[6/12/2009],A Debbarma, adebbarma@tiprasa.com
Yarwng - Roots, a 95 minutes film, which had already won Special Jury Mention Award at the 7th Asian Film Festival 2008 in Mumbai, is now to be premiered in New York's Museum of Modern Art on 12th and 14th of June 2009.
The film story is about, the brutal and bitter upheaval of tribal peoples of Tripura, in northeast India, their fertile riverside villages submerged by the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the 1970s in Dumbur lake, Tripura, where a love story evolved between a man and a woman, whose love story is only to end on the fatal day, they were to marry, because of the construction dam.
Yarwng, released in September 2008, directed by Fr Joseph Pulinthanath, is produced by Sampari Pictures Tripura, a film production concern of the Salesians registered with the Eastern India Motion Picture Association. It is the second full length film from Sampari Pictures, the first being Mathia (The Bangle) in 2004.
Fr Joseph writes, modestly: "The film has been doing well. It has already been to 20 international film festivals within India, including the IFF in Goa, where it was the inaugural film for the India Panorama section....At the Asian Festival in Mumbai it picked up a Special Jury mention with an Israeli film".
The film is also set to be premiered at Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF), to be held in that city from 30th July to 9th August 2009. Later the film will also be premiere in Stuttgart at the 'Bollywood and Beyond' festival. This will be its European premiere.
A rare success for film from North East India especially if it is from Tripura,
The film has earn many national and international accord, New York Times described the film as "a rare glimpse into tribal India" and it is being described as "a rare specimen of the power of the cinema" by Film critic, Kolkata.
Taking Kokborok to the international level, the film has done justice to the language and people, promoting the language, culture, and it's people world wide.
________________________________________
|| User Comment || Write Your Comment ||
"..A brilliant writer with another true & sophiscated Story about the Vulnerable & Marginalised indigenous people of Twipra..A Big hand for the writer......."
Rdbarma, rdbarma07@gmail.com , 6/12/2009
________________________________________
"..Since I live outside, how I can get a copy of that movie? .."
Binota Moy Dhamai, bdtripura@gmail.com , 6/13/2009
________________________________________
"..Yarwng Tripura hani phataro thangnai hinwi khwnawi thongthokjak-kha... Bangla hao-bo kopi rohordi...
.."
Mathura Tripura, mathura.tripura@gmail.com , 6/14/2009
"..Its a great news for me, I can never imagine Kokborok movie premiered in New York.
Great work and congratulation to the Team of Yarwng, Keep up, we need more such movies.
.."
wansuk, wansuk18@gmail.com , 6/15/2009
"..Works, like this movie, are inspiring. There are a handful of Tripuris engaged in producing stupid videos. And others, like this director, not a Tripuri, produces brilliant films and win laurels..."
R K Debbarma, rkdebbarma@gmail.com , 4/8/2009
http://tiprasa.com/articles/viewcomm.asp?identity=50&title=Yarwng+%2D+%28Roots%29%2C+promoting+Kokborok+world+wide
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tripura film screened in New York
Agartala, Jun 12 : A feature film on internal displacement in Tripura in Kokborok (tribal language) with English subtitle was screened in New York today.
Previously, the film had won a special jury award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai, Yarwng (Root).
Director of the film Joseph Pulinthanath told UNI that Yarwng got an overwhelming appreciation at the Museum of Modern Art in New York which was scheduled to be screened at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July.
He said Yarwng was selected for the overseas premiere at prestigious film events in U S, Europe and Australia despite culture and language barrier.
The film has already been to more than twenty International festivals within the country, including the IFFI in Goa last year.
''The film is about how the gathering waters of a just-completed hydel project doomed the future of the villagers of the particular area besides, Karmati and Wakhirai,'' the producer K J Joseph told UNI.
The film also essays the life of Chokdri (village headman), Ochai (Village Priest) and Agurai (Shopkeeper).
About 80,000 tribals were ousted in 1976 when Dumbur hydel project was commissioned with a thirty-metre high gravity dam constructed across the river Gumati about 3.5 km upstream of south Tripura, which submerged a valley area of 46.34 sqkm for generating 8.60 megawatts of power from an installed capacity of 10 megawatt.
Unfortunately, about 60 per cent of the oustees have not yet received any rehabilitation from the government and most of them were settled in the hill ranges.
The story of Yarwng was set in the backdrop of the Gumati hydel project and projects the trauma of displacement and it’s aftermath that unfolds in the lives of the characters.
The film was based on the real narratives of the people, said Meena Debbarmma, the lead female character of the film.
--- UNI
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-54634.html
Previously, the film had won a special jury award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai, Yarwng (Root).
Director of the film Joseph Pulinthanath told UNI that Yarwng got an overwhelming appreciation at the Museum of Modern Art in New York which was scheduled to be screened at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July.
He said Yarwng was selected for the overseas premiere at prestigious film events in U S, Europe and Australia despite culture and language barrier.
The film has already been to more than twenty International festivals within the country, including the IFFI in Goa last year.
''The film is about how the gathering waters of a just-completed hydel project doomed the future of the villagers of the particular area besides, Karmati and Wakhirai,'' the producer K J Joseph told UNI.
The film also essays the life of Chokdri (village headman), Ochai (Village Priest) and Agurai (Shopkeeper).
About 80,000 tribals were ousted in 1976 when Dumbur hydel project was commissioned with a thirty-metre high gravity dam constructed across the river Gumati about 3.5 km upstream of south Tripura, which submerged a valley area of 46.34 sqkm for generating 8.60 megawatts of power from an installed capacity of 10 megawatt.
Unfortunately, about 60 per cent of the oustees have not yet received any rehabilitation from the government and most of them were settled in the hill ranges.
The story of Yarwng was set in the backdrop of the Gumati hydel project and projects the trauma of displacement and it’s aftermath that unfolds in the lives of the characters.
The film was based on the real narratives of the people, said Meena Debbarmma, the lead female character of the film.
--- UNI
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-54634.html
THE NEW INDIA AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART CELEBRATES CONTEMPORARY INDIAN CINEMA
The New India
June 5 – 18, 2009
The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters
NEW YORK, May 7, 2009—The richness and diversity of contemporary Indian cinema is explored in The New India, a two-week, 16-film exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, from June 5 through 18, 2009. The exhibition presents feature and short films, including eight New York premieres, that capture the range of fiction and documentary genres and styles in Indian cinema today. Among the celebrated guests who will present their films in person at MoMA are actors Naseeruddin Shah and Abhay Deol, actor-director Nandita Das, and the Academy Award-winning documentarian Megan Mylan. The exhibition is organized by Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art, and Uma da Cunha, guest curator.
The New India opens on June 5 with the New York premiere of Megan Doneman’s Yes Madam, Sir (2008), a riveting portrait, narrated by Helen Mirren, of one of India’s most inspiring and controversial public figures, Kiran Bedi. Both Doneman and Bedi will introduce the opening-night screening. As India’s first elite policewoman and revolutionary reformer of one of India’s most notorious prisons, Bedi received the 1994 Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asia’s Nobel Prize equivalent) for her three-decade fight against corruption, bureaucracy, and human rights violations.
India is one of the world's fastest growing nations, with a film industry to match. Over 1,000 features are produced each year, from Bollywood blockbusters to intimate Malayalam, Bengali, and Tamil "art films." A country whose population now numbers more than a billion—with 23 official languages (including Hindi, Urdu, and English), hundreds of regional dialects, dozens of political parties, and myriad religions—is united by a passion for cinema.
Following the success of MoMA's India Now exhibition in 2007, The New India features three recent commercially and critically successful Bollywood hits. Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar (2007), the latest blockbuster by the director of Langaan, is a sixteenth-century historical romance of Cecil B. DeMille proportions, featuring a cast of a thousand elephants. Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) is a sharp satire of New Delhi culture, which will be introduced by its star, Abhay Deol, on June 8. And Zoya Akhtar’s Luck by Chance (2009) is both a dazzling homage to 1940s and 1950s backstage melodramas and a witty send-up of the Bollywood dream factory, featuring cameos by some of India’s most beloved movie stars.
Exemplifying the so-called unconventional, or “parallel,” cinema is Neeraj Pandey’s sleeper hit A Wednesday, a disturbing cat-and-mouse thriller introduced by its legendary star, Naseeruddin Shah, on June 10.
Further celebrating genre moviemaking with their New York premieres are Faiza Ahmad Khan’s infectiously charming documentary Supermen of Malegaon (2008), about the filming of a no-budget, Bollywood-inspired superhero movie in a textile village near Mumbai; and Shashank Ghosh’s Quick Gun Murugan (2008), a zany, outrageous “curry Western” by a promising new talent from the wildly popular Tamil cinema of southern India. Bengali cinema is represented by one of its most internationally respected filmmakers, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, whose recent film The Voyeurs (2008) is a slyly ironic and poignant study of urban anxiety, repressed desire, and voyeurism in the teeming city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).
The New India also explores some of the devastating problems afflicting India today, from child exploitation and AIDS to sectarian riots and tribal uprooting. Politically charged fiction films include Chapour Haghighat’s The Firm Land (2008), about a village on the Indian Ocean that is threatened with a deadly disease (Haghighat will introduce the New York premiere on June 6); Nandita Das’s Firaaq (2008), an intense drama about the tragic aftermath of the 2002 sectarian riots in Gujarat (introduced on June 6 by director Das, who is also a celebrated actor and activist); and Father Joseph Pulinthanath’s Roots (2008), about the brutal upheaval of tribal peoples in northeast India, a landscape and culture virtually unknown even in India.
The exhibition features a notably strong selection of recent nonfiction films, many of them centering on stories of children that are by turns inspiring and disturbing. Megan Mylan’s Academy Award-winning short subject Smile Pinki (introduced by the director on June 7) is the poignant story of a village girl who is cured of her cleft lip. Rajesh S. Jala’s Children of the Pyre (2008), winner of top prizes at the Montreal and São Paulo Film Festivals, is the harrowing portrait of seven “untouchable” boys who tend the largest open-air crematorium in Varanasi. And Sourav Sarangi’s Bilal (2008) follows an eight-year-old boy as he helps his blind parents navigate, and even survive, the slums of Mumbai.
The exhibition The New India is made possible by Marguerite and Kent Charugundla, Tamarind Art Council.
Press Contact: Meg Blackburn, (212) 708-9757, meg_blackburn@moma.org
For downloadable images, please visit www.moma.org/press.
No. 43
Public Information: The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
Hours: Films are screened Wednesday-Monday. For screening schedules, please visit www.moma.org.
Film Admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors, 65 years and over with I.D. $6 full-time students with current I.D. (For admittance to film programs only.) The price of a film ticket may be applied toward the price of a Museum admission ticket when a film ticket stub is
2
presented at the Lobby Information Desk within 30 days of the date on the stub (does not apply during Target Free Friday Nights, 4:00-8:00 p.m.). Admission is free for Museum members and for Museum ticketholders.
The public may call (212) 708-9400 for detailed Museum information. Visit us at www.moma.org
Screening Schedule
The New India
Friday, June 5
8:00 Yes Madam, Sir. 2008. India/Australia. Directed by Megan Doneman.
Kiran Bedi is one of the most inspiring and controversial public figures in India today. In 1972, despite fierce opposition, she became India’s first elite policewoman, and stunned the nation by facing down three thousand sword-wielding Punjabi rioters armed only with a wooden baton. Later, she became the governor of one of Asia’s most notorious jails, Tihar, and transformed it into a model for prison reform worldwide. Her three-decade battle against seemingly indomitable forces of corruption, bureaucracy, sexism, and prejudice, and her work on behalf of women, prisoners, and community charities, has been nothing less than visionary, earning her the Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asia’s equivalent to a Nobel Peace Prize) and a key position at the United Nations. In this fascinating documentary portrait, narrated by Helen Mirren, Doneman offers an honest, intimate look at Bedi’s astonishing life and career, while also examining the considerable personal costs of public duty and media celebrity. In Hindi; English subtitles. 95 min. New York premiere.
Introduced by Kiran Bedi and Megan Doneman
Saturday, June 6
2:00 Yes Madam, Sir. Introduced by Kiran Bedi and Megan Doneman. (See Friday, June 5, 8:00.)
5:00 The Firm Land. 2008. India/France. Written and directed by Chapour Haghighat. With Mansoor Seth, Ava Mukherjee, Honey Chaya.
When a deadly disease (AIDS, though not named as such) threatens to wipe out an entire village on the Indian Ocean, six emissaries are sent to the big city to find “learned” men who can help bring immediate medical care. The villagers are quickly rebuffed by the corruption and indifference of government bureaucrats, but find comfort, and a means to resistance, in the companionship of other marginalized figures: a group of street kids, a disillusioned retired professor, and a formerly aristocratic old woman who hosts a grand and joyous feast for them. With a quiet moral outrage and a compassionate understanding of human cruelty and folly—reminiscent of the films of Abderrahamane Sissako—the Iranian-born filmmaker and playwright Haghighat gives his film what he calls “both a realistic and mythical approach, using a mixture of dream and reality.” 95 min. New York premiere.
Introduced by Chapour Haghighat
8:00 Firaaq. 2008. India. Directed by Nandita Das. Screenplay by Das, Shuchi Kothari. With Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Deepti Naval.
Making her deeply affecting, remarkably self-assured debut as a feature film director, the celebrated actress and activist Nandita Das (star of Deepa Mehta’s Earth and Fire) puts a human face on the sectarian riots that caused thousands of deaths, most of them Muslim, in Gujurat in 2002. With a veteran ensemble cast led by Shah, Rawal, and Naval, she intricately weaves together the very different stories of ordinary people—Hindus and Muslims alike—who nonetheless share a
3
shattering sense of loss and terror in the immediate aftermath of the carnage. Firaaq, whose title comes from an Urdu word meaning separation or quest, is a powerful cry against violence, intolerance, and injustice by a filmmaker more interested in provoking questions than reinforcing stereotypes. A highlight of the 2008 Telluride Film Festival (where it was presented by Salman Rushdie) and the Toronto Film Festival. In Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati; English subtitles. 101 min.
Wagah. 2009. India/Germany/Pakistan. Directed by Supriyo Sen.
Winner of a top prize at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and made in commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, this short documentary depicts an astonishing ritual that takes place nightly at the frontier outpost of Wagah—the only road link along the 2,500-kilometer border between India and Pakistan. Thousands of citizens, young and old, gather at sundown for the ceremonial lowering of the Indian and Pakistani flags, each side trading taunts of Pakistan Zindabad (Long live Pakistan!) and Jai Hind (Long live India!) with all the fervency of bitter soccer rivals. Wim Wenders, who headed the Berlin jury, celebrated Wagah as “a convincing manifesto against any wall that divides people.” In Farsi, Hindi, Urdu; English subtitles. 9 min. New York premiere.
Introduced by Nandita Das
Sunday, June 7
2:30 Smile Pinki. 2008. India/USA. Directed by Megan Mylan.
Winner of the 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, Smile Pinki is the inspiring story of Pinki Kumari, a radiantly charming six-year-old girl who was born with a cleft lip and made an outcast in her village. (In rural India, a cleft lip or palate is often believed to be a bad omen caused when a pregnant mother uses a knife or scissors during an eclipse.) One fateful day, Pinki is led to a hospital run by the Smile Train, a global charity, where she and thousands of other poverty-stricken children are cured of their debilitating birth defect. Director Mylan introduces the June 7 screening. 39 min.
Bilal. 2008. India. Directed by Sourav Sarangi.
Worlds away from Slumdog Millionaire, Sarangi’s profoundly moving documentary follows a clever, mischievous three-year-old boy who must grow up fast in order to help his blind parents navigate, and even survive, the slums of Kolkata. Filmmaker Sarangi spent a year living with the family in their home—a cramped and dimly lit room that, while a treacherous obstacle course for Bilal’s blind parents and aging grandmother, is also a place of comfort, and even joy. In Bengali, Hindi; English subtitles. 52 min. New York premiere.
Introduced by Megan Mylan
5:30 Luck by Chance. 2009. India. Directed by Zoya Akhtar. Screenplay by Akhtar, Javed Aktar.
In her dazzling directorial debut, Akhtar pays loving homage to the backstage melodramas of the 1940s and 1950s while also creating a biting satire of the Bollywood dream factory. An aspiring actor (Farhan Akhtar, Zoya’s brother) and a rising starlet (Kokona Sen Sharma) romance and scheme their way to movie stardom. Zoya Akhtar deftly captures the craft of moviemaking in all its (seamy) glory, and screen icons like Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Shahrukh Khan, and Shabana Azmi make playfully self-deprecating cameos. Delightful, too, are an over-the-top, circus-themed musical number and end credits that feature the cheerily hopeful faces of the film’s real-life crew: spot boys and dancers, chai-wallahs and makeup artists. In Hindi; English subtitles. 156 min.
Monday, June 8
4:30 Firaaq/Wagah. Introduced by Nandita Das. (See Saturday, June 6, 8:00.)
4
8:00 Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! 2008. India. Directed by Dibakar Banerjee. With Abhay Deol, Neetu Chandra, Paresh Rawal.
Rising star Abhay Deol—who introduces the MoMA screening on June 8—has charm in spades in this upbeat caper about a loveable grifter, the real-life Lucky Singh, who cons his way into the homes of Delhi’s high society and proceeds to rob them blind. As with his comedy hit about real estate sharks, Khosla Ka Ghosla (presented at MoMA in 2007), director Banerjee proves himself to be a sharp and acerbic chronicler of the New India, creating a sprawling panorama of familiar types: the nouveau riche, with their restless hunger for social status and bling, the sensationalist media, the various hustlers and hucksters and hangers-on, and the Everymen who struggle daily to find a foothold on the ladder to success. In Hindi; English subtitles. 121 min.
Introduced by Abhay Deol
Wednesday, June 10
4:00 The Firm Land. (See Saturday, June 6, 5:00.)
8:00 A Wednesday. 2008. India. Written and directed by Neeraj Pandey. With Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kehr, Jimi Shergill.
In this cat-and-mouse thriller, a sleeper hit in India, a terrorist threatens to detonate bombs all over Mumbai, and police and counterintelligence forces have four hours to find him. With a commanding performance by one of India’s great actors, Naseeruddin Shah—who introduces the June 10 screening—A Wednesday has polarized audiences with its controversial message and, in the wake of several shocking terrorist incidents (the recent Mumbai attacks only being the most international in scope), has provoked agonized debates about police corruption, national security, and vigilante justice. A Wednesday signals a trend, undoubtedly disturbing, in contemporary Indian cinema. In Hindi; English subtitles. 102 min. New York premiere.
Introduced by Naseeruddin Shah
Thursday, June 11
4:00 A Wednesday. (See Wednesday, June 10, 8:00.)
7:00 Smile Pinki/Bilal. (See Sunday, June 7, 2:30.)
Friday, June 12
4:30 Yarwng (Roots). 2008. India. Written and directed by Father Joseph Pulinthanath.
The brutal and bitter upheaval of tribal peoples in northeast India, their fertile riverside villages submerged by the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the 1970s, forms the backdrop to this unresolved love story between a young man and woman who are driven apart on the day they are meant to be married. Using nonprofessional actors (who relive their own traumatic experiences on screen) and depicting the landscape of Tripura, the tribal language of Kokborok, and a fascinating culture rarely captured on film and almost completely unknown even within India, Pulinthanath, a Catholic priest and a native of Kerala, creates an almost timeless fable about the clash of civilizations, and the forces of modernity that threaten to obliterate tribal life. In Kokborok; English subtitles. 90 min.
North American premiere.
8:00 Luck by Chance. (See Sunday, June 7, 5:30.)
5
Saturday, June 13
1:30 The Voyeurs (Ami, Yasin Ar Amar Madhubala). 2008. India. Written and directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta. With Prosenjit Chatterjee, Sameera Reddy, Amitav Bhattacharya.
Internationally acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Dasgupta, whose Memories of the Mist was a highlight of the MoMA exhibition India Now in 2007, returns with a slyly ironical and poignant study of urban anxiety, repressed desire, and voyeurism. In this masterfully told drama, filled with elements of magic realism, a naïve young man relocates from his small village to the teeming, cosmopolitan city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), where he moves in with the only person he knows, a similarly innocent young man who installs surveillance cameras for a living. When they begin spying on a beautiful young dancer who moves in next door (played by popular Bollywood actress Sameera Reddy), their lives change in unsettling ways. In Bengali; English subtitles.107 min.
4:00 Children of the Pyre. 2008. India. Directed by Rajesh S. Jala.
A harrowing, graphic, and truly unforgettable portrait of seven “untouchable” boys who work in near-slavery conditions at the largest open-air crematorium in Varanasi, the ancient and sacred northeast Indian city on the banks of the mighty Ganges. The boys stoke the fires that keep the funeral pyres eternally burning, and retrieve the limbs that have gone astray. They are often beaten as they try to scrounge for brightly colored burial shrouds to resell. Their lives are made bearable by marijuana and gallows humor. Nearly two years in the making, this verité-style documentary has won top prizes at the Sao Paolo and Montreal film festivals; director Jala has dedicated it to the “millions of ill-fated children who never get an opportunity to have a normal childhood.” In Hindi; English subtitles. 74 min. New York premiere.
A Mango Tree in the Front Yard. 2009. France/India. Written and directed by Pradeepan Raveendran.
Set in war-ravaged Sri Lanka and filmed in southeast India, Raveendran’s spare and haunting fiction short centers on a group of Tamil schoolchildren for whom violence is an everyday reality. Presented at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival. In Tamil; English subtitles. 11 min. New York premiere.
8:00 Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (See Monday, June 8, 8:00.)
Sunday, June 14
2:30 Roots (Yarwng). (See Friday, June 12, 4:30.)
5:30 Supermen of Malegaon. 2008. India/Japan/South Korea/Singapore. Directed by Faiza Ahmad Khan.
Khan’s irrepressibly charming documentary gives new meaning to “indie” filmmaking. In a largely Muslim textile community not far from the Bollywood capital of Mumbai, part-time wedding videographer Shaikh Nasir enlists friends and neighbors to make an action-packed movie of his own. Despite the often hilarious mishaps and conceits—the pencil-thin actor playing Superman is nearly snapped in two during one of the fight sequences—their passion and ingenuity become a testament to the magic of cinema. As Khan observes, "Working at a loom is an underpaying job involving serious health risks...They work six days a week for about ten hours a day and they're on their feet the whole while. So on a Friday, which is a holiday, they go to a movie to forget the drudgery of their lives. For those three hours, they are Shahrukh Khan running through mustard fields or Abhishek Bachchan chasing a beautiful woman around trees." In Urdu, Hindi; English subtitles. 52 min. New York premiere.
6 7
Monday, June 15
4:30 The Voyeurs. (See Saturday, June 13, 1:30.)
8:00 Quick Gun Murugan. 2008. India. Directed by Shashank Ghosh. Screenplay by Rajesh Devraj. With Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Rambha, Nasseer.
Ghosh’s outrageously clever, genre-bending spoof—a “curry Western” filled with cartoonish violence, gaudy spectacle, and anti-corporate zeal— is one of the zaniest movies to come out of India in ages, and quickly establishes Ghosh as one of the most promising new talents to come out of the wildly popular Tamil cinema of southern India. Based on his cult television character Quick Gun Murugan, Ghosh’s Western parody opens in rural South India, where a town of peaceful vegetarians has been overrun by the infamous Rice-Plate Reddy and his gang of meat-eating bandits. The gunslinging vegetarian Murugan, a sworn protector of cows, comes to the rescue but meets a dastardly fate, only to be reincarnated in present-day Mumbai to foil Reddy’s plans for world domination through the carnivore-loving McDosa restaurant chain. In Tamil, English; English subtitles. 97 min.
New York premiere.
Wednesday, June 17
4:00 Children of the Pyre/A Mango Tree in the Front Yard. (See Saturday, June 13, 4:00.)
6:30 Jodhaa Akbar. 2007. India. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Screenplay by Gowariker, Haidar Ali. With Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Narrated by Amitabh Bachchan.
From the writer-director of the crossover hit Langaan comes this epic of Cecil B. DeMille proportions, one of the most expensive and lavish Bollywood blockbusters ever made. In scenes that alternate between bloodshed, courtly intrigue, bodice heaving, and song and dance, Gowariker’s sixteenth-century historical romance traces the courtship between a reformist-minded Muslim emperor and a feisty Rajput princess. No less exceptional are the cast of a thousand elephants, the exotic landscapes of Rajasthan and northern India, Neeta Lulla’s sumptuous costuming, a rousing score by Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), and the stentorian voice of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. Jodhaa Akbar truly must be seen to be believed. 213 min.
Thursday, June 18
4:00 Supermen of Malegaon. (See Sunday, June 14, 5:30.)
7:00 Quick Gun Murugan. (See Monday, June 15, 8:00.)
http://press.moma.org/images/press/NewIndia/NewIndia_Release_FINAL.pdf
Tripura film at travels to US, Europe and Oz festivals
2009-06-11 [19:34:47 hrs]
A film from Tripura 'Yarwng' (Roots), which was recently described by the New York Times as "a rare glimpse into tribal India", will be premiered tomorrow in New York, it's director Joseph Pulinthanath said today.
The 95-minute Kokborok (Tripura's tribal language) film is also scheduled to be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July besides being screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York tomorrow, he said.
"That a Kokborok film has been selected for overseas premiere at prestigious film events in the US, Europe and Australia is ample evidence that good cinema transcends the barriers of culture and language," Pulinthanath said.
'Yarwng', released here in September, focuses on the large-scale displacement of indigenous people in the 1970s when inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
"It is a matter of satisfaction that an issue of great importance to the people of the state will be highlighted in these three continents," the director said.
The film has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the IFFI in Goa. It also picked up a special jury mention award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
http://www.taratv.com/entertainment.php?task=full&newsid=4862
Tripura film at American, Europe and Australian festivals
Thursday, June 11, 2009 : 1500 Hrs
Agartala (PTI): Tripura film 'Yarwng' (Roots) will have its North American premiere tomorrow at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, it's director Joseph Pulinthanath said on Thursday.
The 95-minute Kokborok feature film is also scheduled to have its European premiere in Stuttgart and the Australian premiere in Brisbane in July, he said adding the New York Times recently called it "a rare glimpse into tribal India".
The overseas premiere is significant as this is the first time a film made in Kokborok, Tripura's tribal language, is being screened and discussed at important film events in the United States, Europe and Australia.
'Yarwng', released here in September, takes a humanistic look at the large-scale displacement of indigenous people that took place in Tripura in the 1970s when the inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
'Yarwng' has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the last edition of IFFI in Goa where it was the inaugural film of the Indian panorama category. It also picked up a special jury mention award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/009200906111522.htm
Agartala (PTI): Tripura film 'Yarwng' (Roots) will have its North American premiere tomorrow at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, it's director Joseph Pulinthanath said on Thursday.
The 95-minute Kokborok feature film is also scheduled to have its European premiere in Stuttgart and the Australian premiere in Brisbane in July, he said adding the New York Times recently called it "a rare glimpse into tribal India".
The overseas premiere is significant as this is the first time a film made in Kokborok, Tripura's tribal language, is being screened and discussed at important film events in the United States, Europe and Australia.
'Yarwng', released here in September, takes a humanistic look at the large-scale displacement of indigenous people that took place in Tripura in the 1970s when the inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
'Yarwng' has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the last edition of IFFI in Goa where it was the inaugural film of the Indian panorama category. It also picked up a special jury mention award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/009200906111522.htm
Tripura film at US, Europe and Oz festivals
Thursday, June 11, 2009 : 1415 Hrs
Agartala(PTI): A film from Tripura 'Yarwng' (Roots), which was recently described by the New York Times as "a rare glimpse into tribal India", will be premiered on Friday in New York, its director Joseph Pulinthanath said.
The 95-minute Kokborok (Tripura's tribal language) film is also scheduled to be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July besides being screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on Friday, he said.
"That a Kokborok film has been selected for overseas premiere at prestigious film events in the US, Europe and Australia is ample evidence that good cinema transcends the barriers of culture and language," Pulinthanath said.
'Yarwng', released here in September, focuses on the large-scale displacement of indigenous people in the 1970s when inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
"It is a matter of satisfaction that an issue of great importance to the people of the state will be highlighted in these three continents," the director said.
The film has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the IFFI in Goa. It also picked up a special jury mention award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200906111401.htm
Agartala(PTI): A film from Tripura 'Yarwng' (Roots), which was recently described by the New York Times as "a rare glimpse into tribal India", will be premiered on Friday in New York, its director Joseph Pulinthanath said.
The 95-minute Kokborok (Tripura's tribal language) film is also scheduled to be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July besides being screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on Friday, he said.
"That a Kokborok film has been selected for overseas premiere at prestigious film events in the US, Europe and Australia is ample evidence that good cinema transcends the barriers of culture and language," Pulinthanath said.
'Yarwng', released here in September, focuses on the large-scale displacement of indigenous people in the 1970s when inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
"It is a matter of satisfaction that an issue of great importance to the people of the state will be highlighted in these three continents," the director said.
The film has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the IFFI in Goa. It also picked up a special jury mention award at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200906111401.htm
Tripura film at American, Europe and Australian festivals
PTI
Thursday, June 11, 2009 14:58 IST
Agartala: Tripura film 'Yarwng' (Roots) will have its North American premiere tomorrow at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, it's director Joseph Pulinthanath said on Thursday.
The 95-minute Kokborok feature film is also scheduled to have its European premiere in Stuttgart and the Australian premiere in Brisbane in July, he said adding the New York Times recently called it "a rare glimpse into tribal India".
The overseas premiere is significant as this is the first time a film made in Kokborok, Tripura's tribal language, is being screened and discussed at important film events in the United States, Europe and Australia.
'Yarwng', released here inSeptember, takes a humanistic look at the large-scale displacement of indigenous people that took place in Tripura in the 1970s when the inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
'Yarwng' has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the last edition of IFFI in Goa where it was the inaugural film of the Indian panorama category. It also picked up a special jury mention awardat the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
"That a Kokborok film has been selected into presitigious festivals in the United States, Europe and Australia is ample evidence to the power of good cinema to transcend barriers of culture and language", Joseph Pulinthanath said.
"It is a matter of satisfaction that a film from our state and an issue of great importance to the people of the state will be highlighted in these three continents", he added.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1263957
Thursday, June 11, 2009 14:58 IST
Agartala: Tripura film 'Yarwng' (Roots) will have its North American premiere tomorrow at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, it's director Joseph Pulinthanath said on Thursday.
The 95-minute Kokborok feature film is also scheduled to have its European premiere in Stuttgart and the Australian premiere in Brisbane in July, he said adding the New York Times recently called it "a rare glimpse into tribal India".
The overseas premiere is significant as this is the first time a film made in Kokborok, Tripura's tribal language, is being screened and discussed at important film events in the United States, Europe and Australia.
'Yarwng', released here inSeptember, takes a humanistic look at the large-scale displacement of indigenous people that took place in Tripura in the 1970s when the inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
'Yarwng' has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the last edition of IFFI in Goa where it was the inaugural film of the Indian panorama category. It also picked up a special jury mention awardat the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.
"That a Kokborok film has been selected into presitigious festivals in the United States, Europe and Australia is ample evidence to the power of good cinema to transcend barriers of culture and language", Joseph Pulinthanath said.
"It is a matter of satisfaction that a film from our state and an issue of great importance to the people of the state will be highlighted in these three continents", he added.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1263957
Movie by Indian priest to be premiered in New York
By: Rahul Benjamin
Thursday, 11 June 2009, 16:19 (IST)
A heart-rending story on the tribal inhabitants of Tripura - directed by an Indian priest - will be premiered in New York tomorrow.
Described as a "a rare glimpse into tribal India" by the New York Times, the movie titled 'Yarwng' (Roots), will be premiered in New York's Museum of Modern Art, according to the director Father Joseph Pulinthanath
The Kokborok (Tripura's tribal language) movie will also be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July.
The 95-minute film with English subtitles is based on real experiences of displaced people.
Released in September, the film, which is said to be doing well, has already been to 20 international film festivals within India.
The story features the life of displaced tribal inhabitants of Tripura whose life is threatened by a newly constructed dam that uproots the village.
The movie has already bagged the Special Jury Mention Award at the 7th Asian Film Festival 2008 in Mumbai.
http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/movie-by-indian-priest-to-be-premiered-in-new-york/4013.htm
Thursday, 11 June 2009, 16:19 (IST)
A heart-rending story on the tribal inhabitants of Tripura - directed by an Indian priest - will be premiered in New York tomorrow.
Described as a "a rare glimpse into tribal India" by the New York Times, the movie titled 'Yarwng' (Roots), will be premiered in New York's Museum of Modern Art, according to the director Father Joseph Pulinthanath
The Kokborok (Tripura's tribal language) movie will also be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July.
The 95-minute film with English subtitles is based on real experiences of displaced people.
Released in September, the film, which is said to be doing well, has already been to 20 international film festivals within India.
The story features the life of displaced tribal inhabitants of Tripura whose life is threatened by a newly constructed dam that uproots the village.
The movie has already bagged the Special Jury Mention Award at the 7th Asian Film Festival 2008 in Mumbai.
http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/movie-by-indian-priest-to-be-premiered-in-new-york/4013.htm
Tripuri movie ‘Yarwng’ premier in New York
A heart-rending story on the tribal inhabitants of Tripura – directed by an Indian priest – will be premiered in New York tomorrow.
Described as a “a rare glimpse into tribal India” by the New York Times, the movie titled ‘Yarwng’ (Roots), will be premiered in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, according to the director Father Joseph Pulinthanath
The Kokborok (Tripura’s tribal language) movie will also be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July.
http://samaw.com/tripuri-movie-yarwng-premier-in-new-york/1371
Described as a “a rare glimpse into tribal India” by the New York Times, the movie titled ‘Yarwng’ (Roots), will be premiered in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, according to the director Father Joseph Pulinthanath
The Kokborok (Tripura’s tribal language) movie will also be premiered at Stuttgart in Europe and at Brisbane in Australia in July.
http://samaw.com/tripuri-movie-yarwng-premier-in-new-york/1371
Salesian’s Movie Hits International Film Festivals
ICNS
KOCHI, December 15, (ICNS): A movie that a Salesian priest made has been applauded as one of the best movies made on the displaced people, particularly tribals, in India.Father Joseph Pulinthanath movie Yarwng (roots) is selected for the 13 International Film Festival of Kerala. It is one of the five movies listed for screening under the “Indian Movie Today” section. The festival runs Dec. 12 to 19.
The movie was also screened the recently concluded International Film Festival of India in Panaji, Goa. Minister for information and external affairs Anand Sharma lauded the Salesian’s movie as "the best film of India" while opening the Goa festival.
The minister lauded the 95-minite movie’s social commitment and said it was “best film” on the life of displaced tribal people in northeast India's Tripura state. Made in the tribal Kokborok language with English subtitles the moive is based on the life of people without adequate compensation because of developemental projects.
An estimated 60,000 tribal people in 12,000 families were displaced in 1976 when a hydropower project was completed across the Gomati River in Tripura. It submerged 46.34 square kilometers, most of the arable land in the valley of the otherwise hilly state. The government compensated only 2,560 families.
Father Pulinthanath explained that his film takes a sympathetic look at the uprooted people. The displacement that occurred more than 30 years ago moved him, he said, because the issue remains so widespread and universal.
The priest added that when the movie was released on Sept. 4 in Tripura, two state ministers praised it as an attempt by the Catholic Church to promote indigenous culture and language. According to Salesian Father Kizhakkechenndu J. Joseph, the film's producer, the movie indirectly promotes the Kokborok language. Hindu fanatics have been accusing the Church of destroying local culture, but the movie is a solid case of promoting it.
The film was shot in less than a month but two more months were needed to finish production. Father Joseph also noted that about half the total cost -- 2.7 million rupees (US$54,000) -- was from international Catholic entities, and the rest was raised locally. "People lent us money," he said. "They wanted the movie to see its day. It took four years to collect sufficient funds."
Besides money, physical risks were also a concern, he continued, because the 60-member crew filmed on location, four hours into the jungle. "We have been faithful to the lifestyle of the people and managed with the bare minimum."
http://www.morungexpress.com/regional/9821.html
KOCHI, December 15, (ICNS): A movie that a Salesian priest made has been applauded as one of the best movies made on the displaced people, particularly tribals, in India.Father Joseph Pulinthanath movie Yarwng (roots) is selected for the 13 International Film Festival of Kerala. It is one of the five movies listed for screening under the “Indian Movie Today” section. The festival runs Dec. 12 to 19.
The movie was also screened the recently concluded International Film Festival of India in Panaji, Goa. Minister for information and external affairs Anand Sharma lauded the Salesian’s movie as "the best film of India" while opening the Goa festival.
The minister lauded the 95-minite movie’s social commitment and said it was “best film” on the life of displaced tribal people in northeast India's Tripura state. Made in the tribal Kokborok language with English subtitles the moive is based on the life of people without adequate compensation because of developemental projects.
An estimated 60,000 tribal people in 12,000 families were displaced in 1976 when a hydropower project was completed across the Gomati River in Tripura. It submerged 46.34 square kilometers, most of the arable land in the valley of the otherwise hilly state. The government compensated only 2,560 families.
Father Pulinthanath explained that his film takes a sympathetic look at the uprooted people. The displacement that occurred more than 30 years ago moved him, he said, because the issue remains so widespread and universal.
The priest added that when the movie was released on Sept. 4 in Tripura, two state ministers praised it as an attempt by the Catholic Church to promote indigenous culture and language. According to Salesian Father Kizhakkechenndu J. Joseph, the film's producer, the movie indirectly promotes the Kokborok language. Hindu fanatics have been accusing the Church of destroying local culture, but the movie is a solid case of promoting it.
The film was shot in less than a month but two more months were needed to finish production. Father Joseph also noted that about half the total cost -- 2.7 million rupees (US$54,000) -- was from international Catholic entities, and the rest was raised locally. "People lent us money," he said. "They wanted the movie to see its day. It took four years to collect sufficient funds."
Besides money, physical risks were also a concern, he continued, because the 60-member crew filmed on location, four hours into the jungle. "We have been faithful to the lifestyle of the people and managed with the bare minimum."
http://www.morungexpress.com/regional/9821.html
Australian premiere for 'YARWNG' (Roots)
Julian Fox
TRIPURA (NE India): 8th June 2009 -- Salesian and already world-renowned film director Fr Joseph Pulinthanath, can now add the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF), to be held in that city from 30th July to 9th August 2009, to an impressive list of international premieres for a film that has been variously described as 'a rare specimen of the power of the cinema' (Film critic, Kolkata), 'a rare glimpse into tribal India' (New York Times).
Fr Joseph writes, modestly: "The film has been doing well. It has already been to 20 international film festivals within India, including the IFF in Goa, where it was the inaugural film for the India Panorama section....At the Asian Festival in Mumbai it picked up a Special Jury mention with an Israeli film".
But the real breakthrough has been its acceptance outside of India. The North Amercian premiere will be in a week's time in New York, at the Museum of Modern Art. A month later the film will premiere in Stuttgart at the 'Bollywood and Beyond' festival. This will be its European premiere.
Yarwng, released in September 2008, is produced by Sampari Pictures Tripura, a film production concern of the Salesians registered with the Eastern India Motion Picture Association. It is the second full length film from Sampari Pictures, the first being Mathia (The Bangle) in 2004. Yarwng is a 95 minute film made in the tribal language of Tripura called Kokborok, and has English subtitles. It is only the third film to be made in Kokborok, a tribal language whose script has not even yet been finalised.
The film tells the story of development-induced displacement of tribal peoples and is based on historical facts. It is not, for all this, a documentary.
The film is financed by SIGNIS, Missio and the Salesian Society.
austraLasia #2435
TRIPURA (NE India): 8th June 2009 -- Salesian and already world-renowned film director Fr Joseph Pulinthanath, can now add the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF), to be held in that city from 30th July to 9th August 2009, to an impressive list of international premieres for a film that has been variously described as 'a rare specimen of the power of the cinema' (Film critic, Kolkata), 'a rare glimpse into tribal India' (New York Times).
Fr Joseph writes, modestly: "The film has been doing well. It has already been to 20 international film festivals within India, including the IFF in Goa, where it was the inaugural film for the India Panorama section....At the Asian Festival in Mumbai it picked up a Special Jury mention with an Israeli film".
But the real breakthrough has been its acceptance outside of India. The North Amercian premiere will be in a week's time in New York, at the Museum of Modern Art. A month later the film will premiere in Stuttgart at the 'Bollywood and Beyond' festival. This will be its European premiere.
Yarwng, released in September 2008, is produced by Sampari Pictures Tripura, a film production concern of the Salesians registered with the Eastern India Motion Picture Association. It is the second full length film from Sampari Pictures, the first being Mathia (The Bangle) in 2004. Yarwng is a 95 minute film made in the tribal language of Tripura called Kokborok, and has English subtitles. It is only the third film to be made in Kokborok, a tribal language whose script has not even yet been finalised.
The film tells the story of development-induced displacement of tribal peoples and is based on historical facts. It is not, for all this, a documentary.
The film is financed by SIGNIS, Missio and the Salesian Society.
austraLasia #2435
SALESIAN FILM SPOTLIGHTS INDIA'S DISPLACED TRIBES
AGARTALA, India, JUNE 8, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A film that has been called a "rare glimpse into tribal India" is continuing to premiere around the world, with New York's Museum of Modern Art being its next stop this Friday.
Salesian Father Joseph Pulinthanath is the director of "Yarwng," (Roots). The film focuses on India's tribal inhabitants and the indigenous Kokborok language, revolving around the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura, when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged vast regions of arable land in the Raima Valley in the late 1970s.
Yarwng has already been in 20 international film festivals within India. In addition to the New York premiere, the film will hit Australia and Europe in July.
"Yarwng," released in September 2008, is a 95-minute film made in the tribal language Kokborok, with English subtitles.
Father Pulinthanath's first film, "Mathia" (The Bangle), was about the practice of witch hunts, still prevalent in Tripura.
http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-26126
Indian Panorama
By Utpal Borpujari
New Delhi, Oct 24: Marathi cinema has scored it big in the Indian Panorama for the forthcoming International Film Festival of India in Goa, with Ramesh Laxman More’s Mahasatta selected to represent India in the IFFI Competition and Pushkaraj Paranjape’s Dohaa and Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni’s Valu nominated for the prestigious section.
Comedy king Priyadarshan’s serious look the weaving industry people of Tamil Nadu – Kanjivaram – will be the other Indian representation in the competition.
The Indian Panorama will open with Yarwng, a film by Joseph Pulinthanath in the Kokborok language spoken by tribals in Tripura, a language in which films are rarely made since it is spoken by a small community that more or less does not have access to cinema theatres.
The seven-member jury for feature films, headed by Telugu director K N T Sastry, has recommended 25 films to the Panorama after going through 104 entries.
Incidentally, five films in the Panorama – A Wednesday by Neeraj Pandey, Jodha Akbar by Ashutosh Gowariker, Taare Zameen Par by Aamir Khan, Valu by Kulkarni And Billa (Tamil) By Vishnu Vardhan – have been selected out of 11 shortlisted separately by the Film Federation of India (FFI) to represent mainstream cinema in lieu of the now-discontinued Mainstream section.
But it is Malaylam cinema that has struck it rich as usual, with seven films in the language getting selected: Vilapangalkkappuram (T V Chandran), Gulmohar (Jayaraj), Atayalangal (M G Sasi), Oru Pennum Randaanum (Adoor Gopalakrishnan), Aakashagopuram (P Sukumaran), Katha Parayumpol (Mohanan) and Pulijanmam (Priyanandan, as the winner of the best film in National Awards).
Three Tamil films – Kalloori (Balaji Sakthivel), Kanachivaram (Priyadarshan) and Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai (Krishna Seshadri Gomatam) – and an equal number of Kannada films – Gulabi Talkies (Girish Kasarvalli), Banada Neralu (Umashankara Swamy) and Gubbachigalu (Abhaya Simha) – have been selected.
Noted scriptwriter Sooni Taraporevala’s debut directorial venture Little Zizou (English/Gujarati), Suman Mukhopadhyay’s Chaturanga (Bengali), M Maniram’s Mon Jai (Assamese), V Eshwar Reddy’s Mee Sreyobhilashi and Suhail Tatari’s Summer 2007 are the other selections.
The jury for the Non-Feature Films, headed by Anjan Bose, has recommended 20 films out of 82 entries, including Umesh Kulkarni’s Three of Us.
http://utpalborpujari.wordpress.com/tag/indian-panorama/
New Delhi, Oct 24: Marathi cinema has scored it big in the Indian Panorama for the forthcoming International Film Festival of India in Goa, with Ramesh Laxman More’s Mahasatta selected to represent India in the IFFI Competition and Pushkaraj Paranjape’s Dohaa and Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni’s Valu nominated for the prestigious section.
Comedy king Priyadarshan’s serious look the weaving industry people of Tamil Nadu – Kanjivaram – will be the other Indian representation in the competition.
The Indian Panorama will open with Yarwng, a film by Joseph Pulinthanath in the Kokborok language spoken by tribals in Tripura, a language in which films are rarely made since it is spoken by a small community that more or less does not have access to cinema theatres.
The seven-member jury for feature films, headed by Telugu director K N T Sastry, has recommended 25 films to the Panorama after going through 104 entries.
Incidentally, five films in the Panorama – A Wednesday by Neeraj Pandey, Jodha Akbar by Ashutosh Gowariker, Taare Zameen Par by Aamir Khan, Valu by Kulkarni And Billa (Tamil) By Vishnu Vardhan – have been selected out of 11 shortlisted separately by the Film Federation of India (FFI) to represent mainstream cinema in lieu of the now-discontinued Mainstream section.
But it is Malaylam cinema that has struck it rich as usual, with seven films in the language getting selected: Vilapangalkkappuram (T V Chandran), Gulmohar (Jayaraj), Atayalangal (M G Sasi), Oru Pennum Randaanum (Adoor Gopalakrishnan), Aakashagopuram (P Sukumaran), Katha Parayumpol (Mohanan) and Pulijanmam (Priyanandan, as the winner of the best film in National Awards).
Three Tamil films – Kalloori (Balaji Sakthivel), Kanachivaram (Priyadarshan) and Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai (Krishna Seshadri Gomatam) – and an equal number of Kannada films – Gulabi Talkies (Girish Kasarvalli), Banada Neralu (Umashankara Swamy) and Gubbachigalu (Abhaya Simha) – have been selected.
Noted scriptwriter Sooni Taraporevala’s debut directorial venture Little Zizou (English/Gujarati), Suman Mukhopadhyay’s Chaturanga (Bengali), M Maniram’s Mon Jai (Assamese), V Eshwar Reddy’s Mee Sreyobhilashi and Suhail Tatari’s Summer 2007 are the other selections.
The jury for the Non-Feature Films, headed by Anjan Bose, has recommended 20 films out of 82 entries, including Umesh Kulkarni’s Three of Us.
http://utpalborpujari.wordpress.com/tag/indian-panorama/
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008: Indian Panorama
October 24, 2008
utpalb21 @ 5:51 pm
Please Note: In the Feature list, No. 21 onwards form a ‘mainstream window’, introduced from this year. these films are selected from among a shortlist of 11 proposed by the Film Federation of India.
The seven member Jury for Feature Films, headed by Shri K. N. T. Sastry, has recommended 25 films in all after screening 104 films. The films selected are:
S. No. TITLE LANGUAGE DIRECTOR
1. YARWNG KOKBOROK JOSEPH PULINTHANATH
2. SUMMER 2007 HINDI SUHAIL TATARI
3. VILAPANGALKKAPPURAM MALAYALAM T.V. CHANDRAN
4. GULMOHAR MALAYALAM JAYARAJ
5. KALLOORI TAMIL BALAJI SAKTHIVEL
6. KANACHIVARAM TAMIL S. PRIYADARSHAN
7. DOHAA MARATHI PUSHKARAJ PARANJAPE
8. GULABI TALKIES KANNADA GIRISH KASARVALLI
9. ATAYALANGAL MALAYALAM M G SASI
10. BANADA NERALU KANNADA UMASHANKARA SWAMY
11. LITTLE ZIZOU ENGLISH/GUJRATIHINDI SOONI TARAPOREVALA
12. CHATURANGA BENGALI SUMAN MUKHOPADHYAY
13. MAHASATTA MARATHI RAMESH LAXMAN MORE
14. ORU PENNUM RANDAANUM MALAYALAM ADOOR GOPALAKRI SHNAN
15. MUDHAL MUDHAL MUDHAL VARAI TAMIL KRISHNA SESHADRI GOMATAM
16. AAKASHAGOPURAM MALAYALAM MANU S. KUMARAN
17. GUBBACHIGALU KANNADA ABHAYA SIMHA
18. MON JAI ASSAMESE M.MANIRAM
19. MEE SREYOBHILASHI TELUGU V.ESHWAR REDDY
20. KATHA PARAYUMPOL MALAYALAM MOHANAN
21. A WEDNESDAY HINDI NEERAJ PANDEY
22. JODHA AKBAR HINDI ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER
23. TAARE ZAMEEN PAR HINDI AAMIR KHAN
24. VALU MARATHI UMESH VINAYAK KULKARNI
25. BILLA TAMIL VISHNU VARDHAN
‘Pulijanmam’ (Malayalam), the winner of Best Feature Film awards during 54th National Film Awards gets automatic entry into Indian Panorama in addition to the above films. The Jury has recommended ‘Yarwing’ a film in Kokborok language of Tripura as the inaugural film for Indian Panorama. ‘Kanachivaram’ (Tamil) and ‘Mahasatta’ (Marathi) have been recommended for the Competition Section of International Film Festival of India-2008.
The Jury for Non-Feature Films has recommended 20 films out of 82 entries. The selected films in the Non-Feature Film category of Indian Panorama are:
S. No TITLE LANGUAGE DIRECTOR
1. THE SHOP THAT SOLD EVERYTHING BENGALI ABHYUDAY KHAITAN
2. DHIN TAK DHA HINDI SHRADDHA PASI
3. THREE OF US MUSIC ONLY UMESH KULKARNI
4. VELLAPPOKKATHIL MALAYALAM JAYARAJ
5. PUTTI KANNADA JACOB VARGHESE
6. PARWAAZ URDU BIJU VISHWANATH
7. YEARN TO LEARN BENGALI S.K. ABOUL RAJJAK
8. A FRIEND TURNED FOE ENGLISH GAUTAM SAIKIA
9. DISTANT RUMBLINGS ENGLISH BANI PRAKASH DAS
10. DIVIDED COLOURS OF A NATION ENGLISH UMESH AGGARWAL
11. FOUR WOMEN AND A ROOM ENGLISH AMBARIEN AL QADAR
12. THE JOURNALIST AND THE JIHADI ENGLISH RAMESH SHARMA
13. THE LAND OF RUPSHUPAS ENGLISH A.K. SIDHPURI
14. APNA ALOO BAZAAR BECHA HINDI PANKAJ H. GUPTA
15. CHILDREN OF THE PYRE HINDI RAJESH S.JALA
16. ANTARDHWANI HINDI JABBAR PATEL
17. REMEMBERING BIMAL ROY HiNDI, BENGALI, EngLISH JOY BIMAL ROY
18. MEMORIES,MOVEMENT AND A MACHINE MALYALAM K.R. MANOJ
19. RATAN THIYAM THE MAN OF THEATRE MANIPURI NIRMALA CHANU & OKEN AMAKCHAM
20. REHANA: A QUEST FOR FREEDOM ENGLISH GARGI SEN & PRIYaNKA MUKHERJEE
‘Bishar Blues’ (Bengali), also enters the Non-Feature Film segment of Indian Panorama by virtue of being the Best Non-Feature film of 54th National Film Awards. The five member Non-Feature Film Jury was headed by Shri Anjan Bose.
Story carried in Sakaal Times, www.sakaaltimes.com, 25-10-2008:
utpalb21 @ 5:51 pm
Please Note: In the Feature list, No. 21 onwards form a ‘mainstream window’, introduced from this year. these films are selected from among a shortlist of 11 proposed by the Film Federation of India.
The seven member Jury for Feature Films, headed by Shri K. N. T. Sastry, has recommended 25 films in all after screening 104 films. The films selected are:
S. No. TITLE LANGUAGE DIRECTOR
1. YARWNG KOKBOROK JOSEPH PULINTHANATH
2. SUMMER 2007 HINDI SUHAIL TATARI
3. VILAPANGALKKAPPURAM MALAYALAM T.V. CHANDRAN
4. GULMOHAR MALAYALAM JAYARAJ
5. KALLOORI TAMIL BALAJI SAKTHIVEL
6. KANACHIVARAM TAMIL S. PRIYADARSHAN
7. DOHAA MARATHI PUSHKARAJ PARANJAPE
8. GULABI TALKIES KANNADA GIRISH KASARVALLI
9. ATAYALANGAL MALAYALAM M G SASI
10. BANADA NERALU KANNADA UMASHANKARA SWAMY
11. LITTLE ZIZOU ENGLISH/GUJRATIHINDI SOONI TARAPOREVALA
12. CHATURANGA BENGALI SUMAN MUKHOPADHYAY
13. MAHASATTA MARATHI RAMESH LAXMAN MORE
14. ORU PENNUM RANDAANUM MALAYALAM ADOOR GOPALAKRI SHNAN
15. MUDHAL MUDHAL MUDHAL VARAI TAMIL KRISHNA SESHADRI GOMATAM
16. AAKASHAGOPURAM MALAYALAM MANU S. KUMARAN
17. GUBBACHIGALU KANNADA ABHAYA SIMHA
18. MON JAI ASSAMESE M.MANIRAM
19. MEE SREYOBHILASHI TELUGU V.ESHWAR REDDY
20. KATHA PARAYUMPOL MALAYALAM MOHANAN
21. A WEDNESDAY HINDI NEERAJ PANDEY
22. JODHA AKBAR HINDI ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER
23. TAARE ZAMEEN PAR HINDI AAMIR KHAN
24. VALU MARATHI UMESH VINAYAK KULKARNI
25. BILLA TAMIL VISHNU VARDHAN
‘Pulijanmam’ (Malayalam), the winner of Best Feature Film awards during 54th National Film Awards gets automatic entry into Indian Panorama in addition to the above films. The Jury has recommended ‘Yarwing’ a film in Kokborok language of Tripura as the inaugural film for Indian Panorama. ‘Kanachivaram’ (Tamil) and ‘Mahasatta’ (Marathi) have been recommended for the Competition Section of International Film Festival of India-2008.
The Jury for Non-Feature Films has recommended 20 films out of 82 entries. The selected films in the Non-Feature Film category of Indian Panorama are:
S. No TITLE LANGUAGE DIRECTOR
1. THE SHOP THAT SOLD EVERYTHING BENGALI ABHYUDAY KHAITAN
2. DHIN TAK DHA HINDI SHRADDHA PASI
3. THREE OF US MUSIC ONLY UMESH KULKARNI
4. VELLAPPOKKATHIL MALAYALAM JAYARAJ
5. PUTTI KANNADA JACOB VARGHESE
6. PARWAAZ URDU BIJU VISHWANATH
7. YEARN TO LEARN BENGALI S.K. ABOUL RAJJAK
8. A FRIEND TURNED FOE ENGLISH GAUTAM SAIKIA
9. DISTANT RUMBLINGS ENGLISH BANI PRAKASH DAS
10. DIVIDED COLOURS OF A NATION ENGLISH UMESH AGGARWAL
11. FOUR WOMEN AND A ROOM ENGLISH AMBARIEN AL QADAR
12. THE JOURNALIST AND THE JIHADI ENGLISH RAMESH SHARMA
13. THE LAND OF RUPSHUPAS ENGLISH A.K. SIDHPURI
14. APNA ALOO BAZAAR BECHA HINDI PANKAJ H. GUPTA
15. CHILDREN OF THE PYRE HINDI RAJESH S.JALA
16. ANTARDHWANI HINDI JABBAR PATEL
17. REMEMBERING BIMAL ROY HiNDI, BENGALI, EngLISH JOY BIMAL ROY
18. MEMORIES,MOVEMENT AND A MACHINE MALYALAM K.R. MANOJ
19. RATAN THIYAM THE MAN OF THEATRE MANIPURI NIRMALA CHANU & OKEN AMAKCHAM
20. REHANA: A QUEST FOR FREEDOM ENGLISH GARGI SEN & PRIYaNKA MUKHERJEE
‘Bishar Blues’ (Bengali), also enters the Non-Feature Film segment of Indian Panorama by virtue of being the Best Non-Feature film of 54th National Film Awards. The five member Non-Feature Film Jury was headed by Shri Anjan Bose.
Story carried in Sakaal Times, www.sakaaltimes.com, 25-10-2008:
Rich presence of Malayalam films and Malayalee directors in 39th IFFI
Friday, November 21, 2008
Twenty six feature films and 20 non-feature have been included in the Indian Panorama section of the 39th International Film Festival of India. Adoor Gopalakrishnan's 'Oru Pennum Randu Aanum' , K.P. Kumaran's 'Aakashagopuram' Jayaraj's 'Gulmohar', M. Mohan's 'Katha Parayumbol', T.V. Chandran's 'Vilapangalkappuram', , M.G. Sasi's 'Adayalangal', and Priyanandanan's 'Pulijanmam' are the Malayalam films selected for the Indian panorama .'Pulijanmam', the winner of best feature film at the 54th National Film Awards, has been given an automatic entry. Malayalee director Priyadarshan's Tamil film 'Kanchivaram' and Kokoborok (Manipuri) film Yarwng directed by Joseph Pulinthanath –another malayalee director- have been selected for this section. 'Kanchivaram' is also included in the competition and Yarwng as the opening film of the Indian Panorama. Two Malayalam documentaries, namely K.R. Manoj's Memories, Movement and a Machine and Jayaraj's Vellapokkathil have also been included in the non-feature film category ,making malayalee directors number to eleven.
http://blog.meerasahib.com/2008/11/rich-presence-of-malayalam-films-and.html
Twenty six feature films and 20 non-feature have been included in the Indian Panorama section of the 39th International Film Festival of India. Adoor Gopalakrishnan's 'Oru Pennum Randu Aanum' , K.P. Kumaran's 'Aakashagopuram' Jayaraj's 'Gulmohar', M. Mohan's 'Katha Parayumbol', T.V. Chandran's 'Vilapangalkappuram', , M.G. Sasi's 'Adayalangal', and Priyanandanan's 'Pulijanmam' are the Malayalam films selected for the Indian panorama .'Pulijanmam', the winner of best feature film at the 54th National Film Awards, has been given an automatic entry. Malayalee director Priyadarshan's Tamil film 'Kanchivaram' and Kokoborok (Manipuri) film Yarwng directed by Joseph Pulinthanath –another malayalee director- have been selected for this section. 'Kanchivaram' is also included in the competition and Yarwng as the opening film of the Indian Panorama. Two Malayalam documentaries, namely K.R. Manoj's Memories, Movement and a Machine and Jayaraj's Vellapokkathil have also been included in the non-feature film category ,making malayalee directors number to eleven.
http://blog.meerasahib.com/2008/11/rich-presence-of-malayalam-films-and.html
The Indian Panorama section at IFFI kicked off with two unusual but exciting choice of films
reports Sandhya Iyer from the buzzing venue
T he Indian Panorama section of IFFI that is set to be one of the highlights of the festival was inaugurated on Sunday by Anand Sharma, union minister of state (I&B) and external affairs. And if the selection of films is anything to go by, it promises to offer a truly 'panoramic' view of Indian cinema.
The jury for the selection of the films comprised filmmaker Chitra Palekar and journalist Namrata Joshi among others who went through a grueling 18 days of screening 105 films in the feature film category and another 85 films in the non-feature section of Indian cinema. It took such intense screening to come up with 47 top class films.
And in keeping with this multilingual, multicultural spirit of the festival, the segment opened with Joseph Pulinthanath's film from Tripura called Yarwng in the lesserknown Kokborok language. The officials pointed out that the selection of the film was deliberate as it was to reiterate the point that Indian cinema does not comprise of only films made in Mumbai. Anand Sharma too was delighted about the selection of a film from Tripura and expressed, "I have been to almost every district in the country but I never knew that a language like Kokborok exists." And in a State that hardly produces any films, Joseph Pulinthanath's achievement is truly commendable. Another reason why the film found a place in the Indian Panorama section was because of its social relevance. Yarwng deals with the issue of tribal displacement, an issue that continues to resonate. Talking at the screening of the film, Pulinthanath said passionately, "The film talks about a reallife incident in the 70s where over 60000 tribals around the Tripura region were displaced. Many of them continue to be refugees with no home to call their own. This film is a plea and protest on behalf of all those displaced people floating in the sea of life."
The film itself was made under very trying circumstances, with most of the crew having to be brought from Kerala. "It was harrowing yet an enriching experience. We're happy we could take up an issue con cerning the marginalised section in the country," he added.
Anand Sharma, who has been an active participant in the festival so far, assured the filmmaker and audience present that this was one issue (tribal displacement in Tripura) that he would personally take up once he goes back to Delhi.
The other very interesting film in the non-feature film section was 16 MM - Memories, Movement And A Machine by K R Manoj that tracked the history and journey of film societies in Kerala. 16 MM has now been replaced by 35 MM and this transition to modern technology has also meant the end of a certain cinematic culture and all that it stood for. But most interesting is how the filmmaker captures the film society movement in Kerala and what led to its gradual decline. "16 MM is not more prevalent but hopefully, it will always stay in our archives and memory," said K R Manoj.
The other guest for the day was Tisca Chopra, who had come to represent Taare Zameen Par that is also a part of the Indian Panorama section. She said, "TZP is probably one of the few films to have straddled commercial and parallel cinema so well."
She informed that she had just returned after dubbing TZP in English for the Oscar jury.
To sum it up, Sharma expressed that he wished for our films would preserve their rich culture, so that future generations could inherit the proud legacy of Indian cinema.
http://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/ST/ST/2008/11/24/ArticleHtmls/24_11_2008_105_004.shtml
T he Indian Panorama section of IFFI that is set to be one of the highlights of the festival was inaugurated on Sunday by Anand Sharma, union minister of state (I&B) and external affairs. And if the selection of films is anything to go by, it promises to offer a truly 'panoramic' view of Indian cinema.
The jury for the selection of the films comprised filmmaker Chitra Palekar and journalist Namrata Joshi among others who went through a grueling 18 days of screening 105 films in the feature film category and another 85 films in the non-feature section of Indian cinema. It took such intense screening to come up with 47 top class films.
And in keeping with this multilingual, multicultural spirit of the festival, the segment opened with Joseph Pulinthanath's film from Tripura called Yarwng in the lesserknown Kokborok language. The officials pointed out that the selection of the film was deliberate as it was to reiterate the point that Indian cinema does not comprise of only films made in Mumbai. Anand Sharma too was delighted about the selection of a film from Tripura and expressed, "I have been to almost every district in the country but I never knew that a language like Kokborok exists." And in a State that hardly produces any films, Joseph Pulinthanath's achievement is truly commendable. Another reason why the film found a place in the Indian Panorama section was because of its social relevance. Yarwng deals with the issue of tribal displacement, an issue that continues to resonate. Talking at the screening of the film, Pulinthanath said passionately, "The film talks about a reallife incident in the 70s where over 60000 tribals around the Tripura region were displaced. Many of them continue to be refugees with no home to call their own. This film is a plea and protest on behalf of all those displaced people floating in the sea of life."
The film itself was made under very trying circumstances, with most of the crew having to be brought from Kerala. "It was harrowing yet an enriching experience. We're happy we could take up an issue con cerning the marginalised section in the country," he added.
Anand Sharma, who has been an active participant in the festival so far, assured the filmmaker and audience present that this was one issue (tribal displacement in Tripura) that he would personally take up once he goes back to Delhi.
The other very interesting film in the non-feature film section was 16 MM - Memories, Movement And A Machine by K R Manoj that tracked the history and journey of film societies in Kerala. 16 MM has now been replaced by 35 MM and this transition to modern technology has also meant the end of a certain cinematic culture and all that it stood for. But most interesting is how the filmmaker captures the film society movement in Kerala and what led to its gradual decline. "16 MM is not more prevalent but hopefully, it will always stay in our archives and memory," said K R Manoj.
The other guest for the day was Tisca Chopra, who had come to represent Taare Zameen Par that is also a part of the Indian Panorama section. She said, "TZP is probably one of the few films to have straddled commercial and parallel cinema so well."
She informed that she had just returned after dubbing TZP in English for the Oscar jury.
To sum it up, Sharma expressed that he wished for our films would preserve their rich culture, so that future generations could inherit the proud legacy of Indian cinema.
http://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/ST/ST/2008/11/24/ArticleHtmls/24_11_2008_105_004.shtml
MoMa to host New India film fest
Arthur J Pais
June 05, 2009 13:30 IST
Last Updated: June 05, 2009 17:14 IST
From Yes Madam, Sir, a riveting biography of Kiran Bedi [Images], one of India's most acclaimed public figures, to the Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinki, the selection of films at The New India film festival at the Museum of Modern Art includes the work of filmmakers from three continents, incorporating several small the Naseeruddin Shah-starrer A Wednesday, which were hits in Indian multiplexes but have not been seen on the big screen here.
The two-week, 16-film exhibition running June 5-18 presents features and shorts that have won acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival and other events, and includes eight New York premieres.
Providing star power at the event are Naseeruddin Shah [Images], Nandita Das [Images], Abhay Deol [Images], and Oscar-winning producer-director of Smile Pinki Megan Mylan.
The exhibition is being organised by Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art, and guest curator Uma da Cunha, who recently served as one of the jurors at Cannes [Images]. The festival is made possible by Marguerite and Kent Charugundla of the Tamarind Art Council.
The New India fest opens on June 5 with the New York premiere of Australian filmmaker Megan Doneman's fascinating look at Kiran Bedi, narrated by veteran British actress Helen Mirren [Images]. Doneman and Bedi will introduce the opening night-screening, as they had done at the Toronto International Film Festival last year where the film turned out to be one of the most popular of the more than 300 films.
As India's first woman to hold a senior position in the police force and as the acclaimed reformer of the notorious Tihar jail, Bedi received the 1994 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize [Images], for her three-decade fight against corruption, bureaucracy, and human rights violations.
Following the success of MoMA's India Now exhibition in 2007, The New India festival features three recent Bollywood films of different temperaments that were commercial and critical successes: Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar [Images], Dibakar Banerjee's black comedy Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! which will be introduced by its star Abhay Deol, and Luck by Chance [Images], the directorial debut of actor-director Farhan Akthar's sister Zoya that focuses on the unpredictable way stardom works in Bollywood.
'Further celebrating genre moviemaking with their New York premieres are Faiza Ahmad Kahn's infectiously charming documentary Supermen of Malegaon (2008), about the filming of a no-budget, Bollywood-inspired superhero movie in a textile village near Mumbai [Images], and Shashank Ghosh's Quick Gun Murugan (2008), a zany, outrageous 'curry Western' by a promising new talent from the wildly popular Tamil cinema,' organisers say.
Buddhadeb Dasgupta, whose films have won acclaim at festivals in Venice, Berlin and Toronto, is represented by his latest triumph, The Voyeurs. He describes the film as an ironic and poignant study of urban relationships and the concomitant anxiety and repressed desires.
The New India fest also explores some of the devastating problems afflicting India today, from child exploitation and AIDS to sectarian riots and tribal uprooting. Actress Nandita Das's poignant take on the Gujarat riots, Firaaq [Images], got her critical acclaim, but the film bombed at the box-office while igniting a partisan controversy in India. Though shown in New York last year, the film -- acclaimed at many festivals including TIFF -- will get another showing in New York at the MoMA event.
The curators point out that 'politically charged fiction' films include Chapour Haghighat's The Firm Land, about a village on the Indian Ocean that is threatened with a deadly disease. Haghighat will introduce the New York premiere on June 6, while Das will introduce Firaaq. Megan Mylan will introduce Smile Pinki on June 7.
The Reverend Joseph Pulinthanath's Roots, about the brutal upheaval of tribal peoples in northeast India, is also expected to raise a controversy. Rajesh S Jala's Children of the Pyre, winner of top prizes at the Montreal and S�o Paulo Film Festivals, is a portrait of seven Dalit boys who tend the largest open-air crematorium in Varanasi. Also featured in the festival is Sourav Sarangi's Bilal, about an eight-year-old boy who helps his blind parents survive the slums of Mumbai.
http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/jun/05/moma-to-host-new-india-film-fest.htm
Panorama showcases India’s diversity: Anand Sharma
Nov 24th, 2008 | By editor | Category: Viewers Talk
Panaji (PTI): The Indian Panorama section of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened with the screening of ‘Yarwng’, a feature film in Kokborok, a tribal
dialect in Tripura.
“Indian Panorama is an important aspect of IFFI which brings together filmmakers from different parts of the country. India is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual nation with
rich and diverse culture. The Panorama highlights this uniqueness and conveys it to the world,” said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and External Affairs,
Anand Sharma inaugrating the Indian Panorama section.
He added that having traveled the length and breadth of the country for the last several years, he was unaware that the Kokborok language existed.
Sharma said that filmmakers express themselves through their work and the richness of Indian culture which is preserved for the future generations to inherit.
Advanced technology has resulted in people losing their connection with the language, folklore, classical music, he rued, adding, “It is important for us to remain rooted and
connected.”
The film’s director Joseph Plinthanath said ‘Yarwng’ spoke about the displacement of people in the late 70s in Tripura when a hydel project was set up.
“It is an issue based film and my plea and protest on behalf of the people who aredispossessed and floating in the sea of lies with nothing of their own,” he said.
http://blogs.thehindu.com/films/?p=4978
IFFI sheds obsession with Bollywood, shifts focus to Kerala, north-east
Ziya Us Salam
“Indian filmmaking is not just the Bombay Hindi film industry”
PANAJI: In a welcome development, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) shed its obsession with Bollywood as the focus shifted to Kerala and the north-east. Speaking at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said, “Only Bombay does not reflect India. Indian filmmaking is not just the Bombay Hindi film industry.”
Fittingly, the panorama section opened with the screening of Kerala director K.R. Manoj’s non-feature film, 16 MM: Memories, Movement and a Machine while the first feature film came from Tripura in Kokborok dialect. Called Yarwng, it is directed by Joseph Pulinthanath. “There is a lot of talent and lots of enthusiasm for filmmaking in Tripura,” Mr. Kamat added.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma seconded Mr. Kamat, stating, “Till I heard about Mr. Joseph’s film, I did not know the Kokborok dialect existed.”
Hailing IFFI for “bringing together filmmakers from different parts of the country,” he said, “films reinforce our multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-ethnic identity.” The Minister, who had referred to the Tripura film as an “Arunachali film,” however, promised to speak to the Chief Minister of Tripura after seeing the story of displacement of local people in the wake of the hydel project in the border State.
“It is important when we move forward that the displaced people are meaningfully rehabilitated. It is a course I would take up immediately. Nobody should be rendered a refugee in his own land. Also in this explosion of technology and communication and an exponential growth of cinema, there should be a connect with the folklore, classical music, calligraphy. We should not lose our multi-layered identity,” he said.
Yarwng, a 95-minute film, talks of the people who were rendered homeless in Tripura as the State sought a better pace of development in the 1970s.
Profit to society
Mr. Pulinthanath called his film “a plea and a protest on behalf of millions of displaced people.” Dedicating Yarwng to people who have nothing of their own, he pointed out that the films from the north-east are not meant to be entertainers.
“We look for development and welfare of people through cinema. Our films are meant to profit society rather than bring about commercial gains.”Pointing out that Tripura is “a sensitive State sharing its borders with many countries,” he stressed the need for more focussed development.
The border State has no cinema halls or a network for film distribution and exhibition. “We need expertise from the rest of India” he said.
Incidentally, both 16 MM and Yarwng have come through a gruelling competition to be screened at IFFI.
In the fray are 104 feature films and 83 non-feature films.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/24/stories/2008112455542000.htm
“Indian filmmaking is not just the Bombay Hindi film industry”
PANAJI: In a welcome development, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) shed its obsession with Bollywood as the focus shifted to Kerala and the north-east. Speaking at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said, “Only Bombay does not reflect India. Indian filmmaking is not just the Bombay Hindi film industry.”
Fittingly, the panorama section opened with the screening of Kerala director K.R. Manoj’s non-feature film, 16 MM: Memories, Movement and a Machine while the first feature film came from Tripura in Kokborok dialect. Called Yarwng, it is directed by Joseph Pulinthanath. “There is a lot of talent and lots of enthusiasm for filmmaking in Tripura,” Mr. Kamat added.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma seconded Mr. Kamat, stating, “Till I heard about Mr. Joseph’s film, I did not know the Kokborok dialect existed.”
Hailing IFFI for “bringing together filmmakers from different parts of the country,” he said, “films reinforce our multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-ethnic identity.” The Minister, who had referred to the Tripura film as an “Arunachali film,” however, promised to speak to the Chief Minister of Tripura after seeing the story of displacement of local people in the wake of the hydel project in the border State.
“It is important when we move forward that the displaced people are meaningfully rehabilitated. It is a course I would take up immediately. Nobody should be rendered a refugee in his own land. Also in this explosion of technology and communication and an exponential growth of cinema, there should be a connect with the folklore, classical music, calligraphy. We should not lose our multi-layered identity,” he said.
Yarwng, a 95-minute film, talks of the people who were rendered homeless in Tripura as the State sought a better pace of development in the 1970s.
Profit to society
Mr. Pulinthanath called his film “a plea and a protest on behalf of millions of displaced people.” Dedicating Yarwng to people who have nothing of their own, he pointed out that the films from the north-east are not meant to be entertainers.
“We look for development and welfare of people through cinema. Our films are meant to profit society rather than bring about commercial gains.”Pointing out that Tripura is “a sensitive State sharing its borders with many countries,” he stressed the need for more focussed development.
The border State has no cinema halls or a network for film distribution and exhibition. “We need expertise from the rest of India” he said.
Incidentally, both 16 MM and Yarwng have come through a gruelling competition to be screened at IFFI.
In the fray are 104 feature films and 83 non-feature films.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/24/stories/2008112455542000.htm
Shillong hosts Indian Panorama Film Festival
From ANI
Shillong, June 2: The Indian Panorama Film Festival was recently held in Shillong to the delight for all film lovers.
The three-day film festival was organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya.
The festival presented a veritable bouquet of small-budget regional movies based on several themes from all over the country, especially related to the North East.
It was a first of its kind festival held in the Northeast.
The festival commenced with the inaugural film 'Yarwng', that was screened on May 29.
The film portrays the trauma of displaced tribal people of Tripura.
"I think it is important that people attend film festival because film festivals are an opportunity, where a lot of interaction can take place. Filmmakers and viewers and people who are interested in this medium can meet each other and exchange ideas. It always give rise to something nice, something creative, that is the best part of the film festival that I can see," said Joseph Pulinthanaths Kokborok, director of 'Yarwng'.
Other regional movies screened at the festival were 'Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai' in Tamil by Krishnan Sheshadri Gomatam, 'Ataya-langal' in Malayam by MG Sasi and 'Gubaa-chi-galu' in Kanada by Abhaya Simha.
The film festival was held at the U Soso Tham Auditorium, State Central Library in Shillong.
The festival clearly showed that the North East has a multi-faceted talent, and that the governments of the region should promote and encourage filmmaking.
Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com
Shillong, June 2: The Indian Panorama Film Festival was recently held in Shillong to the delight for all film lovers.
The three-day film festival was organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya.
The festival presented a veritable bouquet of small-budget regional movies based on several themes from all over the country, especially related to the North East.
It was a first of its kind festival held in the Northeast.
The festival commenced with the inaugural film 'Yarwng', that was screened on May 29.
The film portrays the trauma of displaced tribal people of Tripura.
"I think it is important that people attend film festival because film festivals are an opportunity, where a lot of interaction can take place. Filmmakers and viewers and people who are interested in this medium can meet each other and exchange ideas. It always give rise to something nice, something creative, that is the best part of the film festival that I can see," said Joseph Pulinthanaths Kokborok, director of 'Yarwng'.
Other regional movies screened at the festival were 'Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai' in Tamil by Krishnan Sheshadri Gomatam, 'Ataya-langal' in Malayam by MG Sasi and 'Gubaa-chi-galu' in Kanada by Abhaya Simha.
The film festival was held at the U Soso Tham Auditorium, State Central Library in Shillong.
The festival clearly showed that the North East has a multi-faceted talent, and that the governments of the region should promote and encourage filmmaking.
Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com
Sunday, December 13, 2009
''Yarwng'' moves Minister to take up tribal issue to CM
Panaji, Nov 23 (UNI) Union Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma today said the issue of displaced tribals in Tripura will be taken up with the Chief Minister soon.
The statement was given by Mr Sharma after Director of the movie 'Yarwng', Father Joseph Pulinthanath, in his introduction of his film, highlighted the issue of the displaced people in Tripura.
''The film highlights the cause of the displaced people. The matter is of great concern. When I will reach Delhi, I will personally look into the matter and take the issue with the Chief Minister,'' Mr Sharma said after inaugurating the Indian Panorama of the International Film Festival of India, 2008.
The movie revolves round the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley about 30 years ago.
UNI PN GL PM1410
http://news.oneindia.in/2008/11/23/yarwng-moves-minister-to-take-up-tribal-issue-to-cm-1227438409.html
The statement was given by Mr Sharma after Director of the movie 'Yarwng', Father Joseph Pulinthanath, in his introduction of his film, highlighted the issue of the displaced people in Tripura.
''The film highlights the cause of the displaced people. The matter is of great concern. When I will reach Delhi, I will personally look into the matter and take the issue with the Chief Minister,'' Mr Sharma said after inaugurating the Indian Panorama of the International Film Festival of India, 2008.
The movie revolves round the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley about 30 years ago.
UNI PN GL PM1410
http://news.oneindia.in/2008/11/23/yarwng-moves-minister-to-take-up-tribal-issue-to-cm-1227438409.html
Yarwng, a "cultural document" of Tripura: Father Pulinthanath
Panaji | Sunday, Nov 23 2008 IST
Filmmaker Father Joseph Pulinthanath, whose film Yarwng is to open the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India 2008 today, calls his film a realistic " cultural document" that is based on the real experience of the people, who have been displaced from their place of dwelling.
"The original tribal inhabitants and the indigenous Kokborok language have been reduced to a minority. I wanted to promote the language and also their culture and Yarwng is a step in that direction, he told UNI here.
"When I was doing the film, the only thing that was in mind was the revival of Kokborok language. I just wanted to focus on the culture and the language of this depressed section of society," he said.
Expressing satisfaction of achieving what was intended, Father Pulinthanath said there was great satisfaction, when seeing that a film in the unknown Kokborough language was selected as the inaugural film of Indian Panorama at the IFFI 2008. The film revolves round the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura, when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley in the late 1970s.
father Pulinthanath said those people who had been displaced still did not have a dweleing and they were rushing from one place to another as refugees. Noting that the people, still had some inner strength and determination to move forward in their life, he said it was this aspiration of the people that has made his film really wonderful. He also said the local people actively involved themselves in the making of the film. " The people even vacated their homes for us to make the film. It was in the sense a real participation of the people. In a sense it is their film," he said.
When asked about the technical crew from Kerala, Father Pulinthanath, who himself belongs to Kerala, said, " I wanted something different. I wanted to have a distinct quality in this film and that is why I choose the crew from Kerala." Regarding the actors, he said most of the actors, except a few, were showing their faces for the first time in the celluloid.
"Some of the actors were seeing the camera for the first time and they were doing what they were asked to do," Father Pulinthanath said.
About the locations, he said Yarwng was shot in the interiors of Tripura. "Yarwng was shot in villages that were actually impacted by the displacement Bolongbasa and adjoining villages surrounding Gandacherra township. "These places are the most backward areas without any facilities. We shot the film in very adverse conditions and also with the minimal facilities," he said. About the financing of the film, Father Pulinthanath said Don Bosco and the church financed the film. Yarwng had bagged the Special Jury Mention Award at the 7th Asian Film Festival 2008 at Mumbai and has been selected for screening at the 14th Kolkata Film festival and the 13th International film festival of Kerala. This is his second film and his first one, also in Kokborok, Mathia (Bangles), was about the practice of witch-hunts, which is even now prevalent in Tripura.
-- (UNI) -- 23DR23.xml
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20081123/1111315.html
Filmmaker Father Joseph Pulinthanath, whose film Yarwng is to open the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India 2008 today, calls his film a realistic " cultural document" that is based on the real experience of the people, who have been displaced from their place of dwelling.
"The original tribal inhabitants and the indigenous Kokborok language have been reduced to a minority. I wanted to promote the language and also their culture and Yarwng is a step in that direction, he told UNI here.
"When I was doing the film, the only thing that was in mind was the revival of Kokborok language. I just wanted to focus on the culture and the language of this depressed section of society," he said.
Expressing satisfaction of achieving what was intended, Father Pulinthanath said there was great satisfaction, when seeing that a film in the unknown Kokborough language was selected as the inaugural film of Indian Panorama at the IFFI 2008. The film revolves round the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura, when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley in the late 1970s.
father Pulinthanath said those people who had been displaced still did not have a dweleing and they were rushing from one place to another as refugees. Noting that the people, still had some inner strength and determination to move forward in their life, he said it was this aspiration of the people that has made his film really wonderful. He also said the local people actively involved themselves in the making of the film. " The people even vacated their homes for us to make the film. It was in the sense a real participation of the people. In a sense it is their film," he said.
When asked about the technical crew from Kerala, Father Pulinthanath, who himself belongs to Kerala, said, " I wanted something different. I wanted to have a distinct quality in this film and that is why I choose the crew from Kerala." Regarding the actors, he said most of the actors, except a few, were showing their faces for the first time in the celluloid.
"Some of the actors were seeing the camera for the first time and they were doing what they were asked to do," Father Pulinthanath said.
About the locations, he said Yarwng was shot in the interiors of Tripura. "Yarwng was shot in villages that were actually impacted by the displacement Bolongbasa and adjoining villages surrounding Gandacherra township. "These places are the most backward areas without any facilities. We shot the film in very adverse conditions and also with the minimal facilities," he said. About the financing of the film, Father Pulinthanath said Don Bosco and the church financed the film. Yarwng had bagged the Special Jury Mention Award at the 7th Asian Film Festival 2008 at Mumbai and has been selected for screening at the 14th Kolkata Film festival and the 13th International film festival of Kerala. This is his second film and his first one, also in Kokborok, Mathia (Bangles), was about the practice of witch-hunts, which is even now prevalent in Tripura.
-- (UNI) -- 23DR23.xml
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20081123/1111315.html
Inspired by spirit of women victims of riot
Staff Reporter :THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
‘Roots’
excerpt
Joseph Pulithanath, director of the film ‘Roots,’ said he had attempted to explore the other side of development and the survival instinct of the people of Bolongbwsa. The issue was not confined to the people of an area or a country.
He said the language used by the villagers had no script and was still being developed. It was the third film in the language. The technical crew of the film was from Thiruvananthapuram and it was shot in Tripura.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/15/stories/2008121553650500.htm
‘Roots’
excerpt
Joseph Pulithanath, director of the film ‘Roots,’ said he had attempted to explore the other side of development and the survival instinct of the people of Bolongbwsa. The issue was not confined to the people of an area or a country.
He said the language used by the villagers had no script and was still being developed. It was the third film in the language. The technical crew of the film was from Thiruvananthapuram and it was shot in Tripura.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/15/stories/2008121553650500.htm
Film festival in Shillong
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, May 28: The Directorate of Film Festival, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India is organizing the Shillong Indian Panorama Film Festival 2009 in collaboration with Government of Meghalaya from May 29 to 31 in Shillong. Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister BM Lanong would inaugurate the first day programme at 4 pm at U Soso Tham Auditorium, Shillong.
The inauguration would be followed by screening of Yarwang, a 95-minute Kokborak film directed by Joseph Pulinthabath. It will be followed by an English film Divided Colours of a Nation (60 minute) directed by Umesh Agarwal.
This is the first-ever public screening of Film Festival of India in Northeast. Every day there will be three shows. A Friend Turned Foe, an English film with 15-minute duration directed by Gautam Saikia will be screened followed by Mon Jai, an Asomiya film with 178-minute duration directed by M Maniram, Distant Rumblings, an English film with 23-minute duration directed by Bani Prakash Das, Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai, a Tamil film with 116-minute duration directed by Krishna Seshadri Gomatam, Memories Movement and a Machine, a Malayalam film with 40-minute duration directed by MG Sasi followed by Atayalangal, a Malayalam film with 100-minute duration directed by MG Sasi.
http://www.sentinelassam.com/ghycity.php?sec=4&subsec=0&id=12059&dtP=2009-05-29&ppr=1
GUWAHATI, May 28: The Directorate of Film Festival, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India is organizing the Shillong Indian Panorama Film Festival 2009 in collaboration with Government of Meghalaya from May 29 to 31 in Shillong. Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister BM Lanong would inaugurate the first day programme at 4 pm at U Soso Tham Auditorium, Shillong.
The inauguration would be followed by screening of Yarwang, a 95-minute Kokborak film directed by Joseph Pulinthabath. It will be followed by an English film Divided Colours of a Nation (60 minute) directed by Umesh Agarwal.
This is the first-ever public screening of Film Festival of India in Northeast. Every day there will be three shows. A Friend Turned Foe, an English film with 15-minute duration directed by Gautam Saikia will be screened followed by Mon Jai, an Asomiya film with 178-minute duration directed by M Maniram, Distant Rumblings, an English film with 23-minute duration directed by Bani Prakash Das, Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai, a Tamil film with 116-minute duration directed by Krishna Seshadri Gomatam, Memories Movement and a Machine, a Malayalam film with 40-minute duration directed by MG Sasi followed by Atayalangal, a Malayalam film with 100-minute duration directed by MG Sasi.
http://www.sentinelassam.com/ghycity.php?sec=4&subsec=0&id=12059&dtP=2009-05-29&ppr=1
Radio Misty partners with international film festival
By: RnM Team 20 Nov 08 11:21 IST
MUMBAI:
Radio Misty 94.3 fm, the first fm station of North Bengal partnered with 9th siliguri international film festival. This festival is organized by siliguri cine society in association with Govt of west Bengal and Dinbandhu manch advisory committee. This festival draws huge crowd from the region. This festival was inaugurated by noted film maker Gautam Ghosh and film actress indrani halder.This festival will continue till 25th November 2008.
Yarwng a celluloid movie in the local Kokborok language of Tripura is the prime attraction of this festival. The film of 95-minute duration is slated to be screened at 1 p.m. on the last day of the seven-day long movie gala.
Other than this, the second best attraction would be the Pakistan movie Ramchand Pakistani. Directed by Mehreeen Jabbar, the 100-minute duration movie is currently enjoying a buzz among the silver-screen buffs all around.
Says Radio Misty Chief Executive officer Nishant Mittal This is a proud moment for us that we are part of this festival. This festival is yearly event and very popular in this region. Radio Misty radio jocks will give live updates from the venue with exclusive interviews .
The list of total 18 films from 12 countries that will be screened during the also include ~ The Band’s Visit (Dir- Eran Colirin/Israel), Mozhi (Dir-Radhamohan/Tamil), Savior’s Square (Dir-J and K Krause/Poland), Ek Dav Sansaracha (Dir-Sanjay Sarkar/Marathi), False Alarm (Dir- K Evangelakon/Greece), Cleopatra (Dir-J Bressana/Brazil/, Oral Kadal (Dir- Shyamaprasad/Malayalam), Aai Kot Nai (Dir-Manju Borah/Assamese), Stalin’s Disciples (Dir-Navad Leritan/Israel), Casket of Fire (Dir-Neli Tan/ Philippines/), Diep (Dir-JP Villasenor/Netherlands), Wait For Me In Another World (Dir-J Pablo Villasenor/Mexico) and The Life (Dir- DD Phuc/Vietnam/).
Besides these, two Iranian children’s films ~ Colour of Paradise and Children of Heaven, both directed by Majid Majid, are part of screening.
http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news-releases/radio-misty-partners-with-international-film-festival
MUMBAI:
Radio Misty 94.3 fm, the first fm station of North Bengal partnered with 9th siliguri international film festival. This festival is organized by siliguri cine society in association with Govt of west Bengal and Dinbandhu manch advisory committee. This festival draws huge crowd from the region. This festival was inaugurated by noted film maker Gautam Ghosh and film actress indrani halder.This festival will continue till 25th November 2008.
Yarwng a celluloid movie in the local Kokborok language of Tripura is the prime attraction of this festival. The film of 95-minute duration is slated to be screened at 1 p.m. on the last day of the seven-day long movie gala.
Other than this, the second best attraction would be the Pakistan movie Ramchand Pakistani. Directed by Mehreeen Jabbar, the 100-minute duration movie is currently enjoying a buzz among the silver-screen buffs all around.
Says Radio Misty Chief Executive officer Nishant Mittal This is a proud moment for us that we are part of this festival. This festival is yearly event and very popular in this region. Radio Misty radio jocks will give live updates from the venue with exclusive interviews .
The list of total 18 films from 12 countries that will be screened during the also include ~ The Band’s Visit (Dir- Eran Colirin/Israel), Mozhi (Dir-Radhamohan/Tamil), Savior’s Square (Dir-J and K Krause/Poland), Ek Dav Sansaracha (Dir-Sanjay Sarkar/Marathi), False Alarm (Dir- K Evangelakon/Greece), Cleopatra (Dir-J Bressana/Brazil/, Oral Kadal (Dir- Shyamaprasad/Malayalam), Aai Kot Nai (Dir-Manju Borah/Assamese), Stalin’s Disciples (Dir-Navad Leritan/Israel), Casket of Fire (Dir-Neli Tan/ Philippines/), Diep (Dir-JP Villasenor/Netherlands), Wait For Me In Another World (Dir-J Pablo Villasenor/Mexico) and The Life (Dir- DD Phuc/Vietnam/).
Besides these, two Iranian children’s films ~ Colour of Paradise and Children of Heaven, both directed by Majid Majid, are part of screening.
http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news-releases/radio-misty-partners-with-international-film-festival
International Film Festival of India - India's window on the international scene
21 November, 2008 | By Udita Jhunjhunwala
The Indian Panorama section features a slew of world premieres of independent Indian films and documentaries, including Joseph Pulinthanath's Yarwing, a film in the Kokborok language of Tripura, the first time a feature in a north-eastern language of the country will open the section. Veteran Indian actress Rekha will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony while actor Kamal Hassan will attend the closing.
International Film Festival of India - India's window on the international scene
21 November, 2008 | By Udita Jhunjhunwala
The Indian Panorama section features a slew of world premieres of independent Indian films and documentaries, including Joseph Pulinthanath's Yarwing, a film in the Kokborok language of Tripura, the first time a feature in a north-eastern language of the country will open the section. Veteran Indian actress Rekha will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony while actor Kamal Hassan will attend the closing.
39th Film Festival of India in Goa
extracts
The Indian government is keen to showcase country's global ambitions through this year's 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008, to be held in Goa from 22nd Nov- December 2, 2008. The Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Anand Sharma said that the Indian Cinema has over the years attracted global attention, and the events like IFFI-2008 should serve as a platform to evoke greater interest of global audience.
Mr. Sharma further mentioned that the IFFI should be organised in a manner befitting India’s position as the largest producer of films in the world.
The opening function will be held at Kala Academy, Panaji, capital of India's state Goa.
The System of daily registration has been introduced to enable the local film buffs to register themselves on daily basis by paying Rs. 100 and watch three films of their choice of the Indian Section.
Over 5000 delegates, from India and abroad are expected to attend the festival, which will have Cinema of the World, Competition Section, Foreign Retrospective, Film Heritage Section, and Indian Retrospective besides Indian Panorama as major attraction.
http://www.iefilmi.co.uk/content/39th-film-festival-india-goa
The Indian government is keen to showcase country's global ambitions through this year's 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008, to be held in Goa from 22nd Nov- December 2, 2008. The Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Anand Sharma said that the Indian Cinema has over the years attracted global attention, and the events like IFFI-2008 should serve as a platform to evoke greater interest of global audience.
Mr. Sharma further mentioned that the IFFI should be organised in a manner befitting India’s position as the largest producer of films in the world.
The opening function will be held at Kala Academy, Panaji, capital of India's state Goa.
The System of daily registration has been introduced to enable the local film buffs to register themselves on daily basis by paying Rs. 100 and watch three films of their choice of the Indian Section.
Over 5000 delegates, from India and abroad are expected to attend the festival, which will have Cinema of the World, Competition Section, Foreign Retrospective, Film Heritage Section, and Indian Retrospective besides Indian Panorama as major attraction.
http://www.iefilmi.co.uk/content/39th-film-festival-india-goa
Film from Northeast to open Indian Panorama at IFFI
Express News Service
Posted online: Nov 16, 2008 at 0121 hrs
New Delhi, November 15: After a long gap, a film from the Northeast will open the ‘Indian Panorama’ section of the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). ‘Yarwing’, a film from Tripura, will be the opening film at the Panorama, which will also showcase five popular mainstream films including ‘Walu’ in Marathi and ‘Summer 2007’ in Tamil.
At a Press conference in Delhi on Saturday, Director, Film Festivals, S M Khan said the festival, being held in Goa from November 22 to December 2, will have Russia, Switzerland and Iran as the focus countries. Other nations sending entries to the festival include China, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Israel among others.
IFFI this year will also showcase Kannada films to celebrate 75 years of Kannada cinema. Another section includes films made on the Taj Mahal. “The Taj has been chosen since it is a huge tourist attraction and many delegates at the festival are foreigners who are curious about the Taj,” said Khan.
http://www.screenindia.com/story.php?id=386334&pg=-1
Posted online: Nov 16, 2008 at 0121 hrs
New Delhi, November 15: After a long gap, a film from the Northeast will open the ‘Indian Panorama’ section of the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). ‘Yarwing’, a film from Tripura, will be the opening film at the Panorama, which will also showcase five popular mainstream films including ‘Walu’ in Marathi and ‘Summer 2007’ in Tamil.
At a Press conference in Delhi on Saturday, Director, Film Festivals, S M Khan said the festival, being held in Goa from November 22 to December 2, will have Russia, Switzerland and Iran as the focus countries. Other nations sending entries to the festival include China, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Israel among others.
IFFI this year will also showcase Kannada films to celebrate 75 years of Kannada cinema. Another section includes films made on the Taj Mahal. “The Taj has been chosen since it is a huge tourist attraction and many delegates at the festival are foreigners who are curious about the Taj,” said Khan.
http://www.screenindia.com/story.php?id=386334&pg=-1
Warlords, My Magic to open India's IFFI Goa fest
12 November, 2008 | By Udita Jhunjhunwala
Peter Ho-sun Chan's The Warlords and Singaporean director Eric Khoo's My Magic will open this year's International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is taking place in Goa from Nov 22-Dec 2.
The closing film will be Majid Majidi's Berlin Silver Bear winner The Song Of Sparrows.
About 5,000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend the festival which carries total prize money of $175,000 for the competitive sections for Asian, African and Latin American films. Jury members include Warlords director Chan,Filipino director Lav Diaz, Indian filmmaker Tabu, Iranian actress-director Niki Karimi and Venice film festivaldirector Marco Muller.
The Indian Panorama will feature 26 feature films and 21 non-features. Opening film is Yarwng, in the Kokborok language, marking the first time that a feature in a language from North-East India has opened the section.
In addition to the 15-film competition section and the Indian Panorama, the festival also features a World Cinema section, Film Heritage section, Indian retrospectives and three countries in focus - Russia, Switzerland and Iran.
Indian Retrospectives will showcase the films of L. V. Prasad, Bimal Roy, 75 years of Kannada Cinema and a talk by Kishwar Desai on 'Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai: Globalisation of Early Indian Cinema'.
Among international dignitaries, US director-actor John Landis is expected to attend IFFI where a retrospective of five of his films including Beverly Hills Cop 3 will be screened. Aamir Khan will present his film Taare Zameen Par as part of the Indian Panorama and is expected to be the guest of honor at the opening ceremony on Nov 22.
Side events alongside IFFI include the CII business summit, exhibitions related to cinema andthe Film Bazaar projects marketorganised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
http://www.screendaily.com/warlords-my-magic-to-open-indias-iffi-goa-fest/4041956.article
Peter Ho-sun Chan's The Warlords and Singaporean director Eric Khoo's My Magic will open this year's International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is taking place in Goa from Nov 22-Dec 2.
The closing film will be Majid Majidi's Berlin Silver Bear winner The Song Of Sparrows.
About 5,000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend the festival which carries total prize money of $175,000 for the competitive sections for Asian, African and Latin American films. Jury members include Warlords director Chan,Filipino director Lav Diaz, Indian filmmaker Tabu, Iranian actress-director Niki Karimi and Venice film festivaldirector Marco Muller.
The Indian Panorama will feature 26 feature films and 21 non-features. Opening film is Yarwng, in the Kokborok language, marking the first time that a feature in a language from North-East India has opened the section.
In addition to the 15-film competition section and the Indian Panorama, the festival also features a World Cinema section, Film Heritage section, Indian retrospectives and three countries in focus - Russia, Switzerland and Iran.
Indian Retrospectives will showcase the films of L. V. Prasad, Bimal Roy, 75 years of Kannada Cinema and a talk by Kishwar Desai on 'Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai: Globalisation of Early Indian Cinema'.
Among international dignitaries, US director-actor John Landis is expected to attend IFFI where a retrospective of five of his films including Beverly Hills Cop 3 will be screened. Aamir Khan will present his film Taare Zameen Par as part of the Indian Panorama and is expected to be the guest of honor at the opening ceremony on Nov 22.
Side events alongside IFFI include the CII business summit, exhibitions related to cinema andthe Film Bazaar projects marketorganised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
http://www.screendaily.com/warlords-my-magic-to-open-indias-iffi-goa-fest/4041956.article
I&B Minister of State reviews arrangements for IFFI-2008
Mumbai: The Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Anand Sharma held the first meeting of the organizing committee of the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008 in New Delhi. He was there to review the arrangements for the forthcoming festival at Goa starting 22 November.
Sharma said that Indian cinema has attracted global attention over the years and events like IFFI should serve as a platform to evoke greater interest of the global audience. He further mentioned that IFFI should be organized in a manner befitting India's position as the largest producer of films in the world. The event should be mutually enriching, both for visiting delegates from the International film arena and for the Indian film industry.
The opening function will be held at Kala Academy, Panaji. It will be organized in keeping with the standards of prestigious film festivals internationally. Two hundred seats will be reserved for delegates from the film fraternity to ensure their larger presence, the Minister announced. A system of daily registration has also been introduced to enable local film buffs to register themselves on a daily basis by paying Rs 100 to watch any three films of the Indian Section.
Over 5000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend the festival which will have sections like Cinema of the World, Competition Section, Foreign Retrospective, Film Heritage Section, and Indian Retrospective besides Indian Panorama as major attractions.
This time there are three country focuses – Russia, Switzerland and Iran.
The Indian Panorama will have 26 feature films and 21 non-feature films selected by juries headed by K. N. T. Sastry and Anjan Bose, respectively. Yarwng, a film in Kokborok language of Tripura, will be the opening film of Indian Panorama. It is the first ever North Eastern language film of the country to open the festival. Other highlights of Indian Panorama will be Mahasatta (Marathi), Wednesday (Hindi), Taare... Zameen Par (Hindi), Pulijanmam (Malayalam), among others. Indian Retrospectives will showcase the films of L. V. Prasad, Bimal Roy, 75 years of Kannada Cinema and a Talk by Kishwar Desai on Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai: Globalization of Early Indian Cinema.
Another segment of the festival will be Homages to eminent film personalities. This segment will have screenings of films of G. P. Sippy, F. C. Mehra, Jaishree Gadkar and Mahendra Kapoor. World Cinema will have 104 films of which 15 films would be competing for awards in the Competitive Section. The latter Section has widely acclaimed films from Asia, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America.
A Film Bazaar will be organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) on the sidelines of IFFI-2008. It aims at creating opportunities for networking and business for producers, filmmakers and distributors from across the world. The Work-in Progress Lab for review of rough cuts of films in making, workshops on screen writing, projects on pre-selected features as well as documentary films and master classes by Shyam Benegal would be the new features at Film Bazaar.
http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=10633
Sharma said that Indian cinema has attracted global attention over the years and events like IFFI should serve as a platform to evoke greater interest of the global audience. He further mentioned that IFFI should be organized in a manner befitting India's position as the largest producer of films in the world. The event should be mutually enriching, both for visiting delegates from the International film arena and for the Indian film industry.
The opening function will be held at Kala Academy, Panaji. It will be organized in keeping with the standards of prestigious film festivals internationally. Two hundred seats will be reserved for delegates from the film fraternity to ensure their larger presence, the Minister announced. A system of daily registration has also been introduced to enable local film buffs to register themselves on a daily basis by paying Rs 100 to watch any three films of the Indian Section.
Over 5000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend the festival which will have sections like Cinema of the World, Competition Section, Foreign Retrospective, Film Heritage Section, and Indian Retrospective besides Indian Panorama as major attractions.
This time there are three country focuses – Russia, Switzerland and Iran.
The Indian Panorama will have 26 feature films and 21 non-feature films selected by juries headed by K. N. T. Sastry and Anjan Bose, respectively. Yarwng, a film in Kokborok language of Tripura, will be the opening film of Indian Panorama. It is the first ever North Eastern language film of the country to open the festival. Other highlights of Indian Panorama will be Mahasatta (Marathi), Wednesday (Hindi), Taare... Zameen Par (Hindi), Pulijanmam (Malayalam), among others. Indian Retrospectives will showcase the films of L. V. Prasad, Bimal Roy, 75 years of Kannada Cinema and a Talk by Kishwar Desai on Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai: Globalization of Early Indian Cinema.
Another segment of the festival will be Homages to eminent film personalities. This segment will have screenings of films of G. P. Sippy, F. C. Mehra, Jaishree Gadkar and Mahendra Kapoor. World Cinema will have 104 films of which 15 films would be competing for awards in the Competitive Section. The latter Section has widely acclaimed films from Asia, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America.
A Film Bazaar will be organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) on the sidelines of IFFI-2008. It aims at creating opportunities for networking and business for producers, filmmakers and distributors from across the world. The Work-in Progress Lab for review of rough cuts of films in making, workshops on screen writing, projects on pre-selected features as well as documentary films and master classes by Shyam Benegal would be the new features at Film Bazaar.
http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=10633
Films with Difference take stage on Day 1
By Pamela DMello Panaji
Extract from The Asian Age
A rare Kokborok film Yarwng drew much interest at its opening of the Indian Panorama section on the first day of screenings at Iffi. Made in the tribal language of Tripura, it portrays life around the jhum cultivation practice peculiar to this North East region. Multilingual director Joseph Pulinthanath made his mark with Mathia (The Bangle) the first Kokborok film which won a national award earlier.
http://news.tolmol.com/Films%20with%20difference%20take%20stage%20on%20Day%201/news-detail/en-IN/8182742
Extract from The Asian Age
A rare Kokborok film Yarwng drew much interest at its opening of the Indian Panorama section on the first day of screenings at Iffi. Made in the tribal language of Tripura, it portrays life around the jhum cultivation practice peculiar to this North East region. Multilingual director Joseph Pulinthanath made his mark with Mathia (The Bangle) the first Kokborok film which won a national award earlier.
http://news.tolmol.com/Films%20with%20difference%20take%20stage%20on%20Day%201/news-detail/en-IN/8182742
Film examines problem of displacement in Tripura
Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:34am IST
PANAJI, India (Reuters) - A new film, one of the first to be made in the Kokborok language of Tripura, puts the spotlight on tribal displacement in the north-eastern state.
'Yarwng', screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Monday, tells the story of a man and woman displaced when their village is flooded just hours before they were to get married.
"The film deals with the real problem of displacement that has occurred in Tripura due to the building of the Dumbur dam," director Joseph Pullinthananth told reporters at the film festival in Goa, where 'Yarwng' was the opening film in the Indian Panorama section.
"We estimate that at least 30,000 to 40,000 people have been displaced and we made this film for every person who has ever been dispossessed."
Interestingly, the film's director and his crew are from Kerala while the actors in 'Yarwng' were locals from Tripura. But language was the least of their worries during the making of the film.
"We camped in the deepest interiors and the most backward tribal district of Tripura, which are most affected by the dam," Pullinthananth said.
Shooting for the film, partially funded by the Catholic Church in India, was completed in a month.
http://news.tolmol.com/newsInIframe.do;jsessionid=06EFB532350122B05BCD17F1FDA3C1F2.gladoo1?action=iframe&id=8215982&link=http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INtopNews/~3/GSumVaGVIgM/idINIndia-36671620081124
PANAJI, India (Reuters) - A new film, one of the first to be made in the Kokborok language of Tripura, puts the spotlight on tribal displacement in the north-eastern state.
'Yarwng', screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Monday, tells the story of a man and woman displaced when their village is flooded just hours before they were to get married.
"The film deals with the real problem of displacement that has occurred in Tripura due to the building of the Dumbur dam," director Joseph Pullinthananth told reporters at the film festival in Goa, where 'Yarwng' was the opening film in the Indian Panorama section.
"We estimate that at least 30,000 to 40,000 people have been displaced and we made this film for every person who has ever been dispossessed."
Interestingly, the film's director and his crew are from Kerala while the actors in 'Yarwng' were locals from Tripura. But language was the least of their worries during the making of the film.
"We camped in the deepest interiors and the most backward tribal district of Tripura, which are most affected by the dam," Pullinthananth said.
Shooting for the film, partially funded by the Catholic Church in India, was completed in a month.
http://news.tolmol.com/newsInIframe.do;jsessionid=06EFB532350122B05BCD17F1FDA3C1F2.gladoo1?action=iframe&id=8215982&link=http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INtopNews/~3/GSumVaGVIgM/idINIndia-36671620081124
I&B Ministry Selects Indian Panorama Films For IFFI 2008
Last Updated: 26-10-2008 12:39:25 IST
The Indian panorama films including feature and non-feature category have been selected for this year's International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The thirty ninth international film festival of India is scheduled to be held in Goa on December. The announcement of the selected panorama films for IFFI was made by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
About 25 films from feature film segment and 20 from non-feature segment have recommended by the jury. The jury has submitted the reports and recommendations to the minister of information and broadcasting, Anand Sharma. The winner of the national award for best feature film 'Pulijanmam' (Malayalam) and best non-feature film 'Bishar Blues' (Bengali) got the automatic entry in IFFI 2008.
A film in Kokborok language of Tripura entitled 'Yarwng' has also been recommended by the jury for screening in this year's IFFI. The film from Tripura is likely to be screen at the inaugural function of international film festival. The competition section of the event will have regional films like 'Kanachivaram' (Tamil) and 'Mahasatta' (Marathi).
http://www.india-server.com/news/ib-ministry-selects-indian-panorama-4403.html
Taare Zameen Par and A Wednesday in Indian panorama for IFFI 2008
By Indiantelevision.com Team
(24 October 2008 8:00 pm)
NEW DELHI: Three highly lauded Hindi films on relevant social issues - Taare Zameen Par, A Wednesday and Summer of 2007 - and the award-winning Kannada film Gulabi Talkies form part of the 26 feature and 21 non-feature films of the Indian Panorama selected for the International Film Festival of India in Goa next month.
The juries submitted their reports to Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma this afternoon.
In addition, the Malayalam feature film Pulijanmam by Priyanandan and the non-feature Bengali Bishar Blues by Amitabh Chakraborty get automatic entry for having won the best film awards in their categories in the 54th National Film Awards.
The jury for the feature films recommended that Kanachivaram (Tamil) by S Priyadarshan and Mahasatta (Marathi) by Ramesh Laxman More be sent for the Competition Section of the IFFI.
The feature jury recommended that Yarwng, a film in Kokborok language of Tripura by Joseph Pulinthanath, be the inaugural film of the Panorama Section.
The features include six in Malayalam, four each in Hindi and Tamil, three each in Marathi and Kannada, one each in Bengali, Assamese and Telugu, and one which is in English/Gujarati and Hindi.
The seven-member Jury for Feature Films headed by critic and filmmaker K N T Sastry saw 104 films while the five-member Non-Feature Film Jury headed by filmmaker Anjan Bose saw 82.
The award-winning Jayaraj is the only filmmaker to have films in both the feature and non-feature sections.
Apart from Pulijanmam, the Malayalam films are Vilapangalkkappuram by T V Chandran, Gulmohar by Jayaraj, Atayalangal by M G Sasi, Oru Pennum Randaanum by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Aakashagopuram by Manu S Kumaran, and Katha Parayumpol by Mohanan.
The Hindi films are Summer 2007 by Suhail Tatari, A Wednesday by Neeraj Pandey, Taare Zameen Par by Aamir khan, and ‘odha Akbar by Ashutosh Gowariker.
The Tamil films in addition to Kanachivaram, are Kalloori by Balaji Sakthivel, Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai by Krishna Seshadri Gomatam, and Billa by Vishnu Vardhan.
The Kannada films include Gulabi Talkies by Girish Kassarvalli which won the best Indian film award at the Tenth Osian’s-Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, Banada Neralu by Umashankara Swamy, and Gubbachigalu by Abhaya Simha.
Apart from Mahasatta, the Marathi films are Dohaa by Pushkaraj Paranjape, and Valu by Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni.
Apart from Yarwng, the other films are Chaturanga (Bengali) by Suman Mukhopadhyay, Mon Jai (Assamese) by M Maniram, Mee Sreyobhilashi (Telugu) by V Eshwar Reddy, and Little Zizou by Sooni Taraporevala which is in English, Gujarati and Hindi.
The non-features include seven in English, four in Hindi, two each in Bengali and Malayalam, and one each in Kannada, Manipuri, Urdu, apart from one with only music and another which is in Hindi, Bengali and English.
The English films include Distant Rumblings by Bani Prakash Das on the remains of the Second World War in Manipur and Nagaland, A Friend turned Foe by Gautam Saikia, Divided Colours of a Nation by Umesh Aggarwal, Four Women and a Room’by Ambarien Al Qadar, The Journalist and the Jehadi by Ramesh Sharma, The Land of Rupshupas by A K Sidhpuri, and Rehana: A Quest for Freedom by Gargi Sen and Priyanka Mukherjee.
Dhin Tak Dha by ‘ShraddhaPasi’, Apna Aloo Bazaar Becha by Pankaj H Gupta, Children of the Pyre by Rajesh S Jala, and Antardhwani by Jabbar Patel form the Hindi component.
The two Bengali films are The Shop that sold Everything by Abhyuday Khaitan and Yearn to Learn by S K Aboul Rajjak, while the Malayalam films are Vellappokkathil by Jayaraj and Memories, Movement and a Machine by K R Manoj.
The others are the Kannada Putti by Jacob Varghese, the Urdu Parwaaz by Biju Vishwanath, and the Manipuri Ratan Thiyam - the man of Theatre by Nirmala Chanu and Oken Amakcham, apart from Three of Us by Umesh Kulkarni which only has music and Remembering Bimal Roy by Joy Bimal Roy in Hindi, Bengali, and English.
http://www.indiantelevision.com/aac/y2k8/aac660.php
Indian Panorama Selection Announced
By DearCinema Desk • Oct 24th, 2008
Selection list for this year’s Indian Panorama was announced today. 25 films selected for annual showcase of Indian films at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, features latest films by Adoor Gopalakrishnan (ORU PENNUM RANDAANUM) and Girish Kasaravalli (Gulabi Talkies). A lesser talked about Hindi film that has made it to the official selection is Summer 2007 by Suhail Tatari. The list of first 20 films is tailed by critically acclaimed mainstream Hindi films like Jodha Akbar, Taare Zameen Par and A Wednesday, a Marathi film “Vaalu” and a Tamil Film “Billa” . Though there is no mainstream window section this year, however, the final five films of the official list is considered to be serving the purpose.
It is noteworthy that the opening film of the section is in “Kokborok” language of Tripura, in which films are rarely made as the tribal who speak the language virtually have no access to cinema or even television. it is sheer passion that drives such filmmakers to make films.
The seven member jury was headed by noted filmmaker K. N. T Sastry.
Here is the complete list of fiction and non fiction films:
S. No. TITLE LANGUAGE DIRECTOR
1. YARWNG KOKBOROK JOSEPH PULINTHANATH
2. SUMMER 2007 HINDI SUHAIL TATARI
3. VILAPANGALKKAPPURAM MALAYALAM T.V. CHANDRAN
4. GULMOHAR MALAYALAM JAYARAJ
5. KALLOORI TAMIL BALAJI SAKTHIVEL
6. KANACHIVARAM TAMIL S. PRIYADARSHAN
7. DOHAA MARATHI PUSHKARAJ PARANJAPE
8. GULABI TALKIES KANNADA GIRISH KASARVALLI
9. ATAYALANGAL MALAYALAM M G SASI
10. BANADA NERALU KANNADA UMASHANKARA SWAMY
11. LITTLE ZIZOU ENGLISH/GUJRATIHINDI SOONI TARAPOREVALA
12. CHATURANGA BENGALI SUMAN MUKHOPADHYAY
13. MAHASATTA MARATHI RAMESH LAXMAN MORE
14. ORU PENNUM RANDAANUM MALAYALAM ADOOR GOPALAKRI SHNAN
15. MUDHAL MUDHAL MUDHAL VARAI TAMIL KRISHNA SESHADRI GOMATAM
16. AAKASHAGOPURAM MALAYALAM MANU S. KUMARAN
17. GUBBACHIGALU KANNADA ABHAYA SIMHA
18. MON JAI ASSAMESE M.MANIRAM
19. MEE SREYOBHILASHI TELUGU V.ESHWAR REDDY
20. KATHA PARAYUMPOL MALAYALAM MOHANAN
21. A WEDNESDAY HINDI NEERAJ PANDEY
22. JODHA AKBAR HINDI ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER
23. TAARE ZAMEEN PAR HINDI AAMIR KHAN
24. VALU MARATHI UMESH VINAYAK KULKARNI
25. BILLA TAMIL VISHNU VARDHAN
‘Pulijanmam’ (Malayalam), the winner of Best Feature Film awards during 54th National Film Awards gets automatic entry into Indian Panorama in addition to the above films. The Jury has recommended ‘Yarwing’ a film in Kokborok language of Tripura as the inaugural film for Indian Panorama. ‘Kanachivaram’ (Tamil) and ‘Mahasatta’ (Marathi) have been recommended for the Competition Section of International Film Festival of India-2008.
The Jury for Non-Feature Films has recommended 20 films out of 82 entries. The selected films in the Non-Feature Film category of Indian Panorama are:
. No Title Language Director
1. THE SHOP THAT SOLD EVERYTHING Bengali ABHYUDAY KHAITAN
2. DHIN TAK DHA Hindi SHRADDHA PASI
3. THREE OF US Music only UMESH KULKARNI
4. VELLAPPOKKATHIL Malayalam JAYARAJ
5. PUTTI Kannada JACOB VARGHESE
6. PARWAAZ Urdu BIJU VISHWANATH
7. YEARN TO LEARN Bengali S.K. ABOUL RAJJAK
8. A FRIEND TURNED FOE English GAUTAM SAIKIA
9. DISTANT RUMBLINGS English BANI PRAKASH DAS
10. DIVIDED COLOURS OF A NATION English UMESH AGGARWAL
11. FOUR WOMEN AND A ROOM English AMBARIEN AL QADAR
12. THE JOURNALIST AND THE JIHADI English RAMESH SHARMA
THE LAND OF RUPSHUPAS English A.K. SIDHPURI
14. APNA ALOO BAZAAR BECHA Hindi PANKAJ H. GUPTA
15. CHILDREN OF THE PYRE Hindi RAJESH S.JALA
ANTARDHWANI Hindi JABBAR PATEL
17. REMEMBERING BIMAL ROY Hndi, Bengali, English JOY BIMAL ROY
18. MEMORIES,MOVEMENT AND A MACHINE Malyalam K.R. MANOJ
19. RATAN THIYAM THE MAN OF THEATRE ManipuriNIRMALA CHANU & OKEN AMAKCHAM
20. REHANA: A QUEST FOR FREEDOM English GARGI SEN & PRIYANKA MUKHERJEE
‘Bishar Blues’ (Bengali), also enters the Non-Feature Film segment of Indian Panorama by virtue of being the Best Non-Feature film of 54th National Film Awards. The five member Non-Feature Film Jury was headed by Shri Anjan Bose.
http://dearcinema.com/indian-panorama-iffi-goa-2008/
Selection list for this year’s Indian Panorama was announced today. 25 films selected for annual showcase of Indian films at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, features latest films by Adoor Gopalakrishnan (ORU PENNUM RANDAANUM) and Girish Kasaravalli (Gulabi Talkies). A lesser talked about Hindi film that has made it to the official selection is Summer 2007 by Suhail Tatari. The list of first 20 films is tailed by critically acclaimed mainstream Hindi films like Jodha Akbar, Taare Zameen Par and A Wednesday, a Marathi film “Vaalu” and a Tamil Film “Billa” . Though there is no mainstream window section this year, however, the final five films of the official list is considered to be serving the purpose.
It is noteworthy that the opening film of the section is in “Kokborok” language of Tripura, in which films are rarely made as the tribal who speak the language virtually have no access to cinema or even television. it is sheer passion that drives such filmmakers to make films.
The seven member jury was headed by noted filmmaker K. N. T Sastry.
Here is the complete list of fiction and non fiction films:
S. No. TITLE LANGUAGE DIRECTOR
1. YARWNG KOKBOROK JOSEPH PULINTHANATH
2. SUMMER 2007 HINDI SUHAIL TATARI
3. VILAPANGALKKAPPURAM MALAYALAM T.V. CHANDRAN
4. GULMOHAR MALAYALAM JAYARAJ
5. KALLOORI TAMIL BALAJI SAKTHIVEL
6. KANACHIVARAM TAMIL S. PRIYADARSHAN
7. DOHAA MARATHI PUSHKARAJ PARANJAPE
8. GULABI TALKIES KANNADA GIRISH KASARVALLI
9. ATAYALANGAL MALAYALAM M G SASI
10. BANADA NERALU KANNADA UMASHANKARA SWAMY
11. LITTLE ZIZOU ENGLISH/GUJRATIHINDI SOONI TARAPOREVALA
12. CHATURANGA BENGALI SUMAN MUKHOPADHYAY
13. MAHASATTA MARATHI RAMESH LAXMAN MORE
14. ORU PENNUM RANDAANUM MALAYALAM ADOOR GOPALAKRI SHNAN
15. MUDHAL MUDHAL MUDHAL VARAI TAMIL KRISHNA SESHADRI GOMATAM
16. AAKASHAGOPURAM MALAYALAM MANU S. KUMARAN
17. GUBBACHIGALU KANNADA ABHAYA SIMHA
18. MON JAI ASSAMESE M.MANIRAM
19. MEE SREYOBHILASHI TELUGU V.ESHWAR REDDY
20. KATHA PARAYUMPOL MALAYALAM MOHANAN
21. A WEDNESDAY HINDI NEERAJ PANDEY
22. JODHA AKBAR HINDI ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER
23. TAARE ZAMEEN PAR HINDI AAMIR KHAN
24. VALU MARATHI UMESH VINAYAK KULKARNI
25. BILLA TAMIL VISHNU VARDHAN
‘Pulijanmam’ (Malayalam), the winner of Best Feature Film awards during 54th National Film Awards gets automatic entry into Indian Panorama in addition to the above films. The Jury has recommended ‘Yarwing’ a film in Kokborok language of Tripura as the inaugural film for Indian Panorama. ‘Kanachivaram’ (Tamil) and ‘Mahasatta’ (Marathi) have been recommended for the Competition Section of International Film Festival of India-2008.
The Jury for Non-Feature Films has recommended 20 films out of 82 entries. The selected films in the Non-Feature Film category of Indian Panorama are:
. No Title Language Director
1. THE SHOP THAT SOLD EVERYTHING Bengali ABHYUDAY KHAITAN
2. DHIN TAK DHA Hindi SHRADDHA PASI
3. THREE OF US Music only UMESH KULKARNI
4. VELLAPPOKKATHIL Malayalam JAYARAJ
5. PUTTI Kannada JACOB VARGHESE
6. PARWAAZ Urdu BIJU VISHWANATH
7. YEARN TO LEARN Bengali S.K. ABOUL RAJJAK
8. A FRIEND TURNED FOE English GAUTAM SAIKIA
9. DISTANT RUMBLINGS English BANI PRAKASH DAS
10. DIVIDED COLOURS OF A NATION English UMESH AGGARWAL
11. FOUR WOMEN AND A ROOM English AMBARIEN AL QADAR
12. THE JOURNALIST AND THE JIHADI English RAMESH SHARMA
THE LAND OF RUPSHUPAS English A.K. SIDHPURI
14. APNA ALOO BAZAAR BECHA Hindi PANKAJ H. GUPTA
15. CHILDREN OF THE PYRE Hindi RAJESH S.JALA
ANTARDHWANI Hindi JABBAR PATEL
17. REMEMBERING BIMAL ROY Hndi, Bengali, English JOY BIMAL ROY
18. MEMORIES,MOVEMENT AND A MACHINE Malyalam K.R. MANOJ
19. RATAN THIYAM THE MAN OF THEATRE ManipuriNIRMALA CHANU & OKEN AMAKCHAM
20. REHANA: A QUEST FOR FREEDOM English GARGI SEN & PRIYANKA MUKHERJEE
‘Bishar Blues’ (Bengali), also enters the Non-Feature Film segment of Indian Panorama by virtue of being the Best Non-Feature film of 54th National Film Awards. The five member Non-Feature Film Jury was headed by Shri Anjan Bose.
http://dearcinema.com/indian-panorama-iffi-goa-2008/
Film from Northeast to open Indian Panorama at IFFI
Express News Service
New Delhi, November 15:
After a long gap, a film from the Northeast will open the ‘Indian Panorama’ section of the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). ‘Yarwing’, a film from Tripura, will be the opening film at the Panorama, which will also showcase five popular mainstream films including ‘Walu’ in Marathi and ‘Summer 2007’ in Tamil.
At a Press conference in Delhi on Saturday, Director, Film Festivals, S M Khan said the festival, being held in Goa from November 22 to December 2, will have Russia, Switzerland and Iran as the focus countries. Other nations sending entries to the festival include China, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Israel among others.
IFFI this year will also showcase Kannada films to celebrate 75 years of Kannada cinema. Another section includes films made on the Taj Mahal. “The Taj has been chosen since it is a huge tourist attraction and many delegates at the festival are foreigners who are curious about the Taj,” said Khan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/film-from-northeast-to-open-indian-panorama/386334/
New Delhi, November 15:
After a long gap, a film from the Northeast will open the ‘Indian Panorama’ section of the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). ‘Yarwing’, a film from Tripura, will be the opening film at the Panorama, which will also showcase five popular mainstream films including ‘Walu’ in Marathi and ‘Summer 2007’ in Tamil.
At a Press conference in Delhi on Saturday, Director, Film Festivals, S M Khan said the festival, being held in Goa from November 22 to December 2, will have Russia, Switzerland and Iran as the focus countries. Other nations sending entries to the festival include China, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Israel among others.
IFFI this year will also showcase Kannada films to celebrate 75 years of Kannada cinema. Another section includes films made on the Taj Mahal. “The Taj has been chosen since it is a huge tourist attraction and many delegates at the festival are foreigners who are curious about the Taj,” said Khan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/film-from-northeast-to-open-indian-panorama/386334/
Asian Award-winning Kokborok Film ‘Yarwng’ to open Indian Panorama
Newly released Kokborok Film ‘Yarwng’ (Roots) has brought unprecedented honour to Tripura by being selected to be the Opening Film of the prestigious Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The announcement made by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Shri Anand Sharma, comes on the heels of another announcement from Mumbai that Yarwng, was awarded the ‘Jury Special Mention Award’ along with the Israeli film ‘Foul Gesture’ by Tzahi Grad at the recently concluded 7th Asian Film Festival, in Mumbai.
The Jury of the Indian Panorama headed by noted filmmaker K.N.T. Shastri selected the 25 Indian films to be showcased at the International Film Festival of India, Goa. The list features latest films by Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Oru Pennum Randaanum) and Girish Kasaravalli (Gulabi Talkies), S. Priyadarshan (Kanachivaram), Suman Mukhopaday (Chaturnaga), Ashutosh Gowariker (Jodha Akbar) and Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par).
It is noteworthy that the Opening Film of the section is ‘YARWNG’ (Roots) in “Kokborok” language of Tripura, in which films are rarely made, as the tribal who speak the language virtually have no access to cinema.
The film has also been selected for screening at the forthcoming Kolkata International Film Festival in November.
‘Yarwng’ (Roots) is the second feature film of Don Bosco Sampari Pictures Tripura. The first film, ‘Mathia’ was also in the Indian Panorama of the 35th International Film Festival of India in 2004, besides winning an award in Poland and being screened in many international festivals.
The story of the 95-minute feature film revolves round the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley about 30 years ago.
The lead actors of Yarwng are Meena Debbarma, Nirmal Jamatia and Sushil Debbarma. Supporting actors include Jeshmi Debbarma, Bimal Sing Debbarma, Amulya Ratan Jamatia, Surabhi Debbarma, Madan Debbarma, Manohari Jamatia and Rabindra Debbarma.
The technical crew of the film from Trivandrum include cameraman Kannan, Sound Recordist Krishna Kumar and Associate Director Sajiv Pazhoor. The music is by Bikash Roy Debbarma and background score by Abhijit Basu. The film, directed by Joseph Pulinthanath sdb is produced by Fr. KJ Joseph sdb of Don Bosco Sampari Pictures Tripura.
http://cmpaul.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/asian-award-winning-kokborok-film-yarwng-to-open-indian-panorama/
The Jury of the Indian Panorama headed by noted filmmaker K.N.T. Shastri selected the 25 Indian films to be showcased at the International Film Festival of India, Goa. The list features latest films by Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Oru Pennum Randaanum) and Girish Kasaravalli (Gulabi Talkies), S. Priyadarshan (Kanachivaram), Suman Mukhopaday (Chaturnaga), Ashutosh Gowariker (Jodha Akbar) and Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par).
It is noteworthy that the Opening Film of the section is ‘YARWNG’ (Roots) in “Kokborok” language of Tripura, in which films are rarely made, as the tribal who speak the language virtually have no access to cinema.
The film has also been selected for screening at the forthcoming Kolkata International Film Festival in November.
‘Yarwng’ (Roots) is the second feature film of Don Bosco Sampari Pictures Tripura. The first film, ‘Mathia’ was also in the Indian Panorama of the 35th International Film Festival of India in 2004, besides winning an award in Poland and being screened in many international festivals.
The story of the 95-minute feature film revolves round the large-scale displacement that happened in Tripura when the newly built Dumbur Dam submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley about 30 years ago.
The lead actors of Yarwng are Meena Debbarma, Nirmal Jamatia and Sushil Debbarma. Supporting actors include Jeshmi Debbarma, Bimal Sing Debbarma, Amulya Ratan Jamatia, Surabhi Debbarma, Madan Debbarma, Manohari Jamatia and Rabindra Debbarma.
The technical crew of the film from Trivandrum include cameraman Kannan, Sound Recordist Krishna Kumar and Associate Director Sajiv Pazhoor. The music is by Bikash Roy Debbarma and background score by Abhijit Basu. The film, directed by Joseph Pulinthanath sdb is produced by Fr. KJ Joseph sdb of Don Bosco Sampari Pictures Tripura.
http://cmpaul.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/asian-award-winning-kokborok-film-yarwng-to-open-indian-panorama/
NE films not made for commercial gains: Pulinthanath
Nov 24th, 2008 | By editor | Category: From the venues
Panaji (PTI): Film making in north-east is more about ensuring profit to society rather than for commercial gains, says Joseph Pulinthanath, whose film ‘Yarwng’ made in the tribal language of Tripura, Kokborok opened the Indian Panorama section of IFFI here on Sunday.
“We are more inclined to look for development and welfare of the people through the medium of cinema. It is the lack of development and delivery of justice that is the rootcause of many problems. Till 2002, Tripura was the hotbed of terrorism. But things are much better now,” Joseph told reporters after the screening.
“We have borders with several other countries making our region very sensitive. We have to depend on the rest of India for film-making expertise. Exhibition and distribution of films is also a problem even though locals prefer to watch indigenous stuff and entertainment content in their own language. There are no cinema halls in Tripura,” he said.
The north-east region has an unfriendly terrain. The distances are too long and it is a landlocked region, he added.
Cinema culture is developing in the region with films from Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh also screened in the Indian Panorama section over the years, he said.
Joseph’s last film ‘Mathia’ was screened at IFFI in 2004.
http://blogs.thehindu.com/films/?p=4980
Panaji (PTI): Film making in north-east is more about ensuring profit to society rather than for commercial gains, says Joseph Pulinthanath, whose film ‘Yarwng’ made in the tribal language of Tripura, Kokborok opened the Indian Panorama section of IFFI here on Sunday.
“We are more inclined to look for development and welfare of the people through the medium of cinema. It is the lack of development and delivery of justice that is the rootcause of many problems. Till 2002, Tripura was the hotbed of terrorism. But things are much better now,” Joseph told reporters after the screening.
“We have borders with several other countries making our region very sensitive. We have to depend on the rest of India for film-making expertise. Exhibition and distribution of films is also a problem even though locals prefer to watch indigenous stuff and entertainment content in their own language. There are no cinema halls in Tripura,” he said.
The north-east region has an unfriendly terrain. The distances are too long and it is a landlocked region, he added.
Cinema culture is developing in the region with films from Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh also screened in the Indian Panorama section over the years, he said.
Joseph’s last film ‘Mathia’ was screened at IFFI in 2004.
http://blogs.thehindu.com/films/?p=4980
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)