiriat ,Mexican director won the Best Debut Film Award and a Cash Prize of INR 3 lakhs (US$ 6,000 approx) for his film A stone’s throw away . Painting Lesson (Spain-Chile-Mexican ) directed by Pablo Pereiman 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 turkey-france-germany film Future lasts forever directed by Ozcan Alper for the fipresci prize . The Fipresci Jury also awarded Abu Son of Adam directed by Salim Ahmed as the best Malayalam film.NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Film Centre) award for the Best Asian Film in Competition was given to At the End of it All directed by Aditi Roy.NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film also went to Abu Son of Adam directed by Salim Ahmed.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 also bagged by Salim Ahmed for his film Abu Son of Adam. In Toto this film which was excluded from main competition section on technical grounds won three awards.

16th IFFK-Trigger Pitch -A new initiative to help fiction and documentaries

2011-12-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

A new initiative called Trigger Pitch will be jointly launched by the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy and the Indian Documentary Foundation, to bridge the gap between creative and marketing sections of film making, on Tuesday at The Residency Tower, as a part of 16th IFFK. It is an outreach forum to promote both fiction and documentary films, beyond festival space. Six films, ‘Please Don’t Beat me sir!’, You don’t belong’, ‘A Pestering Journey’, ‘Money and Honey’, ‘Beijing Besieged By Waste’, ‘Rat Race’ will be pitched in this session. Organisations like Mahindra Rise, CGH Earth, NDTV, The Economic Times, Outlook Business, Panos South Asia, Terumo Penpol, Being Human: Salman Khan Foundation, PVR Cinemas and India Foundation For the Arts will be represented in the Forum. It is intended to propagate policy changes in marketing, build public engagements, and propose strategic partnerships and funding for film marketing, an official release said.

16th IFFK- Presence of regional language films was crucial for film festivals - French film Critics and Curators Martine Armand

2011-12-12T00:16:00.000-08:00

Scenes of remonstration on the issue of removal of the film ‘Adimadhyantham' from the Competition Section of the 16th IFFK once again created commotion at the Open Forum..French film critics and curators Martine Armand and Lorey De Barbara; and critics V. Rajakrishnan, U. Radhakrishnan and Noah Davis participated in the Open Forum. Martine said that film festivals were for the common people who enjoyed films and not exclusively for film professionals and the presence of regional language films was crucial for film festivals.Her observation has special emphasis in a festival where no film from Malayalam was included in the competition section.

The 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) got off to a colourful start

2011-12-11T07:56:00.001-08:00

The 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)was inagurated at the Nisagandhi auditorium ,Thruvananthapuram,Kerala on Friday evening. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated by lighting the traditional lamp with Actor Jaya Bachan ,the guest of honor . Inaugurating the week-long event, Mr. Chandy said that apart from providing a global platform, this festival would help Malayalam cinema to a new height. The inaugural function was presided over by Minister for Sports and Cinema K.B. Ganesh Kumar. Cultural Affairs Minister K.C. Joseph, Minister for Transport and Devaswom V.S. Sivakumar, Sasi Tharoor, MP, Culture Secretary Sajan Peter, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman and festival director S. Priyadarshan, vice-chairman Gandhimathi Balan, festival deputy director Bina Paul Venugopal, Kerala Film Chamber president B. Sasikumar, FEFCA president B. Unnikrishnan and MACTA chairman Harikumar ,Actor Om Puri, veteran Malayalam actor Sukumari, and jury chairman Bruce Beresford (Australian film-maker) were also present. An array of film personalities from different parts of the world, including jury members wThe festival catalogue and festival bulletin were released at the inaugural function followed by a cultural programme, ‘Destiny's Dice,' based on the epic Mahabharata and directed by film-maker T.K. Rajeev Kumar. Under the Hawthorn Tree `', directed by Zhang Yimou, was the inaugural film of the festival., Under the Hawthorn Tree is adapted from Ai Mi's popular 2007 novel of the same name, which is based on the real-life stories of the book's heroine, Jingqiu, who shared her diary with the author. The story is of an unfulfilled romance between Jingqiu and a young man named Laosan during their "zhiqing" days towards the end of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76).

16th International Film Festival of Kerala 2011-Sections

2011-12-06T03:58:00.000-08:00

There are 20 sections in the 16th edition of IFFK

Competition Films, Malayalam Cinema Today ,Indian Cinema Now, An Arab Spring,
Best of FIPRESCI,Contemporary Master in Focus:Semih Kaplanoglu,
Country Focus: Philippine Cinema ,DEFA Films ,Homage ,Jury Film,
Kaidan Horror Classics ,Kicking&Screening: Football Films,
Retrospective: Adolfas Mekas,Retrospective: Madhu ,Retrospective: Mambety
Retrospective: Nagisa Oshima ,Retrospective: Robert Bresson,
Retrospective: Theo Angelopoulos,Retrospective: Yasuzo Masumura,
World Cinema

AWARDS IN THE 16 th INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF KERALA

2011-12-06T03:53:00.000-08:00

The Competition Section of IFFK is restricted to films from Asia, Africa and Latin America
SUVARNA CHAKORAM
The Golden Crow Pheasant Award with a Cash prize of INR 15 lakhs (US $ 30,000 approx) for the Best Feature Film to be shared equally between the Director and the Producer.
RAJATA CHAKORAM
The Silver Crow Pheasant Award and Cash prize of INR 4 lakhs (US$ 8,000 approx) to the Best Director
RAJATA CHAKORAM
The Best Debut Film Award and a Cash Prize of INR 3 lakhs (US$ 6,000 approx) to the Best Director
AUDIENCE PRIZE RAJATA CHAKORAM
Cash Prize of INR 2 lakhs (US $ 4,000 approx) to the Director of the film voted as the Best Entry in Competition by the festival delegates.
FIPRECI (The International Federation of Film Critics) gives an award for the Best Film selected by the FIPRESCI Jury
FIPRESCI Award for the Best Malayalam Film
NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Film Centre) award for the Best Asian Film in Competition.
NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film
HASSANKUTTY AWARD
The Best Indian Debut Director (Rs. 50,000/- and memento) constituted by Ms. Mira Nair in memory of her Assistant Director late Hassankutty.

Jury of 16th International Film Festival of Kerala 2011- NETPAC JURY

2011-12-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

DEFNE GURSOY
Defne Gursoy works in Paris as a journalist and researcher at the University of Paris III-Sorbonne Nouvelle. She is the author of two books and several academic publications. As a journalist, she worked at the Turkish desk of Radio France Internationale for 10 years and has written for many Turkish publications. She has been covering major cinema and arts events in France and abroad for several years. She has been a member of the jury at several international film festivals throughout the world, namely at the Asian Film Festival in Vesoul-France, the Eurasian Film Festival in Kazakhstan, the Jeonju International Film Festival in Korea, the Asian Film Festival in Barcelona, MedFilm European Film Festival in Rome etc.

NESTOR O. JARDIN
Nestor O. Jardin co-founded the Cinemalaya Foundation in 2004 and has been the Festival Director of the annual Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival since 2005. He co-organized the first Philippine Independent Film Summit in 2008 and has been a regular speaker on Philippine independent cinema in many local and international film forums. In 2010, he co-produced Emir, a Filipino musical directed by Chito Rono. He chaired the NETPAC jury at the 2010 Pusan International Film Festival.

SUNIL DOSHI
Sunil Doshi is Director of Alliance Lumiere Ltd, a 24 hour movie channel and CEO & Director of Alliance Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, a talent management company in Mumbai, India. His company has produced the feature films Navarasa, Mixed Doubles, Bheja Fry, Hulla, amongst others.

Jury of 16th International Film Festival of Kerala 2011- HASSANKUTTY JURY

2011-12-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

ADRIAN SITARU
Adrian Sitaru is a Romanian director, producer and actor, born in 1971. He has authored several short films, of which Valuri (Waves, 2007), the most well-known, has received numerous awards. He worked with Costa Gavras in the making of Amen (2002). His first feature film, Pescuit sportiv (Hooked), for which, besides being the director, he also wrote the script, has been screened at film festivals from Toronto, Palm Springs, Estoril and in the main competition of the 2009 Premiers Plans Festival in Angers, France. In 2010, his latest short film, Colivia (The Cage) won the DAAD Short Film Award at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival

RACHEL DWYER
Rachel Dwyer is Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London. She graduated in Sanskrit from SOAS and earned her MPhil in General Linguistics and Comparative Philology at the University of Oxford. Her PhD research at SOAS was on the Gujarati lyrics of Dayaram (1777-1852). She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in cinema and supervises research on Indian cinema. She has published nine books, several of which are on Indian cinema.

DR. BIJU
Dr Biju is a self taught director who debuted with Saira in 2005. Saira was selected as the opening film in the cinema of the world category at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2007. It was selected to the prestigious Indian Panorama of the Central Government of India for the year 2006 and won two Kerala State Awards in 2005. Raman (Travelogue of Invasion) and Veettilekkulla Vazhi are his well known films.

Jury of 16th International Film Festival of Kerala 2011 - FIPRESCI JURY

2011-12-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

AIJAZ GUL
Aijaz Gul, is a film critic and a prolific writer. He earned his Bachelor and Masters Degree in Cinema from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. His articles have been compiled into three books: Lights Camera Action (Urdu) in 1991, French Films (English) in 1991 and Dhundli Tasweer (Urdu) in 1992. He has authored a chapter on Pakistani Films for a book on films from Asian countries published in Delhi in 2002. He is a member of NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) and FIPRESCI (International Film Critics Association). Aijaz Gul lives in Islamabad, Pakistan.

ROBERTO DONATI
Roberto Donati graduated in Modern Literature and Film Studies. He has published a book on the theme of nostalgia in the films of Sergio Leone and an anthology of short stories. He is currently working on TV series and feature films.

N. VIDYASHANKAR
N. Vidyashankar is a freelance film critic and has been writing on world cinema and Kannada cinema in both English and Kannada language for over three decades. He has been associated with film society movement since 1977 and is presently Secretary of Suchitra Film Society, Bangalore. He is also the founder Trustee of Suchitra School of Cinema and Dramatic Arts. He initiated the establishment of Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES) and was the Executive Director of the first three editions of the festival. He has compiled a book on European Film theories in Kannada and edited a book on African Cinema.

Jury of 16th International Film Festival of Kerala 2011- NETPAC JURY

2011-12-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

Jury of 16th International Film Festival of Kerala 2011- Main Jury

2011-12-06T03:41:00.000-08:00

BRUCE BERESFORD (Chairperson)

Bruce Beresford, who was born in Australia served as Film Officer for the British Film Institute Production Board from 1966-1971 and as Film Advisor to the Arts Council of Great Britain. Returning home in 1972, he came to be known as Australia's "new wave" directors, who excelled at intimate period dramas. His first popular success was the darkly humorous Don's Party (1975). He scored his first real hit with the intense Breaker Morant (1979). In the early 1980s, Beresford moved to the United States, where he won considerable praise for the subtle, Texas-set Tender Mercies (1982). His greatest success was the Academy Award-winning Driving Miss Daisy (1989). His other films include The Getting of Wisdom (1977), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Black Robe (1991), Paradise Road (1997), and Bride of the Wind (2001). He is also a screenwriter and producer, and has directed a number of opera productions.

LAURENCE GAVRON

Laurence Gavron originally from France, now lives in Dakar, Senegal, where she is a film director and writer. Inspired by her fascination for African cultures, Gavron has produced documentaries on local musicians, griots (West African story tellers) and the work of film director Djibril Diop Mambety. She writes regularly for local newspapers. Laurence Gavron is the author of two novels- Marabouts d'ficelle (2000) and Boy Dakar (2008).

JEFFREY JETURIAN

Jeffrey Jeturian born in Manila, Philippines, worked his way up in film production over a 15-year period. His directorial debut Enter Love - Sana Pag-ibig Na, a love story between a mistress and her deceased lover's son reaped acclaim from local critics. His second film Fetch A Pail of Water - Pila Balde, is a socio-realist observation of the plight of slum dwellers and their struggle for survival. This film won the NETPAC Jury Award at the 1st Cine Manila International Film Festival in 1999 and a Gold Award at the 2000 World fest International Film Festival in Houston, Texas. His Sana Pag-ibig Na(1998) ), Bisperas (2011) and The Bet Collector (2006) also won him accolades.

SEMIH KAPLANOGLU

Semih Kaplanoglu born in 1963, in Izmir, Turkey debuted in cinema with Away From Home (Herkes Kendi Evinde), which won numerous international film awards. His second feature film Angel's Fall (Melegin Dususu) received wider interest among international film critics. The film which premiered at the 55th Berlin Film Festival won the Best Film Award in Nantes 3 Continents, the International Film Festival of Kerala and the Barcelona Independent Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Award at the International Istanbul Film Festival. The film still continues its journey in the international film festival circuit. Kaplanoglu's film Sut (Milk) released in Germany in January 2010, Yumurta (Egg), Bal (Honey) produced in 2010, form the trilogy Yusuf's Trilogy, named after the main character Yusuf in the films.

RAHUL BOSE

Rahul Bose is an actor, screenwriter and director born in Kolkata, India. The Time magazine dubbed him "the superstar of Indian art house cinema" following his films English August and Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. He has worked in three of Aparna Sen's films- Mr. and Mrs Iyer, 15 Park Avenue and The Japanese Wife. Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Chameli, Takshak and Jhankaar Beats. He is also a social activist and the founder of the NGO, the Foundation. He is the founder and chairman of the Group of Groups, an umbrella organisation for 51 Mumbai charitable organisations and NGOs. He is also an ambassador for the American India Foundation, the World Youth Peace Movement and Planet Alert.

42nd IFFI Closing ceremony --‘Porfirio’ declared as Best Film and bags Golden Peacock and Asghar Farhadi Silver peacock award for Best Director

2011-12-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

The Columbian film ‘Porfirio’ directed by Alejandro Landes and produced by Franciso Aljure bagged the coveted Golden Peacock Award for the Best Film at the 42ndInternational Film Festival of India 2011, while the Silver Peacock Award for the Best Director went to Asghar Farhadi for his film ‘Nader and Simin-A Seperation’. The Indian film ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’ won the Special Jury Award. Director of the film Salim Ahamed received the award which consists of a Silver Peacock, Certificate and a Cash Prize of Rs. 15 Lakhs, in the presence of Choudhury Mohan Jatua , Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting ,Digambar Kamat and Suriya ,actor, who was the Chief Guest of the closing function.The Best Actor award of Rs. 10 lakh went to the Israeli actor Sasson Gabay for his role in the film ‘Restoration’ whereas the Best Actress Award was won by Nadezhda Markina for her role in ‘Elena’.The above films were chosen by a five member Competition Jury comprising Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Laurence Kardish, Lee Yong Kwan, Tahmineh Milani and Dan Wolman.The festival concluded today with the screening of the English film ‘The Lady’ directed by acclaimed French Director Luc Besson, which starred Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis in lead roles. At the closing ceremony, a one minute silence was observed to pay tribute to the departed soul of Brazilian Director, Oscar Maron Filho, who passed away during the festival.
The eleven day festival which began on November 23rd with the screening of the Portuguese film ‘The Consul of Bordeaux’ had ‘Retrospectives’ of eminent filmmakers like Luc Besson and Phillip Noyce; ‘Homages’ to cinematic luminaries like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Leacock, Sidney Lumet and others; ‘Festivals Kaleidoscope’; ‘Country Focus on USA’; ‘Russian Classics’; ‘Spotlight on Poland’, Documentaries along with first time packages like ‘3D Cinema-The Third Dimension’, ‘Sketches on Screens’, ‘Soccer in Cinema’ and others.

Special Jury award and Silver Peacock for Adaminte Makan Abu('Abu, Son of Adam' ) ,in IFFI 2011

2011-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu('Abu, Son of Adam' ) directed by Salim Ahamad ,the only official entry India won Special Jury award and Silver Peacock in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2011 which concluded now. The international competition section also had films from countries including Belgium, Philippines, Russia, Japan, Iran, Ireland, Colombia, Israel, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Canada and Kazakhstan. The film 'Adaminte Makan Abu' (Abu, Son of Adam), which won National and Kerala State awards has also been chosen as India's official entry in the Best Foreign Film category for the 84th Academy Awards. It is the story of a poor perfume-seller, Abu, whose only remaining wish in life is the sacred Haj Pilgrimage. The jury, headed by renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and Laurence Kardish, Yong Kwan, Tahmineh Milani, and Dan Wolman, selected five from 14 films for Golden and Silver Peacock Awards..

Sasson Gabai won the Silver Peacock Award for the Best Actor(Male) at the 42nd International Film Festival of India .

2011-12-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

Sasson Gabai won the Silver Peacock Award for the Best Actor(Male) at the 42nd International Film Festival of India for his acting in Israeli filmmaker Yossi Madmoni's debut film Restoration, a family drama about efforts to save an ailing antique restoration business. The film had previously won the screenwriting award at Sundance's World Cinema Dramatic competition and the Grand Prix Crystal Award ($30,000) at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. After his longtime business partner dies, Yakov Fidelman discovers that his antique furniture-restoration shop is in grave financial difficulty. He's forced to deal with his estranged son, Noah, a lawyer, who, seeing no hope for the failing store, proposes building apartments above it. One day Fidelman's new apprentice, Anton, finds a neglected piano in the workshop: an 1882 Steinway that, given a new baseboard, would be worth enough to save the store. The elegant story lines of Yossi Madmony's first feature yield a complex set of frayed character relations for which restoration proves an apt metaphor. Refinishing the piano's exterior would be worthless without replacing the cracked cast-iron board holding the string tension. Marked by restrained writing, which leaves significant details open to interpretation, Restoration depicts the rich texture of modern Israeli society. Anchored by Sasson Gabay's mesmerizing performance, Fidelman is a stoic man who uses his shop to shut out the world, clinging to the illusion that he can maintain a vanishing way of life.

42nd IFFI 2011 –Peacock Awards declared. Asghar Farhadi (Iran) won Best Director award for his film NADER AND SIMIN A SEPARATION

2011-12-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Asghar Farhadi (Iran) won Best Director award for his film NADER AND SIMIN A SEPARATION with a Silver Peacock and cash prize of 33,000 USD in the competition section of the International Film Festival of I ndia which concluded today.. Simin(Leila Hatami) wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader (Peyman Moaadi) and daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his Alzheimer-suffering father. Her request having failed, Simin goes back to her parents’, but Termeh decides to stay with Nader. He hastily hires a poor woman named Razieh (Sareh Bayat) as a daytime caretaker, who signs on without telling him she's pregnant. A few days later he fires her and shoves her out the door; she falls on the stairs (perhaps) and has a miscarriage. The rest of the film is a crescendo of tension as Razieh's hot-headed, debt-ridden husband Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini) takes Nader to court for man slaughter. This film won several awards in 2011 film festivals all over the world including Berlinale. Not only has the International Jury of this year's Berlinale, presided over by Isabella Rossellini, awarded the film the Golden Bear, but, in a most unusual move, the jury's also decided to give the Silver Bear for Best Actor and Silver Bear for Best Actress to the male and female ensembles, respectively. It also won:

Fajr Film Festival 2011:

§ Audience Award - Best Film

§ Crystal Simorgh Award - Best Cinematography

§ Crystal Simorgh Award - Best Director (Asghar Farhadi)

§ Crystal Simorgh Award - Best Screenplay

§ Crystal Simorgh Award - Best Sound Recorder (Mahmoud Samakbashi)

§ Diploma of Honor - Best Actor in Supporting Role: (Shahab Hosseini)

§ Diploma of Honor - Best Actress in Supporting Role (Sareh Bayat)

§ Pula Film Festival 2011:

§ Golden Arena Award - International Competition: Best Film

§ Sydney Film Festival 2011:

§ Official Competition Award - Best Film

§ Yerevan International Film Festival 2011:

§ Grand Prix: Golden Apricot - Best Film

§ World Cinema Amsterdam Festival 2011:

§ Parool Audience Award - Best Film]

§ Saint Petersburg International Film Festival "KinoForum" 2011:

§ Grand Prix - Best Film[25]

§ Melbourne International Film Festival 2011:

§ Most Popular Feature Film - Asghar Farhadi

§ 15th Iran Cinema Celebration:

§ Best Film

§ Best Director

§ Best Original Screenplay

§ Best Supporting Actor

§ San Sebastian International Film Festival 2011:

§ Another Look Award

§ Fukuoka International Film Festival 2011:

§ Audience Award - Best Film

§ Riga International Film Festival 2011:

§ FIPRESCI prize

§ Vancouver International Film Festival 2011:

§ Rogers People's Choice Award

§ British Independent Film Awards 2011:

§ Best Foreign Film Award

§ BBC Four World Cinema Awards 2011:

§ Best Film

§ Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2011:

§ Best Feature Film Award

§ New York Film Critics Circle 2011:

§ Best Foreign Language Film
National Board of Review Awards 2011:Best Foreign language

The Columbian film "Porfirio," directed by Alejandro Landes won the Golden Peacock award for best film in the 42nd International Film Festival of

2011-12-03T06:56:00.001-08:00

The film"Porfirio," based on a true story was selected in the "Directors Fortnight" section of the Cannes film festival . Also won an award at Belgium film festival’s L'Age d'Or and Cinedecouvertes. This film is based on the story of a wheelchair-bound man named "Porfirio" , hijacking a plane with two grenades hidden in his diaper. The director has given the story a human angle, focusing on the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the disabled man, as opposed to the violent, bloody angle of the hijacking. The film, according to critics, succeeds through technical, artistic and narrative decisions to convey the drama and claustrophobia of a man hoping, in a system in which there is very little hope. It is a collaborative venture of Columbia, Spain, France, Argentina, Uruguay and realized by Brazilian-Ecuadorian director Alejandro Lanes.

42nd IFFI 2011 –Peacock Awards declared. Nadezhda Markina won Best Actor Award (Female) for her role in “Elena”

2011-12-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Nadezhda Markina won Best Actor Award (Female) with a Silver Peacock and cash prize of 22,000 USD for her performance in the Russian film “Elena” directed by Andrei Zvyagintsevin . Also awarded the Jury’s Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Andrei Zvyagintsev’s “Elena” is a powerful cinematic experience , as distinct and subtle as his 2003 prize-winning “The Return,”. Elena shares a spaciously luxurious city-center apartment - but not a bed - with her older husband, Vladmir (Andrei Smirnov). The pair met a decade before when Elena was a nurse and wealthy Vladimir her patient. Both have children from their previous lives. Now Elena is clearly as much caretaker as spouse, the daily grind visible on her wrinkled face and shoulder-slumped frame. Elena only comes alive when she visits her son Sergei (Alexey Rozin) and his family in their overcrowded, crumbling quarters. Unemployed, Sergei depends Elena for money, which Vladimir grudgingly tolerates as he provides similar assistance to his wild-child daughter Katya (Elena Lyadova). But when extra money is needed Vladimir refuses, compelling Elena towards drastic action.

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42nd IFFI to come to a close with the screening of 'The Lady'

2011-12-03T01:25:00.000-08:00

The 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI )will come to a close today with the screening of French director Luc Besson's film 'The Lady' .This film recounts veteran Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s political and personal struggles and stars Hollywood actress Michelle Yeoh, who was herself targeted by Myanmar authorities for playing in it.."I was deeply inspired and touched by Aung San Suu Kyi's personal story and ongoing fight for democracy, and hope that through this film her cause and voice will be better known and shared" said Besson .The film is a love story about Suu Kyi and her late British husband Michael Aris, and details their long separation while Suu Kyi was detained in 1989. Authorities in Myanmar blacklisted Yeoh for her role in the film, and deported her when she flew to the country in June. David Thewlis portrays Suu Kyi's husband.the lady was written over a period of three years by Rebecca Frayn.Interviews with key figures in Aung San Suu KyI’S entourage enabled her to reconstruct for the first time the true story of Burma’s national heroine

IFFI 2011 PAYS HOMAGE TO MANI KAUL

2011-12-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

The 42nd international Film Festival of India paid homage to the legendary filmmaker Mani Kaul by presenting some of his much-admired works ,‘Dhrupad’, ‘Idiot,’ ‘Naukar Ki Kameez’ and ‘Uski Roti’. Mani Kaul (1944-2011) who graduated from the University of Jaipur and the Film and Television Institute of India in 1966 was not only an Auteur but also a painter, a poet, a musician and an actor (Basu Chatterjee’s Sara Akash) . He made a total of 24 films. These included the celebrated titles ‘Uski Roti’ ‘Duvidha’, ‘Satah Se Utatha Admi’ ‘Nazar’, ‘Idiot’ and ‘Naukar Ki Kameez’ and the non-fiction features ‘Dhrupad’, ‘Mati Manas’ and ‘Siddheshwari’ Kaul emphasized the value of what is absent. His elaborate theory of contemporary aesthetic practice, ‘Seen From Nowhere’, was presented in the cultural historian Kapila Vatsyayan’s seminar Inner Space, Outer Space. He drew from haiku poetry, the nouveau roman, mannerist painting, Bresson and Ozu.

42 nd IFFI 2011- 8 FILMS IN THE RACE FOR SUVARNA -RAJATHA MAYOORAM PRIZES.

2011-12-02T03:58:00.000-08:00

The Jury of the 42nd IFFI has already finalized the awards according to press reports .The award would certainly be the mirror reflection of the film culture and aesthetics of the Jury. While the anxiety is mounting ,the delegates and critics having long standing festival experiences have shortlisted eight films out of fourteen to win one of the five coveted Peacock awards. They are Hanezu (Japan) , Elena (Russia), Oranges and Sunshine (Ireland), , Nader and Simin – A Separation( Iran ), ,Porfirio (Columbia) ,Restoration( Israel), Abu,Son of Adam (India), The End is My Beginning (Germany)

Remembering Tagore in IFFI 2011

2011-12-02T02:48:00.000-08:00

The International Film Festival of India- 42 nd IFFI- remembers Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet and Nobel laureate , writer, philosopher by showcasing film adaptation of some of his classics including ‘Charulata’, ‘Kshudhito Pashan’, ‘Milan’, ‘Streer Patra’ and ‘Jorasanko Thakurbari’ in the section ‘Classics from Tagore’.

K. BALACHANDER’s FILMS IN IFFI 2011 RETROSPECTIVE

2011-12-02T02:33:00.000-08:00

Some of the most memorable works of K. Balachander, the octogenarian film maker from Tamil are being showcased in the 42nd edition of the International Film Festival of India in the Retrospective section. His films included are ‘Achamillai Achamillai’, ‘Aval Oru Thodarkathai’, ‘Iru Kodugal’, ‘Maro Charitra’, ‘Sindhu Bhairavi’ and ‘Thanneer Thanneer’