Indian film to kick off South Asian fest in US

October 20th, 2009 NEW YORK - A fantasy adventure "Aladin" starring Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan becomes the first Hindi film to kick off the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) here since its inception in 2004. Director Sujoy Ghosh says "it's like a wish come true".

October 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In its 11th year, Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, sees many changes -- it has become shorter, for the first time focus is on Indian films, instead of June it is being held in October and lastly there are no tickets, though movie aficionados will have to pay and register. "This time there is no price on tickets.

October 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Veteran Bollywood director filmmaker Yash Chopra was honoured as the Asian filmmaker of the year at the ongoing 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in South Korea. The filmmaker was felicitated by film festival director Kim Dong-ho Friday.

October 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The 11th annual Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, starting here Oct 24, will focus on Indian films and filmmakers for the first time since its inception a decade ago. "Osians-Cinefans young friends Vishal Bhardwaj, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee along with their wonderful star actors and technicians will directly present in NewStream (Cinema Section) the emerging new face of Indian cinema through their films that have won both critical and popular acclaim, Mani Kaul, director general of the film fest, said in a statement released here Tuesday.

October 6th, 2009 MUMBAI - Four movies produced by Big Pictures - "Well Done Abba", "Abohamaan", "Kutty Srank" and Janala - will be screened at the upcoming 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) and 53rd London Film Festival. While "Kutty Srank" and "Abohamaan" will be screened in A Window on Asian Cinema section at Pusan film fest in Korea starting Oct 8, while "Well Done Abba" and Janala will be screened in the World Cinema Category of the London fest, beginning on Oct 14 respectively.

September 14th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's second largest supermarket chain, Asda, has launched a line of Indian clothing in the first such move by a high street retailer in the country. The 13-piece collection, including sequined embellished salwaar kameez, churidar, kurta and dupatta, is being launched to coincide with the start of Eid festivities.

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.

September 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Joining the league of commercial Hindi films like Road Movie, Delhi-6, "What's Your Raashee?" and "Dil Bole Hadippa" being screened at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the latest one to gain entry at the fest is NFDC's Konkani film The Man Beyond The Bridge. Directed by National Award-winning Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, the Konkani feature film will be screened under the Discovery Section of the fest and will have a total of five screenings during the gala.

August 16th, 2009 DHAKA - A documentary that portrays the fears of Bangladesh's Urdu-speaking populace, also known as `Biharis', will compete for honours at the seventh Film South Asia festival in Kathmandu next month. Tanvir Mokammel's "Swapnobhumi" (The Promised Land) narrates the woes of the Biharis and their dream of a better life.

June 17th, 2009 PANAJI - Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt feels that steady, subtle infiltration of Indian cinema into Pakistani households is one of the reasons which has kept both countries from an all out war. Speaking in Panaji Wednesday to announce the launch of the South Asian Film Festival (SAFF) being held here June 26-29, Bhatt said that the medium of storytelling automatically dissolved political boundaries.

June 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Two Indian movies - Hindi thriller "Sikandar" and Marathi drama "Samaantar" - have been nominated in two different categories at the Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival to be held in Stuttgart next month. "Sikandar" has been selected as a part of the official competition and would bid for the German Star of India award, while "Samaantar" is competing in the Audience Award section at the fest that begins July 14.

June 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Iran, with its thousand-year-old legacy of cultural history and traditional arts, is the guest country in the fourth edition of the South Asian Films Festival 2009, which begins in Goa June 26. The festival hosted by the South Asia Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation, will be supported by the Entertainment Society of Goa and the Kala Academy.

June 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With more than 50 films entered from eight Saarc countries and a special screening of 12 Iranian films, the fourth annual South Asian Film Festival starts in Goa June 26. The four-day event will feature movies from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and will have the theme "dissolving boundaries", the official website of the festival said.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The annual Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema has been re-scheduled from July to October from this year onwards. The film fest used to be held during July at the Siri Fort Complex in the capital since its inception a decade ago but from now it will be held in October.

June 5th, 2009 DHARAMSALA - The Tibetan government-in-exile will organise a two-day film festival here June 12-13 to commemorate its 50 years in exile. "The film fest will screen 17 Tibetan films at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.