Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Director Smita Bhide’s debut feature film, The Blue Tower, has been nominated for Best UK Feature at the Raindance Film Festival this year.
The film’s stars include Manjinder Virk (Britz), Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker), Indira Joshi (Kumars at No 42), Madhav Sharma (Coronation Street) and Abhin Galeya (The Bill’s Arun Ghir, pictured) as the hapless hero, Mohan.
Continue reading…
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival has announce that this year’s programme includes eight films from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. This is part of a worldwide selection of over 180 feature films and over 100 shorts from more than 40 countries.
The Festival runs from October 15 –October 30.
Continue reading…
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Between March and June 2008, five artists worked with over 300 young people from six West London Boroughs to produce fresh and innovative artworks in digital media. Using a variety of media including video, photography, sound and animation – the art works celebrate an urban landscape rich in individual stories, shared challenges and multiple possibilities for the future.
Continue reading…
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wirral artists The Singh Twins will launch their animation film today, titled The Making of Liverpool, to celebrate the city’s history.
Supported by the Arts Council of England, The Making of Liverpool brings 800 years of Liverpool’s history to life through an animated exploration of one of the artists’ well known public commission paintings (‘Liverpool 800: The Changing Face of Liverpool’) which was officially unveiled to Prince Charles on the occasion of Liverpool’s 800th anniversary in 2007.
www.singhtwins.co.uk
Friday, August 1, 2008
British bhangra producers RDB (Rhythm Dhol Bass) pictured here with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and American rapper Snoop Dogg.
They were brought together for the music video to a track produced by RDB for the Bollywood film Singh is Kinng. The film, which releases next week, stars Kumar as the lead, with Snoop Dogg making a cameo appearance.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha’s latest film – Angus, thongs, and Perfect Snogging – opens across cinemas tomorrow.
The teenage flick is adapted from Louise Rennison’s first two books about an Eastbourne-based teenager Georgia Nicolson.
Continue reading…
Monday, July 21, 2008
A new film loosely based around the terrorist bombings in London on July 7th will be released in the cinemas on 22nd August.
Directed by American-Indian filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra, Shoot on Sight stars Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Greta Scacchi, Ralph Ineson and Laila Rouass.
Continue reading…
Thursday, July 17, 2008
A Skillset backed programme titled Talent Lab is offering opportunities to two talented Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) filmmakers.
The artistic development programme, held during the Toronto International Film Festival, provides emerging talent with an unparalleled creative experience through an introduction to the global community of filmmaking. Over a four-day period, selected participants will be given the opportunity to interact with, and learn from, internationally acclaimed filmmakers.
Participants benefit from the guidance and expertise of Talent Lab guests who have previously included: Terry Gilliam, Gus Van Sant, Gurinder Chadha, Kevin Spacey, Neil Jordan, Atom Egoyan and Paul Haggis.
More here: www.skillset.org/talentlab
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a grant to an ambitious project that seeks to research, film and archive the history of India’s Manipuri and Tagore dance forms in the UK. It will be run by London based organisation The Rhythm.
“Besides researching and recording the oral history of these two dance forms in the UK, we are keen to disseminate the knowledge that we endeavour to gather during the project period by organising talent hunts, workshops and dance recitals at various venues,” said Mrs Raha who herself has specialised in Manipuri dance form. Lord Dholakia, deputy leader of the Libdems, is a patron of the company.
Manipuri dance is one of the oldest classical dances of India. The first Asian Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, became an ardent admirer of the Manipuri dance in the early 19th century.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
60×60 Secs, the first project of 360º Britain India Pakistan, was launched this week by Moti roti.
Trailer
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Producer / Director Fahima Sahabdeen of Sae University is casting for her final student short film production Terrorised. Continue reading…
Sunday, May 11, 2008
British actress Rebecca Hazlewood’s new film – Kissing Cousins – has started doing the festival rounds in Los Angeles. The former Crossroads star left for Los Angeles a few years ago and returns to London on occasion.
Kissing Cousins is produced by Amyn Kaderali and Manish Goyal. Both were behind Call Center, a short film that became very popular on the web.
Kissing Cousins played at the Asian Pacific Film Festival last week and is currently touring other film festivals in the United States.
Continue reading…
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
In the summer of 2007 a farmer in southern India found a two-day old baby girl who had been buried alive. Rushed to the local hospital, she miraculously survived. But in today’s India, many other baby girls are not so lucky.
India’s Missing Girls tells the story of the thousands of girls who are killed every year – simply because of their gender. Most are aborted as soon as their sex is determined. Some are abandoned at birth, while others are killed, shortly after.
Continue reading…
Saturday, April 5, 2008
This July sees the launch of the third annual Britdoc Festival and we want you to be a part of it. With the world’s most influential documentary movers and shakers coming to Keble College, Oxford we are now open for film submissions in both the shorts and feature competitions.
The festival celebrates homegrown talent by screening the 10 best British feature documentaries (over 70 mins) from the past 12 months.
Organisers are looking for films that explore the world we live in and the people we share it with, and say they are always keen to see experimentation. Over the last two years Britdoc has presented award winning films as Nick and Marc Francis’ Black Gold, David Singleton’s In the Shadow of the Moon, Paul Taylor’s We Are Together, Kim Longinotto’s Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go, and Ben Hopkins’ 37 Uses For a Dead Sheep.
Apply here: www.britdoc.org
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
This week Slough sees the launch of the annual film festival Same Difference. The previously acclaimed event opens on Wednesday and is organised by the group Aik Saath.
The Same Difference Film Festival seeks to challenge, inspire and educate people using film. It premieres with on 2nd April with ‘Sukkar Banat’ (Caramel) at the Empire Cinema, Slough.
For the full programme visit: www.same-difference.org.uk
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
A new series of films at Asia House in London will showcase films by women from around the world.
Continue reading…
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Singer Karen David will be appearing alongside Sir David Jason, Sean Astin and Tim Curry in The Colour of Magic, a film adapted from the Terry Pratchett novel of the same name.
The red carpet premiere was held last week March 3rd. The film will air on Sky 1 (UK) on Easter weekend, March 23rd and 24th. Karen David plays Liessa Dragonlady.
Her EP, The Live Sessions, will be released on April 14th on all digital download websites and limited editions at selected music stores.
www.karendavid.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A Skillset and UK Film Council funded initiative to help graduates from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds to fast track their film careers is inviting applications for placements with leading film businesses.
Starting in June 2008, the Skillset Graduate Fellowship Programme pays fellows a full time training allowance of up to £17,000 per annum. In addition to fantastic work experience fellows also enjoy the benefit of a series of master classes and workshops led by senior industry personnel designed to increase their awareness of the film business.
Continue reading…
Monday, March 10, 2008
Channel 4 drama Britz has been nominated for a Royal Television society (RTS) award within the Best Drama Serial category.
Starring Rizwan Ahmed and Manjinder Virk, it was a two-part thriller about a brother and sister, British-born and Muslim, who are pulled in different directions by their conflicting personal experiences in post 9/11 Britain.
Children’s drama My Life as a Popat is also nominated for that category. The awards will be presented on 19th March at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The annuals Birds Eye View film festival returns this year to shocase the best work from women filmmakers all over the world. It will feature over 70 events including screenings, workshops and parties at 7 London venues including the ICA and BFI. Two screenings are from India this year.
Continue reading…
Monday, February 25, 2008
The London UK Film Focus (LUFF) will return to the capital from 30 June – 3 July 2008 at the BFI Southbank.
Now in its fifth year, the four-day export event will again provide a platform to celebrate and promote British films and talent to the international market. The strictly by-invitation-only event attracts 150 buyers from all world territories who come to see around 40 British titles.
Continue reading…
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
British comedian and writer Meera Syal from Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42 is among the celebrities backing Happy Soul – South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust’s second festival of film, arts and music (9-15 March). Its aim is to explore mental health awareness among London’s African-Caribbean, Asian and Korean communities. You can join Meera for tea and samosas at the Vestry Hall in Mitcham on Wednesday 12 March.
More on this website.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Tongues on Fire, the annual film festival which celebrates achievement of South Asian women in cinema, presents its 10th film festival across a variety of locations in London with a press launch on Tuesday 19th February at the National Film Theatre (NFT) with Actress, Writer and Filmmaker Meera Syal at 7 pm.
Bafta will host the opening gala weekend launch on 8th & 9th March with a Q and A with Director Tanuja Chandra and Bollywood actress Mahima Chaudhry. She stars in one of the festival’s highlights – Hope And a Little Sugar (pictured below).
Other highlights will include a special celebration of Meera Syal’s works, who will be interviewed by playwright and critic Bonnie Greer on 19th March at Bafta. This year’s festival contains feature films that explore the topics of displacement; relationships and friendships; social and cultural prejudices and the subject matter of mental health within South Asian communities.
It will also feature: a screenwriter’s workshop, a director’s workshop, a short film competition sponsored by UK Film Council, seminars, documentaries and a photo exhibition.
Tongues on Fire website.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Shot in Bombay, an “often surreal” documentary exploring the thin lines that separate crime from punishment and fiction from reality in and around the Bombay film industry – began its theatrical run at London’s ICA on Friday, 18 Jan.
According to a review in Timeout Magazine:
The ironies are ripe indeed, but director Mermin doesn’t spend too much time elbowing us in the ribs, instead offering wry observation of the Bollywood movie factory at work, and fanning out to assess the local public’s evident support for shoot-to-kill law enforcement, the very different levels of justice available to rich and poor, and the long shadow cast by fugitive crimelord Dawood Ibrahim, an apparent linking factor between the bombings, police corruption and Bollywood finances.
Though lacking genuine investigative heft and with obviously limited access to Dutt himself, the result is an absolutely fascinating survey, nimbly skipping from the bubble-headed asides of ‘Shootout’s irrepressibly crass filmmaker to assess more serious human rights issues without feeling too superficial or indeed overly snooty about the infectious can-do spirit of the seasoned crew trying to create Bruckheimer spectacle on a rupee budget.
The film is being screened at the ICA in London through to 10 February.
(A Little Bird Production / Producer: Nahrein Mirza; Director: Liz Mermin)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
UK-USA Leadership on Diversity in Film
Friday 19 October
Leading US industry figures are coming to meet representatives from the UK industry to discuss best practice and activities to increase diversity in film, behind and in front of the camera. Confirmed speakers include Kimberly Myers (Writers Guild of America), Rebecca Yee (Screen Actors Guild) and George Sunga (Producers Guild of America). Representatives of training providers, guilds and trade associations in the film industry are invited to attend.
To reserve a seat, email your name and organisation details to diversity@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk with ‘RSVP UK-USA LOD’ in the subject line, and please advise of any access requirements. This is a ‘Leadership on Diversity’ initiative under the Equalities Charter for Film, funded by the UK Film Council (www.diversityinfilm.org.uk).
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