‘Cookign With Stella’ hit at international film festivals

September 26th, 2009 Raja Menons Barah Aana starring Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz, and Arjun Mathur, after having received rave reviews in the New York Times, The Herald Tribune, and other international journals as well as being critically acclaimed domestically, has now been selected by the 45th Chicago International Film Festival. Interestingly film personalities including Aamir Khan, John Abraham, Imran Khan, Zoya Akhtar, and many others have also endorsed the film.

September 20th, 2009 MUMBAI - Lisa Ray, who is suffering from incurable cancer, is ecstatic after riding up in cycle-rickshaws for the premiere of Dilip Mehta's "Cooking With Stella" at the just concluded Toronto International Film Festival. Heads turned when Lisa and the rest of the cast of the comedy rode up in cycle-rickshaws Thursday night.

September 17th, 2009 BANGALORE - Actor-director Roopa Iyer's Kannada film "Mukhaputa", about children suffering from HIV/AIDS, has won the best feature film award at the recently concluded International Film Festival in Ireland and she says juries chose her film because they could feel the emotion throughout the narrative. "There were films from 34 countries which were jostling for the award.

September 17th, 2009 TORONTO - There were more white Canadians in the audience than non-whites when Dilip Mehta's directorial debut "Cooking with Stella" premiered to a full house at the Toronto International Film Festival. There was not a moment without laughter as this light comedy revolving around the family of a Canadian diplomat Maya (Lisa Ray), her husband Michael (Don McKellar) and their cook Stella (Seema Biswas) and nanny Tannu (Shriya Saran) unfolded on the big screen Wednesday.

September 10th, 2009 Cinematographer Santosh Sivan has already proved his directorial skills with the film, Before the Rains that was screened and liked at many international film festivals. He is now busy with Mani Ratnam’s latest bilingual film.

September 5th, 2009 LONDON - Veteran Bollywood director Yash Chopra has been named the Asian filmmaker of the year by organisers of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) to be held in South Korea next month. Chopra's popular films, including Lamhe, Dhoom 2, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and New York, will be showcased in a retrospective section at the fest, said a press release from Yash Raj Films.

August 31st, 2009 Lisa Ray is very excited about the release of her Hollywood film, What’s Cooking, Stella? The film will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and none other than Lisa and her co-star, Don McKellar, will formally open the festival on September 16. According to sources, they will open the Toronto Stock Exchange on the morning of the premiere.

August 18th, 2009 By Subhash K Jha The posh Toronto International Film Festival, which opens on September 10, has a unique lineup of Indian films this year. The two Bollywood entries are Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee, and first time director Anurag Singh's Dil Bole Hadippa.

August 18th, 2009 MUMBAI - The forthcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), starting Sep 10, will have a strong Indian presence -- while two mainstream Bollywood films "Dil Bole Hadippa" and "What's Your Rashee?" will have their world premieres, Dilip Mehta's "Cooking With Stella" has been selected for a screening in the prestigious Gala section. Jon Amiel's "Creation", a bio-pic on Charles Darwin, is also being premiered in the same section where Dilip's film is being screened and he says he is thrilled by the honour.

August 14th, 2009 Firaaq, National award-winning actress Nandita Das’ directorial debut will be screened at the Sangeetha Theatre by the Kochi Metro Film Society on Sunday at 9.30 a.m. The film is about the disturbing violence on human relationships after the Gujarat riots of 2002.

August 13th, 2009 Roopa Iyer, the debutant director of Mukhaputa (also known as ‘The Cover Page’ in English) can’t stop gushing about the selection of her film for seven international film festivals, namely, Portland International Film Festival, AE International Film Festival, England International Film Festival, UK– International Youth Film Festival, AVALON International Film Festival, IW– International Film Festival and International Film Festival of LONDON. The actress cum danseuse cum director’s film is about HIV AIDS.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - U2 star Bono's wife is taking legal action against former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney's daughter, designer Stella, in a dispute over one of the latter's fragrances. Stella, who designs her own Stella McCartney line, added a perfume collection to her fashion house in 2002 with her first fragrance Stella.

July 23rd, 2009 Director Priyadarshan’s Kanchivaram was not only liked by the local audiences but the film was also appreciated worldwide after being screened at various international film festivals. The flick which stars talented actors like Prakashraj, Shammu and Shriya Reddy in the lead roles will be honored by the Pondicherry Government in association with the Navadharshan Film Society, with ace director Priyadarshan being conferred with the Best director award at the annual film of the festival.

July 1st, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Kerala film industry has lots more to cheer about - it is set to get a film institute, a film park and an archives centre, state Culture Minister M.A. Baby announced in the assembly Wednesday.

May 3rd, 2009 Veteran Malayalam actor Madhu inaugurated the 70th International Film Festival of Malappuram at the DTPC Auditorium, Kottakunnu on 21st of February. Organized by Malappuram-based Rasmi Film Society, which is said to be the first Indian film body to organize 70 international film festivals, the four-day festival will feature many films screened at major international festivals, including the one held in Thiruvananthapuram.