'Bal Sangam' children theatre festival in Delhi from Nov. 21

EFT Report, New Delhi: As the much-awaited Children's Theatre Festival by the National School of Drama is scheduled to run November 21-25, children in the capital have a lot to look forward to.

The ninth edition of the festival will showcase performances from 13 Indian states focusing on folk theatre like Chhou from West Bengal, Yakshagana from Karanataka, Bhand Pather from Jammu and Kashmir and Rass Leela from Manipur. There will be workshops on paper puppet making, origami, madhubani paintings, mask making, potter craft to educate and enrich experience for the young children.

“This is a unique effort to expose the children and young citizens to real strength of Indian folk and traditional performing arts. It is also an effort to understand the roots of our heritage and cultural treasure. Bal Sangam is about sharing, learning, teaching, enriching and gaining confidence for showing our indigenous cultural identity,” said NSF director Waman Kendre.

Elaborating on this year’s edition of Bal Sangam, Abdul Latif Khatana, chief of Theatre in Education, said: "Bal Sangam is an effort to bring folk and urban face to face. Where there are children today lost in the internet and technology, TIE festival brings the open and varied folk to the kids of today, amalgamating the past and the future in the present.”

To add to the festivities, longmans, clowns, dhol drummers, tightrope walkers, jugaad band performers, acrobats, jugglers, behrupiyas, magicians, kacchi-ghodi performers, kathputli exponents, and many more will converge on the campus of NSD to present to the young minds the cultural heritage of the country.

Many students from Delhi schools, including those from Mayoor Public School, Jamia Middle School, Red Rosses Public School, Bengali Boys Sr. Secondary, Hingli Foundation, Andhra Society, will be bringing different components of folk culture to the festival.

NSD will be making special arrangements through various NGO to reach out and invite children from the less privileged class to be a part of the festival.

The festival will be held at the National School of Drama campus at Mandi House, from 4p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Johnny Depp to get Maltin Modern Master Award at SBIFF

EFT Report, Los Angeles: Actor Johnny Depp will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award, the highest honour of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF).

The 31st edition of the annual festival is scheduled to take place in February next year.

The prize, given to “an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry", is presented in tandem with a career retrospective for Depp at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, reports variety.com. 

Last year, it was renamed for film critic Leonard Maltin, who moderated the event for over 25 years.

“Johnny Depp is a true embodiment of a modern master. He has had a long and storied career that has shown his commitment to taking on compelling and dynamic roles," SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said.

"But in the gripping film ‘Black Mass,’ under the skillful direction of Scott Cooper, Johnny Depp delivers his defining performance to date,” Durling added.

Past beneficiaries include Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Christopher Nolan, Michael Douglas, Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett, Diane Keaton, Sean Penn and Jeff Bridges.

The 31st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs February 3-13. More honourees will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Mumbai to host 19th 'Golden Elephant' Children's Film Fest

EFT Report, Mumbai: The 19th International Children's Film Festival (ICFFI), slated to begin from November 14, would have many firsts to its credit, including a special section on Asian films.

Titled "Golden Elephant" the festival will be jointly hosted by Children's Film Society of India and Telengana Government in Hyderabad.

This was jointly announced by Mukesh Khanna and Shravan Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of Children's Film Society of India respectively at a press conference here today.

Kumar, who is also Festival Director, said they had received a record 1204 entries from 80 countries across the world, highest ever by any ICFFI so far.

"In this festival, there are some unique digital experiences for the children... we will be launching a Mobile App of CFSI and will be showcasing a number of Asian films under our newly curated section called Asian Panorama," said Kumar.

Khanna, Chairman of CFSI, said, "I think it's a great opportunity for the children of our country to watch the films made by the different countries' film makers exclusively for the kids." 

In the 19th edition of the festival, many International award winning entries will be showcased, said Khanna, popularly known for his role as "Shaktiman".

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Jacqueline's debut English film to open Delhi Film Festival

EFT Report, New Delhi: "Kick" actress Jacqueline Fernandez's debut English film "Definition of Fear" will open the fourth Delhi International Film Festival on December 5.

"Definition of Fear" revolves around four girls, who holiday in an old mansion in the forest and how their holiday turns into a fearful death trap causing their death.

Besides Jacqueline, Catherine Barrel, Blythe Hubbard, Mercedes Papilla and Mathew Stephuik have essayed prime roles in the movie.

Zaklina Ostir, eminent actress of European cinema, will also be present at the inaugural function. Filmmaker Ketan Mehta will be presented with the prestigious Minar-E-Dilli award.

Russia will be the 'country focus' with a tribute to legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor through a Russian documentary on the late actor-filmmaker. "Comrade Raj Kapoor" will be the closing film of the festival.

It has been directed by Alexei Burykin and Produced by Yakov Kaller. The story and concept is Svetlana Reschchecko, who researched extensively on Kapoor's films.

Israel will be the country partner for the festival, while Mozambique will be the International Film Institutional partner.

About 210 Films from 68 Countries will be showcased in 6 days.

Also, 50 NRIs and Indian poets will be the part of the festival.

"Zero", a sci-fi YouTube project written and directed by David Victori, and executive produced by Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender, will also be screened on the first day.

Stalwarts like Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ketan Mehta, Rehana Sultaan, Mehul Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Piyush Mishra, Omi Vaidya, Arvind Gupta, Rituporna Sengupta and many other actors and film makers from around the world will take part in the festival.

The six-day festival (Nov 5-10) will have Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as the chief guest on the opening ceremony. There will also be seminars and workshops organized on Film Market, Animation films and Indian Market during the festival.

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Dharamashala International Film Festival from Nov. 5

EFT Report, Dharamshala: Yash Raj Films' "Titli" will open the upcoming fourth edition of Dharamashala International Film Festival (DIFF 2015), which begins on November 5.

The four-day festival is being organized at the Club house and TIPA Meleodganj in Dharamshala. 

"Kanu Behl's directorial debut was screened as part of the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes Film Festival 2014 and yet to release in India. The lead actor of the film Ranvir Shorey shall also be there for the opening," festival organiser, filmmaker Ritu Sarin told PTI.

Director Neeraj Ghaywan's "Masaan" will draw the curtains on the festival on November 8. Ghaywan will present the movie along with screenwriter Varun Grover.

The list of attending international filmmakers includes The Maw Naing from Burma with his feature film, "The Monk".

Acclaimed Japanese director Kaoru Ikeya is returning to DIFF for the International premiere of his documentary, "Lung Ta".

Bhutanese director Dechen Roder's short film, "Lo Sum Choe Sum" will have its Indian premiere.

In collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland in India, Anka Schmid will premiere "Wild Women Gentle Beasts".

In collaboration with The Japan Foundation, DIFF will host director Tetsuichiro Tsuta for the Indian premiere of his feature film, The Tale of Iya. Israel's Talya Lavie will present her film, "Zero Motivation".

Indian filmmakers attending DIFF 2015 include National Award-winning director, Gurvinder Singh, with his feature film "Chauthi Koot". Bhaskar Hazarika will present the Assamese feature, "Kothanodi", which was screened at 2015 Busan International Film Festival.

Abhay Kumar will bring his documentary, "Placebo".

Prashant Nair will present his movie, "Umrika" that bagged the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival).

Ruchika Oberoi will introduce her first feature, "Island City", which got her FEDEORA Award for the best debut director at 2015 Venice Film Festival.

A highlight this year are the documentaries premiering at DIFF, from Sundance award-winning film, "The Wolfpack", which will see its Indian premiere at DIFF, to the Indian premiere of "Yallah! Underground".

Another three-day film festival(October 29-31) will take place at the Community Centre, McLeod Ganj.

It is the 11th edition of the Free Spirit Film Festival where a total of 15 independent films from around the world will be screened.

The Free Spirit Film Festival was launched by (Miss Tibet famed) Lobsang Wangyal in 2004. The festival is also known as McLeod Ganj International Film Festival. "Among these 15 films are 'Poverty Inc', a documentary by Gary Null and Valerie Van Cleve," said organiser Lobsang Wangyal.

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20th IFFK from Dec. 4; 10 int'l films to vie for top honors

EFT Report, Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 10 international films will vie for the top honours in the competition category at the 20th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), scheduled to be held here from December 4.

The festival, which will conclude on December 11, will also have a selection of the best of world cinema.

The list features "Mamiroo" (Immortal, Iran, directed by Hadi Mohaghegh), "Anino Sa Likod Ng Buwan" (Shadow Behind the Moon, Philippines, directed by Jun Robles Lana), "Degrade" (Palestine, by Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser), "Kalo Pothi" (The Black Hen, Nepal, by Min Bahadur Bham), "Yona" (Israel, by Nir Bergman), "Clarisse ou alguma coisa sobre nos dois" (Clarisse or something about us, Brazil, by Petrus Cariry), "Meurtre a Pacot" (Murder in Pacot, Haiti, by Raoul Peck), "Dolanma" (Entanglement, Turkey, by Tunc Davut), "Bopem" (Kazakhstan, by Zhanna Issabayeva) and "Jalaler Golpo" (Jalal's Story, Bangladesh, by Abu Shahed Emon).

The movies were shortlisted by a jury chaired by popular Kerala filmmaker Kamal. The panelists also included film critics Sudha Warrier and P.T. Ramakrishnan, and journalist R. Ayyappan.

The winner of the Best Film will get a memento, certificate and cash award of Rs.15 lakh, to be shared equally between the producer and director of the best film.

The Best Director will also receive a memento and certificate along with cash award of Rs.4 lakh. There will be a Lifetime Achievement award for international filmmakers too who have contributed to the art of cinema. Cash award of Rs.5 lakh will be given as well. 

The event is organised by the state run Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.

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Durga Puja kicks off in West Bengal

EFT Report, Kolkata: Decked up in their best, West Bengal residents plunged into festivities and merriment on Monday marking the first day of the Durga Puja - the biggest festival in this part of the world.

Chants of "Jai Durga" and "Bolo Durga Mai Ki Jai" reverberated across the state as the five-day festival got off to an electrifying start.

In Kolkata, there are around 2,470 community pujas and 5,000 family pujas. Each year, organisers come up with innovative themes and try to better their previous attempts.

It now embraces those on the margins, and has truly become "glocal" - with both local and global elements - but at the same time the umbilical cord with heritage remains intact.

Making special this year's puja, the transgender community is observing its own version.

The transgender rights activist group Pratyay Gender Trust in collaboration with a city community puja organisation, has modelled their idol on the "Ardhanarishwar" or the composite androgynous form of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati.

The city's Kashi Bose Lane Puja Committee has explored Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project - "Beti Bachao" - as their theme this year. Through floral motifs and porcelain figure of a newborn girl child sleeping on a lotus, the organisers have attempted to start a dialogue against female foeticide.

The colourful marquee at Mohammad Ali Park in central Kolkata has showcased an African safari this year.

But the mini-stampede at Deshapriya Park in south Kolkata, which boasted of designing the "largest Durga idol in the world", on Sunday night, cast a shadow over the city's festive spirit.

Hundreds of devotees and pandal-hoppers were disappointed with the marquee being indefinitely shut following Kolkata Police orders. The city police filed a case against the organisers for violating rules and regulations.

The puja is usually a five-day event with Sasthi, and the subsequent four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - translating into frenzied pandal-hopping (visiting marquees) in new clothes, meeting friends and family and stuffing oneself to the brim with traditional delicacies.

This year, the festival will span four days as Navami and Dashami fall on the same day, October 22. Kolkata Police have set October 22 and October 25 as the days for Durga idol immersion.

From introducing a mobile application to installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations, putting up checkpoints and deploying sufficient number of male and female personnel, police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure a peaceful Durga Puja.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished people on Sasthi via a Facebook post.

Sasthi - the sixth day of the lunar calendar - also marked the beginning of the puja rituals.

Kalparamvo (the beginning of the Pujas), Bodhan (the consecration of Ma Durga's idol), Amantran (inviting the goddess) and Adhivas (sanctifying the stay of the goddess on the exact spot where the puja is being held) - were performed in community puja marquees and households where the deity is being worshipped with zeal.

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US to host largest South Asian film festival from Oct. 15

EFT Report, New York: The 10-day 10th Seattle South Asian Film Festival (SSAFF) will kickstart on October 15 and will be held in five US cities, a media report said on Wednesday.

The SSAFF, the largest South Asian Film Festival in the US presented by non-profit, community-based organisation Tasveer, will screen films from South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. The authorities posted the schedule of the festival on its official website on Wednesday.

"These films touch on themes of upholding cultural identity and love in the face of extreme challenges," Redmond Reporter quoted Rita Meher, artistic director of the festival, as saying.

The festival includes 32 feature films and 27 shorts representing nine countries.

The distinctive feature of this year's festival is that it will be celebrated in Redmond for the first time. Other cities -- Seattle, Bothell, Bellevue and Renton -- will also host the festival.

"Social issues like these are on the minds of South Asians everywhere, even here in Redmond. We came to Redmond because we want to be closer to our community," Meher said.

"I live in Sammamish, work in Redmond, in a cultural office space generously donated by Redmond. By adding Redmond as our new city, Tasveer can help promote it as a new cultural hub," Meher, who is also the executive director of Tasveer, added.

Sponsor of the festival in Redmond, Tasveer's mission is to cultivate the artistic work of South Asians through films, forums, visual art and performances that engage and empower the community.

"One in 10 people in Redmond is of Indian descent, said Jessica Rubenacker, the Arts Season grant programme coordinator.

"Supporting organisations like Tasveer not only serves this community but bringing projects like the Seattle South Asian Film Festival to Redmond helps to build bridges across cultural communities. It has been a great partnership," she added.

The Arts Season, Redmond is a grant programme that administers the city's arts events with the goal of ensuring that residents have access to a robust season of high quality arts and cultural programmes all year long.

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Sabu Cyril to design sets for IFFI 2015

EFT Report, Panaji: Sabu Cyril, production designer of S.S Rajamouli's magnum opus "Baahubali", will be designing all the sets for the forthcoming 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the festival's organisers said on Wednesday.

"He is a perfect combination of great credentials and imaginative skills and has been a part of some of the best and globally renowned Indian films," said C. Senthil Rajan, head of the central government's Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF).

The DFF, which functions under the aegis of the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, is the lead organizer of the festival, which starts in Goa on November 20.

Sabu Cyril has been associated with some of the landmark films in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil cinema. He has won the National Film Award for Best Art Direction four times and Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction (including south) on five occasions.

He received rave reviews for his work on "Bahubali", which boasts of lavish set designs and high production values. 

"In a commercially competitive world of film-making, the International Film Festival of India is doing a great job of promoting aesthetically rich Indian films, which are no less than a masterpiece in the context of cinematography and art direction. It feels good to handle the creative responsibilities of one of the prestigious film festivals in the world," Cyril was quoted as saying in the statement issued by the DFF.

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Vir Das's 'Weirdass Pajama Festival 2016' from Jan. 29 to Feb. 7

EFT Report, New Delhi: Actor and comedian Vir Das will be back to tickle people's funny bones again with more fun and global appeal at the third edition of The Weirdass Pajama Festival 2016, which will begin in January next year.

With comedians from across the globe participating and performing in the third edition, the festival will travel to seven cities.

Vir, who is known for his impeccable coming timing, has "handpicked" comedians that have "never been seen" in the country before.

“India will see its most international line up of comedians ever. These are artists that I have handpicked from comedy festivals that I played at across the world," Vir said. 

Comedians from all over the world - US, Britain, Australia, Malaysia, Middle East along with others - will perform in India. 

The festival will be held from January 29 to February 7 next year. 

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20th International Film Festival of Kerala from Dec. 4-11

EFT Report, Thiruvananthapuram: As many as nine Malayalam movies will be screened at the 20th edition of the much awaited International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to be held here this December.

The state-run Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA), organiser of the event, has finalised a list of films to be screened in the annual movie gala, which attracts a large number of movie buffs from and outside the country.

National award winning "Ottaal" (The Trap), an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's 19th-century classic short story "Vanka" by Jayaraj R and "Chaayam Poosiya Veedu" (The Painted House) by Satish Babusenan will go up against a strong field of international and regional-language films in the Competition category, a KCA release said here.

The movies to be screened in the Malayalam Cinema Today section are "Ain" (The Eye) by Sidharth Siva, Dr Bijukumar Damodaran's "Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal" (Birds with Large Wings), "Pathemari" by Salim Ahmed, "Ozhivudivasathe Kali" (An Off-Day Game) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, "Nirnayakam" by V K Prakash and "Ennu Ninte Moideen" (Yours, Moideen) by R S Vimal and "Kaattum Mazhayum" ( Wind and Rain) by R Harikumar.

The movies were shortlisted by a distinguished jury chaired by writer and film critic Malti Sahai. The other jury members were author M F Thomas, Chandrasekhar, Sashi Kumar and Sudhish Kamath, it said.

However, R S Vimal today said here that he is withdrawing his Prithviraj-starrer "Ennu Ninte Moideen", which is now running to packed houses, from the festival as it is not included in the Competition Section.

The state's premier film festival will run here from December 4-11.

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Shahnaz Husain shares fashion tips for Navratri

EFT Report, New Delhi: Navaratri, the festival dedicated to the worship of the Goddess Durga, will be observed between October 13 and 22, and in anticipation of this much awaited annual event, world-renowned beauty expert Shahnaz Husain has shared some key fashion and lifestyle tips.

Husain said that festivals like Navratri are associated with bright lights, and therefore, an individual's night make-up should be focused on bright colours to avoid the pale look.

"For Navratri make-up, you should try gold, silver or bronze shadow to line the eyes over your eyeliner on the upper lid. Highlight under the brows with gold, ivory or a light coloured eye shadow," Husain writes in her article.

She emphasized that it is essential to cleanse the skin first and then apply a liquid moisturizer. For people with oily skin, she suggests the application of an astringent lotion.

Wait for a few minutes. Then, cover blemishes with a concealer, before applying foundation. Or, use a lighter colour foundation on dark blemishes and then apply normal foundation on the entire face. If you wish to cover a pimple or spot, it should be done before applying foundation or powder. Concealing sticks are available for this. Using a thin brush, paint over the spot with a little concealer, or lighter shade of foundation. Then, apply a little powder.

When it comes to applying foundation on the face, Husain says, "I feel beige suits Indian skin colour better. If you have a very fair ivory skin, go for beige with a rosy tint. If the complexion is fair, but pale (yellowish), avoid pink tones and go for beige or biscuit. Darker complexions look better with brownish beige. I feel that most Indian skin tones look better in beige or biscuit shades of foundation, rather than pink."

Husain further states that for the special occasion of Navratri, women should opt for gold foundation.

"For fair skin, try pink and red blushers. If you have a yellowish skin, avoid orange. For wheat complexions, colours like rose, coral, copper are flattering, while plum, wine, bronze may suit darker complexions," she says.

For eyes, she says the dramatic and heavy make-up is gaining in popularity and will be ruling fashion trend.

"For normal Indian complexion, go for warm earthy colours, like coral, wine, plum, strawberry, red and shades of red in lipstick. A dark pink or rose-red would look good too. Orange and shades of orange are very much "in," from apricot and amber, to coral and tangerine," the beauty expert states further.

The Bindi, she says, is an integral part of the make-up for festivals.

"Look for a decorative bindi, to match the colour of your dress. A bindi, studded with small sparkling stones, combined with a bright colour would be most attractive," she concludes.

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'Angry Indian Goddesses' voted runner-up at TIFF

EFT Report, Toronto: Indian director Pan Nalin’s film "Angry Indian Goddesses", a story about a group of Indian girls in Goa gone wild, has been voted as the first runner-up at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which concluded here on Sunday.

A huge cheer went up when TIFF creative directive Cameron Bailey announced the name of "Angry Indian Goddesses" as the first runner-up for the Grolsch People's Choice Award at this year’s festival. 

Of the seven girls in the film, Sandhya Mridul and Rajshri Deshpande, who were present in the audience, shouted with joy at the announcement of the award for the film. 

Toronto film festival CEO Piers Handling said tongue-in-cheek that he hopped "Angry Indian Goddesses" as the audience clapped for the Indian film.

"When we started this film, we never expected it anything. We were not even sure whether or when we will complete it. We are so excited now," said Sandhya.

Sandhya said her experience in the communications field stood her in good stead in playing her role in the film. 

"We shot the film in 40 to 45 days... mostly in Goa and some in Mumbai," she said.

Rajshri, who plays the role of housemaid Lakshmi in the film, said: "We had great fun doing this film, and we are happy that the audiences at TIFF have liked our film. Hopefully, the film will go on to do will when it opens in India."

"Angry Indian Goddesses" is a powerful portrayal of new girl power in contemporary Indian society -- the girls who want to have fun, the girls who are uninhibited.

As this group of girls gathers in Goa to join in the wedding of their college friend Freida (played by Sarah Jane Dias), they have fun, they discuss sex, they discuss boyfriends, they discuss everything. But there is a hitch -- Freida won’t reveal who the groom is. 

On the night of the wedding, the girls' party takes amazing turns and twists. And in the hands of award-winning director Pan Nalin, the film has such an emphatic finale. 

Indeed, "Angry Indian Goddesses" is a powerful portrayal of new girl power in Indian society -- or women empowerment, so to speak. 

Also, Lenny Abrahamson's poignant movie "Room", that talks about the captivity of a young woman but told so movingly through her little son born to her in captivity, won the People's Choice Award at TIFF.

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Saarc nations to participate in Grand Kerala Shopping Festival

EFT Report, Thiruvananthapuram: Artistes from Saarc nations will take part in an international handicrafts exhibition to be held in Kozhikode as part of the ninth edition of the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF).

The 18-day festival will be held at Iringal in Kozhikode from December 20. The Kerala Tourism Department is organising the GKSF.

Kerala Tourism secretary G. Kamala Vardhana Rao said efforts were on to bring in more foreign countries to the crafts festival.

The GKSF, an annual shopping event, aims to turn Kerala into a hub for an international shopping experience.

Besides India, the other members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

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Kolkata wildlife and environment film fest: 250 movies from 50 countries to be screened

EFT Report, Kolkata: Over 250 films on themes of wildlife and environment from at least 50 countries will be screened at the maiden Kolkata International Wildlife and Environment Film Festival (KIWEFF) in October.

With a focus on topics like human interaction with wildlife for conservation, wild life/birds and environment, the two-day fest begins here on October 11, said NGO Desham, the organisers, on Saturday.

Spanning across five venues in the city, films will be shown in five categories --feature film, short film, animation film, documentaries and public service announcements.

In its inaugural edition, KIWEFF is partnering with Tinai Ecofilm Festival, Goa, for promotional activities and for sharing films. The competitive fest is open to professionals as well as amateurs.

Some special entries like "Baobabs between land and sea" (France) and "Awakening City" (Brazil) will be screened at the festival which so far, has the highest entries from Iran.

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China to host international acrobatics festival

EFT Report, Beijing: The 15th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival (CWICF) is set to begin on September 29 in the city of Shijiazhuang.

Twenty countries and regions will participate in the festival, the CWICF announcedon Tuesday.

The festival, including competitions and stage performances, will feature various techniques including trapeze and street dancing, Xinhua news agency reported.

The closing ceremony will be held on October 7.

Known as the "oriental acrobatic arena", the event first debuted in 1987 and has been held every other year since.

The CWICF is named after the birthplace of acrobatics, Wuqiao county in Hebei province and is considered one of the three best known acrobatic competitions in the world. 

Similar competitions include the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco and the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in France. 

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Onir, Ketan Mehta to judge 'India Film Project'

EFT Report, Kolkata: The India Film Project (IFP), touted as Asia's biggest film-making festival, has roped in filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Onir as jury members this year, organisers said on Monday.

Scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad from September 18 to 26, the festival will showcase works of 15000 filmmakers across 18 countries.

In the last four years, more than 21,000 filmmakers have been a part of IFP, and made 1,500 films.

According to IFP, the event challenges one to script, shoot, edit and submit a short film in just 50 hours once the theme is announced.

"I'm delighted to be a part of the jury at IFP. It will be a great experience to judge the upcoming talent. I think the concept is unique and I look forward to see the great work done by all the passionate movie makers in just 50 hours," Mehta said in a statement.

"In the last four years, we have created a community of short filmmakers and not just contestants and this is our biggest success. Each time we feel the same adrenaline rush organising this festival and looking forward to this year's fest," said Ritam Bhatnagar, founder-director, IFP.

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Kolkata to get Restaurant Week India

EFT Report, Kolkata: Foodies in the eastern metropolis will now have a chance to sample three-course menus at select restaurants without burning a hole in their pockets, thanks to the inclusion of Kolkata in the Restaurant Week India (RWI) event.

RWI runs from September 11 to September 20, featuring over 100 of the country's finest restaurants across Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and now Kolkata has been introduced, said organisers Desi Restaurant Week Events.

It allows food enthusiasts to sample a three-course pre-selected menu at only a fraction of the a la carte rate.

"This allows participating restaurants to showcase their food by selecting dishes representative of their philosophy and diners get to experience restaurants they may have hesitated from trying. More importantly, however, it is a celebration of some of the best restaurants our country has to offer and a time for us to be proud of our culinary scene," said the organisers.

The inaugural RWI will feature three-course pre-selected menus at Rs.900 for lunch and dinner at 10 premier Kolkata restaurants such as Baan Thai, The Oberoi Grand, Durbari, Swissotel Kolkata, and Souk, Taj Bengal.

To participate in the culinary extravaganza, one has to make a reservation online after checking the three-course menu and pay Rs.100 as reservation.

Restaurant Week started in New York City in 1992 and the Indian version took-off in Mumbai in September 2010.

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Artificial Intelligence Film Festival in Delhi From Sept. 17

EFT Report, New Delhi: Bringing a world of artificial intelligence and robots from the canvas of cinema, a three-day Artificial Intelligence Film Festival will be held here from September 17.

The festival, being held in collaboration with Cinedarbaar, will show six science-fiction films that bring stories of robots and technology, which will be followed by interactive sessions and robotic workshops at the American Center Auditorium (US Embassy) here, read a statement. 

“The Day The Earth Stood Still”, which stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and Hugh Marlowe, will open the festival with its intriguing storyline about the alien landing and how the people of Earth fight for survival. 

The closing film will be “Chappie”, featuring Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman. 

With a futuristic setting, the film takes cinema-goers to a world where crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanised police force. It narrates the story of a police droid, Chappie, which is stolen and is re-programmed, making him the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. The film highlights measures taken by humans to safeguard their existence.

Other films that will be screened are “A Space Odyssey”, “Star Wars”, “Blade Runner” and “Robocop”. 

Speakers are also invited to be part of discussion with the audience after the film's screening. Bijoy Philip, who is a doctoral scholar at the department of cinema studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, will speak on the history of fictional robots in American cinema on the opening day of the festival. 

The entry to the festival is free and is on first-come first-served basis. The entry is open for the general public, but by invitation only.

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Delhi to Host Northeast Film Festival From Aug. 22

EFT Report, New Delhi: Fragrances from the North East, a three-day festival of cinema and entertainment from the country's northeast region, will be held in New Delhi from Aug 22-24, 2014.

Organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the extravaganza is scheduled to take place at the Siri Fort auditorium complex.

The festival will be attended by actors and directors from the region, including Jahnu Barua, Seema Biswas, Adil Hussain, Geetanjali Thapa, Abdul Majid, Mapuia Chongthu, Pradip Kurbah, Merlvin Mukhim, Oinam Gautam Singh, Tonthoi Bonny Sharma, Meena Debbarma, Tashi Lhamu, Tiainla Jamir and Prashant Rasaily, said a statement.

"Khawnlung Run", a film from Mizoram will open the fest, while "Ri" from Meghalaya will bring the curtains down on the gala, which will also include an exhibit of handicrafts from northeastern states, courtesy the Ministry of Culture.

With the support of the Lalit Kala Academy, there will also be an exhibition of paintings by artistes too. Add to that, a food court with northeastern cuisine.

Other films to be showcased at the fest include "Ajeyo" (Assam), "Phijigee Mani" (Manipur), "Yarwng" (Tripura), "Kathaa" (Sikkim), "Sonam" (Arunachal Pradesh) as well as documentary "Going the Distance" and short film "Bamboo Shoots" from Nagaland.

Providing a musical element to the opening and closing ceremonies will be Papon and East India Company; and internationally-acclaimed Naga pianist Nise Meruno and choir group Nagaland Singing Ambassadors.

Entry to musical performance and cinemas will be free and on first come first basis.

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