Ladakhi-language Short Film, Ghar Jaisa Kuch, directed by an independent director, Harsh Sangani. Opened the short film package at IFFI 2024, IFFI NO. 55, November 2024. The film explores the perpetual conflict between a person’s will to adhere to his inherited traditions and pursuing his future aspirations. The film has depicted this struggle in a unique way, where the spirits of the protagonist’s parents play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative. The plot has captured the lan...

Continuing and concluding my experiences of watching films at IFFI 2024, and walking out usually, after 30-40 minutes. MEETING WITH POL POT , Cambodia (Kampuchea), Taiwan, Qatar, Turkey  Three persons credited with the Screenplay, one of them being the author of the book, When the War was over: Cambodia and the, Khmer Rouge Revolution, by Elizabeth Becker, which must have been the basis of the film. Directed by Rithy Panh. It was nothing like I had expected from the tile and the ...

IFFI 2024, 16: Quality of films seen and the recurring walk-outs You may find it incredible that I walked out of so many films, and I find it terrible that I had to. Never, in my living memory, have I walked out of so many films at any given film festival. IFFI 2024, however, took the cake. In the recent past, with films being polarised into block-buster, but inane, action extravaganzas and the well-intentioned small films that just do not have it in them to hold a viewer’s interest, ther...

IFFI 2024, 15: Accreditation for media-persons, and what they should expect if and when it is granted Setting-up and Opening MyIFFI (your at the website), you can on a form for getting accreditation as a media-person, to attend the International Film Festival of India, which is held regularly in Panaji, Goa (since 2004). If you fill the form correctly, meeting their expectations, some of which are very demanding, you will get a response that your application is ed. Th...

IFFI 2024, 14: The State Minister, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting does a recce of the locations When he was the Chief Minister of Goa, late Manohar Parrikar, personally supervised the upgrading of the roads and structures of the location, Panaji City. He was known as the most unassuming and hands-on Chief Minister in the country. That was in 2004, which was the year when Goa held its first IFFI. I personally saw him at work, doing all the duties that were demanded of a responsible...

IFFI 2024, 12: Creative Minds of tomorrow, and their five outstanding films Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) is a platform designed to showcase the work of absolute beginners with enhanced to 100 young talents, up from 75 in previous editions The number of participants in this section are a full 100. Last year, 75 young talents were picked, to co-incide with the 75 years of Independence. Five CMOT Champions are being will be recognised for their exceptional journeys. As the largest ...

IFFI 2024, 11: The competition section for international recognition At IFFFI Goa 2024, the competition films are divided into two sections: Indian Panorama and the international competetion section. We have already listed the Panorama films in an earlier post. Now let us see which films of which directors and from which countries these films come. All films are sub-titled in English, according to international norms. Their screenings are held as part of the regular daily schedule, and someti...

IFFI 21024, 10: Five Indian films to compete for newly instituted DEBeaUTiful film award With an aim to promote new and young talent in the country, the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has instituted a new award category: Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film, which will showcase five remarkable debut films that highlight new perspectives, diverse narratives, and innovative cinematic styles, from across India. IFFI, scheduled to be held from November 20-28...

by Kate Elfatah The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is once again dedicated to Arab cinema and announces that it will provide more funds and artistic representation for producers in its 45th edition from November 13th to 22nd. CIFF this year is not only presenting more Arab films, it’s also dramatically broadening the channels through which filmmakers can find attention and . New Opportunities for Arab Cinema Prizes: A Revolution in Awards? As a powerful solidarity ...

  IFFI 2024, 07: Caution: Work in Progress, active pitching at Film Bazaar for 4 days The prestigious lab, based in South Asia's largest film market, has historically aimed to nurture emerging film-makers with developed projects before they reach audiences. For selected film-makers, the WIP Lab is a unique opportunity to benefit from the expert guidance and constructive criticism on their projects in the necessarily final stages of the work. Continuing to build upon this formula...

Apple TungFong, CEO, eoFlix eoFlix, the cutting-edge digital streaming platform created by Entertainment Oxygen, is now available to the film festival partners of Filmocracy. A trailblazer in ing virtual film festivals since 2018, Filmocracy ceased operations earlier this year and merged its business activities with Beverly Hills-based Entertainment Oxygen. eoFlix marks a new era in festival hosting for Filmocracy’s longtime festival partners. Its advanced features will emp...

IFFI 2024, 05: The ‘other’ jury Besides feature films, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has section of documentary and short films, broadly classified as the ‘other’ Jury. India also holds a Mumbai International Film Festival bi-annually, in February-March. Hitherto, it used to be organised the Films Division, now amalgamated with the National Film Development Corporation (MIFF). Guess, even that will be organised by NFCD. We have written about the Fe...

International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2024 will mark its 55th edition. It will be held in Goa from 20th to 28th November. Film enthusiasts can log on to https://my.iffigoa.org/ to their names. While film professionals and cinema enthusiasts can themselves by paying a fee of Rs. 1,180, students get free access to s and screenings with an allowance of 4 tickets per day. Interested delegates can create a ‘My-IFFI’ at https://my.iffigoa.org/ to ac...

MAMI: The origins of the Mumbai Film Festival, and the people who realised this dream IFFI, or the International Film Festival of India, began in Bombay, in 1952. It was then held in 1961, and after that, more regularly, till the mid-70s, in New Delhi. From the 3rd IFFI, held in 1965, it became a competitive festival, always held in New Delhi. Eleven years later, in 1976, it came back to what was at that time the equivalent of Hollywood in India. The festival in Bombay took on a new name, Filmo...

MAMI's MFF: The 25 obstacles you have to cross before you DO NOT get a Press badge To get a Press badge from the Mumbai Film Festival, an offer they make on their website and not something the press demands or coerces them to do, is a multiple stage process. And this happens only at MFF. Here are the 25 stages I had to go through, from 10 October 2024 to 6.32 October 2024, and I still do not have a Badge. This is how it begins                  ...

MAMI's MFF Director denies PRESS accreditation to seniormost journalist, suggests he pay &   In a mobile phome conversation, Siraj Syed asnd Shivendra Singh Dungarpur "Why don't you pay and , instead of trying to get a free Press badge?"-MAMI Festival Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur to me, on the phone, at 6.30 pm, on 19th October, after being chased for a week with several phone calls, SMSs, emails and WhatsApp, all unanswered, askin...

A long list of prestigious filmmakers, actors, screenwriters and producers have confirmed their presence in San Sebastian for the Festival’s 72nd edition. As well as Donostia Award-winners Pedro Almodóvar, Cate Blanchett and Javier Bardem – the latter of whom was recognised at the last edition but has been unable to collect his tribute until now – the following will come to San Sebastian to present their movies: Pamela Anderson, Monica Bellucci, Jamie Campbell Bower, &Ua...

Cate Blanchett, one of contemporary cinema’s leading actors, will receive a Donostia Award at the San Sebastian Festival’s 72nd edition as well as featuring on the official poster of. The image of the poster is the work of graphic designer José Luis Lanzagorta based on a photograph by Gustavo Papaleo. In 2018 the Festival revamped its posters to feature a figure from contemporary cinema. Isabelle Huppert, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Sigourney Weaver, Juliette Binoch...

  Canneseries season 7 - great actors, series and a pink carpet - all in Cannes and still with MipTV!   Indeed this series festival takes place in Cannes, where else, nomen est omen. And it gets into competition with an the other majour festival dedicated to series. I'm talking about Series Mania from Lille. Both festivals are taking place in spring, one just finished and the other one, Canneseries to take place 05-10.04. But while Series Mania is dedicated uniquely to televi...

The 2024 Universe Multicultural Film Festival will no longer be held in April, as previously scheduled. Instead, the event will occur on June 14-16. The final submission date has been extended a month, to April 18th.   The festival will be held at several venues, including the Peninsula Center Library (701 Silver Spur Rd. Rolling Hills Estates, 90274), the Palos Verdes Promenade (550 Deep Valley Dr. Suit 163 & 117, Rolling Hills Estates, 90274), and the CSTV Theater (11...

Countdown to Lovers Film Festival in Turin-Europe's oldest and 3rd oldest film festival on LGBTQI+ in the world (Turin, Cinema Massimo – 16-21 April 2024) The first previews with guests Paolo Camilli, Annagaia Marchioro and Guglielmo Scilla National premiere at the festival "LIL NAS X: LONG LIVE MONTERO" by Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel. The countdown to the Lovers Film Festival begins on Tuesday 16 April (press conference 10 April, at 12 at the Cinema Massim...

Chandigarh gets its investiture: Cinévesture International Film Festival Rana Dagubatti, Jérôme Paillard, Julian Friedmann, Nicole Guillemet, Nuhash Humayaun, and Ajitpal Singh must be familiar names to film festival buffs. Now they have come together to serve on the Advisory Board of a film festival, which will be held in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, a city that serves as the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana. The festival is called Cinévesture I...

    The photo of Marlon Brando was taken in 1972 in Paris during the filming of "Last Tango in Paris"     Ph. Eva Sereny / Iconic Images   The Turin International Film Festival-TFF which will take place 22-30 November 2024 in the beautiful city of Turin unveils it's poster and the new festival director. Giulio Base, originally from Turin, will be the new festival director following Steve della Casa.    ...

The world's one-stop shop for indie film festivals, filmmakers and content creators Entertainment Oxygen (EO) and our dynamic streaming and networking platform eoFlix are open for business and accepting new film festival partners. The go-to hub for all things surrounding movies and the festival circuit, EO/eoFlix is committed to redefining the indie film industry, providing our festival partners and filmmakers with unprecedented, comprehensive .  Our intuitive platfo...

  Götz Bühler, the new artistic director and Sybille Kornitschky the festival's director (photo Kerstin Rolfes) Götz Bühler, the new jazzahead! artistic advisor, has already left his mark on jazzahead! 2024, working alongside Sybille Kornitschky, the festival’s director.   The Netherlands as central focus at jazzahead! …and a message: „Jazz needs diversity“ jazzahead! is the must-go event for the international ja...