Pickle September Toronto Market Issue 2019 by Pickle -- Indian M&E Biz

www.pickle.co.in September 2019

INDIA’S ONLY FILM BIZ MAGAZINE FOR THE WORLD

INDIA

RISING

A fresh creative dynamics is propelling indie cinema in the world’s largest ﬁlmmaking nation into a zone where art and power coalesce seamlessly

India @ Torronto International Film Festival Visit India Stand No 19 Industry Office Hyatt Regency, TIFF

Eight days. Thousands of new ﬁlms and projects. Countless opportunities to discover what producers from around the world have developed.

Join the biggest names and the brightest minds.

Toronto International Film Festival September 5–15 Register now tiff.net/industry

BRINGING FILM TO LIFE

AMERICAN FILM MARKET

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NOVEMBER 6 - 13

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Viacom18 Media has completed an eventful decade in Indian M&E space. How Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats is looking forward to surprise viewers and competitors with the ‘contentfirst’ approach

VIACOM18 MEDIA The Great Surge

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16 Indian Films to Watch Out For in 2016

India’s Only Film BIZ Magazine for the World 09:3 13-02-2016

ickle reaches out to audio visual companies in over 50 countries; Targets global buyers and distributors; Film Festivals and markets; Animation production companies; Global companies looking at offshoring from India; Co-production seekers and location service providers. Pickle business guide tracks the entertainment business in India.

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A SPARKLING QUARTET India’s ‘fabulous four’ in the 44th Toronto International Film Festival represent exciting and distinct cinematic voices. These films, three of which will be world premiering in TIFF, have compelling stories, employing methods that stem from unique sensibilities. At one end is the story of a real-life urban couple learning life lessons from a terminally ill but spirited daughter (Shonali Bose’s The Sky is Pink) and at the other a tale of a buffalo that escapes from its butcher-owner and sparks a frenzy in a small town in Kerala (Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu), The other two Indian films present divergent takes on Mumbai: Gitanjali Rao’s animated feature Bombay Rose and Geetu Mohandas’ gritty yet life-affirming drama Moothon (The Elder One). It is a strong year in TIFF for Indian female directors. Three of the titles in this quartet have been directed by women. That apart, Priyanka Chopra, who toplines the cast of The Sky is Pink, is one of the four Indian ambassadors of TIFF’s ‘Share Her Journey’ campaign, which is aimed at promoting gender parity in the movie industry both in front of and behind the camera. The other three are filmmakers Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta and Rima Das. Das’s last two films (Village Rockstars and Bulbul Can Sing) premiered in TIFF. She will be attending the festival this year too, to take part in the campaign launched in 2017, the year she debuted here.

THE SKY IS PINK

GALA PRESENTATIONS

by Shonali Bose

BOMBAY ROSE by Gitanjali Rao

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Cast: Cayli Vivek Khare, Amit Deondi, Gargi Shitole, Makrand Deshpnde

Producer(s): Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapur

Producer(s): Rohit Khattar, Anand Mahindra

Shonali Bose’s The Sky is Pink, which also features Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim in stellar roles, is part of the festival’s Gala Presentations. Bose is a TIFF veteran. Each of the three films that she has helmed has screened in North America’s premier festival. The Sky is Pink is scheduled for release on October 11, a month after its world premiere in TIFF on September 13. The poignant film portrays 25 years in the life of a married couple whose relationship is depicted from the perspective of their justdeceased teenage daughter. It is inspired by the tragic true story of Aisha Chaudhary, who was diagnosed with severe immune-deficiency and had to battle through every day of her life for survival. But even as she counted her days, she never stopped living in the moment. She became a motivational speaker and wrote a book that was published a day before her death. Bose’s first two films, Amu (2005) and Margarita with a Straw (2015), both critically acclaimed cinematic essays drawn from real life, also played in Toronto.

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At the other end of the India’s TIFF spectrum this year is Gitanjali Rao, a globally celebrated animation filmmaker who has carved her own niche in a nation where animated films are not only rare but are also usually seen as entertainment meant only for children. She employs the medium to tell complex, layered stories about her city and its people, especially those who need to retreat into dream worlds to escape the soul-destroying urban grind that they must inevitably undergo on a day-to-day basis. Rao’s first feature, Bombay Rose, which has made TIFF’s Contemporary World Cinema cut, arrives in Toronto from Venice, where it was the opening film of the Critics Week. The film looks at street-dwellers who live on the margins of the megapolis. “I have always wanted to tell stories,” Rao says in her director’s note, “about the unsung heroes who live and love in Mumbai, never become success stories, yet their struggle for survival makes heroes out of them.” Bombay Rose is composed of frame-by-frame painted animation, a painstaking process that took all of two years. Bombay Rose is only the second Indian animation film to screen in TIFF. In 2103, Shilpa Ranade’s Goopy Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya made it to the festival programme.

Sat, Sep 14 | Elgin Theatre Subtitled | 11:00am

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

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MOOTHON

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

by Geetu Mohandas

JALLIKATTU by Lijo Jose Pellissery

Cast: Nivin Pauly, Sobhita Dhulipala, Shashank Arora

Cast: Antony Varghese, Vinayakan, Sabumon Abdusamad

Producer(s): Anurag Kashyap, Vinod Kumar, Ajay G. Rai, Alan McAlex

Producer(s): O. Thomas Panicker

Mumbai also plays a key role in actressturned-filmmaker Geetu Mohandas’ Malayalam-Hindi bilingual film, Moothon (The Elder One), which revolves around a 14-yearold Lakshadweep island boy, Mulla, who travels at great personal risk to the bustling city to look for his big brother, Akbar, armed only with a phone number. The film follows the parallel arcs of the two siblings while it focuses on the hope and despair that they have to grapple with in a city where life can be rough when the guards are down.

India | 2019

Although Mohandas is a TIFF ﬁrst-timer, her maiden feature, Liar’s Dice (2013), had premiered in the Sundance Film Festival and was India’s ofﬁcial nomination for the Oscars.

Sound | Renganath Ravee

Moothon, which has Nivin Pauly, Sobhita Dhulipala and Shashank Arora in key onscreen roles, is co-produced by Anurag Kashyap, who has also penned the Hindi dialogues of the ﬁlm. For Kashyap, TIFF is a bit of an annual ritual. His last two ﬁlms, Mukkabaaz and Manmarziyaan, were both in the festival.

Subtitled | 9:30pm

Subtitled | 9:15pm

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Jallikattu – the title is derived from the ancient Tamil bull-running tradition that has sparked much debate in recent times – allows for a deep dive into the heart of a politically volatile state that, pretty much like the people in the story that the ﬁlm narrates – are increasingly being divided along destructively emotive lines.

Subtitled | 9:45pm Sat, Sep 14 | Scotiabank Theatre

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Lijo Jose Pellissery, one of the most exciting flag-bearers of the new Malayalam cinema, is in this year’s lineup with Jallikattu, based on a short story, Maoist, written by S. Hareesh. The maker of Angamaly Diaries and Ee.Ma.Yau focusses on a butcher’s buffalo that flees from his owner’s clutches on the eve of its planned slaughter. As the people of the town in Kerala’s Idukki district set out to recapture the animal, dormant animosities bubble to the surface and unleash unsettling violence. Like his previous two film, Lijo’s new outing blends heady energy with an unwavering sense of formal cinematic proportion.

Sat, Sep 07 | Scotiabank Theatre

Fri, Sep 13 | Scotiabank Theatre

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

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INDIE Resurgence Driven by a fresh burst of energy, a new breed of independent filmmakers are delivering films based on their own individualistic visions, erasing the gap between the socially meaningful and the commercially viable Indian cinema - By Saibal Chatterjee

ediocrity is mainstream Indian cinemaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comfort zone. It has always been. But today, being middling is more than just an old habit for filmmakers seeking easy ways to achieve runaway commercial success. It has become a necessity. Low-grade, star-driven commercial cinema and its purveyors are being gleefully embraced by both the masses and the official agencies charged with the promotion of film culture in the country.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that an unabashedly misogynistic film like Arjun Reddy hits the box-office bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye. Its Hindi remake, Kabir Singh, made by the same director with a different actor, does even better. Another easy-to-sell category of cinema has emerged, especially in Mumbai, over the past few years: adulatory biopics and puff jobs. These are films that are either aggressively jingoistic (Uri: The Surgical

Strike, RAW: Romeo Akbar Walter) or are unabashed extended, fictionalized public service adverts (Toilet: Ek Prem Katha). Taking the line of least resistance pays instant dividends. These films not only make pots of money but also often go on to win national awards at the cost of essays that are leagues ahead in cinematic terms.

Ranjith is now in the midst of directing his first Hindi-language film – a drama based on the life of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda. The choice of hero is a natural progression for a filmmaker whose cinema has probed the place of the deprived and dispossessed in a society where power flows from religious identity and caste allegiance.

is a film that throws caution to the wind and yet comes with such astounding formal precision that one cannot but watch in awe and applaud. Kumararaja throws four sub-plots into a giant, constantly whirring grinder and emerges with a film so fascinating and so wondrously inventive that one is caught by surprise at every turn.

But for a new breed of independent filmmakers who are consciously pulling away from the crowd and following their own individualistic visions to deliver films aimed at erasing the gap between the socially meaningful and the commercially viable, Indian cinema today would have worn the looks of a hopeless wasteland.

Important elements dovetailed into the plot of Anurag Kashyap’s boxing drama Mukkabaaz also reflects the political consciousness of the maker. The ills of the caste system have also been laid bare in stark detail in Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15. The film is a worthy follow-up to Sinha’s Mulk, which addressed the issue of Islamophobia head-on. We might argue that Indian films still haven’t gone far enough to call out patriarchy and the Brahmanical order. But the very fact that some films are making an attempt, no matter a feeble, is itself a sign of the changing times.

Super Deluxe subverts our expectations at every turn. A couple is thrown into turmoil following the death of the woman’s ex-boyfriend in her bed. A father of a boy returns to his family after a seven-year absence in the guise of a transwoman. A schoolboy who bunks school with his friends to watch a pornographic film flies into a rage on discovering that his mother is an adult movie actress. Four friends get into terrible tangle with the underworld in an attempt to wriggle out of a minor jam.

Mercifully, even filmmakers working in the mainstream space – Pa. Ranjith and Vetrimaaran in Chennai and Anurag Kashyap and Anubhav Sinha in Mumbai – do not shy away from hitting political hot-buttons and questioning gender presumptions in stories couched in popular narrative formulations. When Vetrimaaran makes Vada Chennai, he ensures that it isn’t any ordinary gangster flick. He infuses it with a social resonance that communicates truths about a city and society in ways that are beyond the reach of less clued-in filmmakers. Pretty much the same is true of Pa. Ranjith. His two Rajinikanth vehicles, Kabali and Kaala, have a strong caste struggle sub-text delivered in a style that never strays into the preachy and boring. Ranjith also recently produced Mari Selvaraj’s Pariyerum Perumal, the story of a boy from an oppressed caste struggling to ward of continuing discrimination.

A fresh burst of energy is driving independent filmmakers not just in Tamil Nadu and Kerala but also in Mumbai. The primary space in debutant Madhu C. Narayanan’s Malayalam film Kumbalangi Nights, scripted by Syam Puskaran, is the home of four brothers who have no woman in their lives. The siblings are all flawed, scalded individuals until women enter their lives and make them see life and love in a different light. The film is an examination of masculinity that turns the entire notion of patriarchy on its head. Thiagarajan Kumararaja’sdaringly innovative multi-plot drama Super Deluxe

WE MIGHT ARGUE THAT INDIAN FILMS STILL HAVEN’T GONE FAR ENOUGH TO CALL OUT PATRIARCHY AND THE BRAHMANICAL ORDER. BUT THE VERY FACT THAT SOME FILMS ARE MAKING AN ATTEMPT, NO MATTER A FEEBLE, IS ITSELF A SIGN OF THE CHANGING TIMES

LIJO ALONG WITH SASIDHARAN, ARE THE ONES WHO ARE PROPELLING THE RESURGENCE OF MALAYALAM CINEMA ON THE GLOBAL STAGE. WE EXPECT MORE SURPRISES AS FILMMAKERS FROM KERALA RECLAIM THE PLACE THEY HAD IN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS IN THE 1980S AND A PART OF THE 1990S

The fast-paced, almost breathless film delivers a dazzling kaleidoscope of an urban landscape where every single day is as strange and disconcerting as the previous one. Super Deluxe is testimony to what younger Tamil filmmakers are capable of as storytellers and craftsmen. The new Malayalam cinema, too, is going through a wonderfully fecund phase. Three films made by Kerala directors are in two of world’s major festivals this year. Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Chola (Shape of Water) premieres at the Venice Film Festival while Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu and Getu Mohandas’s Moothon are in the Toronto International Film Festival. Sasidharan’s S Durga won the Hivos Tiger Award at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam a couple of years ago, the first Indian film to bag the prize. Lijo is, of course, also a name to reckon with. He is in the midst of a urple patch., Before Jallikattu, he delivered two absolutely stunning films – Angamaly Diaries and Ee. Ma. Yau – both of which prove

his grasp over the medium and his phenomenal ability to handle a multiplicity of actors within single uninterrupted sequences. The first world that spring to mind when watching a Lijo film is dynamism, the kind that can be extremely infectious. It would be no exaggeration if we were to suggest that he, along with Sasidharan, are the ones who are propelling the resurgence of Malayalam cinema on the global stage. We expect more surprises as filmmakers from Kerala reclaim the place they had in international festivals in the 1980s and a part of the 1990s.

Organize

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your screenings

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THEY BREATH LIFE INTO CINEMA

SEVEN INDIAN INDIE FILMMAKERS TO WATCH

Distinctive Approach Only two narrative features old, Gurvinder Singh, a filmmaker with a distinctive approach to the medium, is already close to achieving the status of a master. His first film, Anhe Ghore Da Daan (Alms for a Blind Horse, 2011), premiered in Venice. His second, Chauthi Koot (The Fourth Direction), made it to the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard competition. The two Punjabi-language films, adapted from literature, were richly textured, quietly engaging portraits of common people dealing with socio-political and historical forces beyond their control. The Mani Kaul protégé has been running a café in the tiny town of Bir, Himachal Pradesh for several years. His next film, Khanaur (Bitter Chestnut), which is expected to premiere in one of the major festivals later this year, is a personal “insider’s take” on the lives of the ordinary folks of a place in flux owing to its transformation into a paragliding hub.

Gurvinder Singh

Going Beyond Stories Fabulous & Fantastic Assamese writer-director Bhaskar Hazarika is a cinematic fabulist whose sensibility is anything but ordinary. His two films, Kothanodi (River of Fables) and Aamis (Ravening), foray into zones of consciousness that border on the bizarre (in the case of the former) and the macabre (in the latter) even as they remain unwaveringly humanistic. Kothanodi drew upon a compendium of Assamese folk tales to narrate four stories blending the fabulous and the fantastic to throw light on the human condition. The film had its world premiere in Busan. Aamis, the story of a young man drawn towards an older woman via their love for meats of all kinds – a forbidden relationship that triggers a chain of acts of self-destruction. The Aamis premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

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Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

Bhaskar Hazarika

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Half a decade is all that the 42-year-old lawyer-turnedfilmmaker has taken to carve a niche for himself. Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s combative films, which have fetched him numerous international and state awards since his first feature, the crowd-funded Oralpokkam (Six Feet High, 2014), go beyond mere stories. They engage at a very deep level with contemporary social and political issues. Chola, his fifth feature and the sole Indian film in the official line up of the 76th Venice International Film Festival, is no different. It expands upon his concern with individuals dealing with collective attitudes and prejudices in a complex society. It, however, represents a break from his previous four films. Chola is two hours long – the longest of Sasidharan’s films thus far – and features mainstream Malayalam cinema stars, Nimisha Sajayan and Joju George, both of whom picked up acting prizes in the 2019 Kerala State Film Awards. Sasidharan’s S Durga won the Hivos Tiger Award at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2017.

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Capable Talent

Worldwide Waves

Actress-filmmaker Konkona Sen Sharma has yet to chalk out plans for her sophomore directorial outing, she is one talent capable of springing surprises both behind and in front of the camera. Her maiden film, A Death in the Gunj, as fine a film as any Indian first-timer has ever made, premiered in TIFF in 2016. One of her earliest films as an actor, Shonali Bose’s Amu, in which she played the titular role, also screened in Toronto. She is currently prepping for a web series that she is slated to direct on the life and times of Arati Das, who was known as Kolkata’s queen of cabaret in her heydays. The show will be set against the social and political backdrop of 1960s and 1970s Bengal. The series is expected to go on the floors early next year. That rules out the likelihood of Sen Sharma delivering a new big screen film in 2020. She is nonetheless one Indian filmmaker whose progress as a director will be followed with keen interest.

Konkona Sen Sharma

An alumnus of the Kolkata-based Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Dominic Sangma, who makes films in the Garo language, is another Meghalaya filmmaker who has begun to make waves worldwide. His debut feature, Ma’ama (Moan), a deeply personal film that probes loss and longing from the standpoint of an old man – the director’s father – grieving for his long-deceased wife, instantly marked him out as a storyteller of exceptional depth. Ma’ama was the only Indian film to earn a slot in the International Competition of the 2018 Jio MAMI Film Festival. Sangma’s second film, Rapture, was one of ten projects from across the world selected for mentoring by filmmaker Mira Nair in the La Fabrique Cinemaprogramme hosted by InstitutFrancais as a part of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

Striking Voice

Strong Cinematic Sense

Pradip Kurbah

The world is likely to soon hear a great deal more of the maverick Meghalaya filmmaker Pradip Kurbah. A two-time National Award-winner, he is all set to catapult his native language, Khasi, on to the global cinema stage. His third narrative feature, Iewduh, set in the entrails of the largest market in the northeastern hill state and filmed with sync sound, is due to emerge in a major international festival soon. Kurbah’s first two films, RI: Homeland of Uncertainty and Onaatah: Daughter of the Earth, fetched him unstinted awards and accolades. Amrit Pritam, who works closely with Oscar-winner ResulPookutty, is the sound designer of the film. A director rooted in his milieu and endowed with a strong cinematic sense, he has already earned a fan following in his home state and other parts of India. Iewduh, which promises to be the next big leap in his career, could be the beginning of a new chapter.

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Dominic Sangma

Thiagarajan Kumararaja

A Tamil filmmaker waiting to be discovered by the world, Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s two films – the neo-noir gangster film Aaranya Kaandam (2011) and the multi-plot drama Super Deluxe (2019) – have established him as one of the most strikingly voices working in Chennai today. Aaranya Kaandam was in the making for several years, ran into trouble with India’s censor board and eventually under performed at the box office. But the film’s appeal has grown steadily – it now enjoys cult status. Kumararaja’s second film, Super Deluxe, proved beyond doubt that here was a fearless filmmaker capable of weaving pure magic with ideas, plot twists and images. The film orchestrates its multiple strands with awe-inspiring skill and an unfailing sense of drama that draws its strength from being both provocative and entertaining.

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The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has set up India Pavilion which will provide a platform to popularize Indian cinema in the overseas market and facilitate new business opportunities. The objective behind the participation is to promote Indian films across linguistic cultural and regional diversity so as to forge an increasing number of international partnerships in the realms of distribution, production, filming in India, script development and technology, thereby accelerating the growth of film sector in India.

India Stand No. 19

Get the Best Out of Toronto

The Indian delegation, through various interactions, will promote ease of shooting films in India through Film Facilitation Office (FFO) that facilitates Single Window Clearance for film-makers and provides the platform for ‘film tourism’ in India. The delegation will showcase India as a postproduction hub, promote collaborations for films with international production houses and encourage Indian Panorama Films for sales and syndication. India has its advantage at every filmmaking process. It has a strong domestic film industry across the country. More than anything else, India has access to world class technicians and equipment; amazing choice of locations to shoot any type of film. Skilled professionals are available across the country. India is gearing up for the 50th edition of International Film Festival Of India, Goa from 20 November to 28 November 2019.

DOING BUSINESS WITH INDIA BREAKFAST AT TIFF

The market potential for Indian content in Toronto is huge because of the strong presence of the Indian diaspora and great interest in Indian Cinema. India-Canada are in a co-production treaty and the delegation will explore opportunities to work on coproducing films with Canada.

Hosted by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Confederation of Indian Industry Monday, September 9 9.00 A.M to 10.30 A.M

With 1500 feature films produced in the country, more than 900 television channels, 600 million internet users, 400 million smart phone users, India’s vibrant media and entertainment (M&E) industry provides attractive growth opportunities for global corporations.

Luma Restaurant TIFF Bell Lighthouse Second Floor 350, King Street, West Toronto

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INDIA OPPORTUNITY

INDIA BY NUMBERS Films Produced

1800

1.3 BILLION PEOPLE

TV Channels

Internet Connections

Smart Phones

900 600mn 400mn INDIA THE WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AUDIO VISUAL FACTORY

Fastest Growing Audio Visual Market in the World Ease of Doing Business 100% FDI in Film, TV, Animation, Gaming, Sectors Excellence in Entertainment Services Massive Digitizaiton Innovation Driven Technology Expertise

OTT PLATFORMS

1 BILLION MOBILE PHONES

SHABNAM TIFF KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

Toronto Festival’s Industry Conference to Focus on Innovation, Emerging Media Landscape and Sustainability The complete Industry lineup consists of 10 specialized programmes: Master Class, Moguls, Dialogues, Foundations, Doc Conference, TIFF Tech, Connections, Telefilm Canada’s RDV Canada Panel Series, Microsessions and Industry Happy Hours OPENING MOGULS Brian Grazer & Ron Howard Fri, Sep 06, 9.30 AM Join us for an illuminating conversation with these two luminaries as they reveal what makes a strong creative partnership, why stories matter, and what continues to inspire their creative endeavours. DIALOGUES Film Festivals: New Leadership, New Horizons Fri, Sep 06, 11:00am Major international film festivals have made significant shifts in 2019 with new directors and CEOs. Marking the first time they’ve converged on stage since taking on new roles, IndieWire Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson hosts a conversation with Cameron Bailey (TIFF), Paolo Moretti (Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes), Mariette Rissenbeek (Berlin), and Kim Yutani (Sundance) to discuss how festivals are impacting the evolving business of film and media while maintaining curatorial and artistic excellence and elevating filmmakers. CONNECTIONS Co-Productions Fri, Sep 06, 12:15pm Cinema is boundless; it can expand your horizons and transcend borders. This networking session is geared towards resourceful producers who are looking for tools to navigate the elusive world of coproductions. In this roundtable session, experienced producers and international agencies with co-production treaties listen to your questions and discussion points.

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TIFF TECH Top of the Newsfeed: Privacy Fri, Sep 06, 4:15pm Panelists discuss the tech industry’s response to criticisms surrounding privacy and security, which have been dominating the headlines over the past year. FOUNDATIONS A Guide to International Funding Partnerships Fri, Sep 06, 4:30pm What exactly should you brace yourself for when looking abroad for funding partnerships? Executives from international screen and funding agencies will explore various co-production offerings and initiatives, including those in partnership with the Canada Media Fund. Learn the ins and outs of the current co-production ﬁnancing landscape, what lies ahead, and how to effectively strategize for the future. DIALOGUES Behind the Scenes with Bombay Rose Sat, Sep 07, 9:30am When there are more than two sides to the story. Dynamic panel discussions tackle current events and innovative business and creative models in the ﬁlm industry. CONNECTIONS TV Sat, Sep 07, 12:15pm Long gone are the days when screen size delineated quality. The best and brightest are turning to television to produce original, compelling cinematic content. Network with some of the key creative and development talent working in television and digital series.

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Masterclass Lulu Wang Sun, Sep 08, 1:15pm Born in Beijing and raised in Miami, writerdirector Lulu Wang has emerged as one of the eminent new voices in cinema. Join us for a Master Class with the filmmaker, fresh off the success of her sophomore feature The Farewell, which won the Sundance Institute Vanguard Award. DIALOGUES Redefining Quality for Gender Equality Sun, Sep 08, 2:00pm Anna Serner, a leading advocate for the 50/50 by 2020 gender-parity movement and CEO of the Swedish Film Institute, hosts a provocative conversation with filmmakers and advocates to examine the ways in which unconscious bias around “quality” has been used as a tool for discrimination — and what we risk overlooking because of that bias. DOC CONFERENCE Industry Talks: Rising Voices in Documentary Curation Mon, Sep 09, 3:30pm The industry has ushered in a new guard of contemporary documentary curators like Abby Sun (Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival) and Ashley Clark (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Together they’ll discuss how they’ve honed their personal and institutional programmatic visions, what they look for in a film, and the urgent statements they are making through the content they support.

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FOUNDATIONS The Truth About Directing Tue, Sep 10, 10:30am Six independent directors from around the world share their candid stories about their journeys from first feature film to present, lessons learned, empowering discoveries, lucky breaks, risks they took — or wish they took — what inspires and excites them, and everything in between. This session will include an audience Q&A. Closing Masterclass Fernando Meirelles Tue, Sep 10, 4:30pm Academy Award–nominated Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Two Popes) joins Diana Sanchez, TIFF’s Senior Director, Film, for a gripping conversation addressing the realities of making a film under a dictatorship, and the important role of filmmakers and artists in politically volatile times. Industry Conference

IN CONVERSATION WITH… PROGRAMME BRINGS FIVE GAME-CHANGING TALENTS TO THE STAGE DURING TIFF 2019 Discussing their outstanding careers and journeys to success are: Michael B. Jordan & Jamie Foxx, Antonio Banderas, Allison Janney, and Kerry Washington at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

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ith entertainment content from anywhere in the world being only a click away, recent Bollywood releases are continuing to draw the audience to the movie halls. The success of movies such as Raazi, Uri, Kesari, Padmavat and many others shows the role of movies in shaping the way people today feel the need to visualize, understand and feel invested in events and happenings relating to their country – India. It appears as if it is not just the Indian movie audience in cinema halls that are demonstrating their veneration for the flag and national anthem, but so are the moviemakers in a similar mode of reverence and adoration.

NEW NARRATIVE OF INDIAN CINEMA

While considering the experiential mode of engagement in a movie hall as evident from the box office figures, it appears to be influenced by the current set of political and social narratives. There is a popular desire to have a felt, personal connection to the past – distant or recent. Dr S. Raghunath Professor of Strategy, IIM Bangalore

INDIAN CINEMA OF TODAY:

A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE ARTIFACT The success of movies underscoring Indian ethos and nationalism, or challenging social norms, reﬂects the people’s desire to feel personal connection to the past and inﬂuence by the current set of political and social narratives, turning a movie experience into an active collaboration between the movie maker and the audience for awakening human conscience. By Dr S. Raghunath 28

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Indians who derive an understanding of current happenings of national importance do so by reading the newspaper or watching the debates on television and interpreting the issues in the recent and distant past, specifically on the role of women in spearheading the Indian ethos and nationalism; the discrimination of people on the basis of caste or the heroic acts of bravery and defense. Movies based on the knowledge of such events are enabled in interesting and provocative ways by a range of popular representations of the recent past, situations where the audience is not merely being presented enactments of the recent past, but are being forced to reflect on their own act of thinking as well. Consider the movie Article 15. The movie deals with Article 15 of the Constitution of India, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. While the movie content is claimed to be based on multiple true life events including 2014 Badaun gang rape allegations and 2016 Una flogging incident, the storyline follows the socio-political situation of the country. The movie attempts to deepen the understanding and reflects on social mores that have antecedents in history that require attention. How the audience in the movie hall understands and uses its societal awareness is by having some kind of immediate, direct access to it while viewing the movie and, therefore, the understanding of societal anomalies turns into an active collaboration between

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THE SUCCESS OF MOVIES SUCH AS RAAZI, URI, KESARI, PADMAVAT AND MANY OTHERS SHOWS THE ROLE OF MOVIES IN SHAPING THE WAY PEOPLE TODAY FEEL THE NEED TO VISUALIZE, UNDERSTAND AND FEEL INVESTED IN EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS RELATING TO THEIR COUNTRY – INDIA. IT APPEARS AS IF IT IS NOT JUST THE INDIAN MOVIE AUDIENCE IN CINEMA HALLS THAT ARE DEMONSTRATING THEIR VENERATION FOR THE FLAG AND NATIONAL ANTHEM, BUT SO ARE THE MOVIEMAKERS IN A SIMILAR MODE OF REVERENCE AND ADORATION

the movie maker and the audience for awakening human conscience. The experience in the movie hall then is not of just reliving the past but of pulling the past and present together in a short frame of two hours. Movies such as Article 15 making it to the box office, signifies an emerging profound and popular desire to touch and be touched by recent events and distant history pertaining to social anomalies. People are also most motivated to action by those issues in which they feel a personal stake. The expressed reaction LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK

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of the audience while watching the movie Uri – The Surgical Strike was reportedly exceptional. The movie is about the Indian Army’s special forces carrying out a covert operation, avenging the killing of fellow army men at their base by a terrorist group. Moreover, the year 2018 until mid 2019 was a period in the country when heightened awareness of political and military related events concerned the audience. Movies such as Kesari and Uri, which are about historic events such as those relating to Indian soldiers in British regiments or the Uri attack, foster narratives that touch, move and provoke, engaging not only intellectually but in affective ways as well. These are fresh

attempts by moviemakers to offer a cinematic experience that produces historical knowledge and appreciation. All these movies use a variety of techniques to shock rather than to pacify the audience. There is a revolutionary impact of montage—the piecing together of the movie so as to create a jarring or shocking experience for the audience. The cinematic experience possibly leads to cognitive shifts in thoughts and ideas translating to societal and historical insights. As a result, there is also a certain character type that is emerging as a preference of the discerning audience. The characteristics of the Indian hero or heroine—his or her composure, commitment to unfettered movement

URI – THE SURGICAL STRIKE IS ABOUT THE INDIAN ARMY’S SPECIAL FORCES CARRYING OUT A COVERT OPERATION, AVENGING THE KILLING OF FELLOW ARMY MEN AT THEIR BASE BY A TERRORIST GROUP. MOREOVER, THE YEAR 2018 UNTIL MID 2019 WAS A PERIOD IN THE COUNTRY WHEN HEIGHTENED AWARENESS OF POLITICAL AND MILITARY RELATED EVENTS CONCERNED THE AUDIENCE 30

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towards the justifiable goals; reluctant but morally clarified use of violence— make him or her the super hero or heroine. Inevitably the protagonist is presented as a brave, independent, considerate character and the reappearance of these qualities, movies after movies suggest how the patriotic Indian functions as a symbol of national pride. In such movies a debate arises of whether violence is justifiable. That debate is resolved through the view that violence is justified when it is inflicted on the guilty in the name of justice. Therefore, these movies in a sense justify vigilantism. For example, Raazi, an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s 2008 novel Calling Sehmat, is a true account of an Indian Research and Analysis (RAW) agent who, upon her father’s request, is married into a family of military officials in Pakistan to relay information to India, prior to

the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and she successfully carries out her mission at great personal risk. Similarly, the movie Kesari depicts the valour of Havaldar Ishar Singh as a part of the Sikh Regiment of British Indian Army posted at Gulistan fort along the Indian Afghan border. The movie follows the events leading to the Battle of Saragarhi, a battle between 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikhs of the British Indian Army and 6,000–10,000 Afridi and Orakzai Pashtun tribesmen in 1897. These movies represent entertainment content, wherein a society sees its fantasies acted on the screen. When the society’s fantasies evolve, so do unconventional plots and visual details in movie making .The flexibility of Bollywood’s conventions ensures its adaptability for popular Indian society’s shifting concerns and interests.

Organize

Discover

Schedule

your meetings

outstanding ﬁlms

your screenings

Your perfect match 31

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TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The OSCAR RACE begins

HERE…

The 44th Toronto International Film Festival will, like the editions that have gone before, will see the emergence of a clutch of Oscar favourites. The focus of observers will be not only on the film that wrests the festival’s coveted Audience Choice Award, but also on a host of other buzz-generating titles By Saibal Chatterjee

orld cinema greats like Pedro Almodovar (with the autobiographical Pain and Glory, which fetched Antonio Banderas the best actor award in Cannes), Bong Joon Ho (whose Parasite bagged the Palme d’Or this year) and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s The Truth (follow-up to the 2018 Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters) in the TIFF program seeking to launch their Oscar bids.Which are the other TIFF films that have the power to capture attention in the awards season? Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, isn’t premiering in TIFF. The Netflix film arrives in Toronto after competing in Venice. The indie director’s new drama, which delves

into a once-happy marriage falling apart under the weight of the clashing individual compulsions of the partners, promises to be one of the buzziest titles at the festival. Marriage Story, ironically focused on a divorce, also has notable performances from Laura Dern, Alan Alda and Ray Liotta Both Driver and Johansson have another title each in the TIFF 2019 programme – the former is in The Report, the latter in Jojo Rabbit. Both films are expected to be talked about in the lead-up to the Oscars. Another film that is most certainly up for Oscar glory is the Tom Hanks starrer A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, directed by Marielle Heller. While Hanks is one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars, Heller’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? earned three Oscar nominations earlier this year, including two in acting categories (for Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Director: Marielle Heller

Bad Education Director: Cory Finley

In A Beautiful Day…, one of over one hundred world premieres in this year’s TIFF line-up, Hanks plays children’s television host Fred Rogers who becomes the subject of a profile for a cynical, reluctant New York journalist (Matthew Rhys). The TV personality’s wisdom and generosity transforms the writer who starts out with the intention of rustling up a superficial writeup. But the encounter turns out to be much more than that. The film is based on Tom Junod’s Esquire article about his experiences with Rogers. Todd Phillips’ Joker, a comic book movie with a difference, narrates the origin story of the archvillain. The eponymous character is played with customary vim and vigour by Joaquin Phoenix. While the lead performance will surely be on the Academy’s radar leading up to Oscar night in 2020, the film is in with a chance to become the second comic book movie (after Black Panther) to earn a Best Picture nomination.

Joker Director: Todd Phillips

Parasite Director: Bong Joon-ho

This searing portrait of the quintessential bad guy is set in early 1980s crime-infested Gotham City. The cast of Joker includes Robert De Niro as a talk show host who is idolised by Arthur Fleck, a hard-up clown who aspires to be a successful stand-up comic and, thwarted in more ways than he can countenance, lets the demon inside him wrest control of his being and turn him into a crazed killer. The Report Director: Scott Z. Burns

The Personal History of David Copperfield Director: Armando Iannucci

Harriet Director: Kasi Lemmons

Jojo Rabbit Director: Taika Waititi

The Laundromat Director: Steven Soderbergh

Marriage Story Director: Noah Baumbach

Pain and Glory Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Radioactive Director: Marjane Satrapi

Seberg Director: Benedict Andrews

We will also be keeping an eye on the flight of The Goldfinch, the John Crowley film that Warner Bros. will launch at TIFF. Starring Nicole Kidman and Ansel Elgort, the film adapts a Pulitzer Prizewinning novel by Donna Tartt about a layered coming-of-age crime story woven around a young man who loses his mother in an art museum bombing.

STEVEN SODERBERGH’S THE LAUNDROMAT, STARRING MERYL STREEP, GARY OLDMAN AND ANTONIO BANDERAS, IS A SHARP DRAMATIZATION OF THE PANAMA PAPER LEAKS, WHICH REVEALED THE UNSAVOURY WORLD OF GLOBAL FINANCE 34

Fox Searchlight Pictures, the studio that won the 2017 Best Picture Oscar for The Shape of Water, will bet big this year with Taika Waititi’s anti-hate satire Jojo Rabbit, another buzzy TIFF world premiere. The inventive film centres on a German boy who, on discovering a Jewish girl hiding in his home, consults his imaginary best friend Adolf Hitler (played by Waititi himself). Steven Soderbergh’s The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas, is a sharp dramatization of the Panama Paper leaks, which revealed the unsavoury world of global finance. Adapted from an investigative journalist’s Pulitzer Prizewinning reportage, the film has been scripted by Scott Z. Burns, who also has his own directorial project, The Report, in TIFF.

questions triggered by CIA’s unbridled use of torture as a tool of investigation.

owing to her growing friendship with civil rights activist Hakim Jamal.

Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield, which world premieres at TIFF, could make amends for the total snub that the Scottish director’s most recent film, The Death of Stalin, received from the Academy. The new film is bolstered by a cast of proven actors – Dev Patel plays David Copperfield and is supported by Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Hugh Laurie. Iannucci imparts a decidedly contemporary sensibility to the Charles Dickens 19th century classic.

Among the less fancied titles that might acquire a higher profile by the end of the festival is Cory Finley’s Bad Education, starring Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney and Ray Romano.It is based on a true story of a financial crime in the US school system.

TIFF hosts the North American premiere of Benedict Andrews’ Seberg, the biopic of French nouvelle vague icon Jean Seberg. The titular role is played by Kristen Stewart in a drama in which the FBI turns the spotlight on the actor

The Report, a powerful expose of CIA’s torture tactics, stars Adam Driver as an investigator deployed by the US Senate to probe the country’s use of third-degree methods post-9/11.

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Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet, featuring Tonywinning Broadway actor Cynthia Erivo, is another film that has the potential to attract wide awards season attention. It is the rousing biopic of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and led other to freedom through a network of safehouses known as the Underground Railroad.

Saibal Chatterjee is an independent New Delhi-based ﬁlm critic and writer who has worked on the staff of several leading publications, served on the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Britannica’s volume on Hindi cinema and authored a biography of poet-ﬁlmmaker Gulzar.

The cast includes Annette Bening, who could well be in Best Supporting Actress Oscar contention for her part in a political thriller that tracks one man’s dogged, half-decade pursuit of answers to many

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This film, as much a character study as a dramatized account of a massive coverup of a scandal.

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FILM FACILITATION OFFICE

Film In

INDIA

India as a film making destination is growing in prominence with immense untapped opportunities waiting to be explored. Film Facilitation Office is a onestop shop for collecting all the information about India’s film-friendly ecosystem

t is best of the times for global filmmakers and producers looking to film in India. Film Facilitation Office (FFO) set up by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting under the aegis of National Film Development Corporation has brought in a transformation and a film friendly outlook to capitalise on the shooting locales of India. FFO acts as a single window facilitation and clearance mechanism that eases filming in India as well as endeavouring to create a film-friendly ecosystem and promote India as a filming destination. FFO’s Web Portal, www.ffo.gov.in not only enables online submission of applications for filmmakers, but also enlists India’s co-production treaties and guidelines of key central government Ministries/departments, leading to greater ease of navigation, and thereby easing filming in the country. Most Film Friendly State Award; The institution of the “Most Film Friendly State Award” by the Ministry of I&B is another endeavour towards the Film in India initiative. This unique Award, which was included in the 63rd National Film Awards in the year 2015, is the Ministry’s endeavor to promote India as a filming destination as well as to encourage the growth of the filming industry. The States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been recipients of this Award in the last few years. Uttarakhand has been awarded the Most film friendly State in 2018.

MOST FILM FRIENDLY INDIAN STATE IN 2018

A CALL FROM UTTARAKHAND FOR

FILMMAKERS OF THE WORLD

Discovery Channelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular programme, Man vs Wild, was shot in Uttarakhand, which featured Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and host Bear Grylls

Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand

Hollywood actor Will Smith at Haridwar, Uttarakhand during his recent India visit

Driven by a Film Policy conducive for filmmakers and directors, the Most Film Friendly State of India is counting big on its pristine locales, friendly people and good law and order along with several sops to promote filmmaking in the state. In this exclusive interview with PICKLE, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT, spells out the clear priorities of his government to make Uttarakhand a magnet for filmmakers from across the globe. By Arun Kumar Das

Q A

Do you have a mechanism in place for film producers to contact when they face problems during a film shoot? We have tried to ensure that there is no inconvenience to the filmmaker/director who comes for the shooting of films in the state. A Nodal Officer has been nominated to look into such issues. At the same time, instructions have been issued to all district magistrates to nominate a nodal officer at the district level.

What is your message to the global film producers to come and shoot?

Congratulations! Uttarakhand has bagged the National Award for Most Film Friendly State in 2018. How do you see this achievement? It is a matter of pride that Uttarakhand has received the top award during the 66th National Film Award ceremony for being the Most Film-Friendly State in India. The Uttarakhand Film Development Council was formed in the year 2015. But despite having so little time at its disposal, a favourable atmosphere was created for filmmakers/directors to shoot their films in the state. With the first prize at the National Film Awards, we hope that more films will now be shot in Uttarakhand. To ensure this, the state government has implemented an attractive film policy keeping in view various facilities that can be availed by filmmakers. In the investment conference held in the state last year, suggestions were also made by the filmmakers from India and abroad, after which the comprehensive Film Policy 2019 was implemented by the state government. Since Uttarakhand is one of the most beautiful film locales in the world, what steps are being taken by the state government to attract global filmmakers and production houses to the state? The state government has made its Film Policy attractive, which includes the single window shooting permission. Now no

SHOOTING LOCALES  Nainital  Musoorie  Ranikhet  Auli  Rishikesh

 Dehradun  Bedni Bugyal  Chopta  Almora  Chamoli

fee is being charged for shooting in the state. Under the new film policy, a provision of providing a grant up to Rs 1.5 crore has been put in place. Along with this, free of cost police protection during the duration of film shooting and the provision of residential arrangement for shooting crew with 50 per cent discount in local government guest houses for the entire shooting period has also been made. With these facilities in place, we hope that more and more filmmakers will come here to shoot their films. According to you what are the advantages of getting a film shot in Uttarakhand? The serene environment of Uttarakhand state is suitable for shooting films. We have some of the best scenic natural sites here, which are apt for shooting. Our people are peace-loving. No production team or artist faces any behavioural challenge from locals while shooting here. The state offers the best law and order situation across India. Currently, many air services are directly connected to Dehradun, which is convenient for filmmakers.

Distance between New Delhi and Dehradun, capital city of Uttarakhand, is 248 km

I believe that Uttarakhand is not only suitable for shooting Bollywood films, but Hollywood films as well. Recently, Discovery Channel’s most popular programme, Man vs Wild, was shot in Uttarakhand, which featured Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Apart from this, the famous Hollywood actor Will Smith also came here to shoot a film. That is why I would call upon the global filmmakers and directors to come to Uttarakhand without any hesitation and shoot their films here. The state government will provide all possible support to them. Is Single Window Clearance a reality in Uttarakhand? What has been the experience of dealing with foreign filmmakers? For the shooting of films in the state, we have implemented a system of Single Window Clearance, which has yielded favourable outcomes for the state. A large number of films have been shot in the state since the system has been activated. Since 2017, more than 220 films, TV serials, documentaries, web series, etc, have been shot in the state. So far, film producers/directors from Japan, France and Hollywood have shot their films in the state. They all have had a pleasant experience. Do you have any sops or incentives to offer to foreign film crews? Do they get concession staying in hotels? No proposal or suggestion has been received by the state government from foreign filmmaker directors regarding providing such assistance or encouragement. So far, those foreign film producers/directors who have shot their films in the state, have also not proposed any such thing to us. If any such suggestion comes before the state government, then every

possible support will be provided in this regard. Hotels, guest houses under the state government have been providing filmmakers with a discount of 50 per cent on accommodations. Do you have a panel of line producers on board? A database is being prepared by the Uttarakhand Film Development Council, compiling details of all local artists, technicians, line producers, lyricists, writers, etc. What other initiatives do you have in store for the creative industry and filmmakers to engage with the state? Our government has given special attention to road connectivity. Better road connectivity to various cities has been maintained from Jollygrant Airport in Dehradun. The benefit of all these will be given to the filmmakers/directors coming to shoot films in the state. The film shooting locales in the hill state can generate economic activities but for that, there is a need for ease of doing business mechanism. We understand this very well that the number of films shot in the state will give a boost to our tourism business. At the same time, the state will also get a new identity in the country and abroad. In view of the increasing interest of directors and filmmakers in the state, we have decided that films will be given the industry status in the state. Work has been started in this direction. This will increase employment opportunities at the local level. CONTACT NODAL OFFICER FOR SHOOTING IN UTTARAKHAND K.S.Chauhan Uttarakhand Film Development Council Email: ufdc2015@gmail.com Website:www.uttarainformation.gov.in

Facilitating the meeting of evolving global ﬁlm industry aiming to build sustainable ties amongst cultures, and consequently societies, the International Film Festival of India, the oldest event of its kind in Asia which will celebrate its Golden Jubilee edition in November, continues to retain its preeminent position owing to its size, scope and vintage

50 YEARS ON, IFFI GOING STRONG

he International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the oldest event of its kind in Asia, has over the years witnessed numerous alterations in character, nomenclature, location, dates and duration. Through it all, it has remained steadfast in its emphasis on showcasing the diversity of Indian cinema as well as in its commitment to the celebration of excellence across moviemaking genres.

As India gears up to celebrate the Golden Jubilee edition of IFFI on November 20-28, 2019, this time plans are afoot to trace the history of 49 editions of the festival. The film festival will also showcase the film culture of each and every region across India. Alongside IFFI, Indian Cinema has also expanded to more than 25 regional languages, 50th IFFI will also showcase this unprecedented growth. The key sections at IFFI will include International Competition, Festival Kaleidoscope, World Panorama, Indian Panorama, Masterclasses, In-conversations, Special Retrospectives, Homages, Open Air Screenings, Film Bazaar, organized by NFDC, etc.

MATTERS

@ 50

American cinematographer and film director known for his collaborations with directors Paul Schrader, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Apted, and Ken Kwapis will be attending the IFFI Centenary Celebrations. He was till recently the President of Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has extended invitation to delegates at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival to attend IFFI. “IFFI is India’s pride. This year’s IFFI is especially significant since it marks the Golden Jubilee Edition,” says Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Envi-

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ronment, Forest and Climate Change. Russia will be the focus country at the 50th Edition of IFFI. Business Exhibitions to display relevant technologies for films and an exhibition marking the 150th Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi will also be organized with this year’s Festival. The number of private theatres taken on board for showing films during the festival will be further increased to cater to the high demand for extra screening of popular films. Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant said that organization of 50th IFFI is a proud moment for the state and his government would leave no stones

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unturned to ensure top notch infrastructure and hospitality arrangement to make this edition of the festival a memorable one. With interactions from all around the world, IFFI stands today as a confident body of knowledge, with great memories archived in its heart. It holds gleaming memories of global art, evolving on theatre screens and shadows of visionaries behind it. The festival also facilitates the meeting of evolving global film industry aiming to build sustainable ties amongst cultures, and consequently societies. The 50th edition, therefore, also plans to create numerous co-production opportunities in various aspects of film production. Over the past two and a half decades, several other international film festivals have sprung up across India, notably in Kolkata, Kerala and Mumbai, and they all contribute meaningfully to the collective task of taking quality cinema to a people weaned principally on a staple diet of star-driven, song and dance extravaganzas. But IFFI continues to retain its preeminent position owing to its size, scope and vintage. Not just in the Indian context but also in relation to other major Asian film festivals, IFFI matters. And this is despite all the inevitable ups and downs that it has seen over the years. All the other major Asian festivals – Tokyo, Busan and Shanghai – are of far more recent origin and therefore lack the history that is associated with IFFI. The festival in Tokyo was launched in 1985, the one in Shanghai began in 1993 and the Busan Film Festival came into being in 1996. IFFI hands out prize money to the tune of US$ 200,000. The winner of the Golden Peacock for the best film takes home $80,000. That apart, the best director and the Special Jury Prize winner bag $30,000 each, while the two acting prizes come with a cash component of $20,000 each. IFFI also confers two Lifetime Achievement Awards – one to an international 44

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film personality, the other to an Indian great. The moves to push IFFI up a few notches have unfolded since the coastal state of Goa became its permanent venue in 2004. IFFI now has a far more settled feel than ever before, with each improvement in terms of infrastructure and programming initiatives adding value to both the event and the location. On the programming side, IFFI not only unveils the best films from around the multilingual country with the aim of providing a glimpse of the sheer range and dynamism of Indian cinema, it also puts together a remarkable slate of brand new world cinema titles. IFFI also hosts many retrospectives, tributes, master classes and special sections, which enhance the variety and depth of the event. The master classes have emerged as a highlight of the festival, especially for film school students who converge in Goa during the ten-day event. India’s first international film festival was organized within five years of the nation attaining Independence. It was a non-competitive event held in 1952 in Bombay (Now Mumbai). A special feature of the inaugural function was the screening of the first film screened in India in 1896 by the Lumiere brothers. Frank Capra was part of the American delegation that attended the festival. After a fortnight-long run in Bombay, the festival travelled to Calcutta (now Kolkata), Madras (now Chennai) and Delhi. The first international film festival of India is rightfully credited with triggering a burst of creativity in Indian cinema by exposing young Indian filmmakers to the best from around the world, especially to Italian neo-realism. It isn’t without significance that Satyajit Ray’s first film, Pather Panchali, was completed in 1955, and Bimal Roy’s classic Hindi film, Do Bigha Zameen, was released in 1953. Six decades on, IFFI continues to provide a useful platform to young Indian filmmakers who work outside the

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mainstream distribution and exhibition system and in languages that do not have access to the pan-Indian market that Hindi cinema has. The Indian Panorama, a section that is made up of both features and nonfeatures, opens global avenues for films made by veterans and newcomers alike. It wasn’t until 1961 that the second edition of the festival, also non-competitive and hosted by Delhi, was mounted, but the idea of an itinerant festival had been sown. In 1965, the year of its third edition, the festival secured ‘A’ category grading from the Paris-based FIAPF (Federation Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films), which 45

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brought it on par with the world’s biggest festivals in Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Moscow and Karlovy Vary. For three decades from the mid-1970s, the festival was held every alternate year in the national capital of Delhi, with other Indian cities – Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram – taking turns to host the event every other year. IFFI now has a permanent home in Goa. The coastal state has benefitted appreciably from the shift. Its cinema has received a huge fillip in the decade and a half that Panaji has hosted IFFI. Filmmakers in the coastal state have been increasingly making their mark on the national and international stage.

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MUST

DO THINGS AT FILM BAZAAR Nov 20-24 GOA NFDC organises the Film Bazaar from the 20 - 24 November, every year at the Goa Marriott Resort. South Asia’s global Film Market, the Film Bazaar is a platform exclusively created to encourage collaboration between the international and South Asian film fraternity. The Bazaar is focused on discovering, supporting and showcasing South Asian content and talent, in the realm of filmmaking, production and distribution. A converging point for film buyers and sellers from all over the world, the Bazaar also aims at facilitating the sales of world cinema in the South Asian Region. Film Bazaar has evolved into a onestop shop for filmmakers, producers, sales agents, distributors, film festival programmers and financiers from around the world; a marketplace that encourages collaboration between the South Asian and international film fraternities. 2018 saw over 1000 delegates from around 38 countries attend the event. The 13th Edition of Film Bazaar will be held from 20th-24 November 2019 at the Marriott Resort in Goa, India.

CO-PRODUCTION MARKET The Co-Production Market is a platform for curated projects with South Asian themes to find financial and artistic support. Every year, filmmakers with projects selected for the Market get numerous avenues to connect with Indian and international producers, distributors, sales agents and financiers active in the field of co-production. Since 2007, the Co-Production Market has consistently brought out notable projects. In 2018, the market showcased 19 South Asian projects from 7 countries. The Co-Production Market will be held between 20 – 24th November, 2019 at Film Bazaar, Goa. ELIGIBILITY ■ Project can be from any country dealing with a South Asian theme ■ Project must be a new feature-length fiction film (min 70 minutes) ■ Project must have both director and producer attached ■ Project must have 25 per cent of the finance in place ■ Projects that have started principal photography are not eligible Deadline September 30, 2019 email: coproduction@filmbazaarindia.com.

NFDC KNOWLEDGE SERIES The Knowledge Series consists of specially curated presentations, lectures and panel discussions with key decision makers and market drivers of the ﬁlm industry. Over multiple sessions during the four days of Film Bazaar, the Knowledge Series covers a wide range of topics including (but not limited to) the evolution of content through changing socio– economic structures, expanding genres, conventional and innovative platforms of distribution, various emerging co-production possibilities, international collaborations and treaties, and the art of navigating various ﬁlm festivals and markets.

VIEWING ROOM

FILM OFFICES

The Viewing Room aims to present films seeking finishing funds, world sales, distribution partners and film festivals. The films are viewed on individual computer terminals in private booths via a specially designed Viewing Room software. Film programmers, distributors, world sales agents and investors can watch complete films as well as films that are awaiting completion. They can access details about the respective projects as well as contact the filmmakers through this software. To create a more user-friendly experience, viewers can choose to view the films on the basis of parameters like duration, language, stage of completion, type and festival history among others. Investors can also choose to view films which have applied specifically for finishing funds. The Viewing Room allows access only to buyers, financiers, world sales agents and festival programmers.

Introduced in 2014, Film Offices, provide State Tourism bodies a platform to showcase their locations and incentives to filmmakers attending Film Bazaar. Since Film Bazaar is attended by directors, producers, financiers, distributors, sales agents and film festival programmers from across the world, Film Offices is a great opportunity for Tourism bodies to connect with the Indian and International film fraternity. It brings to filmmakers the world of picturesque locations from across India, that would fit into their scripts and add value to their films. The aim is to ensure that the Film Offices are able to pitch their locations to all leading filmmakers. The Film Offices connect the State Governments with industry stakeholders such as Indian and International Producers, Indian Directors and Industry Executives from India and abroad, through structured meetings and participation in the Knowledge Series. The States through their Film Offices, highlight their film policy and their endeavor to make filming a smooth affair, showcase their locations and acquaint the filmmakers and the fraternity about the incentives/rebates/subsisdies offered for filming in their respective jurisdictions. The Industry on the other hand, gets an opportunity to sensitize the State Governments with regard to the to the needs of the film industry, the various challenges faced by them during filming in locations and the consequent economic impact that film shootings have on the local economy. This initiative, is in collaboration with the Film Facilitation Office and is of mutual benefit to both the filmmaker and the State.

ELIGIBILITY ■ The Viewing Room is open to all films from India and South Asia ■ The films can be of any length and genre ■ The films can be complete or in any stage of post-production ■ Ideally, these films should be seeking finishing funds, world sales, distribution partners and/or film festivals ■ The last date of submission of completed applications is September 16, 2019 email: films@filmbazaarindia.com

Film Bazaar 2019 email: filmoffices@filmbazaarindia.com

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CII BIG PICTURE SUMMIT THE MOST POWERFUL PLATFORM FOR M&E INDUSTRY POLICY MAKERS INTERFACE Confederation of Indian Industry will organise the eighth edition of The Big Picture Summit in New Delhi on 14-15 November 2019. The CII Big Picture Summit is a platform for the M&E CEOs to chalk out a roadmap for the future as well as understand the conditions that need to be kept in view in order to meet success. The Summit will bring expertise from the M&E sector across verticals within and outside India to discuss issues and ways ahead for the industry.

Game changers & trends shaping the M&E sector Value added inputs on issues that will define the future 48

Cutting edge ideas, discussions, workshop and B2B Meetings Media & Entertainment innovators & innovations

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New technology and services demos Influence of Blockchain in Media and Entertainment sector www.picklemag.in www.pickle.co.in

Embracing AI in the M&E Sector Networking with key industry professionals

The main objective of the Summit is to bring together the M&E Industry and the Policy Makers in one platform deliberate challenges and accelerate to work towards an convergence ecosystem. CIIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to create growth templates in all M&E verticals and bring the industry together to speak in united voice for all major issues. The Big Picture Summit has infused a new breath of life to this sector whose soft power can bring innumerable benefits to the Indian economy. M&E industry is undergoing a rapid transformation with the growth of broadband, mobile technologies, and digital media, all converging together to enable enhanced experience for the end-user and contributing significantly to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP. Transcending borders, the industry

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MAMI & ITS MAGIC

Jio MAMI

Mumbai Film Festival With Star The Mumbai Film Festival will take place from 17 to 24 October 2019. Nivin Pauly starrer Moothon directed by actor-turned-director Geethu Mohandas has been chosen to be screened as the opening ﬁlm at this year’s edition of MAMI festival

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The festival is run by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image popularly known as MAMI. Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival With Star is a space where Aamir Khan, Quentin Tarantino, Zhang Yimou and Rajinikanth would all feel equally at home. According to the organizers, this is a space where we revel in the sheer pleasure of cinema, the joy it gives us and how much it enhances our lives. The goal is to nurture and ignite a passion for movies

Nivin Pauly is said to be playing a doctor in this ﬂick. Besides Nivin Pauly, it stars Unni Mukundan in an important role as well. The ﬁlm has three Bollywood actors – Shashank Arora, Shobitha Dhulipala and Harish Khanna – in important roles. It also has Sujith Shankar, Soubin Shahir and Alencier Ley in the star cast

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MAMI Mumbai Film Festival boasts of various sections and multiple awards. Earlier this year, the board of trustees of Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) expanded the role of Creative Director Smriti Kiran and appointed her Artistic Director of the Academy

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MAMI organizes the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star, an annual international ﬁlm festival, which engages ﬁlm lovers from all walks of life across the city and country and aims to foster a climate of good cinema

The main purpose of founding the academy was to give India an annual international ﬁlm festival which the ﬁlm industry and the country can be proud of. MAMI is a change-agent emboldening theater, audiences and the industry in India to embrace the new, independent and the best of cinema that deserves to be discovered

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WORLD’S LARGEST CONTENT MARKET

GET READY FOR MIPCOM:

A QUICK GUIDE

ALL UNDER ONE ROOF MIPCOM will bring together world’s top TV and digital content executives, including 13,800 delegates from more than 110 countries, 4,800 buyers and 2,000 exhibition companies and 250 speakers. The number of SVOD and digital platforms attending MIPCOM is on the rise.

BOOSTING INDIA’S SERVICE POTENTIAL “Our objective is to handhold independent creative producers, small and medium audiovisual and media services companies to participate at MIPCOM and enhance their business as well as boost India’s service potential in M&E sector,” says Sangeeta Godbole, Director General, SEPC. “The whole objective is to give Indian M&E companies better access to buyers and distributors and help them grow in the new global markets.”

STREAMING REVOLUTION 2.0

INEVITABLE INDIA Indian media, entertainment and technology services are growing at an accelerated pace on the back of growing offshore services domain, especially in animation, VFX, gaming, AR/ VR, film production, location and new media, among others. The Indian animation and VFX services have gained a lot of traction among the international producers and production houses. Top Indian companies have attained leadership to provide niche cloud services for global M&E companies and studios.

INDIA PAVILION @ MIPCOM Service Exports Promotion Council (SEPC), set up by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, is offering subsidised registration for Indian delegates at MIPCOM -- the world’s biggest entertainment content market at Cannes (October 1417, 2019). For the second consequtive year, SEPC will set up India Pavilion at MICPOM. Over 200 Indian delegates representing 80 companies participate at MIPCOM every October.

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WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING: AGENT HAMILTON

Get ready for Streaming Revolution 2.0. MIPCOM’s 2019 conference theme “THE STREAMING OFFENSIVE” resonates across the entire industry. The long awaited strike back has arrived. Media giants, now bigger than ever, are organized and ready to unleash their direct-to-consumer offensive. The highly anticipated new SVOD and AVOD streaming platforms are about to shake-up the global distribution model once again. A fundamental transformation of the content production and licensing ecosystem translating into major streamlining of organizations and business models; new opportunities for technology partners to respond to the insatiable demand for faster content delivery, and richer sound and video experiences; and the never-ending quest for signature programming, top talent and premium IP.

‘Agent Hamilton’, a spy thriller series based on one of Scandinavia’s hottest literary properties, is set TO have its World Premiere TV Screening. The 10-hour spy thriller IS currently in production, by DramaCorp for Swedish broadcaster TV4 in co-production with ZDF. Agent Hamilton is based on famous Swedish author/ journalist Jan Guillou’s Hamilton novels, which are considered Scandinavia’s most successful literary property of all time. Since it’s set in several countries, the series presents a number of local languages which are held together by a central Englishlanguage narrative.

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT AFM 2019 LOCATION EXPO 2019

AFM provides pivotal opportunities for sharing ideas, discovering partners and establishing the foundation for future projects

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Welcome to LocationEXPO at the American Film Market! The world’s best locations, incentives, facilities and services. AFM’s LocationEXPO will take place from November 3-6, 2018. It will provide both face-to-face and online platform to connect Film Commissions, production facilities and services with 7000+ producers, distributors and industry professionals. When you attend LocationEXPO you will meet with Film Commissions, Locations, Production Facilities and Services from around the world that can quickly get your ﬁlm moving. Together they offer billions of dollars in production incentives.

EXTRA FOCUS ON XR For the AFM’s expansion into Extended Reality (XR), the Immersive Summit presented by Winston Baker will take place on November 9 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel. The half-day Summit will be a collaborative and educational event for creatives, buyers, sellers and innovators of the XR industry. The program will include keynotes and panel discussions featuring creators, international industry experts and decision makers, to address the stages of bringing immersive content, such as virtual and augmented reality, to market.

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American Film Market will celebrate its 40th edition November 6-13 in Santa Monica, CA. In addition of programming and dedicated exhibition space, AFM to spotlight immersive content and technology for the 2019 market OVER 7,000 DELEGATES FROM 70+ COUNTRIES

OPPORTUNITIES IN ABUNDANCE

A new XR Space will run alongside the AFM’s marketplace and LocationEXPO. Located in the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel over four days, November 9 – 12, creatives, producers and tech leaders will converge in the XR Space to showcase their latest works and technology. The exhibitions will be open to all AFM participants seamlessly connecting the XR industry and experience to ﬁlmmakers and the global motion picture industry — over 7,000 participants from 70+ countries.

“The rapid developments in immersive technology are creating opportunities for artists, producers and entrepreneurs. The Immersive Summit is a perfect ﬁt for our global participants who seek a glimpse into their future”

REGISTER TODAY Whether you are putting together a ﬁlm, seeking distribution, or looking to meet future partners or clients, the American Film Market gives you the industry access you need to achieve your goals. At AFM, you will connect with every part of the ﬁlm industry in seven productive days, right in the Hollywood community.

BEST BRAINS CONVERGE The AFM Conferences deliver tremendous knowledge, insight, access, value and a rare opportunity to hear from the industry’s global thought leaders, decision makersand experts who all converge at AFM annually

FACE TO FACE COMMITTED PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY The independent ﬁlm business has always been a competitive industry and marketplace, but it is also a business that is populated by passionate, creative, goal-oriented people. It is encouraging to hear that they see a professional community committed to craft and open to exploring ways to push against these perceived headwinds to foster a more robust market. Thankfully, exploring ways to adjust business practices and overcome challenges seems to be in the DNA of those who choose to work in this industry.

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AFM and its contemporary film markets are essential to bringing industry people together in one concentrated place where they can sit down face to face and focus on the business of creating, selling and distributing films while hearing first-hand what’s happening in different territories, especially in the era of platforms and evolving consumer preferences. “AFM has always been the big market,” said Millennium Media President Jeffery Greenstein. “You have Cannes in the spring and AFM in the fall. AFM is the market at this end of the year where everyone scrambles to bring their projects. At AFM I’m basically selling morning to night, from dusk to dawn.”

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GES: G E T, S E T, G O

The main objective of Global Exhibition on Services is to position India as a leader in the Service sector to the rest of the world, to tap potential for services’ exports and to draw further investment into India in the services sector

 India is set to host the fifth Global Exhibition on Services (GES) in Palace Ground, Bangalore from 26 to 28 November 2019.  Spearheaded by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, the expo is organised in association with the Confederation of India Industry (CII) and SEPC.  GES will bring the Indian M&E service providers under one platform to the expo. Content buyers, technology service providers, production and location executives will benefit.

26-28 NOVEMBER 2019 Palace Grounds, Bangalore

 GES is the place to explore film shooting destinations across India.  It is a perfect launch pad for your products and services.  At GES, you have access to creative and business minds from all media and entertainment verticals/  Exhibit and engage with Indian M&E industry under one umbrella.  Check for more details in www.gesdelhi.in email: pratik.mukherjee@cii.in

Interaction among international services sector players, day long seminars on M&E and dedicated B2B meetings to strike useful partnerships will be organised under the event. You can meet cost-effective post-production studios and service companies 56

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The GES will enable delegates to explore M&E service solutions in the new emerging digital world LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK

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The GES exhibition would be a meeting place for countries, for global service sector players to forge new business relationships and enhance international trade in services

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GES will offer a one-stop-shop for meetings, networking and collaboration in the entertainment space

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CONTENT BUYS FROM INDIA

COUNTDOWN STARTS FOR COMMERCIAL CARNIVAL Here are some of the Indian commercial and mainstream ﬁlms getting ready for release in the next three months

DREAM GIRL Dream Girl is a Hindi romantic comedy drama ﬁlm starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Nushrat Bharucha. The ﬁlm is directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa and is co-produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under their banner Balaji Motion Pictures.

THE ZOYA FACTOR The Zoya Factor is a Hindi romantic drama ﬁlm, starring Sonam Kapoor and Dulquer Salmaan. It is directed by Abhishek Sharma and produced by Pooja Shetty Deora. The ﬁlm is a light adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s 2008 novel The Zoya Factor, and follows the story of a girl, Zoya Solanki, who becomes a lucky charm for the Indian Cricket team during the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

DABANGG 3 SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is a Telugu historical war film directed by Surender Reddy and produced by Ram Charan, starring the latter’s father and megastar Chiranjeevi in the lead. The story is based on the life of freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sudeep, Vijay Sethupathi, Jagapati Babu, Nayanthara, Tamannaah, and Brahmaji in key roles.

WAR War is a Hindi action thriller ﬁlm directed by Siddharth Anand and starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in lead roles, with Vaani Kapoor portraying the female lead and Ashutosh Rana, Anupriya Goenka, and Dipannita Sharma appearing in supporting roles. Produced by Aditya Chopra under his banner Yash Raj Films, the ﬁlm follows a man who and his guru have a face-off when they get pitted against each other.

DARBAR For the first time, superstar Rajinikanth and ace director A R Murugadoss have joined forces for Darbar, produced by Lyca. A police story set in Mumbai, the film has Nayanthara, Yogi Babu and Nivetha Thomas among others in key roles. Music for the flick is by Anirudh Ravichander.

RRR After the big success of Baahubali series, director S S Rajamouli is busy with RRR, which has Ramcharan and NTR Junior in lead roles. The ﬁlm produced by DVV Entertainment is reportedly being made on an estimated budget of Rs 300 crore. Music is by M M Keeravani, cinematography by K K Senthil Kumar and editing by A Sreekar Prasad.

LAAL KAPTAAN Laal Kaptaan is a Hindi epic action drama ﬁlm written and directed by Navdeep Singh. The ﬁlm is produced by Eros International and Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions. Starring Saif Ali Khan, it revolves around two warring brothers out for revenge.

Dabangg 3 is a Hindi action film directed by Prabhu Deva, and produced by Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan under their respective banners of Salman Khan Films and Arbaaz Khan Productions] The film is a sequel to the 2012 film Dabangg 2 and the third installment of Dabangg film series. The film features Salman Khan[3], Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan and Mahie Gill reprising their roles from the previous film, while Sudeep plays the antagonist.

BIGIL After Theri and Mersal, Vijay and director Atlee have come together once again for Bigil. The sports-based Tamil thriller, as it is tipped to be, is being bankrolled by AGS Entertainment. Nayanthara is the leading lady of the ﬂick, which will have musical score by Oscar-Grammy winner A R Rahman.

INDIAN 2 Indian 2 is a sequel to the 1996 super hit Tamil ﬁlm Indian from the same Kamal Haasan-Shankar combo. The second part boats of a huge star cast including, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Rakul Preet, Aishwarya Rajesh etc. The ﬁlm is being bankrolled by Lyca.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Stand at the Industry Centre which will e are happy to present the latest provide a platform to popularize Indian issue of Pickle for the delegates cinema in the overseas market and at the 44th Toronto International facilitate new business opportunities. The Film Festival and sales and industry objective is to promote cinemas of India, representatives. TIFF is unarguably the film locales and services and 50th edition biggest festival and market in North of International Film Festival of India in America. Goa (November 20-28, 2019). A breakfast For India, and now increasingly to South session with global producers is slated for Asia, Toronto has become a hub for September 9. discovery of talent. Toronto is a great With this edition, we have changed the place to be in especially for young Indian masthead of Pickle. It is much leaner filmmakers who are visibly changing the with alphabets following smooth lines. face of Indian cinema. Being discovered The idea is to give ourselves a refreshing at Toronto opens them a new path to brand new look, underscoring our moto to their cinematic techniques and embrace change for the better. excellence. Toronto leads We look forward to your the global film festival views and suggestions on the outfits to bring into IST new mast created by Shruti limelight excellence RL E W PO Remalli. and best minds in The Indian media Indian cinema. ecosystem is changing This year four Indian t Mos al In fast. The Over-thefilms are being screened ti E ueTOn LIF owbiz IA Top (OTT) space is at TIFF, including The Sky l f n I Sh IND ING gaining attraction in is Pink directed by Shonali ian S I Ind R the Indian market Bose (Galas 2019), Moothon with the presence of (The Elder One) directed Hotstar, Voot, ErosNow, by Geetu Mohandas (Special ZEE5, Sony Liv, ALT Balaji, Sun Presentations 2019), Jallikattu directed Nxt, Amazon Prime and Netflix, which by Lijo Jose Pellissery (Contemporary are expanding and growing the market in World Cinema) and Bombay Rose directed India. by Gitanjali Rao (Contemporary World Pickle’s October print issue will focus and Cinema). reach out to delegates at MIP Junior and The Ministry of Information & MIPCOM -- the world’s biggest audiovisual Broadcasting, Government of India, market at Cannes, France. Feel free to in collaboration with Confederation of email your thoughts and suggestions. Indian Industry (CII) has set up India FILM

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n vidyasagar pickle media nat@pickle.co.in, www.pickle.co.in Pickle Volume XIII 2nd edition Published by Pickle Media Private Limited Email: natvid@gmail.com ● Mumbai ● Chennai No.2, Habib Complex Dr Durgabhai Deshmukh Road RA Puram CHENNAI 600 028

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