MAMI Catalogue 2011 low - Page 1 - 13th Mumbai Film Festival official Catalogue 6 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL 7 I am pleased to know that the 13th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival is being organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) in Mumbai from 13-20 October 2011. Over the years, the Festival has grown in strength to emerge as one of the most important film festival in this part of the world. It is gratifying to note that the festival has built itself as a platform for exceptional talent, welcoming film professionals and films from different corners of the globe. It is commendable that the festival provides opportunity to aspiring filmmakers to display their talent before a discerning audience. I congratulate the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image for its good work and wish the 13th Mumbai Film Festival a grand success. (K. Sankaranarayanan) 21 September 2011 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL 8 MESSAGE 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL Tina Anil Ambani Welcome to the Maximum city! Home to the world’s largest film industry, Mumbai is a place where talented and incredibly diverse people—unified by their creative impulse—come together to translate their passion into myriad realities. I understand this impulse only too well; my roots lie in this industry. And today, as I look upon it with a less insular perspective and more evolved worldview, I am astonished to see how far we have come. With the advent of technology, the art of filmmaking is now also a science, yet the tales told by the new generation of filmmakers remain delightfully unquantifiable, informed by dissimilar experiences, countless histories and cross-cultural learnings. In this time of ingenuity and evolution, it is an honour for me to support the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI) and this international film festival that celebrates the spirit and rich cinematic heritage of this city. Reliance Entertainment’s collaboration with the Mumbai Film Festival is a manifestation of our commitment to excellence—and all that is exciting and progressive in Indian and global cinema. From the spectacular to the sublime, over 200 films from 60 countries will enthral cineastes in this city and allow them to savour new cinematic trends from across the world. Further, the presence of our eminent jury and our sidebar events—from master classes and academic activities to mentoring, open forums, and business opportunities—promise to evoke a greater interest in the minutae of cinema and provoke introspection into the filmmaking process that goes beyond the glamour of the klieg lights. Indeed, the Mumbai Film Festival will focus the attention of the world on India’s stature in world cinema and the incredible possibilities that exist here — come join the celebration. 9 MESSAGE 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL Shyam Benegal We are delighted to present to you the 13th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival on October 13-20, 2011. The Mumbai Film Festival that started 14 years ago has been conducted by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) and consists of practising films professionals, making it the only International Film Festival of its kind in our country. From the beginning, it has been our endeavour to bring to the city of Mumbai the best possible selection of films from all over the world for its various sections. This year too there are several competitive sections, each of them headed by a carefully selected Jury from highly respected and eminent filmmakers both International and Indian. The International Jury is headed by the celebrated director Hugh Hudson and consists of Jerzy Skolimowski, Roger Spottiswoode, the young Korean director Na Hong Jin and award winning Indian actor Sarika. The Celebrate Age jury is headed by Veteran Indian director Basu Chatterjee with producer Mukesh Bhatt, actors Suhasini Mulay and Avantika Akerkar; producer-director Kiran Rao chairs the young Dimensions Mumbai jury consisting of actor Renuka Shahane and directors Onir, Nishikant Kamat and Vikramaditya Motwane. The Festival is conferring the Lifetime Achievement Award on the eminent lyricist, writer, director Gulzar. We are collaborating with the Embassy of France in India and Unifrance to screen the latest French films in a special section: 4th Rendez-vous with French Cinema. The Association with Busan International Film Festival will see the presentation of a selection of New Asian films screened in Busan by the Festival director Lee Yong-Kwan. The Festival has added strong academic activity like the Indo-German Script Development Workshop three days ahead of the festival with German and Indian experts participating and sharing their knowledge to make stories turn into films. The Discovery sections Dimensions Mumbai and Mumbai Young Critics are carefully nurtured by the Mumbai Film Festival. This year we celebrate 50 years of Cannes Critic’s Week with a selection of award winning films from this section since its inception. This has been juxtaposed with an eclectic selection of Indian debut features which won National Film Awards over the years. The 13th Mumbai Film Festival will pay homage to the stalwarts Shammi Kapoor, M.F. Husain and Mani Kaul who left us for heavenly abode. The Mumbai Film Festival has set its sight on promoting the business of film as one of its prime activities. The Film Business Centre of the last year has grown into Mumbai Film Mart providing B2B networking opportunities. We have a road map to take this further in the coming years. This growth in the last three years has been possible due to the unstinted support from our patron Mrs. Tina Ambani. Festivals all over the world are supported by the Federal Government, State Governments and the Cities in which they take place. We are hoping that Government of Maharashtra and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation will give the festival greater support in the coming years as it now occupies a prominent place in the cultural calendar of our city. We are confident the entire film industry and the film lovers of the City will actively participate in the 13th Mumbai Film Festival and make it a grand success. 10 MESSAGE 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL Srinivasan Narayanan It has been famously said that cinema is the clearest mirror to the world. It has been said by the French stalwart director, Jean Luc-Godard that cinema is truth 32 frames per second. And our great master, Satyajit Ray, had said that films, when presented together as a festival from several corners of the globe, served in keeping our cineastes abreast of the technological advances as well as humanistic concerns, the world over. In our very humble way, the 13th avatar of the Mumbai Film Festival aspires to showcase the best of cinema from countries, near, far-flung and also, of course, from our shores. For us the number ‘13’ has proved to be auspicious. With the collaboration of international film festivals, producers and directors, we have succeeded in assembling a festival which is as quality-packed as it is representative of global trends. Throughout the last 12 months, filmmakers have kept in contact. They responded spontaneously to our invitation for participation in a festival which has assumed prime importance on the annual must-attend diary of the nation’s cinema lovers. It goes without saying that the festival would not be feasible without the unflagging dedication of my colleagues, working round the clock, skipping meals and hours of sleep, so as to be proud at the end of the 8-day festival. The selection juries, too, have aided in the presentation of the final cornucopia of films, keeping in mind the matrix that it is cinema which speaks a language, of integrity and truthfulness, that matters above all. We have been fortunate to programme films which have made waves and in many cases, have won the highest honours at the world’s leading film events. In keeping with our aim to support and encourage the efforts and inventiveness of first-time directors, the festival’s highest award The Golden Gateway of India will be presented to a feature film by the helmer who has just completed, his first innings so to speak. Similarly in the category of short films, it’s the fresher who will be garlanded….with the Silver Gateway of India by our eminent jury. The World Cinema menu is a virtual banquet of marvellous films which deal with varied themes and issues. We salaam, in our Tribute section, the fabulous rebel star Shammi Kapoor, the artist M F Husain who frequently said that cinema was the only complete art form, and Mani Kaul whose work was uncompromised and groundbreaking. In a vast megapolis like Mumbai, the festival would not be feasible without the co-operation of the Government of Maharashtra, Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India and the Department of Customs. We thank them for being with us always. The event would not be possible at all without the generous support of Mrs Tina Ambani. We thank her for her dynamism and for understanding the rigours which go into making a dream come true, for us, every year. Without much ado, then, friends, welcome to the 13th Mumbai Film Festival. The show’s about to begin. 11 12 14 15 JURY Dimensions Mumbai 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL Kiran Rao (Jury President) Born in Bengalaru, raised in Calcutta, Kiran Rao moved to Mumbai and worked as assistant director on the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion winner Monsoon Wedding, the Academy Award- nominated Lagaan and then on Swades: We,the People and winner of the Venice Film Festival. She was associate producer on the critically acclaimed and box office success Taare Zameen Par, India’s official entry to the Academy Awards, the immensely popular Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and recently, Delhi Belly. Rao did her schooling in Loreto House and La Martiniere, Kolkata. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Sophia College, Bombay University, and a Masters in Mass Communication from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries), written, directed and co-produced by Kiran Rao, was her first feature film, which released in January this year and was received warmly commercially as well as critically. Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane started his film career assisting his producer-mother on her television talk show Teen Talk. Three more years in television went by before he assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Further stints assisting Deepa Mehta on the first version of Water, which did not take off. He directed songs for Anurag Kashyap's Paanch. He was associate Director (and sound designer) on Bhansali's Devdas. He directed songs in the revived project of Water, and has written the screenplay for Goal and Dev D. His debut feature, Udaan, was included in the Un Certain Regard Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. Renuka Shahane Popular film and Indian television actress, Renuka Shahane is best known for her role in the 1994 blockbuster, Hum Apke Hai Kaun! and as the presenter of the popular Doordarshan Television show Surabhi. Her roles in early TV series like Circus, Sailaab and Imtihaan have been widely appreciated. She was in K.P Sasi’s Ek Aalag Mausam and Mahesh Kothare’s Masoom. Her performance in the Marathi film Aboli was appreciated widely. She also received the V Shantaram Award for the Best Supporting Actress for Rita, which also marked her debut as director. Shahane is also a theatre enthusiast and has been applauded for her performances in several plays, including Yelcoat. Onir Critically acclaimed director, 42-year-old Onir has also been producer, screenwriter and editor. Having edited numerous films and assisting Kalpana Lajmi on Daman, he directed his first feature film, My Brother Nikhil which was immediately praised as a sensitive effort. His other works including Bas Ek Pal, Sorry Bhai, and I Am, one of the first films in India to use crowd-funding. He has been awarded the Karmaveer Puruskaar, the Best Film honors at the London Asian Film Festival and the Florence Indian Film Festival, among numerous awards worldwide. Nishikant Kamat Nishikant Kamat, actor-director who received the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Marathi for his directorial debut Dombivli Fast (2006). He won the Swarovski Trophy for the Best Director at the Asian First Film Festival and the Jury Award for the Best Film at the Los Angeles Indian Film festival. Following its success, he remade the film in Tamil as Evano Oruvan (2007). Followed Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), based on the aftermath of the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. His action film Force has just been released. As an actor, he has been seen in Saatchya Aat Gharat, 404 Error Not Found and Hava Aaney Dey. 14 JURY Celebrate Age 13TH MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL Basu Chatterjee (Jury President) Veteran Basu Chatterjee, 81, is one of the most respected names of Indian cinema. In the vanguard of the film society movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, he began his prolific career with the black-and-white Sara Akash. Subsequently, he was associated with humane and humorous movies like Rajnigandha, Chitchor, Chhotisi Baat and Khatta Meetha. He worked with practically every top actor in the ‘70s who coveted to be in his films. His TV serials, including Byomkesh Bakshi, Darpan and Kakkaji Kahin, have been stamped with quality. He continues to be active, making films with cost-effective budgets. Avantika Akerkar Avantika Akerkar is Chief Executive of Prana Worldwide, a global consulting and training communications consultancy, specialising in transforming human potential. She has acted in many plays and films (The Vagina Monologues, The Loins of Punjab, The World Unseen and Rockstar to name a few). She has worked with American and Israeli theatre directors, for the Royal Court Theatre Festival of Plays and BBC radio plays. She produced a play with the noted Israeli director Gil Alon. After living the US for 15 years, she returned to India some years ago. Mukesh Bhatt Successful Mumbai film producer Mukesh Bhatt has produced films prolifically for his banner Vishesh Films. He is the brother of director-writer Mahesh Bhatt and screenwriter Robin Bhatt. His catalogue of films include Jurm, Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, Sadak, Junoon, Ghulam and Sangharsh. In 2002, Raaz went on to became the biggest hit of the year, followed by a sequel in 2009, which was also well received. His films Murder and its sequel have also been bestsellers. Suhasini Mulay Suhasini Mulay has made over 60 documentary films in the last 35 years. She started her career working as an assistant to Satyajit Ray on Jana Aranya (1976) and to Mrinal Sen on Mrigaya (1977). Earlier, she had played the lead role in Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1967). Among her documentaries, An Indian Story on the Bhagalpur blindings of 1977, Chitthi a motivational film on adult education, Bhopal: Beyond Genocide on the gas tragedy and An Official Art Form produced for the National Gallery of Modern Art, have made a deep impact, fetching her four National Awards. She also won the National Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Hu Tu Tu. Of late, she has been seen in television and in films (Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Hamraaz and Ya Life Ho To Aisi to name a few). 15 17 18 19 18 OPENING FILM Bennett Miller Moneyball U S A 2011 35 mm 126 mins Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane, wakes up one morning to a harsh new reality: the team he has carefully constructed is about to be gutted. His star reliever, best starter and offensive leader are defecting to teams that offer more money. His best position player is going to the Yankees, who have just beat the A’s in the post-season. Beane scrambles to field a credible team, but his owner won’t raise his budget and his scouting staff is stuck in the past. During a meeting with the Cleveland Indians, Beane notices their GM paying careful attention to the opinions of one Peter Brand, a chubby young statistics nerd who’s brilliant with computers and spreadsheets. Brand has developed a radical new system: players aren’t evaluated in the traditional way, a system Beane enthusiastically adopts — a system they call ‘moneyball.’ Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian Director of Photography: Wally Pfister Editor: Christopher Tellefsen Music: Mychael Danna Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Casey Bond Production Company: Film Rites, 8750 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211-2703 U S A. Tel.: (310) 439-3273 International Sales: Columbia Pictures 10202 W. Washington Bvd., Culver City, CA 90232 U S A. Tel.: 310-244-2000 Fax: 310-244-2626 Web: www.spe.sony.com Indian Distributor: SPE Films India 503, Alpha, Main Street Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076 India. Filmography The Cruise, 1998 Capote, 2005 Festivals and Awards Toronto Film Festival, 2011 Tokyo Film Festival, 2011 Born in New York, 1966, Bennett Miller is the director of the documentary The Cruise (1998). His feature debut was Capote (2005), which screened at various festivals and received four Academy Award nominations and one win for actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He has also directed television commercials and music videos, most recently Bob Dylan's When the Deal Goes Down. He also featured in a special feature of the DVD edition of Knocked Up ; he plays himself in the mockumentary. Moneyball (2011) is his second feature film.
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