We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 San Diego Asian Film Festival, presented at the festival awards ceremony on November 10. Winners were announced in multiple categories, along with the Grand Jury Prize (the top prize of the Asian American film competition) and a Special Jury Mention. Additionally, the Sdaff programming team selected the George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award given to a first-time feature filmmaker.
International Short Film Competition
Jurors: Pearl Chan, Jason Tan Liwag, Alongkot Maiduang
Best International Short: Primetime Mother directed by Sonny Calvento
Asian American Film Competition
Jurors: Tanuj Chopra, Hanna Huang, Joshua Minsoo Kim
Grand Jury Prize: When You Left Me on That Boulevard directed by Kayla Abuda Galang
Best Documentary Feature: Rally directed by Rooth Tang
Best Narrative Feature: Egghead & Twinkie directed by Sarah Kambe Holland
Best Experimental Film: Teetering Graphite directed by Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu
Best Documentary Short: Tracing History directed by...
International Short Film Competition
Jurors: Pearl Chan, Jason Tan Liwag, Alongkot Maiduang
Best International Short: Primetime Mother directed by Sonny Calvento
Asian American Film Competition
Jurors: Tanuj Chopra, Hanna Huang, Joshua Minsoo Kim
Grand Jury Prize: When You Left Me on That Boulevard directed by Kayla Abuda Galang
Best Documentary Feature: Rally directed by Rooth Tang
Best Narrative Feature: Egghead & Twinkie directed by Sarah Kambe Holland
Best Experimental Film: Teetering Graphite directed by Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu
Best Documentary Short: Tracing History directed by...
- 11/14/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
‘Gunehgaar’, ‘The Fame Game’, ‘Mithya’, ‘Suzhal: The Vortex’ and ‘Delhi Crime-2’ were some of the most engrossing slow-burners of the year. Long format, procedural as well dramatic shows and teleplays added to the diverse viewing experience of audiences on the small screen in 2022. They brought along with them ample thrills, chills, and psychological intrigue. Here is our pick of the best, immersive entertainers from this lot.
The Fame Game
You may argue that the series that heralded Madhuri Dixit Nene in the Ott space frittered away its potential at the end but a second season may just redeem it. Yet, for the most part, this show was a perfect blend of drama, emotional heft, mystery, psychological layers, and histrionics with Dixit demonstrating why she is still considered one of the best actors to grace the silver screen. A moving performance by Manav Kaul, strong turns by Sanjay Kapoor, Suhasini Mulay,...
The Fame Game
You may argue that the series that heralded Madhuri Dixit Nene in the Ott space frittered away its potential at the end but a second season may just redeem it. Yet, for the most part, this show was a perfect blend of drama, emotional heft, mystery, psychological layers, and histrionics with Dixit demonstrating why she is still considered one of the best actors to grace the silver screen. A moving performance by Manav Kaul, strong turns by Sanjay Kapoor, Suhasini Mulay,...
- 12/28/2022
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
The Islamic Scholarship Fund will launch its inaugural Muslim Centered Writers’ Lab. The organization says the initiative is designed to give more opportunities to Muslim screenwriters to be at the center of their stories. It will take place from Nov. 11 to Nov. 13, 2022, and was made possible with support from Extracurricular and The Black List. The fund’s leadership says it is undertaking the lab because there is a correlation between how Muslims are represented on the screen and how they are perceived in public.
“Media representation is integral to helping reduce stereotypes and marginalization that so many communities face,” said Executive Director Somayeh Nikooei. “Specifically for American Muslim youth, it offers them the chance to see themselves and their community on the big screen in a nuanced and empowering light.”
The three-day lab will offer workshops that will instruct participants in the art of everything from writing a script through pitching it to studios.
“Media representation is integral to helping reduce stereotypes and marginalization that so many communities face,” said Executive Director Somayeh Nikooei. “Specifically for American Muslim youth, it offers them the chance to see themselves and their community on the big screen in a nuanced and empowering light.”
The three-day lab will offer workshops that will instruct participants in the art of everything from writing a script through pitching it to studios.
- 9/28/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Tillotama Shome, who has been getting a lot of positive response for her role of ‘Lata’ – a serial murderer in the seond season of the crime-drama ‘Delhi Crime’, shared that there’s a very thin line between a criminal and an innocent person.
In the show, Tillotama Shome has portrayed the character of ‘Lata’, a girl who aspires to a better life and who goes to any lengths to achieve her dreams. A part of an ominous gang of serial killers, Lata goes on a rampant spree of targeting senior citizens.
Talking about the fine line of difference between an innocent and a criminal, the actress said, “It’s actually a very thin line between being a criminal and being innocent. For Lata, because her identity was not accepted, it was given that there would be friction. It’s a peek into the mind of a criminal and what...
In the show, Tillotama Shome has portrayed the character of ‘Lata’, a girl who aspires to a better life and who goes to any lengths to achieve her dreams. A part of an ominous gang of serial killers, Lata goes on a rampant spree of targeting senior citizens.
Talking about the fine line of difference between an innocent and a criminal, the actress said, “It’s actually a very thin line between being a criminal and being innocent. For Lata, because her identity was not accepted, it was given that there would be friction. It’s a peek into the mind of a criminal and what...
- 9/6/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
‘Delhi Crime 2’ director and showrunner Tanuj Chopra speaks about how he and his team looked at Delhi as a character and handpicked locations that best suited the situation in the popular series.
Spilling the behind-the-scenes details of ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 2, the Indo-American filmmaker revealed the different locations featured in the second instalment of the show.
“We scouted a wide range of locations all over the city: marketplaces, bastis (slums), flyovers, colonies and farmland. I wanted to go beyond the typical landmarks we see in shows about Delhi.”
He added: “I wanted to feature lesser seen places so the picture of the city feels authentic and real. We wanted to make a Delhi that’s aligned with our themes, a dark bustling metropolis with people living in vastly different ways..”
Produced by Sk Global Entertainment, Golden Karavan, Film Karavan, this season sees a violent quadruple murder against senior citizens that needs...
Spilling the behind-the-scenes details of ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 2, the Indo-American filmmaker revealed the different locations featured in the second instalment of the show.
“We scouted a wide range of locations all over the city: marketplaces, bastis (slums), flyovers, colonies and farmland. I wanted to go beyond the typical landmarks we see in shows about Delhi.”
He added: “I wanted to feature lesser seen places so the picture of the city feels authentic and real. We wanted to make a Delhi that’s aligned with our themes, a dark bustling metropolis with people living in vastly different ways..”
Produced by Sk Global Entertainment, Golden Karavan, Film Karavan, this season sees a violent quadruple murder against senior citizens that needs...
- 9/2/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Exclusive: Delhi Crime Season 2 showrunner and director Tanuj Chopra has signed with WME.
The deal comes following the launch of the buzzy second run of Netflix’s crime procedural, whose first season made history in 2020 by becoming the first Indian show to win the Outstanding Drama Series award at the International Emmys.
Chopra took over showrunning duties from creator Richie Mehta for the second run, which debuted on the streamer August 26 and is from Sk Global Entertainment, Golden Karavan and Film Karavan.
Previously an indie filmmaker, Chopra has written, directed and produced four grand jury prize-winning features including Punching at the Sun, a gritty movie about teens coming of age in post-9/11 Queens that was the first South Asian American film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. He also picked up awards for Chee and T, Grass and the improvised dark comedy Staycation, which won the LA Muse Fiction...
The deal comes following the launch of the buzzy second run of Netflix’s crime procedural, whose first season made history in 2020 by becoming the first Indian show to win the Outstanding Drama Series award at the International Emmys.
Chopra took over showrunning duties from creator Richie Mehta for the second run, which debuted on the streamer August 26 and is from Sk Global Entertainment, Golden Karavan and Film Karavan.
Previously an indie filmmaker, Chopra has written, directed and produced four grand jury prize-winning features including Punching at the Sun, a gritty movie about teens coming of age in post-9/11 Queens that was the first South Asian American film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. He also picked up awards for Chee and T, Grass and the improvised dark comedy Staycation, which won the LA Muse Fiction...
- 9/1/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Yeh Dilli shehar hai madam ji, yahan maangke nahi milta, cheen ke leni padhti hai’ — is a line very special to Indo-American filmmaker Tanuj Chopra, who directed ‘Delhi Crime 2’ that is currently streaming on Netflix.
‘Delhi Crime 2’ begins with a quadruple murder in a posh south Delhi locality that triggers public fear and escalates Delhi’s class divide. The series is inspired by the accounts of the brutal ‘Kachcha Baniyan’ gang that unleashed terror in the national capital in the ’90s, but with a twist.
Talking about the divide between the rich and the poor and the less privileged being looked upon with suspicion, Chopra told Ians: “I don’t know if finances are the only metrics, as there’s a certain conditioning. And there is definitely certain expectations people have about what they should get. I think it is less about your bank balance and more about what you think you deserve.
‘Delhi Crime 2’ begins with a quadruple murder in a posh south Delhi locality that triggers public fear and escalates Delhi’s class divide. The series is inspired by the accounts of the brutal ‘Kachcha Baniyan’ gang that unleashed terror in the national capital in the ’90s, but with a twist.
Talking about the divide between the rich and the poor and the less privileged being looked upon with suspicion, Chopra told Ians: “I don’t know if finances are the only metrics, as there’s a certain conditioning. And there is definitely certain expectations people have about what they should get. I think it is less about your bank balance and more about what you think you deserve.
- 9/1/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Actress Rasika Dugal, who is receiving positive response to her role as Neeti Singh in the recently released second season of ‘Delhi Crime’, shadowed a trainee police officer to gain insights about how cops behave in different situations. Interestingly, just like Neeti, the police officer in question too was promoted to the same rank.
Elaborating on how she prepared for her character Neeti Singh, she said, “In season 1, I had requested the team that I shadow an officer to gain more insight and details about being a police officer. I shadowed a trainee police officer then and I got in touch with her again for the second season.”
Adding further, she mentioned about the stroke of serendipity, “While she wasn’t posted in Delhi, she was promoted and Neeti’s character too has been promoted to the same rank in Season 2! I requested that I shadow her again to prepare for this season.
Elaborating on how she prepared for her character Neeti Singh, she said, “In season 1, I had requested the team that I shadow an officer to gain more insight and details about being a police officer. I shadowed a trainee police officer then and I got in touch with her again for the second season.”
Adding further, she mentioned about the stroke of serendipity, “While she wasn’t posted in Delhi, she was promoted and Neeti’s character too has been promoted to the same rank in Season 2! I requested that I shadow her again to prepare for this season.
- 8/30/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Delhi Crime 2
Starring Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Tillotama Shome, Aakash Dahiya, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Denzil Smith, Yashaswini Dayama
Director: Tanuj Chopra
When I first saw the second season of Delhi Crime my initial reaction was relief. Thank God, the second season turned out to be as gripping, if not more than the first season. The characters from the Delhi Police are now etched as the DPs of our collective imagination. Vartika Chaturvedi, Neeti Singh, Bhupendra Singh, Subhash Gupta, Jairaj and the rest of the force are characters we all know well by now, and admire for being so dedicated to their work it almost seems as if we are looking at the other side of the much-maligned police force’s image.
Rest assured, neither the first season nor the second is a police procedural designed to whitewash the police force. The plot on this occasion has no room for...
Starring Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Tillotama Shome, Aakash Dahiya, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Denzil Smith, Yashaswini Dayama
Director: Tanuj Chopra
When I first saw the second season of Delhi Crime my initial reaction was relief. Thank God, the second season turned out to be as gripping, if not more than the first season. The characters from the Delhi Police are now etched as the DPs of our collective imagination. Vartika Chaturvedi, Neeti Singh, Bhupendra Singh, Subhash Gupta, Jairaj and the rest of the force are characters we all know well by now, and admire for being so dedicated to their work it almost seems as if we are looking at the other side of the much-maligned police force’s image.
Rest assured, neither the first season nor the second is a police procedural designed to whitewash the police force. The plot on this occasion has no room for...
- 8/27/2022
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
They came for the crime but stayed for the characters, is how the cast and crew of Netflix’s hit series Delhi Crime summarize the outsized success of the show’s first season.
Delhi Crime Season 2 follows those same characters – Shefali Shah’s Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi, younger cop Neeti Singh (Rasika Dugal) and right-hand man Bhupendra Singh (Rajesh Tailang) – as they tackle a series of brutal murders of senior citizens in the middle-class neighbourhoods of South Delhi.
With US-based indie filmmaker Tanuj Chopra on board as showrunner and director, working with a team of Indian writers, the series is loosely based on the Kacha-Baniyan gang murders in North India in the 1990s, but is not an exact replica of a particular crime as with the first series.
Delhi Crime Season 1, written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta, followed the police’s hunt for...
Delhi Crime Season 2 follows those same characters – Shefali Shah’s Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi, younger cop Neeti Singh (Rasika Dugal) and right-hand man Bhupendra Singh (Rajesh Tailang) – as they tackle a series of brutal murders of senior citizens in the middle-class neighbourhoods of South Delhi.
With US-based indie filmmaker Tanuj Chopra on board as showrunner and director, working with a team of Indian writers, the series is loosely based on the Kacha-Baniyan gang murders in North India in the 1990s, but is not an exact replica of a particular crime as with the first series.
Delhi Crime Season 1, written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta, followed the police’s hunt for...
- 8/25/2022
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi and her trusted team are back in another thrilling season of Netflix’s highly acclaimed crime-drama series Delhi Crime. This time around, in season 2, the Delhi Police will be seen investigating a multiple murder case involving senior citizens, led by their very own ‘Madam Sir’. While all the evidence points squarely towards the return of the gruesome Kacha-Baniyan gang escalating public fear, Madam Sir and her team will be seen delving deeper to solve the case and uncover the truth. Delhi Crime Season 2 releases on August 26 on Netflix.
Ahead of the release, the team of Delhi Crime Season 2 – Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang along with director Tanuj Chopra visited Delhi to engage with the fans of the show. The team also unveiled an exclusive video ‘Do Dilli’ amidst huge fanfare.
Talking about the returning season, Shefali Shah who brought the character of Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi alive shared,...
Ahead of the release, the team of Delhi Crime Season 2 – Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang along with director Tanuj Chopra visited Delhi to engage with the fans of the show. The team also unveiled an exclusive video ‘Do Dilli’ amidst huge fanfare.
Talking about the returning season, Shefali Shah who brought the character of Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi alive shared,...
- 8/22/2022
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Actress Shefali Shah announced on social media on Wednesday and that she has tested positive for Covid.
The actress, who was recently seen in the Alia Bhatt-starrer ‘Darlings’, shared the news about her health on her Instagram stories.
She wrote: “I have tested positive for Covid-19. Have immediately isolated myself and will be under home quarantine. I am following all safety protocols under the advise of my doctor. Requesting everyone who came in contact with me to get tested immediately too.”
‘Darlings’ is a black comedy-drama directed by Jasmeet K. Reen. It is produced by Gauri Khan, Alia Bhatt (in her debut production), and Gaurav Verma under the banners Red Chillies Entertainment and Eternal Sunshine Productions. The film also stars Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew.
Shefali will next be seen in the second season of acclaimed Netflix show ‘Delhi Crime’, where she will reprise the role of Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi.
The actress, who was recently seen in the Alia Bhatt-starrer ‘Darlings’, shared the news about her health on her Instagram stories.
She wrote: “I have tested positive for Covid-19. Have immediately isolated myself and will be under home quarantine. I am following all safety protocols under the advise of my doctor. Requesting everyone who came in contact with me to get tested immediately too.”
‘Darlings’ is a black comedy-drama directed by Jasmeet K. Reen. It is produced by Gauri Khan, Alia Bhatt (in her debut production), and Gaurav Verma under the banners Red Chillies Entertainment and Eternal Sunshine Productions. The film also stars Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew.
Shefali will next be seen in the second season of acclaimed Netflix show ‘Delhi Crime’, where she will reprise the role of Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi.
- 8/17/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Netflix has released the trailer of the second season of “Delhi Crime.”
Shefali Shah returns in the lead role of deputy commissioner of police Vartika Chaturvedi Aka ‘Madam Sir.’ In the new season, the Delhi police must deal with a series of grisly murders in the face of escalating public fear and the growing demands for answers.
The cast also includes Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Anurag Arora, Yashaswini Dayama, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Gopal Dutt, Denzil Smith, Tillotama Shome, Jatin Goswami, Vyom Yadav and Ankit Sharma. The writing team includes Mayank Tewari, Shubhra Swarup, Vidit Tripathi, Ensia Mirza, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh and Virat Basoya.
Shah said: “I love every character I’ve played but Vartika Chaturvedi will always be super special. And I’m so proud of the role and ‘Delhi Crime’ as a show. It’s my favorite. And so is she. As an actor, it’s fulfilling to portray roles like these.
Shefali Shah returns in the lead role of deputy commissioner of police Vartika Chaturvedi Aka ‘Madam Sir.’ In the new season, the Delhi police must deal with a series of grisly murders in the face of escalating public fear and the growing demands for answers.
The cast also includes Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Anurag Arora, Yashaswini Dayama, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Gopal Dutt, Denzil Smith, Tillotama Shome, Jatin Goswami, Vyom Yadav and Ankit Sharma. The writing team includes Mayank Tewari, Shubhra Swarup, Vidit Tripathi, Ensia Mirza, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh and Virat Basoya.
Shah said: “I love every character I’ve played but Vartika Chaturvedi will always be super special. And I’m so proud of the role and ‘Delhi Crime’ as a show. It’s my favorite. And so is she. As an actor, it’s fulfilling to portray roles like these.
- 8/8/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has dropped the first trailer for returning Indian series Delhi Crime. Season 2 of the drama is due to premiere globally on August 26. Check it out above.
The first season of the police-procedural thriller originally hit the streamer in 2019, winning an International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series.
Shefali Shah stars as Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi, aka ‘Madam Sir,’ who is back with her trusted team as a series of ghastly murders in Delhi keeps them on their toes. With escalating public fear and the media demanding answers, Madam Sir is forced to make some tough choices. Will the Delhi Police force manage to track down these ruthless criminals in time?
The series also stars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Anurag Arora, Yashaswini Dayama, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Gopal Dutt, Denzil Smith, Tillotama Shome, Jatin Goswami, Vyom Yadav and Ankit Sharma.
Created by Richie Mehta and produced by Sk Global Entertainment, Golden Karavan and Film Karavan,...
The first season of the police-procedural thriller originally hit the streamer in 2019, winning an International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series.
Shefali Shah stars as Dcp Vartika Chaturvedi, aka ‘Madam Sir,’ who is back with her trusted team as a series of ghastly murders in Delhi keeps them on their toes. With escalating public fear and the media demanding answers, Madam Sir is forced to make some tough choices. Will the Delhi Police force manage to track down these ruthless criminals in time?
The series also stars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Anurag Arora, Yashaswini Dayama, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Gopal Dutt, Denzil Smith, Tillotama Shome, Jatin Goswami, Vyom Yadav and Ankit Sharma.
Created by Richie Mehta and produced by Sk Global Entertainment, Golden Karavan and Film Karavan,...
- 8/8/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gina Reyes has joined UTA as an Agent in the Television Literary division. She will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Partners & Co-Heads of TV Literary, Dan Erlij, and Allan Haldeman.
Prior to joining UTA, Reyes served as a Television Literary agent at Verve Talent & Literary Agency. Throughout her tenure, she worked with clients such as Aitch Alberto, Tanuj Chopra (Delhi Crime), Marvin Lemus (Gentefied), Eif Rivera, Rebecca Rodriguez and Santa Sierra, among others.
“Throughout her career, Gina has worked to uplift and champion unique and important storytellers,“ jointly said Erlij and Haldeman in a statement to Deadline. “She has helped identify and amplify the next generation of...
Prior to joining UTA, Reyes served as a Television Literary agent at Verve Talent & Literary Agency. Throughout her tenure, she worked with clients such as Aitch Alberto, Tanuj Chopra (Delhi Crime), Marvin Lemus (Gentefied), Eif Rivera, Rebecca Rodriguez and Santa Sierra, among others.
“Throughout her career, Gina has worked to uplift and champion unique and important storytellers,“ jointly said Erlij and Haldeman in a statement to Deadline. “She has helped identify and amplify the next generation of...
- 5/20/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
No two ways about it: April’s a great month for the Criterion Channel, which (among other things; more in a second) adds two recent favorites. We’re thrilled at the SVOD premiere of Hamaguchi’s entrancing Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, our #3 of 2021, and Bruno Dumont’s lacerating France, featuring Léa Seydoux’s finest performance yet.
Ethan Hawke’s Adventures in Moviegoing runs the gamut from Eagle Pennell’s Last Night at the Alamo to 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, while a 14-film John Ford retro (mostly) skips westerns altogether. And no notes on the Delphine Seyrig retro—multiple by Akerman, Ulrike Ottinger, Duras, a smattering of Buñuel, and Seyrig’s own film Be Pretty and Shut Up! That of all things might be the crown jewl.
See the full list of April titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
—
3 Bad Men, John Ford, 1926
Aar paar, Guru Dutt,...
Ethan Hawke’s Adventures in Moviegoing runs the gamut from Eagle Pennell’s Last Night at the Alamo to 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, while a 14-film John Ford retro (mostly) skips westerns altogether. And no notes on the Delphine Seyrig retro—multiple by Akerman, Ulrike Ottinger, Duras, a smattering of Buñuel, and Seyrig’s own film Be Pretty and Shut Up! That of all things might be the crown jewl.
See the full list of April titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
—
3 Bad Men, John Ford, 1926
Aar paar, Guru Dutt,...
- 3/25/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Grand Jury Prizes awarded to Thamizh’s Seththumaan (Pig) for Best Feature
and Karishma Dev Dube’s Bittu for Best Short
Sajin Babu’s feature Biriyaani, Rima Das’ short For Each Other, Upamanyu Bhattacharyya & Kalp Sanghvi’s short Wade won Honorable Mentions, and Nivita Chaliki won Honorable Mention for her performance in the short film, Forever Tonight.
Audience Awards went to Ajitpal Singh’s Fire in the Mountains for Best Feature
and Aarti Neharsh’s The Song We Sang for Best Short
Mumbai/ Los Angeles, CA – The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) announced today its Grand Jury winners and Audience Awards for the festival’s 19th edition, which was held virtually and available all over California and, for the very first time, in India from May 20-27. This year’s festival boasted an impressive total of 40 films, including 2 World, 8 North American, 5 U.S. and 18 Los Angeles premieres, spanning 17 languages,...
and Karishma Dev Dube’s Bittu for Best Short
Sajin Babu’s feature Biriyaani, Rima Das’ short For Each Other, Upamanyu Bhattacharyya & Kalp Sanghvi’s short Wade won Honorable Mentions, and Nivita Chaliki won Honorable Mention for her performance in the short film, Forever Tonight.
Audience Awards went to Ajitpal Singh’s Fire in the Mountains for Best Feature
and Aarti Neharsh’s The Song We Sang for Best Short
Mumbai/ Los Angeles, CA – The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) announced today its Grand Jury winners and Audience Awards for the festival’s 19th edition, which was held virtually and available all over California and, for the very first time, in India from May 20-27. This year’s festival boasted an impressive total of 40 films, including 2 World, 8 North American, 5 U.S. and 18 Los Angeles premieres, spanning 17 languages,...
- 5/28/2021
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) announced today its Grand Jury winners and Audience Awards for the festival’s 19th edition, which was held virtually and available all over California and, for the very first time, in India from May 20-27. This year’s festival boasted an impressive total of 40 films, including 2 World, 8 North American, 5 U.S. and 18 Los Angeles premieres, spanning 17 languages, with 16 women directors. The festival had an overwhelming response both in California and India.
Award-winning Features
Tamil director Thamizh’s debut film Seththumaan (Pig) took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature. “The grand jury prize for best feature went to a film that impressed us tremendously, both in terms of filmmaking and dramaturgy. It's a phenomenal first feature, gentle and impactful, done with heart and guts, that is at the same time very candid and very mature and complex”, said the Features Jury of their decision.
Award-winning Features
Tamil director Thamizh’s debut film Seththumaan (Pig) took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature. “The grand jury prize for best feature went to a film that impressed us tremendously, both in terms of filmmaking and dramaturgy. It's a phenomenal first feature, gentle and impactful, done with heart and guts, that is at the same time very candid and very mature and complex”, said the Features Jury of their decision.
- 5/27/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Exclusive: The Asian and Asian American community in the country has had a rough couple of weeks. One could also argue they have had a rough couple of years — or even decades — since the first Asian set foot on the soil of America. Nonetheless, now is the time for authentic, humanizing representation of Asian and Asian Americans to bolster community morale and to bring light to a time when things seem so dark.
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) and major industry partners have launched the ninth annual Cape New Writers Fellowship, the premier non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The fellowship boasts multiple showrunners and graduates that have been staffed on over 50 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms.
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu. The sessions include master classes, panels, and workshops, as well as writing labs, in which Fellows revise their scripts under one-on-one mentorship with high-level industry professionals.
This year’s mentors and speakers include Monica Macer, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Sunil Nayar, Teresa Hsiao, Alexander Woo, Albert Kim, Tanuj Chopra, Kyle Harimoto, Jason Ning, Vicky Luu, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Nazrin Choudhury, and April Shih, who has the special distinction of being the first alumni of the Cape Fellowship to return as a mentor.
“For the past 30 years, Cape has fought to break barriers in entertainment for our stories to be heard because we all know racism is not new,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Dehumanizing tropes in media such as the Yellow Peril, Perpetual Foreigner, and Model Minority leads directly to physical violence against us in the real world, which is why this is more than a representation issue, it’s a social justice issue.”
The participants of the 2021 Cape New Writers Fellowship are:
Bryson Chun is a Hawaiian filmmaker who has produced films that have screened for PBS, The Smithsonian Museum, The Criterion Collection, and festivals worldwide. He was a screenwriting fellow for Sundance, imagineNATIVE, LA Skins, and ‘Ohina Labs. Most recently, he was selected for The Blacklist’s Inaugural Indigenous List, which spotlights some of the best Indigenous film and television writers working within the U.S. Darek Cioch is a Korean and Polish American writer from Seattle. After studying film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he began his entertainment career working for Anonymous Content and HBO. Since then he has been a writers’ assistant for television shows on ABC, NBC and FX. Darek is currently a researcher on FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story. Jane Yubin Kim is a Korean American writer and performer based in Los Angeles. After graduating from Ucsb where she studied film, she worked in post production and regularly performed and wrote comedy at the Upright Citizens’ Brigade, where she was a Ucb Diversity scholarship recipient. She is repped by Authentic. Kyle Kubo & Fatima Liaqat are a comedy writing duo/life duo who first collaborated at BuzzFeed writing and producing viral videos. Kyle is biracial Japanese/white, Fatima is a queer, disabled Pakistani, and together they have a passion for writing comedy scripts that blend with other genres from musicals to sci-fi to horror and historical fiction. Their work has placed in Austin Film Festival and the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices competition and has been showcased at Ucb theater stage, Vice, Vanity Fair, Bustle, Thrillist and more. Olive Song is a Chinese-American writer from the suburbs of Georgia. After surviving homelessness, foster care, and a professional figure skating career, they moved on to earn an Mfa in screenwriting from USC. A part-time YouTube binger and a full-time storyteller, Olive has worked with both the Sundance Institute and Participant Media and is currently a Showrunner’s Assistant for an upcoming hour-long TV drama. Vinita Mehta & Richard Nguyen were raised by immigrants, and went on to study psychology at Columbia and Harvard, respectively. Their writing is informed by shared experiences in TV news and documentary production, providing psychotherapy, and D&i consulting. Their screenplays have been a Cinequest Top Ten Finalist, Humanitas New Voices Finalist, and Tracking Board’s Top 100 Pilots and Winner of the Mentorship Prize. Sonali Mehta is a TV writer’s assistant and former video game story editor. A genre-agnostic, all of Sonali’s writing centers around one relevant and complex theme. Sonali’s favorite shows include Succession, Breaking Bad, and Killing Eve. She is repped by Tulsea. Yugo Nakamura grew up in Tokyo as a half-Japanese, half-Jewish boy who spoke mostly Japanese. His family abruptly moved to NYC just before high school. Film and TV is what got him through the intense culture shock, which lead to his undergraduate film degree. Yugo had a career in postproduction before he set out to earn his Mfa in Screenwriting at the AFI Conservatory, graduating in 2020.
After graduating from the fellowship, the participants join a distinguished roster of alumni including Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt (Star Trek: Section 31), Lauren Moon, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Eileen Shim (House of the Dragon), Kevin Lau, Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off the Boat), Tania Lotia (Witcher: Blood Origin), Nikhil Jayaram (Shades of Blue), Marisa Tam (L.A.’s Finest), Franklin jin Rho (Pachinko), Allyssa Lee (Charmed), Teresa Huang (MacGyver), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Jeremy Hsu (Jimmy Kimmel: Live!), Ken Kobayashi (Hit Monkey), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Joanne Lee (Coop and Cami Ask the World), Gabriel Ho (Clarice), Andrew N. Wong (Superman & Lois), D. Dona Le (FBI: Most Wanted), Nathan Ramos-Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall), Ken Cheng (House of Chow) and Iram Parveen Bilal (I’ll Meet You There), among others.
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) and major industry partners have launched the ninth annual Cape New Writers Fellowship, the premier non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The fellowship boasts multiple showrunners and graduates that have been staffed on over 50 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms.
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu. The sessions include master classes, panels, and workshops, as well as writing labs, in which Fellows revise their scripts under one-on-one mentorship with high-level industry professionals.
This year’s mentors and speakers include Monica Macer, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Sunil Nayar, Teresa Hsiao, Alexander Woo, Albert Kim, Tanuj Chopra, Kyle Harimoto, Jason Ning, Vicky Luu, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Nazrin Choudhury, and April Shih, who has the special distinction of being the first alumni of the Cape Fellowship to return as a mentor.
“For the past 30 years, Cape has fought to break barriers in entertainment for our stories to be heard because we all know racism is not new,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Dehumanizing tropes in media such as the Yellow Peril, Perpetual Foreigner, and Model Minority leads directly to physical violence against us in the real world, which is why this is more than a representation issue, it’s a social justice issue.”
The participants of the 2021 Cape New Writers Fellowship are:
Bryson Chun is a Hawaiian filmmaker who has produced films that have screened for PBS, The Smithsonian Museum, The Criterion Collection, and festivals worldwide. He was a screenwriting fellow for Sundance, imagineNATIVE, LA Skins, and ‘Ohina Labs. Most recently, he was selected for The Blacklist’s Inaugural Indigenous List, which spotlights some of the best Indigenous film and television writers working within the U.S. Darek Cioch is a Korean and Polish American writer from Seattle. After studying film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he began his entertainment career working for Anonymous Content and HBO. Since then he has been a writers’ assistant for television shows on ABC, NBC and FX. Darek is currently a researcher on FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story. Jane Yubin Kim is a Korean American writer and performer based in Los Angeles. After graduating from Ucsb where she studied film, she worked in post production and regularly performed and wrote comedy at the Upright Citizens’ Brigade, where she was a Ucb Diversity scholarship recipient. She is repped by Authentic. Kyle Kubo & Fatima Liaqat are a comedy writing duo/life duo who first collaborated at BuzzFeed writing and producing viral videos. Kyle is biracial Japanese/white, Fatima is a queer, disabled Pakistani, and together they have a passion for writing comedy scripts that blend with other genres from musicals to sci-fi to horror and historical fiction. Their work has placed in Austin Film Festival and the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices competition and has been showcased at Ucb theater stage, Vice, Vanity Fair, Bustle, Thrillist and more. Olive Song is a Chinese-American writer from the suburbs of Georgia. After surviving homelessness, foster care, and a professional figure skating career, they moved on to earn an Mfa in screenwriting from USC. A part-time YouTube binger and a full-time storyteller, Olive has worked with both the Sundance Institute and Participant Media and is currently a Showrunner’s Assistant for an upcoming hour-long TV drama. Vinita Mehta & Richard Nguyen were raised by immigrants, and went on to study psychology at Columbia and Harvard, respectively. Their writing is informed by shared experiences in TV news and documentary production, providing psychotherapy, and D&i consulting. Their screenplays have been a Cinequest Top Ten Finalist, Humanitas New Voices Finalist, and Tracking Board’s Top 100 Pilots and Winner of the Mentorship Prize. Sonali Mehta is a TV writer’s assistant and former video game story editor. A genre-agnostic, all of Sonali’s writing centers around one relevant and complex theme. Sonali’s favorite shows include Succession, Breaking Bad, and Killing Eve. She is repped by Tulsea. Yugo Nakamura grew up in Tokyo as a half-Japanese, half-Jewish boy who spoke mostly Japanese. His family abruptly moved to NYC just before high school. Film and TV is what got him through the intense culture shock, which lead to his undergraduate film degree. Yugo had a career in postproduction before he set out to earn his Mfa in Screenwriting at the AFI Conservatory, graduating in 2020.
After graduating from the fellowship, the participants join a distinguished roster of alumni including Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt (Star Trek: Section 31), Lauren Moon, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Eileen Shim (House of the Dragon), Kevin Lau, Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off the Boat), Tania Lotia (Witcher: Blood Origin), Nikhil Jayaram (Shades of Blue), Marisa Tam (L.A.’s Finest), Franklin jin Rho (Pachinko), Allyssa Lee (Charmed), Teresa Huang (MacGyver), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Jeremy Hsu (Jimmy Kimmel: Live!), Ken Kobayashi (Hit Monkey), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Joanne Lee (Coop and Cami Ask the World), Gabriel Ho (Clarice), Andrew N. Wong (Superman & Lois), D. Dona Le (FBI: Most Wanted), Nathan Ramos-Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall), Ken Cheng (House of Chow) and Iram Parveen Bilal (I’ll Meet You There), among others.
- 3/29/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Film slate includes talent such as Taapsee Pannu and Dhanush, while series include Bombay Begums and second season of Delhi Crime.
Netflix introduced a slate of 40 Indian films, series and documentaries at its “See What’s Next India 2021” event today, presided over by Monika Shergill, vice president of content for Netflix India, and Srishti Behl Arya, director, International Original Film.
The film slate sees Netflix teaming with major Mumbai-based production houses such as Reliance Entertainment, T-Series, Emmay Entertainment, Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment.
With Dharmatic, Netflix is producing anthology Ajeeb Daastaans and Vivek Soni’s romantic drama Meenakshi Sundareshwar.
Netflix introduced a slate of 40 Indian films, series and documentaries at its “See What’s Next India 2021” event today, presided over by Monika Shergill, vice president of content for Netflix India, and Srishti Behl Arya, director, International Original Film.
The film slate sees Netflix teaming with major Mumbai-based production houses such as Reliance Entertainment, T-Series, Emmay Entertainment, Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment.
With Dharmatic, Netflix is producing anthology Ajeeb Daastaans and Vivek Soni’s romantic drama Meenakshi Sundareshwar.
- 3/3/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Editors’ Note: With full acknowledgment of the big-picture implications of a pandemic that has already claimed thousands of lives, cratered global economies and closed international borders, Deadline’s Coping With Covid-19 Crisis series is a forum for those in the entertainment space grappling with myriad consequences of seeing a great industry screech to a halt. The hope is for an exchange of ideas and experiences, and suggestions on how businesses and individuals can best ride out a crisis that doesn’t look like it will abate any time soon. If you have a story, email mike@deadline.com.
Lynn Chen has been seen on numerous TV series including Silicon Valley, The Affair and Shameless, and starred in Nice Girls Crew from Sundance winner Tanuj Chopra. Her indie résumé includes the recent Emily Ting comedy Go Back to China, and she is probably best known for her role in Alice Wu’s film Saving Face.
Lynn Chen has been seen on numerous TV series including Silicon Valley, The Affair and Shameless, and starred in Nice Girls Crew from Sundance winner Tanuj Chopra. Her indie résumé includes the recent Emily Ting comedy Go Back to China, and she is probably best known for her role in Alice Wu’s film Saving Face.
- 3/24/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The newest of the fall festivals wraps up today, and the Los Angeles Film Festival has announced Tom Shadyac’s powerful and inspiring true story Brian Banks as winner of its Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film and the acclaimed Stuntman as Audience Award choice winner for Best Documentary Feature. As the Toronto Film Festival annually proves, it is the Audience Award that often gets the most attention and is most representative of a particular film’s success at many of these fests.
At its world premiere screening Saturday afternoon, Brian Banks received five standing ovations by my count as the key creative team and actors were brought up on stage by Banks himself after the rousing reception to the emotionally draining film. It’s the story of a promising young football star’s fight against the justice system in trying to clear his name after serving prison time and...
At its world premiere screening Saturday afternoon, Brian Banks received five standing ovations by my count as the key creative team and actors were brought up on stage by Banks himself after the rousing reception to the emotionally draining film. It’s the story of a promising young football star’s fight against the justice system in trying to clear his name after serving prison time and...
- 9/28/2018
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance Institute has selected nine original TV pilots for its fifth annual Episodic Lab, which runs from September 27-October 2 at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah. Topics and formats range from half-hour comedies about friendships put to the test to historical dramas about the struggle for Native American land sovereignty. Read about the projects and their creators below.
Beginning with the Lab, the 12 new fellows will receive customized, ongoing creative and tactical support from episodic program staff, creative advisers and industry mentors, led by Michelle Satter, founding director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, and Jennifer Goyne Blake, director of the Episodic Program, and including Peter Friedlander, Marti Noxon, Graham Yost, Sarah Timberman and Ali LeRoi. As the Lab convenes, the selected fellows will develop their series and pilot scripts with a slate of individual and group creative meetings, writers rooms, case-study screenings and pitch sessions, with guidance from accomplished showrunners,...
Beginning with the Lab, the 12 new fellows will receive customized, ongoing creative and tactical support from episodic program staff, creative advisers and industry mentors, led by Michelle Satter, founding director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, and Jennifer Goyne Blake, director of the Episodic Program, and including Peter Friedlander, Marti Noxon, Graham Yost, Sarah Timberman and Ali LeRoi. As the Lab convenes, the selected fellows will develop their series and pilot scripts with a slate of individual and group creative meetings, writers rooms, case-study screenings and pitch sessions, with guidance from accomplished showrunners,...
- 9/24/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
90210 alum Trevor Donovan and Code Black actress Jillian Murray will topline the indie film, Prescription for Love, being helmed by Brian Brough. The pic follows Claire (Murray), who fights for a chance at love with a charming new doctor (Donovan) and for a promotion to free herself from the misery her supervisor creates. Brough and Brittany Wiscombe are producing the pic via at Silver Creek productions. Donovan, repped by Artists Only Management, is set to star in two other indie films, Hot Water and World War II pic Wolf Hound. Murray, who also recurred on TNT’s Murder in the First, is repped by Link entertainment and Joseph Le Talent.
Westworld actor Leonardo Nam, Sheetal Sheth (Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World), Hal Ozsan (Jessica Jones), and Anil Kumar (False Profits) will star in Hummingbird, an indie drama written and directed by Tanuj Chopra based on a story by Sheth.
Westworld actor Leonardo Nam, Sheetal Sheth (Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World), Hal Ozsan (Jessica Jones), and Anil Kumar (False Profits) will star in Hummingbird, an indie drama written and directed by Tanuj Chopra based on a story by Sheth.
- 8/14/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent’s Los Angeles event boasts 42% female-directed entries.
Film Independent’s La Film Festival has unveiled the line-ups for five of its sections, with Gregory Dixon’s Olympia, Alex Moratto’s Socrates and Linda Midgett’s Same God among the world premieres.
The festival, which runs from September 20 to 28 this year in Los Angeles, announced 40 features, 41 shorts and 10 episodic shorts from a total of 26 countries.
In competition categories, 42% of the festival titles are directed by women and 39% by people of colour, said Film Independent, the non-profit that also produces the Spirit Awards.
Scroll down for full line-up
Jennifer Cochis,...
Film Independent’s La Film Festival has unveiled the line-ups for five of its sections, with Gregory Dixon’s Olympia, Alex Moratto’s Socrates and Linda Midgett’s Same God among the world premieres.
The festival, which runs from September 20 to 28 this year in Los Angeles, announced 40 features, 41 shorts and 10 episodic shorts from a total of 26 countries.
In competition categories, 42% of the festival titles are directed by women and 39% by people of colour, said Film Independent, the non-profit that also produces the Spirit Awards.
Scroll down for full line-up
Jennifer Cochis,...
- 8/1/2018
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The La Film Festival has placed a heavy emphasis on diversity in its competition film slate, with 42% of the films directed by women and 39% helmed by people of color.
The 24th edition of the festival is also positioning itself as an event for unveiling lesser-known talent. It will take place Sept. 20-28 as it moves from its traditional June slot to the fall awards season.
The Los Angeles event follow the Venice International Film Festival, which begins in late August; the Telluride Film Festival, which runs over Labor Day; and the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, which starts on Sept. 6. The festival will end just as the New York Film Festival begins.
“Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” said L Film Festival director Jennifer Cochis. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport, impact and inspire audiences with the power of their craft.
The 24th edition of the festival is also positioning itself as an event for unveiling lesser-known talent. It will take place Sept. 20-28 as it moves from its traditional June slot to the fall awards season.
The Los Angeles event follow the Venice International Film Festival, which begins in late August; the Telluride Film Festival, which runs over Labor Day; and the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, which starts on Sept. 6. The festival will end just as the New York Film Festival begins.
“Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” said L Film Festival director Jennifer Cochis. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport, impact and inspire audiences with the power of their craft.
- 7/31/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Forty feature films including 24 world premieres highlight the official La Film Festival competition lineup in the fest’s move into the crowded fall festival corridor, away from their previous early-summer perch.
Among the movies in competition is the highly regarded Swedish film Border (Grans) from director Ali Abbasi, a Neon pickup out of Cannes that took the top prize in that festival’s No. 2 competition, Un Certain Regard. It is listed as a “California Premiere,” which means it likely will show up first in Telluride, Toronto or both before Laff, which runs September 20-28. It will play in the World Fiction Competition across a field of categories that also include U.S. Fiction, Documentary, La Muse, Nightfall. Short Films, and Episodes: Indie Series from the web.
“Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” Laff Director Jennifer Cochis said. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport,...
Among the movies in competition is the highly regarded Swedish film Border (Grans) from director Ali Abbasi, a Neon pickup out of Cannes that took the top prize in that festival’s No. 2 competition, Un Certain Regard. It is listed as a “California Premiere,” which means it likely will show up first in Telluride, Toronto or both before Laff, which runs September 20-28. It will play in the World Fiction Competition across a field of categories that also include U.S. Fiction, Documentary, La Muse, Nightfall. Short Films, and Episodes: Indie Series from the web.
“Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” Laff Director Jennifer Cochis said. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport,...
- 7/31/2018
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
For its 24th edition, Film Independent’s newly configured Los Angeles Film Festival has revealed its first fall lineup (September 20 – 28), the second under the leadership of Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. The date moves Laff into awards season and direct competition with AFI Fest (November 8 – 15), the last of the fall festivals. This year’s Laff program includes 40 feature films, 41 short films, and 10 short episodic works representing 26 countries. Across the competition categories 42 percent of the films are directed by women and 39 percent are directed by people of color.
The festival remains committed to a diverse lineup of feature films, shorts and episodic series for its U.S. Fiction (“original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers”), Documentary (“character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world”), World Fiction (“unique fiction films from around the world by emerging and established filmmakers”), La Muse (“fiction and documentary films...
The festival remains committed to a diverse lineup of feature films, shorts and episodic series for its U.S. Fiction (“original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers”), Documentary (“character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world”), World Fiction (“unique fiction films from around the world by emerging and established filmmakers”), La Muse (“fiction and documentary films...
- 7/31/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
For its 24th edition, Film Independent’s newly configured Los Angeles Film Festival has revealed its first fall lineup (September 20 – 28), the second under the leadership of Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. The date moves Laff into awards season and direct competition with AFI Fest (November 8 – 15), the last of the fall festivals. This year’s Laff program includes 40 feature films, 41 short films, and 10 short episodic works representing 26 countries. Across the competition categories 42 percent of the films are directed by women and 39 percent are directed by people of color.
The festival remains committed to a diverse lineup of feature films, shorts and episodic series for its U.S. Fiction (“original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers”), Documentary (“character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world”), World Fiction (“unique fiction films from around the world by emerging and established filmmakers”), La Muse (“fiction and documentary films...
The festival remains committed to a diverse lineup of feature films, shorts and episodic series for its U.S. Fiction (“original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers”), Documentary (“character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world”), World Fiction (“unique fiction films from around the world by emerging and established filmmakers”), La Muse (“fiction and documentary films...
- 7/31/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
HBOAccess has announced the top 20 semi-finalists for their 2018 Directing Fellowship. The program supports directors who are interested in a career in television by giving them the opportunity to shoot a pilot presentation which will air on HBO, HBO Go, and HBO Now.
HBO received over 1,000 submissions when it opened its application portal in February. “There are so many talented new directors doing great work. Getting this list down to only three fellows will be difficult,” remarked President of HBO Films Len Amato, “but we gladly accept that challenge and are excited to support and give a platform to new voices and artists with vision.”
The 2018 HBOAccess semi-finalists are:
Alicia J. Rose
Carey Williams
Damon Russell
Dinh Thai
Dubois Ashong
Erika Bagnarello
Huay-Bing Law
Jacqueline Dow
Kaitlin Fontana
Mary Gulino
Maureen Bharoocha
Michael Olmos
Mylissa Fitzsimmons
Olivia Clare Newman
Ryan Richmond
Ryan Zaragoza
Tanuj Chopra
Tarik Jackson
Thembi Banks
Zao Wang...
HBO received over 1,000 submissions when it opened its application portal in February. “There are so many talented new directors doing great work. Getting this list down to only three fellows will be difficult,” remarked President of HBO Films Len Amato, “but we gladly accept that challenge and are excited to support and give a platform to new voices and artists with vision.”
The 2018 HBOAccess semi-finalists are:
Alicia J. Rose
Carey Williams
Damon Russell
Dinh Thai
Dubois Ashong
Erika Bagnarello
Huay-Bing Law
Jacqueline Dow
Kaitlin Fontana
Mary Gulino
Maureen Bharoocha
Michael Olmos
Mylissa Fitzsimmons
Olivia Clare Newman
Ryan Richmond
Ryan Zaragoza
Tanuj Chopra
Tarik Jackson
Thembi Banks
Zao Wang...
- 4/11/2018
- by Sean McAloon
- Age of the Nerd
In today’s roundup, Lifetime released the trailer for new thriller series “You,” and the CW announced the return dates for several summer shows.
Frist Looks
Lifetime released the first official trailer of thriller series “You” based on the best-selling book of the same name by Caroline Kepnes. From executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, the show follows a twisted, obsessive love story about a man who uses the hyper-connectivity of today’s world to make a woman fall for him. “You” stars Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Shay Mitchell, Luca Padovan, and Zach Cherry, with a special guest appearance by John Stamos. It premieres September 9 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. Watch the trailer below.
Casting
Undefeated boxing champion Andre “Son of God” Ward will host Mark Burnett’s boxing competition series “The Contender.” Freddie Roach and Naazim Richardson have also joined the series as trainers. The 12-episode season will...
Frist Looks
Lifetime released the first official trailer of thriller series “You” based on the best-selling book of the same name by Caroline Kepnes. From executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, the show follows a twisted, obsessive love story about a man who uses the hyper-connectivity of today’s world to make a woman fall for him. “You” stars Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Shay Mitchell, Luca Padovan, and Zach Cherry, with a special guest appearance by John Stamos. It premieres September 9 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. Watch the trailer below.
Casting
Undefeated boxing champion Andre “Son of God” Ward will host Mark Burnett’s boxing competition series “The Contender.” Freddie Roach and Naazim Richardson have also joined the series as trainers. The 12-episode season will...
- 4/10/2018
- by Ariana Brockington
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Television unveiled the eight directors selected for its 2017 Diverse Directors Program. Now in its fourth year, the program provides opportunities for artists of diverse backgrounds to work with established television directors on Spt series. The 2017 program fellows selected from nearly 250 submissions are Alison Turner, Melissa Hickey, Daniel Willis, Tiffany Paulsen, Tanuj Chopra, Milena Govich, Ryan Brown and Joel Novoa. Each will be assigned to work on…...
- 11/29/2017
- Deadline TV
Comedy Dynamics, an independent stand-up comedy production and distribution company, has acquired the rights to its first feature film, buddy comedy pic Chee and T from director Tanuj Chopra. The feature, which won the La Film Festival's Special Jury Prize for Comedy, is about the only two guys in Silicon Valley, Chee (Sunkrish Bala) and T (Dominic Rains), who are a pair of underachieving debt collectors who are tasked with a seemingly small job: get their Uncle's nephew…...
- 2/27/2017
- Deadline
In the new buddy comedy "Chee and T," the titular pair (Sunkrish Bala and Dominic Rains) are debt collectors stuck living in Silicon Valley; they spend their time kicking down doors and chain smoking the day away. When their boss Chee's Uncle Rob, a wealthy landlord-tycoon, task the two guys to get his nephew Mayunk (Asif Ali) a suit and a haircut before his upcoming engagement party. Unfortunately, Mayunk is a lot wilder than they previously anticipated with a penchant for acquiring and consuming drugs. Soon they have to handle their hyperactive, drug-crazed little cousin and deliver him to Chee's uncle before it's too late. Watch the exclusive teaser trailer for the film above. Read More: La Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup: 42 World Premieres in U.S. Fiction, Documentary and Other Sections "Chee and T" is directed by Tanuj Chopra. His first feature film "Punching at the Sun" premiered at...
- 5/18/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Out with a new record are Swetshop Boys. The group features outspoken Queens rapper Himanshu Suri (aka “Heems”) of Das Racist, who teams up with London-based rapper Riz Mc for their track “Benny Lava.” This is his first group Suri's been involved with since Das Racist split, and if this jam, produced by the great Ryan Hemsworth, is a sign of things to come, it looks like this is a match made in hip hop heaven. This video astutely alludes to another “Benny Lava.” The original, if you haven’t seen it, is probably one of the best things the Internet has done for us. Other similar viral hits from India have made the rounds on YouTube, so fingers crossed Swetshop Boys drop this one in their next release. The new visuals were shot by the duo Prashant Bhargava and Tanuj Chopra, who adroitly shoot the rappers in and around...
- 3/26/2014
- by Arshan Sadri
- Tubefilter.com
Cinema Beyond Boundaries wrapped its weekend stretch in New York on September 29 at Sva (School of Visual Arts)with educational sessions redefining the world cinema for film enthusiasts. The two- day conference was attended by filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar from east and well- known panelists including film director Micheal Canzoniero and Dan Fogler, music composer Wayne Sharpe, director and producer Vladan Nikolic and actors Reshma Shetty and Ajay Naidu.
Other panelists were Aroon Shivdasani, School of Visual Arts NYC president Reeves Lehmann and Tanuj Chopra with moderators Anna Swanson and Vishesh Sharma.
The event was presented by Molecule Communications whose founders, brother- sister duo, Ajay Shrivastav and Kiren Shrivastav aimed at educating guests on the inside workings of the industry from contracts, to unions, to first hand experiences of actors, directors, screenwriters and producers from different kind of cinema starting with Indian and American cinema. Event was attended by film students,...
Other panelists were Aroon Shivdasani, School of Visual Arts NYC president Reeves Lehmann and Tanuj Chopra with moderators Anna Swanson and Vishesh Sharma.
The event was presented by Molecule Communications whose founders, brother- sister duo, Ajay Shrivastav and Kiren Shrivastav aimed at educating guests on the inside workings of the industry from contracts, to unions, to first hand experiences of actors, directors, screenwriters and producers from different kind of cinema starting with Indian and American cinema. Event was attended by film students,...
- 10/3/2013
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Molecule Communication in collaboration with Sva & SAG/AFTRA Presents Ticket 2 Bollywood “Cinema Beyond Boundaries” the 2nd annual conference for successful film industry professionals working in the Bollywood and New York film industries. Over three days of panels, workshops and receptions where today’s hottest writers, directors, musicians and actors recount experiences in the field and lessons learned. They will offer personal insights and forecast changes in the fast-growing and rapidly-evolving global film making industry, while also taking the opportunity to extend their professional networks. CBB will focus on global cinema opportunities, bringing Hollywood and Bollywood film professionals together to discuss screenwriting trends, co production opportunities, and international film financing to connect the world’s most important film industries.
Guest Speakers from the East:
Madhur Bhandarkar: Screenwriter/Producer/Director; Fashion, Jail, Heroine, Chandni Bar Sanjay Gupta: Screenwriter/Director/Producer; Kaante, Shootout at Wadala, Dus Kahaniya Aunradha Tiwari: Screenwriter; Fashion,...
Guest Speakers from the East:
Madhur Bhandarkar: Screenwriter/Producer/Director; Fashion, Jail, Heroine, Chandni Bar Sanjay Gupta: Screenwriter/Director/Producer; Kaante, Shootout at Wadala, Dus Kahaniya Aunradha Tiwari: Screenwriter; Fashion,...
- 9/26/2013
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has announced the 2010 line-up of films for its 8th annual festival, which runs April 20-April 25 at ArcLight Hollywood. The six-day festival will showcase 33 films from 5 countries, including 4 world premieres and 7 Us premieres.
“This is a true celebration of the art and business of Indian film and culture as well as an opportunity to connect with the game changers and emerging filmmakers of Indian themed content,’ said Christina Marouda, Iffla’s Executive Director. “As filmmakers of Indian descent forge new relationships in Hollywood, we invite moviegoers and industry professionals to experience our unique and wide ranging program which includes thought-provoking dramas, engaging documentaries, along with a touch of light hearted fare and a taste of Bollywood.”
Kicking off the festival is the Los Angeles premiere and directorial debut of Dilip Mehta‘s Cooking With Stella, starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, and Don McKellar.
“This is a true celebration of the art and business of Indian film and culture as well as an opportunity to connect with the game changers and emerging filmmakers of Indian themed content,’ said Christina Marouda, Iffla’s Executive Director. “As filmmakers of Indian descent forge new relationships in Hollywood, we invite moviegoers and industry professionals to experience our unique and wide ranging program which includes thought-provoking dramas, engaging documentaries, along with a touch of light hearted fare and a taste of Bollywood.”
Kicking off the festival is the Los Angeles premiere and directorial debut of Dilip Mehta‘s Cooking With Stella, starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, and Don McKellar.
- 4/1/2010
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Nevada (Us), Feb 22 – Twelve Indian or India related films will form part of ‘28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival’ (Sfiaaff) to be held from March 11 to 21.
It will include: Today’s Special (David Kaplan), Love Aaj Kal (Imtiaz Ali), Cooking With Stella (Dilip Mehta), Diana (Aleem Khan), Scene 32 (Shambhavi Kaul), Talentime (Yasmin Ahmad), and Flying (Kirthi Nath). In addition, following Indian or India related shorts will participate: Narmeen (Dipti Gogna), Clap Clap (Tanuj Chopra),.
It will include: Today’s Special (David Kaplan), Love Aaj Kal (Imtiaz Ali), Cooking With Stella (Dilip Mehta), Diana (Aleem Khan), Scene 32 (Shambhavi Kaul), Talentime (Yasmin Ahmad), and Flying (Kirthi Nath). In addition, following Indian or India related shorts will participate: Narmeen (Dipti Gogna), Clap Clap (Tanuj Chopra),.
- 2/22/2010
- by News
- RealBollywood.com
- This year Ioncinema.com is covering the 2006 edition of the Sundance Film Festival Live from Park City, Utah. Weâ.ll be on hand to cover the festival, and while we wonâ.t be able to cover everything from A to Z: here is a comprehensive beforehand look at the selections in each of the festivalâ.s sections. (Note: To access individual preview pages, simply click on the links below) January 19th to the 29th, 2006Counting Down: updateCountdownClock('January 19, 2006'); A Matter of Degrees - Davis Guggenheim Adam's Apples - Anders Thomas Jensen All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise - Shari Cookson Battle in Heaven - Carlos Reygadas Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Hip-Hop Head Weighs In On Manhood in Hip-Hop Culture - Byron Hurt Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon - Peter Richardson Dreamland - Jason Matzner Ev Confidential: Who Killed the Electric Car? - Chris Paine Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
- 1/16/2006
- IONCINEMA.com
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