In Varun Chopra’s Oscar-contending documentary short Holy Cowboys, the director offers a peek into a side of India’s societal structure on how the cow, a sacred and holy animal to the majority Hindu population, is being protected from slaughter by a growing group of Hindu nationalists. Winner of the Grand Jury prize at the 2022 Doc NYC, Holy Cowboys introduces viewers to the world of cow vigilantism through the eyes of a Hindu teen and his friends from a small town, Vapi, in the state of Gujarat.
Chopra, a Sundance Ignite Fellow who is based in the U.S. and India, takes a hybrid approach to shed light on the growing Hindu nationalist influence on youth, and their justification to resort to violence on Muslims and other minorities to end the consumption of beef, all in the name of the cow. He also presents other prevalent issues, such as plastic pollution,...
Chopra, a Sundance Ignite Fellow who is based in the U.S. and India, takes a hybrid approach to shed light on the growing Hindu nationalist influence on youth, and their justification to resort to violence on Muslims and other minorities to end the consumption of beef, all in the name of the cow. He also presents other prevalent issues, such as plastic pollution,...
- 12/10/2023
- by Sunil Sadarangani
- Deadline Film + TV
Seven filmmakers will benefit from one of the most generous grants in the documentary field, as the North Points Institute today announced the recipients of the inaugural Diane Weyermann Fellowships.
The fellowship, named for the late Participant executive and producer who championed the careers of many leading documentary filmmakers and their work, will provide $100,000 and 18 months of mentorship to each of three nonfiction projects and their filmmaking teams.
“The three supported projects were chosen out of 401 submissions from 70 countries, through a 6-month selection process that included the Points North curatorial team and a jury of veteran filmmakers and programmers,” according to a release. “The projects include: The Last Nomads, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent, Rok Bicek and Eva Kuperman. The film is a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro, France, Slovenia, Belgium, and Croatia; The Production of the World, a co-production of Canada and USA,...
The fellowship, named for the late Participant executive and producer who championed the careers of many leading documentary filmmakers and their work, will provide $100,000 and 18 months of mentorship to each of three nonfiction projects and their filmmaking teams.
“The three supported projects were chosen out of 401 submissions from 70 countries, through a 6-month selection process that included the Points North curatorial team and a jury of veteran filmmakers and programmers,” according to a release. “The projects include: The Last Nomads, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent, Rok Bicek and Eva Kuperman. The film is a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro, France, Slovenia, Belgium, and Croatia; The Production of the World, a co-production of Canada and USA,...
- 9/16/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Three documentaries have been selected to to participate in the inaugural Diane Weyermann fellowship program, which will kick off Sept. 15 at Maine’s 19th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival.
The projects are: “The Last Nomads,” a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro and France, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent; “The Production of the World,” a co-production of Canada and USA, directed by Brett Story and produced by Jeff Reichert; and “Untitled Project,” a production of India, directed and produced by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya.
Each doc will receive $100,000 in unrestricted grants plus 18 months of creative support through retreats and mentorship via Ciff’s Points North Institute, the non-fiction creative hub based in Camden, Maine.
The fellowship was established to honor Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institute’s documentary film program.
The projects are: “The Last Nomads,” a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro and France, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent; “The Production of the World,” a co-production of Canada and USA, directed by Brett Story and produced by Jeff Reichert; and “Untitled Project,” a production of India, directed and produced by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya.
Each doc will receive $100,000 in unrestricted grants plus 18 months of creative support through retreats and mentorship via Ciff’s Points North Institute, the non-fiction creative hub based in Camden, Maine.
The fellowship was established to honor Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institute’s documentary film program.
- 9/16/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
When the entire Sheffield Doc/Fest programming team was ousted last year, there were fears the fest would lose its reputation as the UK’s pre-eminent documentary festival and become a bland and anodyne experience; more interested in finding the next My Octopus Teacher or yet another True Crime drama rather than genuinely soul-searching original visions. Nonetheless, while I can’t speak for the quality of the features – or if the general vibe around the festival has changed – the short selection available online is thankfully still as strong as it has ever been. Skewing darker than usual, the threats of authoritarianism, pandemics, wars, unchecked capitalism, drug abuse and oftentimes, some combination of two or more of these issues, are a constant presence, the shorts selection unwavering in highlighting the issues of the day, while also providing space for contemplation in the process. They also seem to flow into each other in very satisfying ways,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Redmond Bacon
- Directors Notes
The cream of the current crop of young Indian documentary filmmakers were on fire during the annual Doc Day at the Cannes Film Market, discussing ways of expressing dissent within India’s current political dispensation.
Since 2014, India has been ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Shaunak Sen’s “All That Breathes” is showing as a special screening at the festival and previously won the documentary grand jury prize at Sundance. It follows Delhi-based Muslim brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who, against the backdrop of the territory’s polluted atmosphere and escalating sectarian violence, devote their lives to saving the black kite bird species.
“I was absolutely certain that this film was not a snapshot of the current political moment; this film’s main interests were ecological and the human-bird relationship,” Sen said. “However, the last couple of years, especially in Delhi, have been chaotic, and it doesn...
Since 2014, India has been ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Shaunak Sen’s “All That Breathes” is showing as a special screening at the festival and previously won the documentary grand jury prize at Sundance. It follows Delhi-based Muslim brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who, against the backdrop of the territory’s polluted atmosphere and escalating sectarian violence, devote their lives to saving the black kite bird species.
“I was absolutely certain that this film was not a snapshot of the current political moment; this film’s main interests were ecological and the human-bird relationship,” Sen said. “However, the last couple of years, especially in Delhi, have been chaotic, and it doesn...
- 5/24/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes Docs sidebar of the Cannes Film Market has announced the lineup of its annual Doc Day, which takes place on May 24.
The day will open with a morning session dedicated to Acid Cannes 2022 title “Polaris,” described by organizers as “a creative and human journey interwoven with uncompromising, gentle and bold filmmaking by a woman filmmaker, set against the backdrop of the Arctic.” Entitled “A Producing Journey,” the session will bring together Marion Schmidt, the co-founder of Cannes Docs partner Dae (Documentary Association of Europe), director Ainara Vera and producers Clara Vuillermoz (Point du Jour – Les Films du Balibari) and Emile Hertling Péronard (Ánorâk Film).
The first half of the day will also feature a discussion between Polish director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland, president of the 2022 l’Œil d’or Jury and president of the European Film Academy, and Pauline Durand-Vialle, CEO of the Federation of European Film Directors.
The day will open with a morning session dedicated to Acid Cannes 2022 title “Polaris,” described by organizers as “a creative and human journey interwoven with uncompromising, gentle and bold filmmaking by a woman filmmaker, set against the backdrop of the Arctic.” Entitled “A Producing Journey,” the session will bring together Marion Schmidt, the co-founder of Cannes Docs partner Dae (Documentary Association of Europe), director Ainara Vera and producers Clara Vuillermoz (Point du Jour – Les Films du Balibari) and Emile Hertling Péronard (Ánorâk Film).
The first half of the day will also feature a discussion between Polish director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland, president of the 2022 l’Œil d’or Jury and president of the European Film Academy, and Pauline Durand-Vialle, CEO of the Federation of European Film Directors.
- 5/13/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) – the premiere venue for the best annual showcase of independent cinema from India and its Diaspora – announced today a special virtual showcase, the first of its kind, Iffla Over the Years: 17 days celebrating 17 years of Indian cinema. Accessible via the Iffla website (www.indianfilmfestival.org) beginning on June 19 through July 5, 2020, this virtual showcase of over 120 narrative features, documentaries, and short films by festival alumni will be available online either freely or via popular streaming services. Many of these fascinating films have never seen a general release in the U.S.
Iffla Over the Years is the festival’s response to the ongoing uncertainty in the film festival world. To that end, the previously announced 2020 lineup will be moved to 2021 so that filmmakers and audiences can join together and share the festival experience in person.
“We are beyond thrilled to be presenting this online showcase of alumni films,...
Iffla Over the Years is the festival’s response to the ongoing uncertainty in the film festival world. To that end, the previously announced 2020 lineup will be moved to 2021 so that filmmakers and audiences can join together and share the festival experience in person.
“We are beyond thrilled to be presenting this online showcase of alumni films,...
- 6/20/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
DocumentarySince 2012, 47 people have been killed in cow related violence in India.Basav BiradarScreenshot/The Hour of LynchingOn the rainy night of July 21, 2018 in Lalawandi village in Alwar district of Rajasthan, Rakbar Khan and Aslam were walking through the fields with two cows when they were ambushed by Gau Rakshaks. Subsequently, in the events that unfolded, Aslam escaped but Rakbar Khan was assaulted eventually leading to his death by 4 am. While the Gau Rakshaks claimed Rakbar was smuggling cows for slaughter, Aslam and family said he had bought them for his small dairy farm. The role of the police, who reached the scene at about 1 am and accompanied the body to the hospital, was also suspect. Rakbar was one of the 47 people who have been killed in cow related violence in India since 2012 (as per the data collated by Indiaspend website). A total of 127 reported incidents have been documented. The number...
- 6/3/2019
- by Sowmya
- The News Minute
India is a land of many religions. One of them is cinema. Popularity is too tame a word to describe the hold movies have over the Indian psyche. Movies form an outlet for many and for the greater part of the twentieth century, one of its few forms of entertainment. Around the 1940s, groups of travelling cinema came into being, travelling to various villages showing movies. These visits were done during religious festivals or fairs. This is still going on today in the state of Maharashtra. The documentary film, “The Cinema Travellers”, released in 2016, and directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya, captures this event in a poignant and unforgettable way.
“The Cinema Travellers” screened the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
The documentary focuses on the lives of three people who are connected to touring cinemas. Two of them run their own touring talkies and a third is an engineer who fixes these projectors.
“The Cinema Travellers” screened the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
The documentary focuses on the lives of three people who are connected to touring cinemas. Two of them run their own touring talkies and a third is an engineer who fixes these projectors.
- 4/29/2019
- by Anand Singh
- AsianMoviePulse
India is a land of many religions. One of them is cinema. Popularity is too tame a word to describe the hold movies have over the Indian psyche. Movies form an outlet for many, and for the greater part of the twentieth century, one of its few forms of entertainment. Around the 1940s, groups of travelling cinema came into being, travelling to various villages showing movies. These visits were done during religious festivals or fairs. This is still going on today in the state of Maharashtra. The documentary film, “The Cinema Travellers”, released in 2016, and directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya, captures this event in a poignant and unforgettable way.
“The Cinema Travellers” is screening screening daily at Bertha Dochouse, from Fri 26 January
The documentary focuses on the lives of three people who are connected to touring cinemas. Two of them run their own touring talkies and a third...
“The Cinema Travellers” is screening screening daily at Bertha Dochouse, from Fri 26 January
The documentary focuses on the lives of three people who are connected to touring cinemas. Two of them run their own touring talkies and a third...
- 1/27/2018
- by Anand Singh
- AsianMoviePulse
This charming documentary follows the fortunes of the showmen who tour Indian fairs and festivals to project films for enraptured audiences
This gentle, elegiac documentary is about a vanishing way of life: the “touring talkies”, showmen who tour the fairs and festivals of India on lorries with a tent, reels of film and a great big projector showing movies to enraptured crowds. It has been happening for seven decades, but now the celluloid is crumbling, the projection equipment is collapsing, and in any case modern audiences are turning to TV and streaming video.
The film-makers Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya show how the people who still run these old-fashioned cinema tents have a quiet, vocational passion. Some turn to digital equipment, which offers wonderful sound and vision and no great reels of film to cart about as the video file is accessed from the web. But when things go wrong with digital,...
This gentle, elegiac documentary is about a vanishing way of life: the “touring talkies”, showmen who tour the fairs and festivals of India on lorries with a tent, reels of film and a great big projector showing movies to enraptured crowds. It has been happening for seven decades, but now the celluloid is crumbling, the projection equipment is collapsing, and in any case modern audiences are turning to TV and streaming video.
The film-makers Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya show how the people who still run these old-fashioned cinema tents have a quiet, vocational passion. Some turn to digital equipment, which offers wonderful sound and vision and no great reels of film to cart about as the video file is accessed from the web. But when things go wrong with digital,...
- 1/26/2018
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
limited
The Cinema Travellers [my review]
Shirley Abraham cowrites and codirects a documentary about itinerant movie theaters in India. (male subjects)
The Nothing Factory [IMDb] pictured
Luisa Homem and Leonor Noivo are among the cowriters of this Portugeuse musical drama about factory workers (mostly male) who are worried about being laid off. (male director)
Please let me know if I’ve missed any movies directed by, written by, or about women.
Please help me continue this work with your financial support. A recurring contribution or a one-time donation, even only $1, is a great help, and tells me that my work here is valued. Thank you. Links here for PayPal, Patreon, and other methods of donating.
Find more movies by and about women using the Here Are the Women tag.
The Cinema Travellers [my review]
Shirley Abraham cowrites and codirects a documentary about itinerant movie theaters in India. (male subjects)
The Nothing Factory [IMDb] pictured
Luisa Homem and Leonor Noivo are among the cowriters of this Portugeuse musical drama about factory workers (mostly male) who are worried about being laid off. (male director)
Please let me know if I’ve missed any movies directed by, written by, or about women.
Please help me continue this work with your financial support. A recurring contribution or a one-time donation, even only $1, is a great help, and tells me that my work here is valued. Thank you. Links here for PayPal, Patreon, and other methods of donating.
Find more movies by and about women using the Here Are the Women tag.
- 1/25/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
MaryAnn’s quick take… A marvelous film, so full of the wonder of movies, so melancholy about the changing cinema landscape, so hopeful that though the technology is changing, the love will endure. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
Touring Talkies. The two itinerant movie theaters we get to know in this delightful documentary call themselves some version of that name, which indicates how long they’ve been a mainstay of Indian culture. As do the decrepit projectors and beat-up prints on rusty reels their proprietors are making do with as The Cinema Travellers opens. With their first film, writer-directors Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya spent several years with Mohammed, whose roaming cinema has a literal carnival atmosphere because he often sets up his tent with the circus; Babu,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
Touring Talkies. The two itinerant movie theaters we get to know in this delightful documentary call themselves some version of that name, which indicates how long they’ve been a mainstay of Indian culture. As do the decrepit projectors and beat-up prints on rusty reels their proprietors are making do with as The Cinema Travellers opens. With their first film, writer-directors Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya spent several years with Mohammed, whose roaming cinema has a literal carnival atmosphere because he often sets up his tent with the circus; Babu,...
- 1/22/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Author: Alex Clement
This documentary by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya is an inspiring and detailed insight into the heart of India’s travelling cinemas. The Cinema Travellers introduces many individuals that either run these moving cinemas, or others who take a back seat and help the process from behind the scenes – the upkeep with the equipment and technology.
We first see Mohammed, a simple man just trying to sell cinema tickets so he can send money to his family. He seems to be the bees knees, the big man at the top of the food chain. There’s a bit of arrogance about him in the way he commands his employees – like a king amongst the peasants. Mohammed tries to keep it all together, to fix every little thing that breaks and when the audience is a little lacking in numbers, he strums up the courage of getting the...
This documentary by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya is an inspiring and detailed insight into the heart of India’s travelling cinemas. The Cinema Travellers introduces many individuals that either run these moving cinemas, or others who take a back seat and help the process from behind the scenes – the upkeep with the equipment and technology.
We first see Mohammed, a simple man just trying to sell cinema tickets so he can send money to his family. He seems to be the bees knees, the big man at the top of the food chain. There’s a bit of arrogance about him in the way he commands his employees – like a king amongst the peasants. Mohammed tries to keep it all together, to fix every little thing that breaks and when the audience is a little lacking in numbers, he strums up the courage of getting the...
- 1/22/2018
- by Alex Clement
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Cinema Travellers screens Friday, November 3rd at 7:30pm at Webster University’s Browning Auditorium (8274 Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis, Mo 63119) as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. This is a Free event.
This Cannes prize-winner takes viewers on a journey with the traveling cinemas of India, which bring the wonder of the movies to faraway villages annually. Seven decades on, as their lorries and cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, these mobile movie purveyors find that their audiences are being increasingly lured away by slick digital technology. “The Cinema Travellers” accompanies a shrewd exhibitor, a benevolent showman, and a maverick projector mechanic who bear a beautiful burden — to keep the last traveling cinemas of the world running. Variety raves: “If the cinema is magic, then the nomadic projectionists and technicians of ‘The Cinema Travelers’ are its Oz-like wizards, roaming the rural Indian...
This Cannes prize-winner takes viewers on a journey with the traveling cinemas of India, which bring the wonder of the movies to faraway villages annually. Seven decades on, as their lorries and cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, these mobile movie purveyors find that their audiences are being increasingly lured away by slick digital technology. “The Cinema Travellers” accompanies a shrewd exhibitor, a benevolent showman, and a maverick projector mechanic who bear a beautiful burden — to keep the last traveling cinemas of the world running. Variety raves: “If the cinema is magic, then the nomadic projectionists and technicians of ‘The Cinema Travelers’ are its Oz-like wizards, roaming the rural Indian...
- 10/31/2017
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The following essay was produced as part of the 2017 Nyff Critics Academy, a workshop for aspiring film critics that took place during the 55th edition of the New York Film Festival.
Tragedy begets tragedy. And in 2017, the global infrastructure’s threshold for human suffering seems to be testing its limits: environmental catastrophes are ravaging the Global South, refugees are fleeing war and persecution only to be met with xenophobic policies. Yet, in the shadow of the 24/7 news cycle, keeping up with current events can prove challenging. As the landscape for film exhibition follows technology’s rapid adaptation, offering new ways to watch movies outside of the traditional theater experience, the role of a film festival continues its evolution: extending its cinematic influence over the industry and the audience, and if lucky, offering a platform that can push the culture forward.
There’s no other place one can better witness that...
Tragedy begets tragedy. And in 2017, the global infrastructure’s threshold for human suffering seems to be testing its limits: environmental catastrophes are ravaging the Global South, refugees are fleeing war and persecution only to be met with xenophobic policies. Yet, in the shadow of the 24/7 news cycle, keeping up with current events can prove challenging. As the landscape for film exhibition follows technology’s rapid adaptation, offering new ways to watch movies outside of the traditional theater experience, the role of a film festival continues its evolution: extending its cinematic influence over the industry and the audience, and if lucky, offering a platform that can push the culture forward.
There’s no other place one can better witness that...
- 10/12/2017
- by Rooney Elmi
- Indiewire
This year’s London Indian Film Festival boasts an incredible selection of film viewing over the next week. Not sure what to choose? Here are a few bite sized mini-reviews to whet your appetite.
The Cinema Travellers — directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya
Last year I had the pleasure of screening the Liff 2016 presentation of the Bengali film Cinemawala, which presented a fictional view of the decline of the traditional Indian cinema hall in the face of changing technology and an ever growing market in pirated films. This year, Liff 2017 presents the documentary The Cinema Travellers, directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya, which touches on a similar theme: the decline of travelling film projectors and their operators, again in face of a changing technological landscape.
The film made a stunning debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and has gone on to screen to enthusiastic and appreciate audiences...
The Cinema Travellers — directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya
Last year I had the pleasure of screening the Liff 2016 presentation of the Bengali film Cinemawala, which presented a fictional view of the decline of the traditional Indian cinema hall in the face of changing technology and an ever growing market in pirated films. This year, Liff 2017 presents the documentary The Cinema Travellers, directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya, which touches on a similar theme: the decline of travelling film projectors and their operators, again in face of a changing technological landscape.
The film made a stunning debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and has gone on to screen to enthusiastic and appreciate audiences...
- 6/24/2017
- by Katherine Matthews
- Bollyspice
As we told you the renowned London Indian Film Festival is back for another year with a new and exciting selection of fabulous cutting-edge films that reaffirm the festival’s position as the ‘punk-rock of Indian cinema’. With films that range from subjects covering stories of gangsters, comedy themes, horror elements, thrillers, immigration and diaspora issues, environment, economics, religion, politics, and the lives of Indian royalty this year’s festival that runs from 22-29 June is not to be missed.
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
- 6/3/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
It’s over but it opened L.A.’s newest spring season of unlimited international film screenings all over the city throughout the month of April and into Cannes.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) opened with “Lipstick Under My Burkha” and its impressive ensemble cast of Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur in a dramatic, but irreverent and vibrant film about women and faith. The film premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival 2016 and has been lighting up the festival circuit, including just winning the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival. Director Alankrita Shrivastava is confirmed to attend and additional talent to be confirmed.
“Lipstick Under My Burkha”
Iffla concluded on April 9 with a red carpet and gala that featured the Los Angeles premiere of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” starring Adil Hussain who was in attendance, as well as the...
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) opened with “Lipstick Under My Burkha” and its impressive ensemble cast of Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur in a dramatic, but irreverent and vibrant film about women and faith. The film premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival 2016 and has been lighting up the festival circuit, including just winning the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival. Director Alankrita Shrivastava is confirmed to attend and additional talent to be confirmed.
“Lipstick Under My Burkha”
Iffla concluded on April 9 with a red carpet and gala that featured the Los Angeles premiere of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” starring Adil Hussain who was in attendance, as well as the...
- 4/21/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya's The Cinema Travellers is a love letter to an age quickly coming to a close in India and around the world. Once upon a time in India, the only way that the small remote villages would be able to see a movie on a big screen was when the travelling carnivals brought along their portable cinemas run out of the back of a truck. These travellers brought magic to the small towns and villages of rural India in which building a full time cinema hall would be unsustainable. The Cinema Travellers follows a couple of these old-timey purveyors of celluloid magic on what could be their last journeys through the Indian countryside as the world and time conspire against them....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/11/2017
- Screen Anarchy
A preview of this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival.The Cinema Travellers
With nationalism on the rise there is a palpable hunger for art than connects nations and peoples. No art form bridges cultural divides like film. The programmers at the San Francisco International Film Festival (rechristened “Sffilm”) have always taken on this mission with enthusiasm and a keen eye for quality. Sffilm celebrates its 60th birthday this year and is the longest running film festival in the Americas. It is precisely this year’s slate of foreign films that poignantly illustrate the capacity of cinema to speak universally.
A perfect example is the extraordinary The Cinema Travelers — Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya’s indescribable real-life ride-along with the travelling tent theaters of India, alive but struggling in the most remote of remote corners of that huge country for more than 70 years.
In focusing on two tent cinema operators and their milieu, on...
With nationalism on the rise there is a palpable hunger for art than connects nations and peoples. No art form bridges cultural divides like film. The programmers at the San Francisco International Film Festival (rechristened “Sffilm”) have always taken on this mission with enthusiasm and a keen eye for quality. Sffilm celebrates its 60th birthday this year and is the longest running film festival in the Americas. It is precisely this year’s slate of foreign films that poignantly illustrate the capacity of cinema to speak universally.
A perfect example is the extraordinary The Cinema Travelers — Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya’s indescribable real-life ride-along with the travelling tent theaters of India, alive but struggling in the most remote of remote corners of that huge country for more than 70 years.
In focusing on two tent cinema operators and their milieu, on...
- 4/5/2017
- by Mark James
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The curtain fell on India’s biggest Film Festival, Jio Mami 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star on Thursday, 27th October, 2016. The ceremony took place at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir, Bandra. World-renowned filmmakers, talent and Bollywood stars walked the red carpet to celebrate the end of Mumbai’s very own film festival’s latest edition.
Sonam Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Abhay Deol, Kabir Khan, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Abhijat Joshi, Rahul Bose, Kunal Kapoor, Zoya Akhtar, Ayan Mukerji, Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Shakun Batra, Konkona Sensharma, Rajkumar Hirani, Richa Chadda, Neha Sharma and others walked the red carpet at the closing ceremony along with Jio Mami with Star Co-chairperson Kiran Rao, Festival Director Anupama Chopra. Shweta Tripathi and Vicky Kaushal hosted the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Nita M. Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation & Co-Chair, Mami Board of Trustees said, “It has been an incredible week of cinema at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival.
Sonam Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Abhay Deol, Kabir Khan, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Abhijat Joshi, Rahul Bose, Kunal Kapoor, Zoya Akhtar, Ayan Mukerji, Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Shakun Batra, Konkona Sensharma, Rajkumar Hirani, Richa Chadda, Neha Sharma and others walked the red carpet at the closing ceremony along with Jio Mami with Star Co-chairperson Kiran Rao, Festival Director Anupama Chopra. Shweta Tripathi and Vicky Kaushal hosted the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Nita M. Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation & Co-Chair, Mami Board of Trustees said, “It has been an incredible week of cinema at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival.
- 10/30/2016
- by Trupti Kantilal
- Bollyspice
Other winners included Ralitza Petrova’s Godless and The Narrow Path, directed by Satish Babusenan and Santosh Babusenan.
Davy Chou’s Diamond Island won the Golden Gateway Award in Mumbai Film Festival’s international competition, while Haobam Paban Kumar’ Lady Of The Lake scooped the same honour in India Gold.
Diamond Island, a co-production between Cambodia, France and three other countries, received its world premiere in Critics Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and premiered in Cambodia this week. Lady Of The Lake, a Manipuri-language drama about fishermen being driven from their homes, recently premiered at Busan.
Other winners in Mumbai’s international competition included Bulgarian filmmaker Ralitza Petrova’s Godless, which took the Silver Gateway Award, and Mexican director Natalia Almada’s Everything Else, which took the Jury Grand Prize. Special mentions went to Alba, directed by Ecuador’s Macarena Arias, and UK-Peruvian drama When Two Worlds Collide.
In the India...
Davy Chou’s Diamond Island won the Golden Gateway Award in Mumbai Film Festival’s international competition, while Haobam Paban Kumar’ Lady Of The Lake scooped the same honour in India Gold.
Diamond Island, a co-production between Cambodia, France and three other countries, received its world premiere in Critics Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and premiered in Cambodia this week. Lady Of The Lake, a Manipuri-language drama about fishermen being driven from their homes, recently premiered at Busan.
Other winners in Mumbai’s international competition included Bulgarian filmmaker Ralitza Petrova’s Godless, which took the Silver Gateway Award, and Mexican director Natalia Almada’s Everything Else, which took the Jury Grand Prize. Special mentions went to Alba, directed by Ecuador’s Macarena Arias, and UK-Peruvian drama When Two Worlds Collide.
In the India...
- 10/28/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
As this year’s New York Film Festival nears its conclusion, it’s time to look at and take stock of numerous aspects of the film landscape. A cavalcade of films hit the Big Apple for the prestigious festival, be it world premieres or pictures already seen at high ranking festivals like Cannes or even Berlin, hoping to either gain a new foothold in the growing awards season, or make an impact with critics and audiences. Opening for the first time ever with a documentary (Ava DuVernay’s superlative 13th), this is a historic year for the festival, and with that comes one of the most interesting lineups in years. But what about the films below even this radar? What about the films you may not see heat up the trades or make waves on hashtag Film Twitter? If you’re looking for the hidden gems from this year’s lineup,...
- 10/15/2016
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
The Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival with Star is less than a month away from offering the city a movie extravaganza unlike any other. In its 18th edition, the festival announced its stellar line-up for the year at its annual press conference held on Thursday, 29th September in Mumbai. The festival is set to kick off on 20th October. The press conference began with the announcement of the festival’s new brand identity.
Jio Mami with Star, Festival Co-Chairperson, Kiran Rao said, “It’s been a very exciting year for the Academy. Firstly, we are now a year around presence. We launched the Mami Film Club in May with a conversation between Sir Ian McKellen and Aamir. We’ve followed that up with India premieres of films such as Brahman Naman and India in a Day. The Academy is committed to bringing you great film content and conversations not just...
Jio Mami with Star, Festival Co-Chairperson, Kiran Rao said, “It’s been a very exciting year for the Academy. Firstly, we are now a year around presence. We launched the Mami Film Club in May with a conversation between Sir Ian McKellen and Aamir. We’ve followed that up with India premieres of films such as Brahman Naman and India in a Day. The Academy is committed to bringing you great film content and conversations not just...
- 10/1/2016
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Miguel Gomes [pictured] and Reha Erdem to head international competition and India Gold juries, respectively; fest also unveils line-up and Jia Zhangke award.
Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights) is heading the jury for the international competition at this year’s Mumbai Film Festival, while Turkish director Reha Erdem will preside over the jury for the India Gold section.
Gomes will be joined by filmmakers Tala Hadid and Anurag Kashyap, producer Christine Vachon and Hot Docs president Chris McDonald. Titles selected for the International Competition for first-time filmmakers include Israeli filmmaker Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm and Diamond Island, from French-Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou (see full line-up below).
Erdem recently won the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize at Venice for Big Big World. He will be joined on the India Gold jury by composer Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi), Hong Kong director Yonfan (Peony Pavilion), Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski (United States Of Love) and critic Stephanie Zacharek.
The festival...
Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights) is heading the jury for the international competition at this year’s Mumbai Film Festival, while Turkish director Reha Erdem will preside over the jury for the India Gold section.
Gomes will be joined by filmmakers Tala Hadid and Anurag Kashyap, producer Christine Vachon and Hot Docs president Chris McDonald. Titles selected for the International Competition for first-time filmmakers include Israeli filmmaker Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm and Diamond Island, from French-Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou (see full line-up below).
Erdem recently won the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize at Venice for Big Big World. He will be joined on the India Gold jury by composer Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi), Hong Kong director Yonfan (Peony Pavilion), Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski (United States Of Love) and critic Stephanie Zacharek.
The festival...
- 9/30/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
The New York Film Festival kicks off this week, sending us straight into the second half of a very busy fall festival season. In preparation for the festival, we’re rolling out a series of previews to point you in the direction of all the movies you have to see (or at least, all the movies you have to start anticipating right now). Today, some highlights of the always-robust documentary slate.
“Bright Lights”
Chronicling the often-fraught — but always loving — relationship between Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens’ “Bright Lights” is intimate and affectionate in a way that few documentaries can be. Our own David Ehrlich reviewed the film out of Cannes, where he wrote: “The film is strikingly open from the start, as an opening flurry of home video footage from Fisher’s childhood hints at the degree of access that has been granted to co-directors Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom.
“Bright Lights”
Chronicling the often-fraught — but always loving — relationship between Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens’ “Bright Lights” is intimate and affectionate in a way that few documentaries can be. Our own David Ehrlich reviewed the film out of Cannes, where he wrote: “The film is strikingly open from the start, as an opening flurry of home video footage from Fisher’s childhood hints at the degree of access that has been granted to co-directors Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom.
- 9/29/2016
- by Kate Erbland, David Ehrlich, Chris O'Falt and Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The Film Society of Lincoln Center today announced the complete Spotlight on Documentary lineup for the 54th New York Film Festival, which begins on September 30 and ends on October 16. Among the more prominent selections are “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James’ “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” and Errol Morris’ “The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography,” among others; already announced titles for this year’s edition of Nyff, the 54th, include Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea,” Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” and Kelly Reichardt’s “Certain Women.” Find the full list of documentaries below.
Read More: Nyff Reveals Main Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Manchester By the Sea,’ ‘Paterson’ and ‘Personal Shopper’
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” (Steve James)
“The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography” (Errol Morris)
“Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds” (Alexis Bloom & Fisher Stevens)
“The Cinema Travellers” (Shirley Abraham & Amit Madheshiya”)
“Dawson City: Frozen Times” (Bill Morrison)
“Hissen Habré,...
Read More: Nyff Reveals Main Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Manchester By the Sea,’ ‘Paterson’ and ‘Personal Shopper’
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” (Steve James)
“The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography” (Errol Morris)
“Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds” (Alexis Bloom & Fisher Stevens)
“The Cinema Travellers” (Shirley Abraham & Amit Madheshiya”)
“Dawson City: Frozen Times” (Bill Morrison)
“Hissen Habré,...
- 8/24/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Festival top brass announced on Wednesday the selections that will screen in the 54th New York Film Festival’s Spotlight On Documentary.
The roster includes Steve James’ Abacus: Small Enough To Jail, Errol Morris’ The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography, Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, and Mohamed Siam’s Whose Country?
The festival runs from September 30-October 16 and as previously announced will open with Ava DuVernay’s documentary The 13th.
Spotlight On Documentary
(All 2016 unless stated otherwise)
Abacus: Small Enough To Jail (USA) Steve JamesThe B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (USA) Errol MorrisBright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (USA) Alexis Bloom and Fisher StevensThe Cinema Travellers (India) Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya — Us premiereDawson City: Frozen Time (USA) Bill Morrison — North American premiereHissen Habré, A Chadian Tragedy (France-Chad) Mahamat-Saleh HarounI Am Not Your Negro (USA-France-Belgium-Switzerland) Raoul PeckI Called Him Morgan (Sweden) Kasper CollinKarl Marx City (USA-Germany) Petra Epperlein and Michael...
The roster includes Steve James’ Abacus: Small Enough To Jail, Errol Morris’ The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography, Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, and Mohamed Siam’s Whose Country?
The festival runs from September 30-October 16 and as previously announced will open with Ava DuVernay’s documentary The 13th.
Spotlight On Documentary
(All 2016 unless stated otherwise)
Abacus: Small Enough To Jail (USA) Steve JamesThe B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (USA) Errol MorrisBright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (USA) Alexis Bloom and Fisher StevensThe Cinema Travellers (India) Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya — Us premiereDawson City: Frozen Time (USA) Bill Morrison — North American premiereHissen Habré, A Chadian Tragedy (France-Chad) Mahamat-Saleh HarounI Am Not Your Negro (USA-France-Belgium-Switzerland) Raoul PeckI Called Him Morgan (Sweden) Kasper CollinKarl Marx City (USA-Germany) Petra Epperlein and Michael...
- 8/24/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The third cascade of world premieres in 15 days flowed from the headquarters of the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday as programmers revealed their Midnight Madness, Tiff Docs, Vanguard, Tiff Cinematheque and Short Cuts selections.
This week’s offering includes Ben Wheatley’s all-star gangster thriller Free Fire, which opens Midnight Madness one year after the premiere of the British auteur’s High-Rise; fast-rising Chadwick Boseman in revenge thriller Message From The King in Vanguard and a Tiff Docs strand that features climate change documentary The Turning Point, featuring and produced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.
Wp = world premiere, IP = international premiere, Nap = North American premiere, Cp = Canadian premiere, Tp = Toronto premiere.
Midnight Madness
Ben Wheatley’s all-star gunfight Free Fire starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy will open the section, which includes Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Rats, Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch, André Øvredal’s [link...
This week’s offering includes Ben Wheatley’s all-star gangster thriller Free Fire, which opens Midnight Madness one year after the premiere of the British auteur’s High-Rise; fast-rising Chadwick Boseman in revenge thriller Message From The King in Vanguard and a Tiff Docs strand that features climate change documentary The Turning Point, featuring and produced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.
Wp = world premiere, IP = international premiere, Nap = North American premiere, Cp = Canadian premiere, Tp = Toronto premiere.
Midnight Madness
Ben Wheatley’s all-star gunfight Free Fire starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy will open the section, which includes Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Rats, Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch, André Øvredal’s [link...
- 8/9/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival has nearly completed its slate announcement this year — expect a few stragglers to be announced in the coming days, but this is about the size of it — rounding out its lineup with today’s announcement of its Docs, Midnight Madness, Vanguard and Tiff Cinematheque picks. And what a group this is, including plenty of returning favorites and some very exciting new names.
Tiff’s Docs section features a collection of works from award-winning directors including Steve James, Raoul Peck, Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. Leonardo DiCaprio even pops up for a “rousing call to action on climate change” in “The Turning Point,” made in collaboration with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens and already picked up by National Geographic.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The beloved Midnight Madness section offers...
Tiff’s Docs section features a collection of works from award-winning directors including Steve James, Raoul Peck, Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. Leonardo DiCaprio even pops up for a “rousing call to action on climate change” in “The Turning Point,” made in collaboration with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens and already picked up by National Geographic.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The beloved Midnight Madness section offers...
- 8/9/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Kristen Stewart in Olivier Assayas' Personal Shopper.
The Sydney Film Festival has added eight new films and one restoration to its program, including films starring Kristen Stewart, Adam Driver and Marlon Brando.
.All nine films come direct from Cannes to Sydney Film Festival", Festival Director Nashen Moodley said, "including Korean director Park Chan-wook.s sensual, twist-filled tale The Handmaiden; Fipresci Prize winner Maren Ade.s clever and original comedy about the complexities of familial relationships, Toni Erdmann; Jim Jarmusch.s popular Cannes hit Paterson, a gentle, quietly moving portrait of a bus driver poet and his artistic wife and Olivier Assayas. Personal Shopper, a spooky ghost story starring Kristen Stewart...
.Two true stories will also screen: a critically acclaimed heart-warming tale about India.s travelling picture shows, The Cinema Travellers, by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya; and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.s.Hissein Habré, A Chadian Tragedy, a film to honour...
The Sydney Film Festival has added eight new films and one restoration to its program, including films starring Kristen Stewart, Adam Driver and Marlon Brando.
.All nine films come direct from Cannes to Sydney Film Festival", Festival Director Nashen Moodley said, "including Korean director Park Chan-wook.s sensual, twist-filled tale The Handmaiden; Fipresci Prize winner Maren Ade.s clever and original comedy about the complexities of familial relationships, Toni Erdmann; Jim Jarmusch.s popular Cannes hit Paterson, a gentle, quietly moving portrait of a bus driver poet and his artistic wife and Olivier Assayas. Personal Shopper, a spooky ghost story starring Kristen Stewart...
.Two true stories will also screen: a critically acclaimed heart-warming tale about India.s travelling picture shows, The Cinema Travellers, by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya; and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.s.Hissein Habré, A Chadian Tragedy, a film to honour...
- 6/6/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
With the conversion to digital cinema nearly complete worldwide, will 35mm still live on somewhere? This documentary is proof that yes, a love for film and 35mm projection will live on forever, even in the most remote places in the world where it's hard to even get electricity. The Cinema Travelers is a documentary made by directors Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya and it profiles a traveling cinema in India, which shows up in desolate places of the country with very basic projection rigs to show classic films to swarms of people. It is absolutely wonderful to discover, capturing so spectacularly the joy and wonder that movies bring to people of all ages. It evokes the same emotions as Cinema Paradiso, but this is all real life. I genuinely adore this documentary and it's a must see for anyone/everyone who loves 35mm and the power of cinema. Which is hopefully everyone reading this.
- 5/18/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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