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INDIA AT TORONTO 2015

Over the last eight to 10 years, Toronto has selected over 50 Indian films. Toronto looks for films that reflect the Indian sensibility in their making. TIFF audience -- unlike in any other major film festival -- is in the city of Toronto itself, where over 600,000 people of Indian origin reside. There is always an audience that is eager to watch Indian cinema.

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Films from India continue to be on the radar of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), thanks to Cameron Bailey, Co-Director, TIFF, who has mastered the art of discovering talented filmmakers from India.

Bailey has been religiously coming to India every June to scout for Indian films that can be showcased at TIFF. We have a detailed story on the films from Indian subcontinent in the next few pages.

The year 2015 is special for India, as Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI) is taking a 20-member delegation to Toronto during TIFF. “At FICCI, we were able to put together commitment to get like minded people for co-productions and collaboration at Toronto. One of the highlights is that we are going to be at Toronto for seven days,” says Ashish S.K. CEO, ScreenYug. He is also Chairman, FICCI AVGC Forum (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics).

“The objective is to get a delegation of people who are focused on co-production and pick up ideas from either side and that’s going to be the major focus.”

The delegation members represent films, animation, gaming and visual effects verticals.

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TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

OSCAR JOURNEY STARTS HERE

It’s that time of the year. But this year, Toronto International Film Festival is poised for a return to its ways as an infallible launch pad for Oscar contenders.

By Saibal Chatterjee

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L

ike it has always done, the Toronto International Film Festival, in its 40th year, is unveiling a slew of exciting titles with the potential to generate serious Oscar buzz that could last all the way to the day the nominations are announced – and beyond.

In fact, weeks ahead of the festival, several contenders had already elbowed their way into the public consciousness, enthusing TIFF watchers to begin their favourite guessing game looking ahead to Hollywood’s big night.

In 2014, TIFF had missed out on the Best Picture Oscar winner, Birdman, because of a self-imposed bar on non-world premiere films. But this year the festival is poised for a return to its ways as an infallible launch pad for Oscar contenders.

Among TIFF 2015’s big Galas is the world premiere of Ridley Scott’s The Martian, a sci-fi drama about a stranded astronaut starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Could this be this year’s Gravity?

Although Birdman overflew TIFF in 2014, the festival did provide a platform to both lead acting Oscar winners – The Theory of Everything (Eddie Redmayne) and Still Alice (Julianne Moore).

The two stars have an opportunity for a back-to-back statuette.

Redmayne is in Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl, about transgender pioneer Einar Wegenar, who went under a surgeon’s scalpel in the 1920s for a sex-change operation.

Moore is back in contention with her performance in another LGBT drama, Peter Sollett’s Freeheld, the true story of a cancerstricken New Jersey police detective who fights for the right to leave her pension for her same-

The Martian

Danish Girl

Freeheld

Where to Invade Next

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sex partner. The film co-stars Ellen Page and Steve Carell.

Rabble rouser Michael Moore, who has not made a film since 2009’s Capitalism – A Love Story, is here to stir things up a bit again with the characteristically polemical documentary Where to Invade Next?, which the director has thus far kept completely under wraps. But when it’s Moore, there is bound to be a hell of a lot action off the screen to go with provocations on the screen.

Another TIFF film, Ronald Emmerich’s Stonewall, a recreation of a true story of a fight for gay rights in the 1960s New York, has buzz-generating power. The film has Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Jeremy Irvine in pivotal roles.

TIFF’s record on spotting Oscar champs has been incredible. In the past decade and a half, since 1999’s American Beauty, as many as seven of TIFF People’s Choice award winners have gone on to earn Best Picture Oscar nominations.

Four of these films – American Beauty, Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech and 12 Years a Slave – went the distance and won the Best Picture statuette.

In fact, Danny Boyle had all but given up on Slumdog Millionaire – it seemed headed straight to home video – when TIFF plucked it out of nowhere and famously altered the film’s fortunes.

Seven of the last eight Best Picture Oscar winners – No Country for Old Men, Slumdog Millionaire, The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech, The Artist, Argo and 12 Years a Slave – were all feted at TIFF before they came up trumps on Hollywood’s biggest night.

In 2008, Slumdog Millionaire swept all the major awards – Golden Globes, Oscars, BAFTAs – after being voted the most popular film at TIFF. Two years later, The King’s Speech scooped up four Oscars and seven BAFTAs. TIFF People’s Choice Award winner in 2013, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, bagged three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

It is easy to see why big-ticket Oscar aspirants make a beeline for TIFF. Although it was way back in 1981 that Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire became the first TIFF winner to make a major mark at the Oscars, it was not until 1999’s American Beauty and 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which won the Best Foreign-Language Film Academy Award) that TIFF cemented its fame as an accurate indicator of Oscar prospects.

Besides the much loved films mentioned above, other notable titles that have won the People’s Choice Award before bagging Oscar nominations/awards are Paul Haggis’ Crash, David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises, Lee Daniels’ Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, and David

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Stonewall

The Programm

Dressmaker O Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook.

This year, fans are keeping their eyes on Ben Foster’s performance as discredited cycling champion Lance Armstrong in Stephen Frear’s The Program, Tom Hardy’s dual role in Brian Helgeland’s LEGEND and Kate Winslet’s star turn in the Australian film, The Dressmaker, directed Jocelyn Moorehouse.

There is a dark horse in the mix – Matthew Brown’s The Man Who Knew Infinity, a story of two men who changed mathematics forever – the self-taught but absolutely brilliant Srinivasa Ramanujan and his Trinity College mentor G.H. Hardy.

While Dev Patel plays the character of the former, Jeremy Irons is cast as the professor who brings out the best in Ramanujan.

One film that arrives in TIFF via the Venice Film Festival – Scott Cooper’s Black Mass, a gangster drama set in 1970s South Boston, is bound to attract eyeballs. And why not? The film has Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch in principal roles.

There is keen interest in Rob Reiner’s Being Charlie, which is in the TIFF Special Presentations section. Inspired by the real-life experiences of two friends who spent years in rehab as they struggled to LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK

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The man who knew infinity

Black Mass get their lives back on the rails, the drama stars Nick Robinson, Morgan Saylor, Devon Bostick and Cary Elwes.

Marc Abraham’s I Saw the Light, a biopic of country singer Hank Williams, has Tom Hiddleston in the key role. Both the film and the actor are likely to be heard of in dispatches in the run-up to the Oscars next year.

Also expect pretty much the same from James Vanderbilt’s Truth, which dramatizes the story of a CBS news anchor Mary Mapes and her producer Don Rather, a duo that got embroiled in a story about a sitting president that did not stand up to scrutiny and ruined the latter’s career.

Cate Blanchett plays Mapes and Robert

Redford is in the role of Rather.

And, of course, who can leave Jean-Marc Vallee out of the Oscar frame? The Montreal-born director’s Demolition is not only the opening night film of TIFF 2015, it is also his third film in the festival in three years after Dallas Buyers Club (2013) and Wild (2014).

Demolition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts, is the story of a high-flying investment banker whose life is shattered by the death of his wife in a car crash.

A drama about burying the past and starting over always has strong awards season appeal, and with Vallee at the helm of the exercise, the film seems like an absolute shoo-in.

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.

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INDIA@TORONTO 2015

A YEAR OF WOMEN FOR THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT AT THE 40TH TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is celebrating womanhood, as distinctive feminine perspectives and provocative gender themes from accomplished directors dominate the lineup 16

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Special Presentations

Angry Indian Goddesses Pan Nalin

Special Presentations

Guilty (Talvar) Meghna Gulzar

Short Cuts

Bunny Megha Ramaswamy

TIFF Docs

A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers Geeta Gandbhir & Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

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TIFF Docs

He Named Me Malala Davis Guggenheim

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It is indisputably a year of women for the Indian subcontinent at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Distinctive feminine perspectives and provocative gender themes from accomplished women directors dominate the exceptional lineup that TIFF selectors have assembled from a part of the world where cinema remains male-dominated.

Toronto’s very own Indian-origin, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta heads the contingent with Beeba Boys, an inspired-by-reality gangland drama starring Mumbai actor Randeep Hooda and Amritsar-born New York fashion designer Waris Ahluwalia. The film is part of TIFF’s Gala Presentations.

Three Indian directors, including two women, have made the TIFF Special Presentations cut this year – Meghna Gulzar, Leena Yadav and Pan Nalin. The last named, the only Indian male director in the 2015 selection, is here with a film that is as feminist as they come – Angry Indian Goddesses.

TIFF is Mehta’s home, and Pan Nalin had his freewheeling and vibrant Kumbh Mela documentary Faith Connections receive a warm reception at North America’s premier film festival in 2013.

Meghna Gulzar and Leena Yadav, on the other hand, are new to the international film festival circuit.

Both directors have much to prove. Meghna’s last feature film, Just Married, was released way back in 2007. Talvar (Guilty) is her third directorial venture.

Leena Yadav, too, is three films old and hasn’t had much luck at the box office. Her previous two outings, Shabd (2005), starring Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai, and Teen Patti, featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley, were commercial duds.

The big Bollywood stars did not work for Yadav.

Parched, her new film, is an independent production as much in spirit as in substance although it was co-produced by mainstream Mumbai actor Ajay Devgn.

TIFF is hosting the world premiere of the latest film

by Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The Academy Award-winning Saving Face director has teamed up with New York-based Geeta Gandbhir for A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers.

The film follows three Bangladeshi policewomen who travel to Haiti as part of a UN peace-keeping force. They struggle to get over the many pressures that the mission puts on them and their families back home, but in the process they learn to push personal and societal boundaries.

In Beeba Boys, TIFF regular Deepa Mehta turns the spotlight on a band of flamboyant Punjabi mobsters fighting tooth and nail for control of the drugs and arms peddling scene in Vancouver. The film presents what is essentially a ‘male’ genre from a feminine standpoint as well as through the immigrant experience prism.

Being a Deepa Mehta film, Beeba Boys is expected to go beyond the confines of the genre and embrace the themes of masculinity, authority and survival in a hostile environment.

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Angry Indian Goddesses Director: Pan Nalin

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Parched Director: Leena Yadav

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Beeba Boys has Hooda playing the leader of a gang of ‘outsiders’ that breaks into the underworld of their adopted city in search of visibility and an identity for themselves.

For the director of the acclaimed Fire, Earth and Water trilogy, Beeba Boys is a clear departure from norm. Mehta’s previous film, Midnight’s Children (adapted from Salman Rushdie’s much-loved novel), like many of her earlier work, had its world premiere at TIFF. Beeba Boys promises to be an explosive mix of bhangra beats, flashy protagonists and bursts of adrenaline-pumping action.

They might not be exactly explosive in the way the Beeba Boys is, but the three other Indian films in Toronto this year will definitely not be short on surprises.

Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar, produced by filmmaker and musician Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma, delves into the conflicting claims and counter-claims that were made by the media, the prosecution and the defence on the sensational Arushi Talwar murder case that rocked Noida, on the fringes of Delhi, in May 2008.

The parents have since been convicted for the crime, but the open-ended Talvar refrains from jumping to conclusions and explores the possibility that there might have been a miscarriage of justice in the case.

Looking at the incident primarily through the eyes of the parents and the principal investigator (Irrfan Khan), Talvar probes crime, punishment and the police and judicial systems in India.

Leena Yadav’s Parched will also be part of the Special Presentations section. It is the story of three ordinary village women who seek to break free from the shackles of sexual repression in a traditionbound, misogynistic society.

Parched, shot on locations in Rajasthan by awardwinning American cinematographer Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Jobs, Charlie’s Angels), features Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla and Adil Hussain in pivotal roles.

Pan Nalin’s Angry Indian Goddesses is an entertaining film about a group of rebellious girls who “find their hearts and lose their minds” when they congregate in Goa on a friend’s invitation.

Tannishtha Chatterjee’s second film in TIFF 2015, it is India’s first-ever female buddy film. The cast includes Sarah Jane Dias, Sandhya Mridul and Anushka Manchanda.

It forays into uncharted territory as it portrays the adventures of seven women who, during a get-together in Goa, decide to let their guard down. Made primarily in a comic vein, the film addresses issues of contemporary relevance.

TIFF’s Short Cuts section will see a work by Megha Ramaswamy for the second time in two years – the 19-minute-long Bunny, about a little girl and her pet bunny. Ramaswamy’s Newborns, a short film about acid attack victims, had played in the same programme in Toronto last year.

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As part of its Wavelengths programme, dedicated to cinematic work that redefines the medium, TIFF is presenting an installation by Indian-American artist-filmmaker Shambhavi Kaul.

For Kaul, Wavelengths is virtually an annual platform for showcasing her experimental cinema.

Three of her previous films – 21 Chitrakoot, Mount Song and Night Noon – have all been feted at TIFF. A collaboration with Scrap Metal Gallery, Kaul’s new installation, titled Fallen Objects, comprises “a large projected video loop composed of seven shots that continuously rearrange themselves based on an internal code and floor-bound sculptures in the form of scraps of cloth”.

One of the more anticipated titles in TIFF 2015 is celebrated documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim’s He Named Me Malala, narrates the incredible story of Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban attack to continue fighting for education for all girls across the world.

TIFF also presents the North American Premiere of A Flickering Truth, a documentary film by New Zealander Pietra Brettkelly that enters the world of three intrepid cinephiles in Afghanistan who battle to restore 8,000 hours of film in an archive that they have risked their lives to save from the dust and destruction of war.

by Saibal Chatterjee

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Guilty (Talvar) Director: Meghna Gulzar

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/TWMReturns

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/@TWMReturns

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TIFF INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

WENDY CALHOUN, NURI BILGE CEYLAN, YU DONG, STEPHEN FREARS AND NIIJA KUYKENDALL AMONG 200 INFLUENTIAL SPEAKERS OVER 7 DAYS AT TIFF All events are hosted from September 11 to 17 at the Glenn Gould Studio and CBC Conference Centre

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T

he TIFF Industry Conference offers delegates invaluable access to the wisdom and experience of creative and business leaders during the 40th Toronto International Film Festival®.

“TIFF Industry is excited to present a lineup of cinematic masters, creative innovators and business visionaries to equip delegates with meaningful tools for success,” said Kathleen Drumm, Director, TIFF Industry Office.

“With a diverse range of topics from story development to sales and distribution, we offer an incomparable professional development opportunity for industry members at all levels of experience.”

TIFF connects with major media and technology companies to deliver potent and relevant sessions at the Conference. Attendees are guaranteed a memorable experience from speakers representing companies such as Fox Searchlight, Google, Huayi, ICM Partners, IM Global, iQiyi, Kickstarter, Sundance Productions, Vice Media, Vimeo, and Wanda.

The TIFF Industry Conference covers Creative Process, Financing and Co-Production, Marketing, Sales and Distribution and Future of Content. There will be day-long focused sessions for both the Asian Film Summit and Doc Conference. All events are hosted from September 11 to 17 at the Glenn Gould Studio and CBC Conference Centre.

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INDUSTRY DIALOGUES The Perfect Fit

Mo’ How to Money, Speak More FinanceProblems ese

Financing Talent Discovery

From Micro to Medio

Recouping How to Win the at Digital Building a (Successful) Investment Distribution Digital Marketing Campaign

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China-Hollywood Collaborations: The Future is Now

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Asian Film Summit, supported

by Telefilm Canada and co-presented by the China-West Filmmakers Alliance, is a key element of the Festival’s ongoing commitment to building bridges between Asian cinema and the West.

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SETTING A NEW BENCHMARK 28

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F

or a long time, 2015 is bound to be etched in our collective memory as a path-breaking year in Indian cinema. Not only in terms of box office success, the movies released so far this year have broken the mould in many ways. While female protagonists, in otherwise male-dominated domain, ruled the hearts of millions of cinematic lovers and critics alike, many movies did well on the back of innovative narrative, scripts and risk-defying moviemakers who decided to serve something new to the audience.

The bar has been raised high with movies like “Tanu Weds Manu Returns”, “NH 10” and “Piku” and hopes are running high too that the tempo will be maintained. In terms of impressive box office collections, “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” was the first movie of 2015 to cross the Rs.100 crore mark, a feat that it achieved owing to its script and performance by Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan, Jimmy Sheirgill and Deepak Dobriyal among others.

The success of the current crop of films signal that happy times for women in Indian cinema are here to stay. Not only womencentric Bollywood films opening new doors, roles are also becoming substantial for them. “Today even in gangster movies, women are working. I think there is a greater understanding within the women artists themselves where they are demanding more meat if not necessarily in terms of the length, but definitely in terms of what the character is,” Veteran actress-social activist Shabana Azmi was quoted as saying in an interview.

The shift is also significant in terms of how things have changed for better since the ‘80s and ‘90s when parallel cinema in India did not dare to dabble in films dealing with feminist issues. The commercially implications were drastic, however genuine the intention of the filmmaker. In part, this has also been made possible because of multiplex audiences who are now hungry for good cinema.

Shonali Bose’s “Margarita With A Straw” is one such movie that was admired for the revolutionary road it took by narrating the sexual and emotional conun-

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So far, this year has seen the Indian cinema conquer new frontiers, raising standards to a new level and breaking many popular myths about the reasons behind the success and failure of films

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Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Tanu Weds Manu Returns

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ABCD2

Gabbar

Piku

drums of a young college student with cerebral palsy, played

by Kalki Koechlin. Although according to trade analysis it could not make much at the collection window, it did touch a comingof-age topic that not many filmmaker would dare to -- elevating the audience experience several notches.

Amitabh Bachchan-starrer “Piku” was another treat to watch this year. The story deals with constipation. But the squirmy topic got a gentle treatment from director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chaturvedi that won over the viewers. It too claimed a handsome return in terms of collections at box office.

While stronger scripts and fresh treatment were much appreciated by moviegoers, formulae and conventions took a backseat with critically-acclaimed filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee’s big-budget projects -- “Bombay Velvet” and “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!”

-- being described as disasters by analysts. The signs are clear for everyone to read.

Another dud has been Kabir Khan’s ambitious action-thriller, Phantom, which recently opened to a lukewarm response at the box office.

The year 2005 will also be remembered for movies like S.S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus “Baahubali” and Salman Khan-starrer Indo-Pak drama “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, which turned out to be the biggest successes at box office ever. “Baahubali”, originally made as a Telugu-Tamil bilingual, has traversed across the boundaries of languages and geographies to be largly seen as an achievement of Indian cinema. The Salman-starrer is also widely considered as a positive message of peace, unity and brotherhood between India and Pakistan, where the film has done quite well.

The success of Shraddha Kapoor and Varun Dhawan-starrer “ABCD2” also proved that movies written for all age groups are being well received by the audience.

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INDIAN FILMS IN FESTIVAL CIRCUIT

Zubaan, directed by debutant filmmaker Mozez Singh and starring Vicky Kaushal will be the opening film at the Busan International Film Festival. It is produced by Guneet Monga, tells the story of a young folk musician named Dilsher (Kaushal), who moves from Punjab to find success in the big city, before proceeding to deal with its fallouts.

Eros International & Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh -- starring Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao — will be having its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival as part of the section ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’.

Ruchika Oberoi’s Island City will screen at the Venice International Film Festival. It narrates three connected stories in Mumbai. It stars Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash and Tannishtha Chatterjee. Three stories, tied together by the randomness of fate, against the backdrop of a city, Mumbai, changing visibly, and a country, India, which no longer recognizes. Producer: National Film Development Corporation.

Tamil director Vetrimaaran’s Visaaranai (Interrogation), based on Chandra Kumar’s novel Lock Up will screen at the 72nd edition of the Venice International Film Festival.

The novel evoked a debate on police brutality after it was published in 2006. Director Samuthirakani plays a cop in this 60 minute film. Director: Vetrimaran

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CONTENT BUYS FROM INDIA

2015 is being largely seen as a successful year for the Indian cinema. Here is a list of upcoming films which promise to continue the magical spin

FAN Directed by M aneesh Sharm a, Fan marks the retu rn of Shah Ruk h KhanYRF collabora tion after 201 2 (Jab Tak Hai Jaan). Fan will release on April 15, 2016.

ANII T S A M O A R I

BAJ

st love world’ bigge e th s a d e n roduced Positio ational Plc p rn te In s ro E ao Mastani saga, ansali’s Bajir h B la e e L y ra, Deepika Sanja riyanka Chop P , h g in S r e er release.

(Ranve t for Decemb se is ) e n ko Padu

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SULTANYRF’s Aditya Chopra and

y Produced b d by Ali Abbas Zafar, cte e ir -d n commence writte n Khan) will a a se lm a (S n d will relea Sulta vember an o N in g n ti shoo . in Eid 2016

PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO

venture, Sooraj Barjatya’s directorial n lma (Sa o Pay an Prem Ratan Dh on ase rele l wil ) oor Kap Khan, Sonam tnered November 11. Rajshri has par s. dio Stu r with Fox Sta

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RAES

ent and Excel Red Chillies Entertainm s, starring Shah Entertainment’s Raee for 2016 release.

Rukh Khan, is slated Sultan next Will it clash with YRF’s Eid?

DILWALE

iner Rohit Shetty’s comic enterta ol, Kaj n, Kha h Dilwale (Shah Ruk set for is on) San i Varun Dhawan, Krit r. yea this December release

SHAANDAAR

jointly Directed by Vikas Bahl and s, Karan produced by Fox Star Studio romanthe Johar and Phantom Films, Alia and tic comedy (Shahid Kapoor .

22 er Bhatt) will release on Octob

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PULI Director Chimbu Deven’s upcoming Tamil fantasy drama Puli (Vijay, Shruti Haasan, Sridevi, Hansika Motwani) will hit the screens worldwide on October 1. It will also be dubbed in Telugu and Hindi.

comeJAZBAA Bachchan’s ani a R a ry a w h S

is y Jazbaa is A ). Directed b aa er five years zb ft Ja (a , n lm io fi is V ck ba

by Essel d ce u d ro ry p ishwa a jay Gupta, October 9. A lm. n o d se a le will be re te in the fi fierce advoca Rai plays a

KATTI BATTI Starring Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan, Katti Batti directed by Nikhil Advani is produced by UTV Motion Pictures. The films is set for release on September 18. It revolves around a couple who have been in a live-in relationship for five years.

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CONTENT BUYS FROM EROS

DH TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a romantic comedy drama film directed by Anand L. Rai which serves as a sequel to the 2011 film Tanu Weds Manu. Made on a modest budget, Tanu Weds Manu Returns has been appreciated and a box office hit for its script and performance by the actors – Kangana Ranaut, R Madhavan, Jimmy Sheirgill and Deepak Dobriyal among others.

The story of Tanu Weds Manu Returns starts from where the prequel ended. It shows what happens to the lead pair after four years of having their marriage on the rocks.

EROS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONTACT ALICE COELHO VP Syndication Sales alice.coelho@erosintl.com

HERO Hero, a modern day remake of Subhash Ghai’s eponymous classic, will mark the launch of two new faces in the film industry - Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty. It is produced under the Salman Khan Films banner and will be distributed globally by Eros International.

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BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN The Salman Khan-starrer Indo-Pak drama Bajrangi Bhaijaan (directed by Kabir Khan), which turned out to be one of the biggest successes at box office ever. The Salman-starrer is also widely considered as a positive message of peace, unity and brotherhood between India and Pakistan, where the film has done quite well. Apart from Khan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and child artiste Harshaali Malhotra in pivotal roles.

WELCOME BACK Welcome Back featuring John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Shruti Haasan Dimple Kapadia and Naseeruddin Shah, directed by Anees Bazmee, is all set to have a world premiere in Dubai on Sept 2. The film was shot in Dubai last year.

Welcome Back is a sequel to 2007’s Welcome, which was also shot in Dubai.

P

Py ag 2. the Pic na Ka pa

VIA C

DIL DHADAKNE DO Dil Dhadakne Do (English: Let the Heart Beat) is a comedy-drama film directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar. Its starcast include Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, and Anushka Sharma.

Farhan Akhtar makes a cameo appearance, and Aamir Khan performs a voice role. The film tells the story of a dysfunctional Punjabi family who invite their family and friends on a cruise trip to celebrate the parents’ 30th wedding anniversary.

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Dhara Fuwa nawa Motio Rawa roles who order be a

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GA He Bu ga --DE de

DHARAM SANKAT MEIN Dharam Sankat Mein is a comedy film directed by Fuwad Khan. The movie is produced by Sajjad Chunawala and Shariq Patel under the banners Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Trigno Media. It features Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah in lead roles. The film tells the story of an ordinary Hindu man who discovers that he is originally a born Muslim, and in order to meet his biological father, he must learn how to be a true Muslim.

CONTENT BUYS FROM Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

MANJHI- THE MOUNTAIN MAN

PYAAR KO PUNCHNAMA 2 Pyaar Ka Punchnama is set to entertain us once again with the sequel which is Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2. Luv Ranjan, who directed the first part, has made the second part too. Produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Panorama Studios. Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 is slated for release on October 16. Actors Kartik Tiwari and Nushrat Bharucha who were in part one will also be seen in second part.

Manjhi-The Mountain Man, produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, NFDC, Maya Movies and directed

by Ketan Mehta, received critical acclaim and appreciations. It is a biopic on Dashrath Manjhi, a resident of Gehlaur village in Gaya district .The’ Mountain Man’ had single-handedly cut through a hill to make a road for his village.

Manjhi died in 2007 in his early 80s.

Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte.

VIACOM 18 MOTION PICTURES CONTACT GAYATRI GULATI Head (Revenues & International Business), Motion Pictures gayatri.gulati@viacom18.com ----------------------------------------DEVASHISH CHAINANI devashish.chainani@viacom18.com 35

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DRISHYAM Nishikant Kamat’s Drishyam is an emotional thriller that tracks the story of a local cable operator Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay), whose life revolves around cinema and his family, wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju and Anu. Tabu plays the role of IG Meera Deshmukh in the film. Co-produced by Viacom18 and Kumar Mangat, Drishyam is the Hindi remake of a Malyalam movie of the same name.

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“We are very hopeful that we will be able to find a co-production partner for Mary Kom Jr in Canada.”

Ashish S.K CEO, ScreenYug

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30-08-2015 09:50:34

INDIA AT TIFF 2015

Ashish S.K CEO of ScreenYug Creations Pvt. Ltd.

INDIA-CANADA

THE WINNING PARTNERS Ashish S.K., CEO of ScreenYug Creations Pvt. Ltd. and Chairman, FICCI AVGC Forum, is optimistic about new collaborations during TIFF. With his “Mary Kom Jr.” -- the first girl super hero offering from India -- and many more in the pipeline, Ashish says the Audiovisual Co-Production treaty between India and Canada can create a lot of magic in the entertainment business Last year, Toronto International Film Festival premiered Mary Kom in Live Action Feature segment. This year you are taking your animation property “Mary Kom Junior” - the first girl super hero from India - for co-production and collaboration?

Yes. That’s correct. Indian ace boxer Mary Kom who is already a legend, has a global appeal.

Actually, when we were doing research for TV viewership among Indian girls in the age group of 8 and 10 -- we realised that they have nothing to watch. Because of the lack of animation programming they were shifting to general entertainment daily soaps, which is not appropriate viewing material for their age. We identified this gap and positioned India’s first girl super hero Mary

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Kom in this space, which will be entertaining as well as inspirational. Mary Kom, who is five times World Champion in boxing, is preparing to participate in the next Olympics, which makes the series extremely relevant and global. When we spoke to Mary Kom, she told us that she would continue to train girls for self-defense. She is also starting an academy for girl children to excel in boxing. We were quite inspired by her whole story. Our creation of animation matched the spirit of her character, and we named her Mary Kom Jr. She will be the inspiration for an entire generation of girl children globally. While imbibing an inclination towards sports, teamwork and self-defense, Mary Kom Jr. with her magic gloves will also emerge as a savior for all the kids from

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30-08-2015 09:50:35

her school and neighborhood. We have signed up with Mary Kom and this is going to be the first girl super hero property from India.

We have done some inspirational designs around her character. We are also designing other characters around her because this is completely fiction. We have the bible, story plots and character designs and the overall themes for the series ready. We are in discussion with networks for this property. We will be sharing the property at Toronto. We are very hopeful that we will be able to find a co-production partner in Canada.

Canada has well-known distributors who are globally recognized. They visit every single global market. An Indian collaboration would yield a far-reaching effect for distribution of their content. It is a win-win situation for both sides Tell us about the India-Canada Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty?

It is a fantastic tool and it benefits producers from both countries. India is known for its production output. Canada is an expert in pre- and postproduction work. Canada understands multicultural programming. It has an immigrant population from various countries and they respect multi-cultural aspects, unlike many other countries. That’s one of the reasons that Canada and India can work together to create global content.

Canada has well-known distributors who are globally recognized. They visit every single global market. An Indian collaboration would yield a farreaching effect for distribution of their content.

It is a win-win situation for both sides. We have signed the first audiovisual co-production for a feature film “The Reunion” with Canada. It will be jointly produced by ScreenYug Creations & BioscopeWallah Pictures from India and Platinum Image films from Toronto. Shooting of the film will soon begin in Goa. Our other live action feature film project is titled “Black Christ”. It is a story of a girl’s quest for her father that leads to an amazing discovery of Christian values in a primitive Indian tribal hinterland practiced by a most unusual native priest.

Her journey helps her find love with a young artist as the story explores virtues and vices and a new set of beliefs while the characters in the narrative examine their personal quest against backdrops of conflicting values. It is a story of love amidst hatred, a saga of faith, humanity and belief. “Black Christ” is truly global and it will be produced by ScreenYug Creations from India. We are looking for Canadian co-productions partners for the film. We have a number of meetings slotted with producers in Toronto during TIFF for both “The Reunion” and “Black Christ”.

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What are the other properties on the horizon for ScreenYug? We are developing a wide range of properties for all screen formats. “War Heroes of India” is one of our in-focus properties. We have identified 410 Indian war heroes so far. The research on the first sixty episodes is complete. Every episode will feature one war hero of India portraying real life stories of the most conspicuous acts of bravery, daring acts of valor and self-sacrifice by the personnel of Indian Armed Forces on land, air or at sea. As a strategy we will be releasing the comic books first, and eight comic books on Indian War Heroes have already been released.

We will shape those stories as animated TV series. We have tied up with Aditya Horizons, who have done the research led by Major General G.D. Bakshi and Aditya Bakshi. ScreenYug will be producing the War Heroes of India series.

Our other key property “Amaziing Kids” is also ready to go. It is an animated series for the age group of 4 – 7 years in which a group of kids accept the challenge of an evil alien to save planet Earth. An alien in each episode creates a maze for the kids to solve, failing which one crucial element from Earth will be at the risk of extinction.

The bible for Amaziing Kids is ready along with sample scripts and 52 episodes of story synopsis. We hope to find co-production partners for the property from Canada.

We are also working on a series of documentary shows. Our core team has substantial experience in both animation and live action. We have created a perfect mix of animation and live action content, as the gestation period in live action is lesser which in turn creates a great balance for the content mix.

We also have created a digital distribution company called Screen Galaxy, which will distribute our own content and also content from other producers.

Now that you are betting on multiscreen, how do you see this approach going forward?

In the new era of digital content market we believe the primary release platform may not necessarily be a conventional platform but it might be on the ever-evolving digital platforms. We aim to create properties which are long-standing, well researched and with a right design sense to address the key focus of monetizing content across galaxy of screens. It is important that in the digital content era the last mile distribution and monetization is well thought of.

What synergy do you see between India and Canada in imparting skills?

I see a large number of Indian students going to Canada to do film studies at animation and

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30-08-2015 09:50:36

gaming schools and universities in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. The collaboration between the two countries and large number of students going to Canada will further increase the bond between the two nations. Many of the schools and universities are well-known in the Indian creative circles -- more specifically animation, gaming, visual effect and digital media.

Now, with the renewed interest of Indian diaspora towards creativity as a vocation, Canada is a natural fit for collaboration. We also look forward to colleges like Vancouver Film School, Sheridan College Ontario to set up operations in India.

Do you see potential in ‘Make in India, Show the World’?

This is one of the greatest initiatives taken by the Prime Minister of India and it truly covers the design and media & entertainment as a key contributor to the Make in India program.

India has 13 exclusive markets for media and

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entertainment sector encompassing all the various regional language markets. Each of these markets is self-sustaining for feature film and television programming. At the same time, when you are working on universal subjects and animation, gaming and visual effects, one can create a global edge. What India doesn’t have at this time is one single global property which has become a character brand whether in live action or animation -- which actually is merchandisable or have a recall value globally. We are nurturing to create some of these characters. I am very confident that India in the next five years will have some path breaking characters that will make a global impact. India should be more outward than inward looking.

Also, all Indian companies should invest in developing skills for international marketing and distribution. This can happen only with collaborations and co-productions. Make in India has great potential.

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30-08-2015 09:50:36

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA, GOA

Again he 46th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Asia’s oldest film festival, is scheduled as usual to be held in the coastal state of Goa from November 20 to 30 this year. Beginning its journey in 1952, the festival was held only sporadically in its initial years. The second and the third editions of the event were organized in 1961 and 1965 respectively. The Directorate of Film Festivals came into existence in 1973, and from the mid1970s onwards, IFFI has been an annual fixture that brings the best of Indian cinema together, besides showcasing the finest films from around the world for an ever-increasing number of delegates from within the country and from elsewhere.

One of the world’s ‘A’ grade film festivals, IFFI now hosts an International Competition with prizes that have a substantial cash component – totaling approximately US$ 2,00,000. Every year, the festival hands out the Golden Peacock to the best film and Silver Peacocks to the best director, actor, actress and the special jury prize winner. Over the decades, the festival has attracted such luminaries as Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Elia Kazan, Michelangelo Antonioni, Marcello Mastroianni, Bernando Bertolucci, Wong Kar-wai, Abbas Kiarostami and Bertrand Tavernier, among many others. IFFI is one of the world’s premier film festivals, growing in size and influence every year.

T

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Masters, Students: One of the biggest attractions at IFFI are the retrospectives that the festival puts together of cinema’s greatest masters. It also hosts a slew of well-attended masterclasses targeted at aspiring filmmakers and technicians.

Pickle presents to the Toronto International Film Festival and market delegates a curtain raiser on the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, which is one of the world’s ‘A’ grade film festivals to be held from November 20 to 30, 2015. Come and enjoy IFFI and Goa. Here are ten reasons why the International Film Festival of India is a vibrant celebration that should not be missed

300 films From 80 Countries: Besides being by far Asia’s oldest film festival, IFFI is generally regarded as an important event for filmmakers and industry professionals from across the globe. It embraces the works of a wide variety of international filmmakers from an average of over 70 countries every year. Last year, IFFI had a lineup of more than 300 films from as many as 80 countries.

Carefully Curated: One of the biggest draws for the foreign delegates at IFFI is the Indian Panorama, which provides an array of wonderful films made in various parts of the country in multiple languages. This offers a great opportunity to international festival organisers to sample a carefully curated programme made up of films by established masters as well as those by promising newcomers looking to break into the global big league.

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Picture Perfect: The old world ambience of the main IFFI venue is also a delight for those that love great architecture amid sylvan surroundings.

The promenade running along the Mandovi River adds to the impressive beauty of the location, making IFFI one of the world’s more attractive festivals in terms of the site that it stands on today.

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Cinema Land: IFFI’s importance is also enhanced by the fact that it represents the world’s most prolific filmmaking nation. The festival takes pride in curating the best from India’s annual cinematic output of a 1000-plus titles. It is dynamic and flexible in the approach that it takes to the selection of films – reflecting the sheer diversity of the country.

Taste of India: There is, of course, nothing to beat India’s cultural diversity. The festival, on its part, does its very best every year to give its foreign delegates a taste of the nation as a whole. It rolls out the red carpet for visitors from abroad. Be it films or food, IFFI throws the door open for a wholesome experience.

Film Bazaar: On the sidelines of IFFI, the National Film Development Corporation organizes a five-day Film Bazaar, which has over the years become a dynamic space for exchange of ideas, incubation of new projects and co-production opportunities. The Film Bazaar is focused on promoting South Asian talent and offering them a channel to the rest of the filmmaking world. The last edition of Film Bazaar – the eighth – attracted over 1,000 participants from nearly 40 countries.

Variety of Voices: There is probably no nation in the world that is as linguistically diverse as India. So for IFFI Goa, it is easy to bring a variety of voices under one canopy. Ten days spent at the film festival are guaranteed to help a visitor get quick but effective glimpses of virtually the entire subcontinent and its many delightful variations.

Variety of Voices: There is probably no nation in the world that is as linguistically diverse as India. So for IFFI Goa, it is easy to bring a variety of voices one canopy.

At the top under of any visitor’s list would days spent at the film be Ten the undeniable appeal that Goa festival guaranteed to that holds as a are tourist destination visitor get for quick hashelp manya joys on offer fun lovers effective of andbut foodies alike.glimpses Goa is known the virtually the sub- beachworld over for its entire wonderful its sand, many dees continent where theand sun, surf and lightful variations. shacks create a magical ambience that is bound to capture the imagination of travelers.

Tourist’s Delight:

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Screen of South Asia: For those looking for exposure to a range of South Asian cinema, IFFI is the place to be. Besides India, the festival showcases the works of filmmakers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its focus is also on many of the smaller filmmaking nations of the world whose cinema rarely, if ever, travels far and wide.

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Your Gateway To Indian Entertainment Biz INDIA AT NAB S HO W, L A S V EG A S , A P RI L 2014

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I NDI A @ KI DSCREEN SUM M I T NEW YORK February 2012

FILM BUYS FROM INDIA @ AMERICAN FILM MARKET NOVEMBER 2010

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PRIME FOCUS TECHNOLOGIES & DAX AT NAB Our vision is to build the best enterprise platform for virtualizing the content production supply chain and with DAX acquisition we are taking a giant step in that direction Ramki Sankaranarayanan Founder and CEO, Prime Focus Technologies

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30-08-2015 12:59:20

GES 2016 Block your diary between February 24-26, 2016, to be part of the 2nd edition of Global Exhibition on Services in New Delhi. GES is the destination for content providers, buyers, distributors, producers, talents, writers and all those who provide services to the worldwide motion picture industry. Here is a curtain raiser for Toronto delegates 44

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MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

GES aims to bring together Indian M&E service providers under one platform. It enables delegates and exhibitors to explore M&E service solutions in the new emerging digital world 2nd edition of Global Exhibition on Services February 24-26, 2016, New Delhi

Block your dates for

For more information, Please contact Ms Neha Mathur neha.mathur@cii.in www.gesdelhi.in

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MEETING PLACE 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.

2

ONE STOP SHOP GES will offer a onestop-shop for meetings, networking and collaboration in the entertainment space. GES is the place to explore film shooting destinations across India.

Make in India is one of the greatest initiatives taken

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It covers the media & entertainment sector as a key contributor to the program and promotes creative services, production, location and oshoring

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

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MINDS AT WORK At GES you have access to creative and business minds from all media and entertainment verticals from across India and over 60 countries.

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LAUNCH PAD It is a perfect launch pad for your products and services. If you are an App developer there is a great demand from companies looking at creating innovative Apps.

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PLATFORM PERFECT GES will be a platform for buyer-seller meets and you have the opportunity to experience instant feedback to your film or content.

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REJUVENATION MODE Start-ups rejuvenate economies, spur innovation, work beyond geographies and create jobs.

Meet top innovators and SMEs from the Media and Entertainment Sector.

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The Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) and CII will organise the second edition of the Global Exhibition on Services from 24 to 26 February 2016 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

W

e are delighted to present the latest issue of Pickle, on the occasion of the 40th Edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). In the fast changing media landscape where disruptions are the order of the day, Toronto continues to discover talent by bringing their films to the big screen.

And, Toronto is the place where the excitement of Oscar nomination begins year on year. We track this trend in one of our lead pieces.

“In the past decade and a half, since 1999’s American Beauty, as many as seven of TIFF People’s Choice award winners have gone on to earn Best Picture Oscar nominations,” writes Saibal Chatterjee.

“Seven of the last eight Best Picture Oscar winners – No Country for Old Men, Slumdog Millionaire, The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech, The Artist, Argo and 12 Years a Slave – were all feted at TIFF before they came up trumps on Hollywood’s biggest night.”

India continues to be top in radar of TIFF with half a dozen Indian films this year at Toronto. Over fifty Indian films were part of the official selections at Toronto

for the last eight to ten years.

Indian filmmakers may not have made a dent into the Cannes Competition film Section, but they have begun to occupy significant mind space in the growing global film festival circuit this year. Over a dozen Indian films have found a place at Locarno, Venice, Toronto and Busan.

It is ‘Non-Bollywood’ that is creating the buzz.

It has been a moderate success for Indian films at box office, so far, this year. A close look at the new films for release (in page number ) gives a clear trend of a better 2015 compared to 2014.

2015 is a landmark year for Hollywood in India. Fast And Furious 7 has officially become the first Hollywood film in India to cross $20 million. This has never happened before. .

Our next issue will focus on MIPCOM, Cannes (October). We will also have dedicated India focused editions for American Film Market, Santa Monica (November), IFFI Goa (November), Asian Television Market, Singapore (December). Feel free to email your thoughts and suggestions on engaging with Indian showbiz.

n vidyasagar pickle media nvidyasagar@picklemag.in, www.picklemag.com

Pickle Volume IX 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

Printed by Bon Graphics New #7, Arumugam Nagar, Dayalan Garden, Chinna Porur, Chennai – 600 116 Mobile: +91 9884816263 Email: bon_graphics@yahoo.co.in

Editorial Coordinators : M Sai Email: natvid@gmail.com

For advertising: natvid@gmail.com

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Pickle Handbook 2015 Copyright 2015 by Pickle Media Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Pickle is an ad supported business guide tracking the filmed entertainment business in India.

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Layout Design: M Agnes Julie

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