> INDIA IN FOCUS by Siraj Syed
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 04: Padma Shri Akshay Kumar and Ayushmann Khurrana, BA
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 04: Padma Shri Akshay Kumar and Ayushmann Khurrana, BA FICCI FRAMES the annual Media and Entertainment Convention event, was held over two days, October 07 and 08, at the Fairmont Hotel, near CSMI Airport, Sahar, Mumbai. RISE: Redefining Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence was the theme for the convention this year. The inauguration of the event, on the morning of October 07, was graced by India’s Information and Broadcasting Secretary in the Union Govern...
Gabby’s Dollhouse, Review: A tonic for cat-a-tonics
Gabby’s Dollhouse, Review: A tonic for every catatonic Gabby Dollhouse is the second live-action film produced by DreamWorks Animation, after the 2025 remake of How to Train Your Dragon (2010). It is also DreamWorks Animation's first live-action +animation film that is not a remake. DreamWorks is a ComCast company, as is the international distributor of the film, Universal. It is the big screen version of Gabby's Dollhouse an American interactive television series, premiè...
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 04: Call for Balanced Regulation, Innovation and Digital Expansion, in Broadcasting Sector
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 04: Call for Balanced Regulation, Innovation and Digital Expansion, in Broadcasting Sector The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman, Anil Kumar Lahoti, has emphasised the need for balanced regulation and innovation to drive the next phase of growth in India’s broadcasting and media industry. He was speaking at the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES in Mumbai. Lahoti noted that India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector contributed ₹2....
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 03: Landmark MoU signed between FICCI, IICT and Netflix
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 03: Landmark MoU signed between FICCI, IICT and Netflix The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) announced a landmark partnership with Netflix India to nurture India’s AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality) talent. The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, a...
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 02: India’s M&E industry grows ten-fold, from Rs. 25,000 crore in 2000, to about ₹2.5 lakh, in 2025
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 02: India’s M&E industry grows ten-fold, from Rs. 25,000 crore in 2000, to about ₹2.5 lakh, in 2025 I missed it, but you get it. A report on the fireside chat between Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, Supersta...
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 01: A silver jubilee March, into October
FICCI FRAMES 2025, 01: A silver jubilee March, into October As it happened several times in the past, my participation and coverage of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)’s annual media convention, FRAMES, began with accreditation/registration blues. There was no reply to the online form submission. Assuming that it was too late now to consider going there, I was surprised to find a WhatsApp voice message on my phone, sent at 6.22 am and viewed at 9.20 a...
Kantara, A Legend, Chapter 1: All’s well that ends in a Well
Kantara, A Legend, Chapter 1: All’s well that ends in a Well How many times can you scream out long war-cries in a film that is 168 minutes long? Theoretically, maybe around 2,520 times. Kantara, A Legend, Chapter 1 does not clock anywhere near that number, hovering, most probably, around a mere 252 times. That shows consideration and sympathy for your tympanic membranes, aka ear-drums. In between, it lets out a barrage of voice overs, dubbed dialogue (I saw the Hindustani version of th...
Sunny Sanskari ki Tulsi kumari, Overview: Funny Kalamkari ki Bhari shikari
Sunny Sanskari ki Tulsi kumari, Overview: Funny Kalamkari ki Bhari shikari Okay, so you need to look up the word ‘kalamkari’. No, you don’t. I will do the needful. ‘Kalamkari’ is a form of printing designs on cloth. And if you tell me you don’t know what shikari and funny mean, it is not funny! So, who or what is funny? Sunny (proper noun) is. And where is the ‘kalamkari’? All over the film, in terms of criss-cross lines and a veritable feast of...
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FESTIVALS IN FOCUS
Nantes Festival des 3 Continents Programme highlights
47th EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL DES 3 CONTINENTS Programme highlights : Taïwan, Sri Lanka and Egypt in the spotlight From 21 to 29 November 2025, the Festival des 3 Continents returns to cinemas in Nantes and several other towns in the department for a new edition celebrating cinema from Africa, Latin America and Asia. Ahead of the press conference scheduled for 30 October, during which the full programme will be revealed, the festival is pleased to announce today the highlights of this 4...
DaVinci International Film Festival Pays Tribute to Emile Hirsch with Honorary Leo Award
The DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) (October 10-12th) announced today that acclaimed actor Emile Hirsch will receive the Honorary Leo Award at the festival’s seventh edition. The prestigious honor, presented each year to visionaries whose work reflects artistic courage and human endeavor, will be awarded during the Closing Awards Ceremony on October 12, 2025, at AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles. “Emile Hirsc...
Luxembourg at CinEast, Focus on Poland and the special Ukrainian programme
Luxembourg at CinEast – 5 films co-produced by Luxembourg presented as Luxembourg avant-premières with guests (including Dracula by Radu Jude, Winter of the Crow by Kasia Adamik, Thelma’s Perfect Birthday by R. Kalnaellis) Focus on Poland – 14 feature films, 3 shorts, 2 concerts, a debate on integration, and 10 guests The largest Focus ever organised by the festival Special Ukrainian Programme – 5 documentaries, a cine-concert, and a char...
The 69th BFI London Film Festival opens today
LFF 2025 is here! Welcome to the first day of the 69th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express. Expect 12 jam-packed days celebrating storytelling in its many forms. Playing this evening at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall and during the Festival at UK-wide cinemas is the international premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Contemporary cinema’s favourite detective Benoit Blanc returns in Rian Johnson’s sha...
SAVE THE DATE for the 12th Annual Bentonville Film Festival!
Mark your calendar! The 2026 Bentonville Film Festival is set for June 15 - 21! We are excited for our 12th annual festival and cannot wait to have you all with us to celebrate and champion inclusion in all forms of media. “For 12 years, BFF has championed the artistry of over 10,000 talented filmmakers, offering a global platform for their powerful and personal stories to be seen, heard, and celebrated” said Geena Davis, BFF leader and Academy Award winn...
The program of WARSAW INDUSTRY TALKS has also been announced
WARSAW CO-PRODUCTION FORM: SELECTION OF PROJECTS UNVEILED We are pleased to announce the projects in development and works in progress selected to participate in this year’s Warsaw Co-Production Forum. The projects will be presented to both Polish and international film industry professionals on October 15 & 16 as part of Warsaw Industry Days, during the 41st edition of the Warsaw Film Festival. Projects in development: ALIENS IN TIROL, Hungary, dir. Nikol ...
VIDEO channel: Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival wrapped
Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival is an annual event held in Alexandria, Egypt. It aims to disseminate film culture and the progress achieved in various branches of film art and to strength the relations among filmmakers throughout the world in general and Mediterranean countries in particular. Interview and ambiance video by Alice Kanterian Watch the video channel, playlist of all ambiance and interview videos. ...
Announcing the Denver Film Festival 2025 program
The festival will open on October 31. THE FULL PROGRAM IS HERE: The lineup of over 135 films in the 2025 program celebrates global cinema with selections from around the world, the U.S. and right here in Colorado. Some of the most talked-about titles of the year and hidden gems will grace our screens for you to enter a kaleidoscope of the human experience. Opening Night: WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MISTERY, dir. Rian Johnson, U.S. This star-studded presentation...
‘The Persian Rug’ Begins Oscar Quest at CineLounge Sunset, Set for DaVinci International Film Festival Premiere
Directed by Gabriel Beristain and Starring Golsa Sarabi, Sean Kanan, and Shila Ommi, Film Explores the Poignant Struggles of Identity, Resilience, and Sacrifice Through Art Award-winning director and cinematographer Gabriel Beristain leads the powerful new drama The Persian Rug, set for a weeklong Oscar®-qualifying run at CineLounge Sunset before its much-anticipated world festival premiere at the DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) on Octob...