by Alex Deleon for <filmfestivals.com>   Take that you bloody muthe$&£$%*er!   The main Indian features seen this year at Florence, "The Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Chittagong", are Bollywood productions in the sense that both are made in Hindi (rather than one of India's other 21 official languages) with professional Bombay performers and staff, but the content, style, and conception of these films seems t...


by Alex Deleon  for<filmfestivals.com>   Amitabh Bachchan accepting the key to the city of Florence as Selvaggia Velo looks on. PHOTO: BY FRANCESCA MANOLINO  

The appearance of 70 year old Indian Megastar Amitabh Bachchan at the River to River Festival of Indian Film in Florence gave rise to a feverish outpouring of adulation from local Indians while serving as an unoffical certification for this festival as the foremost showcase of Indian film in the West. In Ind...

by Alex Farba-Deleon     The dean of Indian film directors, Yash Chopra, passed away on October 21 at the age of eighty. Yash Chopra was not just another Bollywood director --he was one of the world's top craftsman of the seventh art although he always crafted his films to suit the taste of the Indian audience, which is the main reason he remains practically unknown in the West.   In Asia where Bollywood films are far better known than here Chopra was honored ...

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, the iconic face of Indian cinema, will be the guest of honour at the 12th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival.   The 12th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, the only festival in Italy entirely devoted to Indian cinema and directed by Selvaggia Velo, will take place at Cinema Odeon, in Florence, from 7th to 13th December, under the Patronage of the Embassy of India and the Italy-India association.   This is an extreme...

  India’s alternative film MISS LOVELY (2012) screened at the 65th Cannes Film Festival in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ official selection. The film’s director Ashim Ahluwalia with actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anil George and Niharika Singh attended screenings and held interviews. Read interview below with MISS LOVELY cast members Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Anil George:     ME: Was it difficult to land this role or had the director written it for you? N...

  India’s alternative film MISS LOVELY (2012) screened at the 65th Cannes Film Festival in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ official selection. The film’s director Ashim Ahluwalia with actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anil George and Niharika Singh attended screenings and held interviews. Read interview below with MISS LOVELY cast members Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Anil George: ME: Was it difficult to land this role or had the director written it for you? Nawazuddin: I did a movie...

  Bollywood in Cannes at Director's Fortnight, 2012! For the first time ever, commercial Bollywood comes to Cannes Director's Fortnight with the Bollywood film GANGS OF WASSEYPUR (2012). The film will be released on June 22nd and being compared to this year's SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.     GOW PRESS The Indian cinematic masterpiece Gangs Of Wasseypur, is set to make film history as the first commerical Bollywood film to be part of the 65th Cannes Film Fes...

With what promises to be its most ambitious slate yet, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (http://indianfilmfestival.org) has announced its impressive 2012 lineup. 33 features, documentaries, and short films will be screened from filmmakers throughout the world including Canada, Italy, India, Germany, South Africa, UK, and the U.S. Among the offerings are three world premieres, nine U.S. premieres and twelve Los Angeles premieres. This is a banner year for the festival as it celebrates its ...

by Alex Deleon-Sinha Although little known ourtside of the Indian Sub-Continent itself there are several so-called "regional" film industries in India  each of which produces as many or more feature films a year in the regional languages as are produced in the Hindi mainstream industry of Bombay (Whence the brand name known to the world as "Bolly-wood"). Of course, Bombay has now been officially rechristened Mumbai, but this doesn't change anything cinematically ...

  by Alex Deleon Wed. Feb.9, 2012                                   The 62nd Berlinale opened this afternoon for early arriving journalists even before the Opening Gala which will be held tonight with two special press screenings. First up was the rousing Bollywood actioner ¨DON 2, The King Is Back¨ starring The K...

  by Alex Deleon The 62nd Berlinale opened this afternoon for early arriving journalists even before the Opening Gala which will be held tonight  with two special press screenings. First up was the rousing Bollywood actioner ''DON 2, The King Is Back'' starring The King of  Bollywood himself, Shah Rukh Khan, and this was followed by the much anticipated Angela Jolie directed Bosnian War drama,  ''Land of Blood and Hone'' (Zemlja Krvi a Mjod),  in which the actress does not herself...

FOOLS’ PARADISE PRODUCTIONS partnered with ÉCU – THE EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL presents Best Student Film: Stanley Pickle, directed by Victoria Mather, Best Animation: Paths of Hate, directed by Damian Nenow, Best Experimental Film: Invertebrate, directed by James McAleer and Special Jury Mention: Städgata directed by Erick Love Lundqvist.   The principal guest of the event will be Mr. Pawan Kumar Bansal: Minister of parliamentary affairs. The ju...

Cash strapped film-makers often look to foreign institutions like the Herbert Bals Fund and UK Film Council to subsidise the production costs.O so wunderbar! They will be happy to know that Germany is offering  generous support ranging from loans, tax credits and price reductions,  provided  the film is a co-production. The Wilkommen mat was spread in the Yuletide season at  a press conference and seminar in the Maquinez Palace during the on-going 42nd edition of the International Film Fes...

The soundtrack of this Hindi film from UK production company Aviary Films is releasing in the UK today. Aviary and PVR aim to release the film in the UK and India in late January 2012.USP of the FilmArguably the first Hindi language film set for a mainstream Bollywood release that was created entirely in the UK. The script-writers, the music composer, the lyricist, the singers, the dancers, the actors, the crew, the cinematographer, the editor - everyone was UK based.Genre and Log-lineThis is a ...

  We are back with a bang! India’s Biggest Queer Film Festival returns for its third edition in 2012. Submissions are now open for all categories, including for the competition section. Filmmakers from India and across the world can submit features, documentaries and short films that highlight/focus on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer themes and expressions. KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is the first and only gay & lesbian film festival i...

  INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES WELCOMES BOLLYWOOD ICON SHAH RUKH KHAN                                   The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), Eros International, and Red Chillies Entertainment, hosted Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan at a special screening of his latest movie RA.One on the eve of it...

New kid on the Bollywood Shivi R Kashyap makes her musical debut in Deepa Sahi’s upcoming film Tere Mere Phere. Shivangi Kashyap grew up in the heart of the  Himalayas with culture-vulture genes - her father is a composer and mother a classically trained dancer. Tere Mere Phere is being shot in Himachal Pradesh  and has a  Himalayan theme. Small town girl  with the right (meaning familial with Danny Denzongpa for an uncle) ) connections in Bollywood, Shivi is  ...

The 9th Bollywood Festival has the honor to present you one and all " a vibrant journey through culture, dance and music of Bollywood".  You are warmly invited to take part in this 7 days the Indian dance and film festival. This year also, the festival  encompassing  best films from bollywood along with instrumental folk music, Classical Indian dance, Modern Bollywood dance, Bollywood ballet, and a tribute Music Concert. All the main events will be held at the heart of Lørenskog,...