Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Returns April 4-7, 2024

After a one-year pause, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will return to Durham in 2024.

 

The four-day festival, which routinely draws huge crowds for films and panel discussions, will be presented again at the Carolina Theatre and Durham Convention Center April 4-7.

 

“Full Frame is an extraordinary cultural event for Duke, Durham and the broader documentary film community,” said Ed Balleisen, Duke’s vice provost for interdisciplinary studies. “Rest assured: Full Frame will return in 2024 and its impact will only grow in coming years.”

 

The festival began in 1998 as the DoubleTake Documentary Film Festival before being renamed in 2002. It was held virtually from 2020 to 2022 due to the pandemic and was then put on hold for 2023 as the Center for Documentary Studies, which oversees Full Frame, undergoes a strategic planning review. For the upcoming year, the festival will be a partnership between CDS and Duke Venues and Performance Management (DVPM), the campus arm that handles planning, ticketing and other logistics for arts and other Duke events.

 

“Nothing will change in how festival leadership determines a vision for the event, nor how documentary experts select films,” Balleisen said. “But the festival will mesh more substantially with operations at Duke to leverage logistical expertise and capacity.”

 

Duke’s senior leadership is currently reviewing CDS’s organizational framework, informed by the work of a faculty review committee. During that process, Balleisen is fulfilling the responsibilities of the center director.

 

“Duke remains committed not only to Full Frame, but to documentary studies, a robust set of  undergraduate classes in this sphere, the certificate program in documentary arts, and CDS,” Balleisen said.

 

Full Frame veterans Emily Foster and Sadie Tillery, who have been co-directing the festival since 2021, will continue in that joint leadership role.  Tillery, who stepped down from the role earlier this year, agreed to return to it upon learning of Duke’s plan to revamp the festival’s infrastructure. She will lead programming and operations with DVPM, while Foster, who came to Full Frame in 2019 as marketing director, will lead festival production, development, and other planning with CDS.

 

“By the time we get to Full Frame in 2024, it will have been five years since we last held an in-person festival,” Foster said. “Returning to the physical landscape is a big milestone for Durham and the documentary community. We’re committed to maintaining the core values that make Full Frame so special, while also building upon them to create a vision for Full Frame well into the future.”

 

The new festival partnership with DVPM will streamline operations and create a more efficient process, Tillery said. The goal is to build on the festival’s long history.

 

“Full Frame is regarded as a filmmakers’ festival. I am committed to cultivating the sense of community and intimacy that Full Frame is known for as we return to in-person programming, while celebrating artists and exceptional documentary storytelling,” Tillery said.

 

About Full Frame

 

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an internationally recognized event that proudly presents the best of nonfiction films on the festival circuit each year. Based in Durham, North Carolina, the annual festival gathers thousands of enthusiastic fans from around the globe to celebrate the documentary art form, engage in meaningful conversation, and experience the impact of exceptional nonfiction cinema firsthand. The next Full Frame Documentary Film Festival takes place April 4–7, 2024.

 

The festival is a program of the Center for Documentary Studies and receives support from corporate sponsors, private foundations, and individual donors whose generosity provides the foundation that makes the event possible. The 2024 festival is being produced through a partnership with Duke Venues and Performance Management, the campus arm that handles planning, ticketing and other logistics for arts and other Duke events. The Presenting Sponsor of the festival is Duke University. To learn more about the mission of Full Frame or how to support Full Frame, visit fullframefest.org.

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The European Film Awards 2023: European Film Academy announces this year’s Documentary Film Selection

 

With 14 powerful feature-length documentary films the European Film Academy is presenting a strong Documentary Film Selection for the European Film Awards 2023. The Academy has revealed the titles today. A committee consisting of a diverse range of invited European experts has chosen these 14 productions that have been recommended for nomination for the European Film Awards 2023. The European Film Awards, honouring the greatest achievements in European cinema, will be presented on 9 December in Berlin.
 
With 16 European countries represented – both EU and non-EU – the selection demonstrates the great diversity in European cinema.
 
Please find the list of all selected documentaries here as well as further information on all films including synopsis, cast, credits, and statements of directors (if available).

Eligible for the European Film Awards are European documentaries which, among other criteria, had their first official screening between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023 and have a European director*. Additional titles of documentary films premiering at summer festivals might be added and announced in September.
 
In the coming weeks, the 4,600 members of the European Film Academy will start to watch the selected films and after the final announcement of all films vote on the nominations in the category ‘European Documentary’. Based on the votes of all members, the nominations will be made public on 7 November 2023. The members of the European Film Academy will then vote for the winner who will be announced at the European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin on 9 December 2023.

The selection is based on the Diversity & Inclusion Standards of the European Film Academy.
 
The ceremony of the European Film Awards – the most renowned and prestigious award for European film - is presented by the European Film Academy and European Film Academy Production gGmbH.
 
*Should a film director not be European, “provided they have a European refugee or similar status or have lived in Europe and worked in the European film industry for at least five consecutive years”, exceptions by the Board can be made. Regulations for the 36^th European Film Awards, 1.6. p. 2.
 

DOCUMENTARY SELECTION

• 

  APOLONIA, APOLONIA / APOLONIA, APOLONIA

  Denmark, Poland

  Directed by: Lea Glob
  Written by: Lea Glob

•  

   

  

  BETWEEN REVOLUTIONS / ÎNTRE REVOLUTII

  Romania, Croatia

  Directed by: Vlad Petri
  Written by: Vlad Petri, Lavinia Braniste

•  

   

  

  FOUR DAUGHTERS / LES FILLES D'OLFA

  France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia

  Directed by: Kaouther Ben Hania
  Written by: Kaouther Ben Hania

•  

   

  

  IN THE REARVIEW / SKAD DOKAD

  Poland, France, Ukraine

  Directed by: Maciek Hamela
  Written by: Maciek Hamela

•  

   

  

  LIGHT FALLS VERTICAL / ARA LA LLUM CAU VERTICAL

  Spain, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands

  Directed by: Efthymia Zymvragaki
  Written by: Efthymia Zymvragaki

•  

   

  

  MOTHERLAND

  Sweden, Ukraine, Norway

  Directed by: Hanna Badziaka, Alexander Mihalkovich
  Written by: Hanna Badziaka, Alexander Mihalkovich

•  

   

  

  ON THE ADAMANT / SUR L'ADAMANT

  France, Japan

  Directed by: Nicolas Philibert

•  

   

  

  ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY / ORLANDO, MA BIOGRAPHIE POLITIQUE

  France

  Directed by: Paul B. Preciado
  Written by: Paul B. Preciado

•  

   

  

  OUR BODY / NOTRE CORPS

  France

  Directed by: Claire Simon

•  

   

   

  

  PARADISE / PARADIS

  France, Switzerland

  Directed by: Alexander Abaturov
  Written by: Alexander Abaturov

•  

   

  

  SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD / SAVVUSANNA SÕSARAD

  Estonia, France, Iceland

  Directed by: Anna Hints
  Written by: Anna Hints

•  

   

  

  THE HEARING / DIE ANHÖRUNG

  Switzerland

  Directed by: Lisa Gerig
  Written by: Lisa Gerig

•  

   

  

  WE WILL NOT FADE AWAY / MY NE ZGASNEMO

  Ukraine, France, Poland

  Directed by: Alisa Kovalenko
  Written by: Alisa Kovalenko

•  

   

  

  WHO I AM NOT / WHO I AM NOT

  Romania, Canada , Germany

  Directed by: Tunde Skovran
  Written by: Tunde Skovran

 

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Love All, Review: Goodbye badminton, Hello badminton

Love All, Review: Goodbye badminton, Hello badminton

No, it’s not about love as is depicted in Hindustani films. And it certainly does not propagate the noble axiom, Love All. The ‘love’ here is derived from the French, l’oeuf, which means an egg, but is pronounced very nearly like love. Since the score 0 (zero) in games like tennis and badminton is the starting point for the players, these games begin with Love All. After a dozen films on cricket, footfall, hockey, sprinting, and what have you, the badminton court remained untapped. The makers of Love All have chosen badminton as their game, and interwoven an interesting story, much like the strings of the badminton racquet.

In 1982, Olympian Aslam Sher Khan penned a memoir and called it ‘To Hell with Hockey’. No marks for guessing the colour of the contents. Looks like writer-director Sudhanshu Sharma has been inspired by that account, and Love All moves from early glory to revulsion towards badminton to rediscovering the game through the next generation to crowning glory. The last chapter follows the genre in true spirit. It would take a lion-heart to break that mould and have a climax which does not pit one against another, and the underdog does not come back from being nearly vanquished to emerge as numero uno.

A grim and bitter looking Sidhharth Sharma moves to Bhopal from some other posting in the Railways, along with his wife and young son, Aditya. He is a technical person, probably a Mechanical Engineer. Although from Bhopal, he had gone away and stayed away from this city for many years. He is spotted by one of his closest friends, Viju, who runs a sports goods shop called Champion Sports. It is so named because Sidhharth Sharma was a badminton champion, until a vicious attack on his leg by a motor-cycle gang put paid to all his hopes of making it big. He has no father and his mother cannot afford the cost of the operation, which might give him a chance to make a come-back. For someone who had trained his eyes on the Olympics, the predicament is too much to bear, and he leaves Bhopal.

Though he has shut–out all sport from his psyche, kept his sporting past hidden from his wife, and imposed this diktat on his young son too, destiny wills otherwise. When his mother takes Aditya for admission to a popular school, the teacher in-charge of admissions, Suma, asks them to fill in the form, at the end of which, they have to choose a sport of their choice. The mother calls the sports-hating Sidhharth, and he says, not unexpectedly, that there is no need to choose any sport. They will, instead, choose another school, where sport is not compulsory. The mother, nevertheless, agrees to the idea. The teacher has a word with the sports teacher, on the phone, and tells the mother and son that only badminton is available as an option. She fills in badminton. Thus begins the secret training of Aditya, who is completely unaware of his father’s standing in the sport, and his achievements before Aditya’s birth.

Compliments are due to story writer-director Sudhanshu Sharma for moving away from the beaten track and instilling the narrative with interesting twists. He shares the screenplay and dialogue credit with Sonal. Sudhanshu also made Kalichaat, around the same time as Love All. On the centre court, he springs a pleasant surprise in the school admission scene. The graphic illustration of the badminton shots in the final match is striking. Timely producing of Passport, Aadhaar Card and PAN Card, as proofs of age, when challenged by falsifiers, are a tour de force. By using the punch twice, once in passing and the second time in full focus, Sudhanshu reduces the impact of the punch, but only a little. On the other court, there are a few volleys that he is not able to negotiate.

The character of Siddharth’s neighbour, another Sharma, is not well-developed, and, at times, seems redundant. By contrast, the old-time friend Viju is given too much footage, though Sidhharth gives him only a token acknowledgement when they first meet. Was there nobody in the whole city that Siddharth could meet or relate to? He does not interact with anyone. When did he leave Bhopal? At what age? Apparently, he was a teenager when the hit-and-run case occurred, and put-paid to his badminton aspirations. So, where did he learn mastery of the game, including aspects like stringing a racquet, and various ways of practicing and training.

What about his mother? What about his sweet-heart? Why does he not maintain any contact with her for decades. How does he manage to keep his sporting past a secret from his wife for 10-20 years? When she bluffs him on 2-3 occasions, albeit with noble intentions, he does not bat an eyelid. Why does the politician/badminton patron, who is the Secretary of the Association, have to have a grandson as the de facto champion, and to whom Aditya poses a threat? Sidhharth unlocks the gate of the old stadium, with the obvious purpose of meeting an old stadium attendant, Baba, who is known to spend all his time inside. But since the door was locked, he could not have been inside. Suddenly, afterwards, with a cut, the director shows the man offering tea to Siddharth and having a glass himself, inside the stadium. The side-track of Siddharth working at the railway workshop is created effectively, but does not contribute to the narrative, till almost the climax, when your heart beats for Siddharth and his guest, sitting in a railway coach. Filmed in 2018, with references to 2017, Love All gets a release five years later, and Covid must take part of the blame, if not all.

Having reserved a position on screen as a hardened cop/investigating officer, it is a welcome break for Kay Kay Menon. Not often do you see tears in the eyes of Kay Kay. Though his character is a bit irrational, you enjoy watching him in this new incarnation. The father-son interactions are touching. Hope this is a harbinger of more such roles. Swastika Mukherjee makes a comely, plump Soma, the adult version of Siddharth’s teenage sweet-heart. She exudes the right kind of emotions, but falters a bit in the Hindi pronunciation. Shriswara, a ten-year veteran on screen (Section 375, Baaghi 3, Uma), as Sidhharth’s wife, is no stunner, but brings to the fore compassion and cleverness, alternately, as is demanded. Sumit Arora plays the over-the-top friend, not unlike many Punjabi shop-keepers. His character draws a lot of sympathy. Atul Srivastava is cast as the neighbour Sharma, and don’t we know a few of his types? A little over-board, but not out of character. Theatre veteran Raja Bundela is a surprise packet as the Secretary. He underplays a role that could do with a little arrogance and much more ego. Ark Jain as Aditya is a little raw and has a complex role. Overall, he does well.

The following names also feature in the cast: Satyakam Anand, Robin Das, Pravina Bhagwat Deshpande, Mazel Vyas and Deep Rambhiya. Background music by Debarpito Saha and songs by Saurabh Vaibhav are passable. Some rich lyrics (Ankit Pandey, Sonal) might go a-begging because the situations and picturisations are not commensurate. Raut Jaywant Murlidhar’s cameras needed to be placed at the sight spot at the right moment, to capture the thrill of the matches, and they did indeed choose the correct view. Editing by Aalaap Majgavkar and Raunak Phadnis is the heart of the film, especially in the match sequences. We see just enough of a player to register, and they cut to the other player. And the length of the film is manageable too, at 2 hours 10 minutes.

Love All should be seen till the end credits have finished rolling. There are a couple of scenes that have a message for the viewers.

It is a film worth watching, just to realise that with a nondescript unit and 40 days of shooting, a reasonable standard of output can be achieved.

Badminton players, who have, for some reason or the other, have said “Goodbye badminton”, might be inspired to say, “Hello badminton.” Even some non-players might be prompted to grab a racquet, and create a racket…on the badminton court, of course.

Rating: ** ½

Trailer: https://youtu.be/IleX8QX5Uyw

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Documentary Industry Days of Odesa IFF have started in Gdynia

 

From August 28th to 31st, the Documentary Industry Days of OIFF will take place in Gdynia, Poland. The event is organized by the 14th Odesa International Film Festival and B2B Doc in cooperation with the Gdynia Film Center.

The programme includes the presentation of Film Scouting projects. The list of participants includes:

• Alex Rodins’ Art Message (dir. Helen Yasinskaya) – Belarus
• Echoes of Avey (dir. Atanur Nabiyeva) – Azerbaijan
• Milena: Between Strange Borders (dir. Sabina Asadova, Mira Oyetoro) – Ukraine
• Sky Nomads (dir. Aytaj Khalig Suleymanova) – Azerbaijan
• The First Swallow (dir. Sandro Visotski, Joanna Rój) – Poland, Georgia
• Unknown No.1 (dir. Markiian Miroshnychenko) – Ukraine

Additionally, as part of the Documentary Industry Days, the Launch Pad Pitching will take place with the following projects:

• Ashes Settling in Layers on the Surface (dir. Zoya Laktionova) – Ukraine, France, Slovenia
• Foto Galatasary (dir. Anahit Ghazarvan) – Armenia
• Grounding (dir Merri Mkrtchyan) – Armenia
• Heart Don’t Be Afraid (dir. Ana Kvichidze) – Georgia
• Leave Easy Come Back Safe (dir. Masaha Maroz, Sasha Kulak) – France
• Letters (dir. Andrei Kutsila) – Poland
• MEMO ’94 (dir. Kornii Hrytsiuk) – Ukraine
• Operation “Champion” (dir. Mariam Nikolaishvili) – Georgia
• The Amateur Photographer’s Family Portrait (dir. Nurlan Hasanli) – Azerbaijan
• Vera Means Belief (dir. Pavel Braila) – Moldova, Lithuania

Moreover, there will be the Cutting Edge Pitching with the following projects:

• A Picture to Remember (dir. Olga Chernykh) – Ukraine, France, Germany
• Divia (dir. Dmytro Hreshko) – Ukraine, Poland
• Ever Since I Knew Myself (dir. Maka Godaladze) – Georgia, Germany
• Flowers of Ukraine (dir. Adelina Borets) – Ukraine, Poland
• Swinging Fields (dir. Sareen Hairabedian) – USA, France, Ireland
• Up in the Air (dir. Oksana Syhareva) – Ukraine, Czech Republic, Lithuania
• Zinema (dir. Kornii Hrytsiuk) – Ukraine, Luxembourg

Workshops, panel discussions, and masterclasses with filmmakers from B2B doc countries and international industry professionals are also part of the Days of Documentary Industry.

Documentary Industry Days of OIFF will continue until August 31st.

 

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One Friday Night, Review: Cheat on wife, pay with life

One Friday Night, Review: Cheat on wife, pay with life

Get captivated by the Pawna Lake hilly region, close to Mumbai. Watch Raveena Tandon and Milind Soman in a first time pairing. Sit back as Vidhi Chitalia enters the scene, playing the ‘other woman’, the third angle of the triangle. And go along with the flow, as One Friday Night works towards the only real twist in the tale, the climax. That is if you care for this narrative and cast. If not, don’t spend One Friday Night in the cinema hall where this one is playing. There are better ways of spending the beginning of your weekend.

A really rich businessman, Ram Verma is, apparently, happily married to gynaecologist, Dr. Lata Verma, for 20 years. Ironically, the Vermas do not have children. That could be one reason why Ram has an extra-marital affair with a young dancer named Nirosha Patel. Conveniently, he owns a farm-house, and the caretaker, Govind, is loyal to him. One day, he tells Lata that he's going to Nagpur on a business trip, but, instead, he picks up Nirosha from a deserted spot, and the two head for his farm-house. Once they reach the farm-house, Nirosha calls her mother and learns from her that she desperately needs a large sum of money. Nirosha asks Ram to lend her the money. To her great surprise, Ram opens a chest that is full of currency notes, and says that all this money now belongs to her.

Lata learns from TV broadcasts that Nagpur is heavily flooded, and all the offices are closed. She gets anxious, and rings up Ram to know the where he is and if he is safe. Ram makes excuses to pacify her. Nirosha reveals that she's two months pregnant. Ram feels ecstatic, on learning that he's going to be a father, for the first time, and tells Nirosha that they will keep the baby, not abort it. Govind overhears their conversation and is not happy at the development. Unlike most persons, Ram wants to celebrate this occasion with his favourite pastries. He tells Govind to take his car and go to the market, which is 40 km away, to bring the pastries. Govind doesn't want to leave the house in this weather, but cannot disobey Ram’s command. Nirosha insists that Ram divorce Lata and marry her, so that she and their child get to lead a normal life, as child and parents. Shortly afterwards, accidentally, Ram loses his balance, falls down from the terrace, and gets seriously injured. A panicky Nirosha first tries to call Govind and then an ambulance, but cannot get through, due to poor connectivity and inclement weather. Ultimately she rings up Lata, and asks for help from her.

One Friday Night is the sixth film directed by writer-director Manish Gupta, who has previously directed Darna Zaroori Hai (one story) (2006), The Stoneman Murders (2009), Hostel (2011), Rahasya (2015) and 420 IPC (2021). Gupta has also written the story, screenplay and dialogues for Amitabh Bachchan starrer Sarkar (2005) and Akshaye Khanna starrer, Section 375 (2019). Coming from a man with enough experience, the film is a let-down. This effort is the joint contribution of writers Manish Gupta, Kamal Chopra and Ramesh Rabindranath. It has a wafer-thin plot and chooses to avoid character development and, at least the rudiments of, a back-story. Gupta seems to be keenly interested in crime and horror, going by his oeuvre, yet the crime element in One Friday Night suffers from a predictable murder. To his credit, the lead-up to the murder and the denouement are suspenseful and interesting. But they do not add-up to more than 10 minutes in this 92-minute outing.

There is hardly any traffic on the long drive to the farm-house. Ram just stops his car and Nirosha comes running towards it from the middle of nowhere. Ram sends Govind to bring pastries, knowing that the bakery is 40 km away and it is raining heavily. Moreover, it is hilly terrain, so it would take several hours for the pastries to arrive, rendering them cold and unpalatable. Lata is not aware of Ram’s exact travel plans, like his air-ticket and hotel booking, suggesting that he keeps these things secret from her. How and where Ram and Nirosha met is very germane to the story, but is not told on screen. In an attempt to impart organic unity, the first shot and the last shot of the film are the same, but they do not make any significant impact. A normal, regular gynaecologist becoming a criminal mastermind will take some believing. Was she an avid James Hadley Chase novels reader?

Even in such a set-up, Raveena Tandon as Lata manages to hold her own, bringing her vast experience into play. Paired against the 51 year-old Raveena is 57 year-old Milind Soman, a pairing that is perfect, age-wise. After three decades of acting, Milind remains the iconic model he was before he started working in films. A short beard and grey hair do not take away from his charm. He is fluid and easy-going, without being distinguished. To be fair to him, he is made to lie limp for a large chunk of the footage. Vidhi Chitalia’s character lacks definition and delineation. She was earlier seen in Manish Gupta’s 420 IPC in a supporting role. But she is okay, on the whole. Ambrish Saxena impresses as Govind. Hemant K. Gaur, as Sub-Inspector Patil, has little to do.

Standard contributions come from cinematographer  Binendra Menon (who has some lovely locales to exploit), editor Archit D. Rastogi (who has sensibly kept the length to 92 minutes) and music composer Goyell Saab.

One Friday Night took 25 days to shoot. Perhaps another 2.5 days would have made the film more watchable. Of course, the moral of the story would still be Cheat on Wife, Pay With Life.

Rating: **

Trailer: https://youtu.be/V1MhIQte2m8

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Heavy rains and landslides have killed more than 60 people in northern Indian.

TIFF announces eclectic Short Cuts programme for 2023

World Premieres and female-led films dominate this year’s slate of exciting selections, including works by Mackenzie Davis, Malia Ann, Yann Demange, and Jasmin Mozaffari, with performances by Riz Ahmed, Kaniehtiio Horn, and more 

 DAMMI (2023) Photo Credit: Courtesy of TIFF

 

The Toronto International Film Festival® announced this year’s Short Cuts lineup, supported by Ontario Arts Council, showcasing 42 live action narrative, documentary, and animated shorts by a groundbreaking group of filmmakers representing 23 countries. More than half of this year’s selections are directed or co-directed by female and female-identifying filmmakers. TIFF alumni directors with new films at Short Cuts include Yann Demange, Jasmin Mozaffari, Miryam Charles, Farnoosh Samadi, Halima Ouardiri, Renee Zhan, Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto, and the team of Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan. Among the directors with short films at the Festival for the first time are Malia Ann and Canadian actor Mackenzie Davis. Among the notable performers in this year’s slate of new shorts are Riz Ahmed (DAMMI) and Kaniehtiio Horn (Redlights).

A robust selection of new animated short films will be showcased in the programme this year. Animated films in Short Cuts include the North American Premieres of 27, recipient of the Short Film Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and Electra, director Daria Kashcheeva’s stunning follow-up to Daughter, an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short and a Short Cuts selection in 2019. Three animated shorts at this year’s Festival are This is TMI by India’s Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta, Mboa Matanda by Cameroon’s Jules Kalla Eyango, and Aphasia by Canada’s Marielle Dalpé. 

Along with remarkable new works by international filmmakers, Short Cuts includes 19 selections by Canadian filmmakers, including World Premieres of films by Marni Van Dyk (This is Not About Swimming), Eva Thomas (Redlights), Karsten Wall (Modern Goose), and Ivan D. Ossa (Express). 

“We are thrilled to be able to present such a diverse array of incredible new works by emergent and established film talents from all over the world,” said Short Cuts lead programmer Jason Anderson. “We were knocked out by the level of craft and ingenuity in these films, as well as the boldness displayed by so many filmmakers as they explore subjects and themes that couldn’t be timelier or more personal. That’s especially true of the films we’re grateful to present that are by female and female-identifying filmmakers, which comprise nearly 60 percent of this year’s selection.”

Short Cuts is also the first place where TIFF audiences discovered many of world cinema’s most acclaimed filmmakers, including such recent breakout talents as Charlotte Wells (Aftersun), Saim Sadiq (Joyland), and Luis De Filippis (Something You Said Last Night). Short Cuts alumni directors with first features at this year’s Festival include Fawzia Mirza (The Queen of My Dreams) and Nora El Hourch (Sisterhood).

The 2023 Short Cuts lineup includes 21 World Premieres, 13 North American Premieres, and 5 International Premieres presented in 19 different languages, with a breadth of new and unique perspectives. 


SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 1

DAMMI Yann Mounir Demange | France
North American Premiere

La Perra Carla Melo Gampert | Colombia/France
North American Premiere

Been There Corina Schwingruber Ilić | Switzerland
International Premiere

Primetime Mother Sonny Calvento | Philippines/Singapore
World Premiere

Meteor Atefeh Khademolreza | Canada
World Premiere

Nun or Never! Heta Jäälinoja | Finland
North American Premiere

Gaby’s Hills Zoé Pelchat | Canada
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 2

Fár Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter | Iceland
North American Premiere

The Skates Halima Ouardiri | Canada
World Premiere

Bloom Kasey Lum | Canada
World Premiere

Nada de todo esto Francisco Cantón, Patricio Martínez | Argentina/Spain/USA
North American Premiere

1001 Nights Rea Rajčić | Croatia
World Premiere

Redlights Eva Thomas | Canada
World Premiere

Electra Daria Kashcheeva | Czech Republic/France/Slovakia
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 3

This is TMI Subarna Dash, Vidushi Gupta | India
International Premiere

Titanic, Suitable Version for Iranian Families Farnoosh Samadi | Iran/France
World Premiere

All the Days of May Miryam Charles | Canada
Canadian Premiere

Bird Ana Cristina Barragán | Ecuador/Spain
World Premiere

Aftercare Anubha Momin | Canada
World Premiere

Shé (Snake) Renee Zhan | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Human Resources Trinidad Plass Caussade, Titouan Tillier, Isaac Wenzek | France
Canadian Premiere

Making Babies Eric K. Boulianne | Canada
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 4

Alberto and the Beast John Paul Lopez-Ali | USA
World Premiere

Mboa Matanda Jules Kalla Eyango | Cameroon
World Premiere

Mothers and Monsters Edith Jorisch | Canada
World Premiere

Express Ivan D. Ossa | Canada
World Premiere

Baigal Nuur - Lake Baikal Alisi Telengut | Germany/Canada
North American Premiere

The Passing Ivete Lucas, Patrick Xavier Bresnan | USA
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 5

WOACA Mackenzie Davis | United Kingdom
World Premiere

A Bird Called Memory Leonardo Martinelli | Brazil/United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Sawo Matang Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto | Canada/Indonesia/USA
World Premiere

Aphasia Marielle Dalpé | Canada
World Premiere 

Ever Since, I Have Been Flying Aylin Gökmen | Switzerland
International Premiere

I Used to Live There Ryan McKenna | Canada
North American Premiere

This is Not About Swimming Marni Van Dyk | Canada
World Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 6

27 Flóra Anna Buda | France/Hungary
North American Premiere

Xie Xie, Ollie James Michael Chiang | Canada
World Premiere

The Heart Malia Ann | USA
International Premiere

6 Minutes Per Kilometer Catherine Boivin | Canada
Toronto Premiere

Modern Goose Karsten Wall | Canada
World Premiere

Sheephead Spencer Creigh | USA
International Premiere

Motherland Jasmin Mozaffari | Canada
World Premiere

 

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About TIFF: TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $200 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.   TIFF is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, Visa, and BVLGARI®, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto. The Short Cuts programme is supported by the Ontario Arts Council. Artscape Sandbox is the Official home of the 2023 Press Office & The Media Inclusion Initiative.

 

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‘‘Barbie’’ directed by Greta Gerwig film review © Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) 10.08.2023

‘‘Barbie’’ directed by Greta Gerwig film review © Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) 10.08.2023  

Audiences and critics will remember ‘‘Barbie’’ for a long time as a light-hearted film that came at a time when the entire world was going gaga over big films such as Oppenheimer and MI-dead reckoning part one.

It is said that most children play with toys in their childhood. However, there are also a lot of people who never got to play with toys especially dolls. For those of us who didn’t get a chance to play with a Barbie doll in their lives, we remember it through Danish dance-pop group ‘‘Aqua’’ as it released the internationally acclaimed hit song ‘‘Barbie Girl’’ in 1997.

‘‘Barbie’’ (2023) talks about the existential crisis faced by its main character Barbie. It all started on the day when dancing with her friends, by mistake Barbie utters the dreadful word ‘‘Death’’. This has tremendous emotional impact on all the inhabitants of ‘‘Barbieland’’ especially Barbie and her friend Ken. They decide to leave the pleasures of a perfect life that Barbieland offers to experience a firsthand familiarity of the tough life seen in the real world.   

Through Barbie director Greta Gerwig intends to convey the overarching message that life is not perfect even for those who have always led a life of absolute comfort.  By helming ‘‘Barbie’’, she has directed a coming of age film with deep shades of comedy. For this film’s screenplay, American director and actress Greta Gerwig has worked with her partner Noah Baumbach. They have ensured that through a film like ‘Barbie’, teenagers and young people will be able to see and understand the meaning of tough concepts like existential crisis, matriarchy and patriarchy in a new light.

‘Barbie’ film’s innovative sets offer the wow factor especially the Barbieland. Everything is in pink that is considered universally to be a color of love. Among the actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are absolutely magnificent as ‘‘Barbie’’ and ‘‘Ken’’. Both of them are ably supported by other actors namely Will Ferrell.

Apart from entertaining audiences all over the world, ‘Barbie’ has a social message for everybody. It makes us all believe that feminism will never go out of fashion.  One of the key positive aspect of this film is that it is a light assault on the sexual mores in a hyper sexualized modern world. In ‘‘Barbie’’, a different, new facet of patriarchy is shown. According to it, the real world is cruel, tough whereas but in an imaginary, toy world everything is hunky-dory and everything is achievable. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach wrote their screenplay in a subtle manner that it counterbalances both the world known to human beings. It is a world in which a boy and a girl can be good friends too. It is believed that there will always be Barbie and Ken as a couple but Ken and Barbie can also co-exist separately. Finally, critics and cinéphiles will remember ‘‘Barbie’’ as a light hearted film that came at a time when the entire world was going gaga over big films such as Oppenheimer, MI-dead reckoning part one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Goldfish, Trailer launch: Mind matters

Goldfish, Trailer launch: Mind matters

Splendid Films yesterday released the trailer of their internationally acclaimed film, Goldfish, followed by a panel discussion, in association with Mpower Minds, an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust. Goldfish, which was shown at IFFI 2022, is set to release in India on 25th August, 2023. The event was held at Birla Centurion Business Centre, in Worli, Central Mumbai. For once, I was late. Very late. The venue was absolutely new to me and there were no directions on the invitation. To add to the problem, it rained heavily while I was searching for Birla Centurion, which most ‘guides’ confused with Birla Century Mills Showroom, 2 km away. But I arrived in the nick of time to catch the screening of the trailer, which, as is the norm, was screened twice.

The trailer gives you a look into the world of Anamika (Kalki Koechlin) and her mother, Sadhana (Deepti Naval) and how they navigate through their bitter-sweet relationship. With ace actors such as Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval and Rajit Kapur gracing the screen, and going by the trailer, Goldfish is likely to be interesting viewing.

At the core of the film is the need for developing a positive, supportive attitude while an individual, or a family, faces mental health challenges. Splendid Films is an Amit Saxena initiative. Saxena, who has roots in Delhi, runs an IT company in the US, but keeps visiting Mumbai (where he has a house) and Bengaluru (where he has his back office). It was a chance meeting with Pushan Kriplani, the (co)writer-director of the film, through a common friend, that led to him producing this film. Pushan narrated the subject, and Amit was hooked. This is his first foray into filmdom. They associated with Mpower, which is an initiative of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, led by Dr. Neerja Birla, that champions mental health causes, creates awareness, advocates prevention and provides services, with professional, holistic care.

Dilshad Khurana, Psychologist and Head Mpower, delved deep into the importance, impact and nuances of mental health challenges and ways to cope. ‘Let’s Talk 1 on 1’ toll free helpline, by Mpower, 1800 120 820050, is one of the tangible effort to ensure an immediate attention for anyone facing mental health troubles. After the event, Parveen Shaikh of MPower joined the group. Also present was Stuti, an RJ and Programming Consultant at a local radio station.

Speaking about his second directorial venture, cinematographer Pushan Kripalani, who co-wrote the film with Arghya Lahiri, said, “Goldfish began as a film about dementia, identity and diaspora but once the cast got involved and the ideas progressed, it soon became a movie about much more. At its core, Goldfish is a story about forgiveness and about retaining humanity in the face of the inevitable; it is about love. Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin breathed life into their characters, and made their essence come true. The team is thrilled to have the film release in India, and we are excited to see how the Indian audiences react.” He went on to add that he finds working with women more fruitful, while working with men is boring. This was, perhaps, said half in jest.

One of the four founders of the Industrial Theatre Company (2001), the other three being Rehaan Engineer, Nadir Khan and Karan Makhija, Pushan is a Master of Arts in Cinematography from the Bristol University. He is the son of popular actor Jayant Kriplani, recently seen on OTT in the Sushmita Sen starrer, Aarya. Jayant’s brother Gaurav is the Artistic Director of Singapore Repertory Theatre, and I had approached him for roles in their productions while I was based there. No luck. I gather Pushan did some theatre in Singapore.

Talking about the critical acclaim that Goldfish has garnered, producer Amit Saxena shared, “Goldfish is a content driven film. After the massive love and the wide, critical acclaim we garnered internationally, we wish to now bring the film home. The film captures various themes such as those of family, love, relationships, community, and we hope the audiences can relate to these subjects and enjoy watching the film. Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin have been the heart of the film and Pushan has done a spectacular job in bringing the vision to life. Goldfish is a movie that will pull you into its world and make you a part of the family of its characters, even long after you’ve left the theatre.”

Dilshad Khurana, in the field since the past 12 years, with experience spanning training, career counselling, personal counselling and testing, opined, “Films possess the remarkable power to deliver impactful social messages in a way that resonates with audiences, fostering progress and acceptance. Their ability to captivate vast audiences through compelling storytelling is truly commendable. In a society where mental health remains shrouded in taboos and judgement, despite its prevalence, Popular mediums such as films picking up story premises that deal with emotional and mental health themes stand as a beacon of hope. Through this popular medium, we aspire to ignite conversations around mental health, ultimately illuminating the path towards transformative change and encourage help seeking behaviour." She shared one experience of her counselling days, “There was this young man who needed counselling, but he would want appointments only when his father was not around. He was afraid that if his father found out that he was taking counselling, he would be mad at him. Such is the stigma attached to mental illness.”

I put to her that there was a desperate need to create awareness among family members, friends and colleagues, because many mental illnesses are not curable. “We know almost 100% about the heart and how to treat heart disease, but we only know 10-20% of the brain. Given this situation, doctors either prescribe addictive drugs or electric shocks.” Dilshaad was optimistic. “There many mental illnesses that can be cured, though some need lifelong medication. But you are absolutely right. Spreading awareness, far and wide, is a must.”

Rajit Kapoor recalled that his own father was suffering from dementia and he had a tough time interacting with him on the phone, because he would suddenly go off on a tangent. They lived in different cities, so personal interaction was not possible. Rajit had to remind himself time and again that he has to be very patient, otherwise he was prone to losing his cool. Deepti saw more and more women with mental illness now coming out in the open, which was a very good sign. As far as children are concerned, “You should look for signs. Is the child getting angry unnecessarily? Is he or she refusing to go and play with his/her friends? And more. You can find out if a child is going through mental trauma.” Later, in a private chat, she revealed that it was her poetry and painting that helped her through a period of depression, many years ago.

Goldfish, which is in the English language, marks Kalki Koechlin returning to theatres after four years. Rajit Kapoor rejoins his The Threshold director after seven years. This Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.

Let’s be honest, let’s be considerate, let’s be caring, let’s be loving. Let’s realise that in this world, it is not only material that matters. Mind matters too.

P.S. To the best of my belief, Jayant spells his surname Kriplani. Whether Pushan prefers it this way, or as Kripalani, I am not aware.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/tcRq9j4kzQ4

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Dream Girl 2, Trailer launch: Meet Ayushwomann, the body behind the voice

Dream Girl 2, Trailer launch: Meet Ayushwomann, the body behind the voice

Meeting Dream Girl 2 was not easy. In fact, it was 3 times as difficult as one would have imagined. First hurdle was the location hunt, as the invitation just said Meta Office, BKC. BKC is a huge settlement, and it took us (me and my friend Prasad Sovani, who had come down from Pune) a while to locate the venue, though we still managed to arrive on time. Secondly, we had to wait about 45 minutes to get identity badges and photographs done, pre-requisites for entering the edifice named One BKC. Then, there was a wait of another hour and forty-five minutes, peppered with three announcements by compère Siddharth, that proceedings would get underway within minutes, before he she finally made her appearance. ‘She’, of course, is Ayushmann Khurrana, who did a splendid job as the female phone friend, Pooja, in Dream Girl 1. And here she was, in the company of Ekta R. Kapoor (producer, the R in her name stands for Ravi, Papa Jeetendra’s real name), Raaj Shandilyaa (writer-director), Ananya Panday, Abhishek Bannerjee and Rajpal Yadav (co-artistes), to grace the trailer launch, and answer questions, about the film that is releasing on August 25.

It was early, as trailer launches go, held 24 days before the release. On August 1. I am sure the producer has her reasons. But it was delayed beyond measure, starting a full 150 minutes after the scheduled time. Barring a handful, who made graceful exits, the remaining media-persons waited patiently, the wait partly redeemed by some snacks and beverages. But once the VIPs arrived, it was a rollicking ride. And when it was projected, the trailer attracted a few wolf whistles and some real plastic whistles, generously supplied by the organisers. The turnout could not stop admiring the efforts that went into the creation of a womann out of Ayushmann.

Ayushmann was his normal composed self. Ananya looked less oomphy than in some of her films, while Rajpal, like on screen, drew laughs the moment he entered, a phenomenon that was attributed to the late Mukri, who was a comedian of yesteryear, active till the 1980s. Raaj Shandilyaa, who, wrote the scripts for a record 625 TV comedy shows, was his usual, wise-cracking self. This is his third film, after Dream Girl 1 (2021) and a little-heard-of The Great Weddings of Munnes (2022) while Ekta spoke very little, which was nice.

While the personnel present did not divulge much of the plot, one makes out from the trailer that Ayushmann, alias, Karamveer Singh’s father Annu Kapoor (with the iconic name of Jagjit Singh) has amassed of a huge debt, in the range of Rs. 20-25 lakh, using a credit card. When the card company demands payment, Karamveer has only one way of helping out: getting into drag, as Pooja, and hooking a wealthy prospective groom. But he is already in love with Pari (Ananya) and her father, Manoj Joshi, is going to Karamveer’s house to meet his family and finalise the wedding! Also in the cast are Paresh Rawal, Manoj Joshi, Vijay Raaz, Seema Pahwa and Asrani.

Ekta stated that Raaj Shandilya comes up with the best one liners she has ever heard. For Raaj, Dream Girl 1 and Dream Girl 2 were a natural progression after making various male comedians don female attire on his TV comedy shows. He had already worked with the ‘female voice’ for Ayushmann in Dream Girl 1, so giving the voice a body in Dream Girl 2 was a logical step forward. Answering my question about what qualities in a woman made her a dream girl to Ayushmann, when he was not married, he said “You are putting me in an awkward position by taking my wife out of the picture, but I will answer your question. The one quality that attracts me the most is shyness, bashfulness, coyness. These are attributes that enhance the beauty of a woman, I feel.” Others asked how difficult was it to get into the character, and he said it was very, very difficult. Putting on and losing muscles was no problem, because, he said, “I have a very high metabolism. Just controlling my diet helps me regulate my carbs.” Coming to the costume and make up, it was a nightmare, he confessed. Ananya interjected, “So now you know what we women have to go through.” Continuing, she added, “Working with several artistes who were my Dad’s co-actors was a blessing.”

A media-person asked how does Ayushmann pick such a wide range of characters, and he was candid, “You choose from what comes your way. I do not go around searching for roles of my choice. By the way, in Dream Girl 2, I am competing with Ananya, and I hope I win a best actress award.” Rajpal Yadav is in his 25^th year as actor. The gathering applauded his oeuvre. When asked to speak, he remembered his days at the National School of Drama, and thanked the Dream Girl 2 unit for giving him an opportunity to display his art. Yadav made his film debut in 1999. Although his first notable film was Jungle (2000, Ram Gopal Varma), where he played a terrorist, he has gained widespread recognition as a comedian. A veteran casting director, Abhishek Bannerjee started with theatre, in Delhi, and had a very small part in Rang De Basanti. 16 years later he had a good role in the horror comedy, Bhediya, where he reprised his persona as Janardan ‘Jana’/JD, as seen in the 2018 film Stree. In Dream Girl 2, he plays a character called ShahRukh.

Ekta averred that Hum Paanch was the first production of her banner, Balaji Telefilms. Hum Paanch was telecast in 1995. Perhaps she forgets that they produced a musical quiz show called Dhun Dhamaka, which was co-conceived and written by me, with me as the on-screen judge. It was aired on DD Metro, also known as DD2. Both Dhun Dhamaka, and a supernatural themed show, Mano Ya Na Mano, were shot simultaneously, and, as far as I remember, aired before Hum Paanch, Mano Ya Na Mano first and Dhun Dhamaka second.

I had written and done the coaching for Ekta Kapoor, who was probably a Class XII student at that time, with no knowledge of dialogue delivery or camera sense, when she was brought in by my producers as a one-off anchor (believe it or not) in the one-hour weekly, song popularity, countdown show, Superhit Muqabla (1993-94), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhit_Muqabla

which was already No. 1 in the ratings, all over India. The episode became quite a hit, and maybe sowed the seeds in the Kapoor family’s minds, to start a TV shows production company, in 1994. About mid-way during the shooting of Dhun Dhamaka, Ekta and I had a massive fall-out. After the fall-out, all my contribution to the show was either edited out or replaced.

Memories live on.

At the Dream Girl 2 trailer launch, Ayushmann Khurrana aka Pooja, and Ananya Pandey, aka Pari, did the heart thing, using two fingers each to shape a heart. Incidentally, Ananya Panday’s grandfather was a top heart surgeon!

Dream Girl 1 did not cut much ice with me, mainly on account of its vulgar jokes. Let’s see what 2, featuring an ‘assembled’ actor/woman, has in store.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/dlC1tNsr-n8

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Made in Heaven, Season 2: "Marriages are made in heaven, so are thunder and lightning"

Made in Heaven, Season 2: "Marriages are made in heaven, so are thunder and lightning"

Although the quote comes from Clint Eastwood, you can say it again, for this is Season 2. And unlike most marriages in real life, on OTT you get a second chance, to revisit heaven. After a successful Season 1 (2019), the team from Excel Media and Entertainment, and Tiger Baby Films, is back, with Season 2. Many characters are retained, and a few are added, to make these marriages work, I presume, the second time around. Made in Heaven is about wedding planners, as well as those who are tying the knot. Having been exposed only to the trailer of this nuptial, one cannot help recalling a film called The Wedding Planner (2001, starring Jennifer Lopez), and The Wedding Planner, a novel by Danielle Steel. Now you decide whether there is a Mary Fiore in the web series or a Faith Ferguson. Or, going original, neither character is inspiration for the script of Made in Heaven.

On August 1, at the Grand Hyatt, Santa Cruz East, the official trailer was released by Prime Video. The International Emmy nominated series is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj Ghaywan, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar. Shrivastava had a hiccup in her directorial debut, Turning 30 (2011), but redeemed herself, as a writer, with Lipstick Under My Burkha. Neeraj Ghaywan made the milestone film Masaan, and co-directed the Netflix's series Sacred Games with his mentor Anurag Kashyap, in 2019. In 2016, Nitya Mehra, directed her first feature film Baar Baar Dekho, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif, co-produced by Excel Entertainment and Dharma Productions. She went to the same school as Alankrita, in Dehradun. Co-incidence? And of course, she was part of Made in Heaven, Season 1 team. Reema ‘Kakati’ Kagti is Assamese and her last film was Gold (2018). Together, Reema and Zoya Akhtar helm Tiger Baby Films, a film production company, founded in October 2015. Which brings us to Zoya Akhtar. Having great poets as her ancestors, right down to Papa Javed Akhtar, Zoya is coming up with a film based on the Archie comics characters, called The Archies. The teaser trailer of the film was launched on 18 June 2023 in the Tudum 2023 event held in São Paulo. Well, since I wrote the dialogue of a TV adaptation of Archie many years ago, my interest is high on this one, which will be released on Netflix.

The new season incorporates an impressive slew of guest stars and regular parts, such as Mrunal Thakur, Radhika Apte (“for everything else, there is whiskey”), Dia Mirza, Neelam Kothari, Shibani Dandekar, Sanjay Kapoor (who made an attempt to reprise a couple of lines from Mughal-e-Azam, which were not his magnum opus for sure), Samir Soni, Pulkit Samrat, Vikrant Massey, Elnaaz Norouzi, Imaad Shah, Sarah Jane Dias, Shrishti Behl, Neil Bhoopalam, Lillete Dubey, Anurag Kashyap and Sabyasachi. The show returns with the franchise’s stellar cast, including Sobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Vijay Raaz, reprising their roles, and features new faces such as Mona Singh, Ishwak Singh and Trinetra Haldar. The series revolves around Tara and Karan, two wedding planners in Delhi, running an agency named Made in Heaven. During November-January, there are at least 3,000 society weddings taking place in Delhi every year.

Prime members in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide can stream all 7 episodes of Made In Heaven, Season 2, from 10th August. Made in Heaven beautifully traces the of milieu of tradition, modern aspirations and societal belief systems, set against the canvas of lavish Indian weddings. The trailer of Made in Heaven Season 2 takes us into the lives of its lead characters, who were at the crossroads at the end of Season 1. With new brides and new challenges, our favourite wedding planners deal with their professional and personal setbacks. The second season of Made in Heaven is mounted to be grander, filled with romance, drama, and, what else? Weddings! This time around, the series delves deeper into the lives of its characters, who navigate the complexities of organising and celebrating marriages, while their own lives unfold in unexpected ways.

"It feels amazing to be back as Tara in Made in Heaven Season 2.  For me Tara's journey has been both fascinating and challenging as she navigates her personal life with Adil and Faiza, while planning lavish weddings,” shares Sobhita Dhulipala (remember her in The Night Manager). “I had such an incredible time shooting for the second season, and I think this season will resonate even more with our audience. There is a little pressure to match, and even surpass, the audiences’ expectations from the previous season, but I’m positive about it.  I’m sure Made in Heaven Season, 2 will enthrall the viewers and prompt significant conversations about the complexities of human existence, making it an unforgettable and thought-provoking experience."

Arjun Mathur (Luck by Chance, My Name is Khan, The Accidental Prime Minister) shares his excitement saying, "It is an interesting journey to revisit a previously essayed character and hit new notes and dimensions with it. Playing Karan in Made in Heaven has been a transformative experience. The love and recognition from the first season, including the International Emmy nomination, have been overwhelming. Season 2 takes Karan to new heights as he navigates opulent weddings. I am very curious about how the viewers will react to Karan’s continuing journey and the unexpected twists in his life. It will also capture Karan's emotional journey, challenging conventions and seeking happiness amidst grand celebrations. The show unfolds the true events of a wedding, not just how everything appears happy on the outside.” 

Jim Sarbh (I could have sworn he was a Parsee, and guess what? He is. You might remember him in Neerja, Sanju and Gangubai Kathiawadi) shares, "It has been a great experience essaying the character of Adil Khanna, particularly because of the opportunity to work with Alankrita, Neeraj, Nitya, Reema, Zoya along with Nikos Andritsakis, and Tanay Satam, the DoPs, and the rest of the extremely talented crew, the direction, and the production team. It’s incredible to see how this character, who is simultaneously layered and obtuse, has resonated so well with audiences in India and beyond. In Season 2, Adil will be navigating loss, love, and loyalty, and making some tough choices. It will be intriguing for audiences to see how Adil's decisions will catch up to him, and how he will evolve this season. It is humbling to be an integral part of a show that has received such critical acclaim, and I hope that this new season, too, will garner the same amount of love and appreciation across the globe." That his face does not answer to a name like Adil Khanna is an occupational hazard. Jim took a jibe at compère Sachin Kumbhar, who must have used the title of the series and the date when it will premiere, at least a 100 times in 50 minutes. Can’t blame him, really, poor fellow, he must be getting paid by the number of times he does the needful. In honour of Season 2, here is my second mention: 10th of August.

In the end, I go back to Clint Eastwood, who is going to “make my day”. Marriages are made in heaven. But then, again, so are thunder and lightning. And there is a gem of reality check quote: Divorces are made on earth.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/_lpxWzvII5k

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Dublin Film Fest presents the Short Film Festival Strategy webinar

 

Want to get your short film on the festival circuit but not sure where to start? Come along to our DIFF Circle online discussion ‘Short Film Festival Strategy’, where we’ll be asking our panellists their best advice on how to get the most out of your short film at festival season.  

 

Hosted by festival director, Gráinne Humphreys, we welcome industry experts Kathleen McInnes and Wouter Jansen alongside the DIFF 2023 Discovery Winners; Laura O’Shea, Greg Burrowes and Rory Kerr.

DIFF Circle presents Short Film Festival Strategy Get the Link                 When: August 2nd Online Webinar 5pm Get the link rsvp@diff.ie       To get the link, send an email to rsvp@diff.ie Quiet on set! DIFF is getting a new online makeover   We are in the process of building a brand new website, launching this Autumn. Never fear, you can still submit films via Film Freeway and get in contact with us at diff.ie   Keep a lookout for updates as we build the new digital hub of Dublin International Film Festival!   Submissions for DIFF 2024 are well and truly open. With submissions coming in every day, we are so excited to start putting together a sensational programme for the next instalment of Dublin International Film Festival.   To submit your film for DIFF 2024, visit Film Freeway today at the link below Submit Your Film     Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe   View in browser

 

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