Pickle Feb 2018 Berlinale EFM Edition

INDIA AT BERLINALE / EFM 2018 February 2018 INDIAN ENTERTAINMENT BIZ GUIDE

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VISIT INDIA STAND AT MGB CENTRAL HALL SEMINAR ON INDIA EUROPEAN FILM COLLABRATION EFM BUYERS CLUB FEB 17 9-11 AM

STATE OF THE INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY A PRESENTATION EFM PRODUCERS HUB FEB 17 1630 TO 1730

For details: India Stand No.: MGB 44 vaishali.shrivastava@cii.in

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INDIA AT EFM

INDIAN CINEMA ON A GLOBAL JOURNEY AT EFM An Indian delegation will be at EFM, to promote Indian movie industry, which is a gargantuan entity. The objective is to project Indian cinema, facilitate to syndicate and market Indian films and Film Facilitation Office in India

he Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in association with Confederation of Indian Industry, is participating in the 68th Berlin International Film Festival and European Film Market, (February 15-24, 2018) to project Indian cinema, facilitate to syndicate and market Indian films and film services in India. The India Stand is located at the prime MGB Central Hall (No 44).

The India delegation to Berlinle and European Film Market 2018 is led by prominent producer and director Karan Johar of Dharma Productions. The other delegation members include Vani Tripathi Tikoo, actress, producer and director,

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Shaji N Karun, director, Jahnu Barua, director, and Bhumi Pednekar, actress.

Over 50 Indian companies are at Berlin during this year’s European Film Market. Senior representatives of the filmed entertainment companies are at Berlin with their library catalogue, films in production and offshore services. Over 50 new flms are looking for sales and syndication in overseas territories and digital platforms. A dozen Indian buyers are looking for acquisition from the market and festival selections.

A breakfast seminar session on India Europe Film Collaboration is slated for February 17 at the European Buyers Club

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INDIAN DELEGATION AT BERLIN

Karan Johar

Vani Tripathi Tikoo

Director, Producer, Dharma Productions

Actress, Producer and Director

Ashok Kumar R Parmar JS (Films), Ministry of I&B Government of India

Shaji N Karun

Jahnu Barua

Bhumi Pednekar

Director

Director

Actress

in association with European Film Market. Delegation members will participate in an interactive session with delegates on engaging with India, co-production treaties and emerging opportunities in the New India. Activities are being planned at the Indian Embassy during the Berlin International Film Festival and EFM. Nataional Award winning film Neerja will be screened on this occasion.

The objective is to showcase Indian soft power during the festival.

Delegation members will make a presentation on the state of Indian film industry at the EFM Producers Club. The Indian movie industry is a gargantuan entity.

From its multiple production centres and in 20-odd languages, India produces nearly 2,000 films a year – more than the output of China and the US counted together.

The country’s box office gross is projected to grow to $3.7 billion by 2020.

The India Stand at EFM will provide a platform for Indian filmmakers and producers (mainstream and independent) to market Indian films with international territories and engage in co-production.

“The objective is to boost the profile of Indian films, facilitate business to business meetings, production services and Indian locales to the world,” says Amita Sarkar, Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry.

The objective behind the participation is to promote Indian films across linguistic cultural and regional diversity so as to forge an increasing number of international partnerships in the realms of

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distribution, production, filming in India, script development and technology, thereby accelerating the growth of film sector in India.

Ease of filming in India will also be promoted at Berlin. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, has set up the FFO with a view to promote and facilitate shootings by foreign filmmakers in India. FFO acts as a facilitation point for filmmakers in assisting them to get requisite permissions while disseminating information on shooting locations as well as the talent, resources and facilities available for production and post production. It proactively works closely with various Central and State Government Agencies to create a film friendly environment in India.

FFO accepts application for shooting of feature films, reality TV shows and commercial television series in India.

The India Stand at EFM will provide a platform for Indian filmmakers and producers to market Indian films with international territories and engage in co-production

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INDIAN COMPANIES AT EFM

ENGAGING WITH INDIA SEMINAR ON INDIA EUROPE FILM COLLABORATION EFM BUYERS LOUNGE FEB 17 9-11 AM

STATE OF THE INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY A PRESENTATION EFM PRODUCERS HUB FEB 17 1630 TO 1730

Activities are being planned at the Indian Embassy during Berline nd EFM. National Award winning film Neerja will be screened on this occasion

INDIAN COMPANIES AT EFM Q DQ Entertainment International will showcase its production prowess and announce the launch of two animated feature films for release. It is at EFM to identify and align with partners globally for the funding, production and distribution of the same. MGB Stand 162 Q Senior representative from film production house Red Chillies Entertainments promoted by Shah Rukk Khan and Gauri Khan will be at EFM. The company has been on a steady growth curve in the sphere of motion picture production and distribution.

Red Chillies Entertainments has

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branched itself into other domains of production as well, and currently parents film production, VFX - special effects, and Multi-media Equipment management.

Q Custard Apple Pictures is a sales, distribution & production company enabling independent feature films and documentary projects in India and Europe. Its focus is on bridging cinematic vision of the talents of India and Europe to deliver commercially viable cinema with artistic excellence. MGB Stand 40.

Q Viacom18 Motion Pictures (producer of latest blockbuster film Padmavat) is India’s finest fully integrated motion pictures studio that has emerged as a force to reckon with by delivering a stream of critically and commercially successful films.

It offers differentiated and meaningful cinema,

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Q’s Garbage is a revenge tale about two women subjected to different forms of male oppression.

It explores the vacuity of notions of masculinity propagated in popular culture, political spheres and religious sermons

Garbage, the subcontinent’s sole entry in 68th Berlin International Film Festival

Q PVR Pictures Limited is the largest independent studio for the distribution of Hollywood films in India. A 100 per cent owned subsidiary of PVR Limited, it is the motion picture arm of the largest cinema exhibition company in the country. Its objective is to acquire all rights for Hollywood films and other language films for India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan.

Q Vista India Digital Media provides value added solutions to manage your brand and assets in the evolving digital ecosystem. Its trained team takes over your assets and helps you monetize across the world’s largest digital platforms.

Vista’s partners include some of India’s largest brands and the largest International platforms for eCom-

merce.

Q VR Films & Studios is at EFM to acquire all rights of English and foreign language films for Indian subcontinent. It has 65 dubbing studios across India which provide Dubbing, Mixing and Editing services to various Film and TV clients worldwide.

Q Zee Studios International -- the film division of Zee Entertainmentis at EFM. Its current portfolio includes A-list Hindi actors with films like Akshay Kumar’s Rustom, Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees, Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstar, Sridevi’s Mom, Irrfan’s yet untitled film, Bareilly ki Barfi from Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame.

Zee Studios International has close to 17 films including movies in Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi and South Indian languages.

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INSIGHTS FROM EFM

MUST DO THINGS AT EFM PRESENTATION & TALKS The daily Presentation and Talk sessions run from February 16 to 20 in the afternoon at the EFM Producers Hub. Every day an expert will hold a short keynote or presentation on subjects related to the field of producing, followed by a discussion with the audience.

ROUND-TABLE SESSIONS In order to facilitate networking and to gain in-depth knowledge from leading experts of the documentary industry, DocSalon will offer five round-table sessions dedicated to the distribution, production and financing of documentaries. Each round-table session will provide 5 tables hosted by key industry players.

(Feb 16-20; 1400-1500 HRS).

DRAMA SERIES Drama Series Days presents a programme of series market screenings.

A handpicked selection of recently completed series (including web and doc series) will be screened to potential buyers from around the world.

The creators will present a short pitch, followed by an opportunity to meet both at an informal get-together and in one-on-one meetings with interested partners to talk in concrete terms about a possible collaboration.

EFM STARTUPS Pitch presentation by the 10 companies selected for the 2018 EFM Startup programme. Among them, OVA and Three Lefts are from Canada. (Monday, Feb 19, 10 am-12 noon; Berliner Freiheit)

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SINO-EUROPEAN SEMINAR Partnering with the Berlin based networking platform Bridging the Dragon for European and Chinese producers, the European Film Market hosts the Sino-European Production Seminar. (Feb 21). It is a programme to gather European film producers with a specific interest in China and help them increase their knowledge on this very relevant film market.

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EFM CELEBRATES 30 YEARS “The industry is still in the midst of change. Digital transformation is not yet complete and new possibilities for film that are worth a closer look are constantly opening up. With its platforms and different formats, the EFM provides participants with the tools to meet the contemporary challenges of the business.” says EFM director Matthijs Wouter Knol.

VR NOW SUMMIT Keynote by Stéphane Rituit, CoFounder & Producer at Felix & Paul Studios, in cooperation with the Canadian Embassy.

(Sunday, Feb 18, 1.20-7.30 pm Berliner Freiheit).

THREE ON TOP For the 68th edition of the Berlinale, three individuals have been chosen to receive the Berlinale Camera: the President of the European Film Market Beki Probst (Switzerland), producer and executive director of the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory (Israel) and director and actor Ji í Menzel (Czech Republic). Berlinale has been honouring individuals and institutions from the world of films that the festival feels particularly connected to with the Berlinale Camera, as a token of gratitude for their contributions to cinema.

PROGRAMME MODULES EFM Horizon will comprise a number of enriching programme modules, aiming to support the transformation of the film and media sectors through an interdisciplinary approach. Within the framework of this year’s EFM Horizon, various events featuring Canadian participants will highlight Canada’s strengths in creativity and innovation.

LET’S CHANGE WITH BLOCKCHAIN This workshop will be an opportunity to understand how Blockchain, through its decentralized structure, can contribute to the full potential of creators and industry, and bring new inclusive approaches representing all the diversity of genres and origins.

(Monday, Feb 19, 2-5.15 pm, Berliner Freiheit).

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CANADA IN FOCUS Supported by Telefilm Canada, Canada’s vibrant film scene will present itself from a variety of perspectives at the Berlinale’s EFM 2018.

‘Canada in Focus’ at the EFM is an important global showcase for Canadian creators that will enable Canadian content to reach new audiences and will create new export opportunities for our industry. It is being held on the occasion of ‘Canada 150’, which marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation in Canada.

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Garbage, the subcontinent’s sole entry in 68th Berlin International Film Festival directed by Q (Qaushik Mukherjee) usually credited as Q 16

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Breaking the Mould Again Garbage, the subcontinent’s sole entry in 68th Berlin International Film Festival, is another film from the director of films like Gandu and Brahman Naman and bears his stamp of artistic rebellion against established social norms The director of the subcontinent’s sole entry in 68th Berlin International Film Festival, Garbage, is 44-yearold Qaushik Mukherjee, usually credited as Q. He isn’t your average Indian (or Bengali) filmmaker. He has built his career around demolishing established creative shibboleths with his transgressive and subversive brand of filmmaking. He revels in scurrying off in prohibited directions to churn out cinematic romps that can at once be exciting, baffling and unsettling.

On his Twitter page, Q describes himself as a “film jockey, rapper and anarchist”. His films are infused with the spirit of all three identities – and more. The former adman is a history grad from Calcutta University.As a filmmaker, he has made it his mission to defy the history of the medium he serves. He is the founder and CEO of the production company Overdose Joint, which has co-produced Garbage in collaboration with Shailesh R Singh and Hansal Mehta of Karma Media and Entertainment.

Q’s films are clarion calls to artistic rebellion, none more so than Gandu (euphemistically referred to in English as Loser), a Bengali film unlike any ever made. It has rap music, full frontal nudity, scenes of masturbation and liberal doses of profanity. It shocked the wits out of the bhadralok, but went on to quickly become a cult film, following its screening in the 2011 Berlinale.

His 2016 film Brahman Naman, scripted by film critic and journalist Naman Ramachandran, premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival. It was a staid affair in comparison. But the sex comedy about a group of young quizzers desperate to lose their virginity in 1980s Bangalore, was informed with Q’s signature streak of defiance and provocation. People sat up and took notice.

Debuting in 2009 with the Bengali drama Bishh, he has since also made the off-kilter Tagore play adaptation Tasher Desh and the horror fantasy Ludo.

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GARBAGE/BERLINALE PANORAMA If the synopsis is anything to go by, this promises to be another film with a clear Q stamp all across it. Set in Goa, the plot revolves around a taxi driver who keeps a mysterious, apparently mute woman in chains at home. She does his every bidding. The cabbie is a follower of a rightwing extremist and spews venom on social media. One day he meets a girl who has gone into hiding after a secretly filmed sex video has gone viral on the Internet. He drives her around while furtively stalking her online.

Garbage is a revenge tale about two women subjected to different forms of male oppression. It explores the vacuity of notions of masculinity propagated in popular culture, political spheres and religious sermons. In a statement, Q has said: “I see Garbage as a strong metaphor for human existence. I am shocked at the violent patriarchy and general apathy around me.”

We do not expect the film to pull any punches. Q’s stated take on Garbage only strengthens that feeling: “India has been changing and being sucked into an abyss of misunderstanding and delusion, aided strongly by mainstream religious sentiments. There is an imminent threat of the fragile social fabric imploding and affecting everyone. Garbage is my way of trying to understand the tension.”

The cast of Garbage includes Tanmay Dhanania, Trimala Adhikari, Satarupa Das and Gitanjali Dang.

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I see Garbage as a strong metaphor for human existence. I am shocked at the violent patriarchy and general apathy around me.�

Q A still from Garbage 19

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FESTIVAL PIC(K)S

INDIAN FILMS IN 2018 FESTIVAL RADAR The year has got off to a great start for India’s independent filmmakers. In the first two months of 2018, three films from the subcontinent – Ere Gowda’s Balekempa (The Bangle Seller), Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Jonaki and Q’s Garbage have landed slots in two major festivals. While the first two were screened at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, the last-named has made it to Berlin’s Panorama section. As we look ahead to the other major film festivals – Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Busanand San Sebastian, among others – and wonder if more Indian films will flash on their radars, there is reason to be hopeful. With their poetic, provocative and passionate visions, an emerging crop of Indian directors are looking for international conquests even as a handful of established masters continue to dig deep for inspiration. A fair degree of optimism would not, therefore, be misplaced.

Here are ten highly anticipated Indian films that we hope will be ready for rounds of the festival circuit this year – and beyond: — By Saibal Chatterjee 20

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OLU In 1994, cinematographer-director Shaji N. Karun’s Malayalam film Swaham competed for the Palme d’Or. No Indian film has made the Cannes Competition cut since. Could Olu (She), Shaji’s new film, break the 24-year jinx? The theme of the film is disturbing: a girl is gang-raped and thrown into the backwaters. But the treatment is suffused with hope and humanity. The violated girl survives in the watery depths and, on full moon nights, communicates with a young boatman. The latter is an aspiring painter devoid of talent. The girl, as she waits out the nine months before the birth of her baby, inspires the villager to produce exceptional paintings. Shaji’s links with Cannes go back a long way. In 1989, his debut film Piravi won a Camera d’Or – Mention Speciale. Ten years later, Vanaprasthamwas selected for Un Certain Regard. Nineteen years on, the director could well return to the Croisette with a film in the Competition.

MANTO

UROJAHAJ

Nandita Das’s second directorial venture journeys into the last four years in the tumultuous life of iconic Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto. The role of the unflinching chronicler of the subcontinent’s partition woes is played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, with Rasika Dugal incarnating the character of the writer’s wife, Safiya. Manto was a politically engaged writer who examined the human cost of the sectarian violence unleashed by history.

A film on his life and worldview could not be timelier. The first look of Mantowas was unveiled in Cannes last year. The year before that, Das had travelled to the French Riviera to formally announce that the film was ready to roll. Now that it is time for her Manto to face the world, will she find pride of place in the festival where it all began?

Buddhadeb Dasgupta, one of Bengali cinema’s last men standing on the global stage, is wrapping up his next, Urojahaj (Aeroplane), the tale of a humble car mechanic whose dream of flying puts him on a collision course with the authorities. The cast of the film, Dasgupta’s first Indo-Bangladeshi co-production, is led by Chandan Roy Sanyal and includes Parno Mitra and Dhakabased actress RokeyaPrachi, both of whom had key roles in Mostafa Sarwar Farooki’s Doob: No Bed of Roses. A Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) regular, the director has had several of his films in the Masters section there, including his last work, Tope. We expect to see Urojahaj take off and head in the right direction sometime this year.

BHOGA KHIDIKEE Jahnu Barua is set to be in the thick of the action in 2018. The Assamese auteur has wrapped up the shoot of Bhoga Khidikee (Broken Window), bankrolled by Lunchbox co-producer Shahnaab Alam. The film has Seema Biswas and Zerifa Wahid in key roles. In the second half of 2018, Barua is scheduled to start his next film, Unread Pages, an Assamese-English film that has an American co-producer, Ivanhoe Pictures. We expect Bhoga Khidikee to begin its international festival journey halfway through the year.

UNMAADIYUDE MARANAM Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, one of the most uncompromising of India’s independent cinematic voices, never dropped out of the news in 2017, which began with his third feature, Sexy Durga, winning the Hivos Tiger Award at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. Not unexpectedly, the film ran into trouble with the censors back home as well as with the organizers of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

While Sexy Durga still awaits the go-ahead for public screenings, Sasidharan, working yet again without a script, is near completing his fourth film, Unmaadiyude Maranam (Death of Insane). According to reports, the upcoming film deals with a creative individual grappling with restrictions on freedom of expression.

What else could it have been?

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LAILA AUR SAAT GEET Pushpendra Singh, whose fledgling directorial career has been fuelled by successful festival appearances, is prepping for his third outing, Laila Aur Saat Geet (The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs). His debut film, Lajwanti, premiered in the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2014.

Singh’s second feature, Ashwatthama, was in the competition of the Busan International Film Festival.

His next film, like his previous two, will explore the rural mindscape in the context of timeless folk tales and legends. Adapted from a story by noted Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha, Laila Aur Saat Geet, about a woman of the Bakarwal tribe that shuttles between the plains and the hills in search of pasture for its sheep, is set in Jammu and Kashmir.

DISTANT TEARDROP Adman, poet and photographer Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s first feature film, A Billion Colour Story, premiered in the competition section of the Busan International Film Festival in 2016. His next project, Distant Teardrop, set in Sri Lanka, tells the story of a Sinhala father and his estranged son who drifts away from the family after marrying a Tamil woman. The old man nurtures deep hatred for Tamils since a LTTE suicide bomb attack killed his wife. Ten years later, the son shows up at his father’s door and a process of reconciliation begins. With the backing of Bollywood actor-director-producer Satish Kaushik, Distant Teardrop is scheduled to go into production in time for it to be ready for festivals this year.

NASIR The second film of the independent Coimbatore-based filmmaker Arun Karthick, the Tamil-language Nasir received the Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals fund from script development.

It is the story of a happy-golucky middle-aged apparel shop employee, a Muslim, whose serene existence is thrown out of gear by the lengthening shadow of religious bigotry and violence.

Rooted in the fast-shifting realities of nondescript lives, Nasir, like the director’s 2015 film Sivapuranam, has the makings of a cinematic essay less ordinary.

MOGULMARIR KATHA FTII alumnus Prantik Basu burst on the scene in 2017, winning Rotterdam’s Tiger Award for the 26-minute short film Sakhisona.

It was hailed by the jury for “its surreal, poetic approach towards the myths that are hidden in the archaeological layers of the earth”. In his first feature, Mogulmarir Katha (Mogulmari Tales), awaiting final greenlighting, he takes the theme forward through a story in which residents of a sleepy Bengal hamlet are threatened with displacement to make way for archaeological excavations being conducted to find the region’s Buddhist roots. The contemporary and the ancient merge as the film journeys into the past using the present as a springboard. It’s a premise that holds much promise.

AAMIS Thematically as startling a film as any we are accustomed to seeing in India, the Assamese-language Aamis (Voracious) was selected for the co-production market of the NFDC Film Bazaar 2017. It is Delhibased Bhaskar Hazarika’s second directorial outing after the critically acclaimed Kothanodi, which premiered in Busan and won the Asian Cinema Fund’s post-production fund award. Currently in the works, the film I expected to be ready for festivals in the second half of the year. Hazarika’s sturdy artistic sensibility, amply evident in his first film, sets him apart from filmmakers from his neck of the woods and allows him to foray into challenging terrains. Set in Guwahati, the new film explores an unsettlingly bleak side of love: self-destructive and prone to horrific choices. Another shot at the dark and grisly, Aamis promise to be as boundary-pushing as Kothanodi.

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Figlia mia | Daughter of Mine Director: Laura Bispuri

BERLINALE 2018 MAIN COMPETITION

The Focus is on

Past Winners

Two tyros, four women directors and a clutch of much-feted auteurs are among the Golden Bear contenders at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.

By Saibal Chatterjee wo debuting filmmakers – Romania’s Adina Pintilie and Paraguay’s Marcelo Martinessi – will be rubbing shoulders with an array of seasoned purveyors of arthouse cinema in the international Competition of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. Significantly, both are alumni of Berlinale Talents.

Pintilie’s film, one of 19 titles that are vying this year for the festival’s Golden and Silver Bears, is Touch Me Not. It explores the fear of intimacy felt by three people – one woman and two men. In the process, it questions established assumptions about physical touch as an essential aspect of human existence.

Martinessi is here with Las Herederas (The Heiresses), which hinges on a woman of comfortable means who, when she turns 60, realizes that her inherited wealth isn’t enough to sustain the lifestyle she has gotten used to. This forces her to try and change her world.

The duo of first-time directors is competing against the likes of Wes Anderson, MalgorzataSzumowska,

T

Lav Diaz, Gus Van Sant, Alexey German Jr., Benoit Jacquot and Cedric Kahn, filmmakers whose work not only surfaces frequently at the world’s premier festivals, but also usually bags prestigious awards. For 7 Days in Entebbe | 7 Tage in Entebbe Pintilie and Martinessi, this is going Director: José Padilha to be one hell of a stiff competition.

Anderson’s stop-motion animated Szumowaska, one of four women with adventure Isle of Dogs, the opening film a film competing for the Golden Bear, of the 68th Berlinale, is in the dystopian is back on her happy hunting ground future. Japan is hit by an outbreak of with Twarz (Mug), about a man who canine flu.As a result, dogs are quaran- undergoes a face transplant and is contined on a remote island. A boy, sepa- sequently assailed by an identity crirated from his dog,emerges as a ray of sis. It was in Berlin that her 2013 film hope for the isolated canines as he ar- In the Name Of… won the Teddy Prize rives in their midst to look for his pet. for best feature. Two years later, Szumowska took home the Silver Bear for best director for Body.

Diaz is a Filipino auteur who makes films of marathon length and yet holds the world in thrall. His The Woman Who Left won the Golden Lion at the 2016 Venice Film Festival, months after another film of his, A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery, bagged the Alfred Bauer Award at the 66th Berlinale. This year, Diaz is competing for Berlin’s top prize with Season of the Devil, a subversive musical set in the Martial Law years.

Gus Van Santis travelling to the 68th Berlin with his first film in three years,

Pickings for Asia have been rather slim in Berlin this year. The only Asian contender for the Golden Bear (other than Season of the Devil) is Iranian auteur Mani Haghighi’sKhook (Pig) 26

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Isle of Dogs | Isle of Dogs – Ataris Reise Director: Wes Anderson

Yardie Director: Idris Elba

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, which premiered in Sundance last month. The film reunites the director with actor Joaquin Phoenix in the role of the provocative quadriplegic cartoonist John Callahan, who turned to drawing as therapy after being paralyzed in a car crash at the age of 21.

French director Benoit Jacquot’s 2012 essay Farewell, My Queen was the opening film of the 62nd Berlinale. He is in contention for festival honours in 2018 with Eva, an adaptation of a James Hadley Chase bestseller starring Isabelle Huppert and Gaspard Ulliel.

St. Petersburg-based Russian director Alexey German Jr. has made the Berlin Competition cut with his sixth feature Dovlatov, which focuses on several days in the life of cult writer Sergei Dovlatov in 1971. The last time when he was here, in 2015, he won an award for cinematography and art direction for the film Under Electric Clouds.

French director Cedric Kahn, who pre-

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viously took part in the race for the Golden Bear way back in 2004, has his tenth feature, La Priere (The Prayer), in the Berlin Competition this year. It tells the story of a young man who seeks to overcome his addiction by joining a remote community run in the mountains by former drug addicts who treat themselves through prayer.

Another filmmaker whose entry will be keenly watched by critics in Berlin is Brazil’s Jose Padilha, who won the Golden Bear in 2008 for Elite Squad. His latest film, 7 Days in Entebbe, is a hostage rescue drama based on the real-life 1976 hijack of an Air France passenger

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Two Berlinale Special Galas would be of aboveaverage interest. One is actor and writer Rupert Everett’s directorial debut The Happy Prince. The other is Spanish director Isabel Coixet’s The Bookshop LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK

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Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot Director: Gus Van Sant

In den Gängen | In the Aisles Director: Thomas Stuber

Dovlatov Director: Alexey German Jr.

Touch Me Not Director: Adina Pintilie

plane on a flight from Tel Aviv to Paris.

Although it is in the official lineup of 24 films, it is not in the running for the Berlin awards.

Four other titles – Steven Soderbergh’s first-ever horror film Unsane (shot entirely on an iPhone), Bulgarian director MilkoLazarov’s Aga, Black 47 by Irish filmmaker Lance Daly, and veteran Swiss screenwriter-director Markus Imhoof ’s documentary Eldorado – have been accorded similar out of competition status. Aga, incidentally, is the first Bulgarian film in nearly three decades to play in Berlin’s official program.

Eldorado, like the 2016 Golden Bear winner Fire at Sea, is likely to resonate well beyond this year’s Berlinale.

Inspired by Imhoof ’s personal encounter with an Italian refugee child during

World War II, the film probes the way migrants are treated today in Switzerland, in Italy, and on the Mediterranean.

Pintilie and Szumowska are joined by Italy’s Laura Bispuri, with Figlia Mia (Daughter of Mine), and the Berlinborn French-Iranian filmmaker Emily Atef, with 3 Days in Quiberon, to complete the quartet of female directors in contention.

Among the other films in Competition are Texan siblings David and Nathan Zellner’s Damsel, starring Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska; Leipzig native Thomas Stuber’s sophomore effort In the Aisles; Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios’s Museo, featuring Gael Garcia Bernal in a stellar role; German helmer Christian Petzold’s

Saibal Chatterjee is an independent New Delhibased film critic and writer who has worked on the staff of several leading publications, served on the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Britannica’s volume on Hindi cinema and authored a biography of poet-filmmaker Gulzar.

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Eva Director: Benoit Jacquot

Utøya 22. juli | U – July 22 Director: Erik Poppe

The Bookshop | Der Buchladen der Florence Green Director: Isabel Coixet

Transit; the Swedish film The Real Estate, directed Mans Mansson and Axel Petersen; and Dusseldorf-born Philip Groning’s My Brother’s Name is Robert and He is an Idiot.

The final film to be added to the Competition lineup, Erik Poppe’s Utoya, July 22, probes the 2011 mass shooting by Anders Breivik that shook placid Norway and brought the nation face to face with the tragedy of homegrown terror.

Pickings for Asia have been rather slim in Berlin this year. The only Asian contender for the Golden Bear (other than Season of the Devil) is Iranian auteur Mani Haghighi’sKhook (Pig). Those looking for the latest from Asian masters will, therefore, have to turn to the festival’s Panorama section, which in-

cludes Kim Ki-duk’s Human, Space, Time and Human and Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Yocho (Foreboding).

Two Berlinale Special Galas would be of above-average interest. One is actor and writer Rupert Everett’s directorial debut The Happy Prince, an Oscar Wilde biopic in which he plays the pivotal role. The cast of the film also features Colin Firth and Emily Watson. The film premiered in Sundance.

The other is prolific Spanish director Isabel Coixet’s critically and commercially successful The Bookshop, in which a middle-aged widow tries to start a bookshop in a small village and faces opposition from conservative elements in the community.

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VISTA INDIA AT EUROPEAN FILM MARKET

TRANSPARENCY AT CORE OF VISTA’S BUSINESS PRACTICES Vista India Digital Media – a passionate aggregator of content in the digital world – has transparency as the core value that drives all its business practices. Rajiv Raghunathan, CEO, Vista India Digital Media Inc, shares his unique insights on how the company – a Netflix Preferred Vendor – has earned its reputation and how it efficiently manages the whole gamut from acquisition to delivery What’s the core ideology of Vista India Digital Media? What’s the agenda set for 2018 for Vista?

Our core ideology is to provide content owners with high calibre and secure Localisation, Post Production and Aggregation services.

Our media services include Ingestion, QC, Origination and Conformance of ancillary assets (i.e. Closed Captions, Timed Text, Forced Narratives, Metadata and Artwork design), Packaging and Delivery. We provide these specialised services to global OTT platforms, studios, broadcasters and independent filmmakers, both in India and overseas.

The VOD ecosystem is expanding rapidly with many top leaders like Netflix, iTunes, Amazon and GooglePlay leading the way. Vista believes that these factors and our ever expanding gamut of services attuned to the platform requirements, position us to play a more involved role from licensing to delivery. As the markets expand rapidly, the corresponding requirement for content is also growing.

4K delivery and growing our localisation services would be our core focus in 2018.

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What’s your objective for the European Film Market?

Our objective is to reach out to content owners who would like to avail our distribution and supply chain services. We are also meeting with other OTT delivery facilities to offer our localisation services.

What are the various services offered

by Vista to filmmakers? What’s Vista’s global footprint?

We are very passionate to aggregate content in the digital world. As an aggregator, our primary aim is to ensure that good content has a universal reach.

We are a Netflix Preferred Vendor (NPV).

We are able to deliver content directly to Netflix and other platforms like Amazon Video Direct, Google Play, etc. As part of our service, we ensure that we cater to all the quality parameters set by premium OTT platforms. We have a dedicated technical team working on every minute aspect.

The Vista team has an extensive foundation in the content production workflows like DI, VFX, Editing, Sound mixing, Mastering, etc, and has adapted to the LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK

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Rajiv Raghunathan CEO Vista India Digital Media Inc

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newer content specifications of the VOD platforms currently focusing on all aspects of delivery to the platforms from QC, Artwork design, Subtitling and Dubbing to Packaging and Delivery.

We have content partners across different parts of the world including Asia, North America and Europe.

Vista India is known for its transparency. What drives this intrinsic value in your business practices?

The media Industry worldwide is plagued with hidden accounting and reporting process. We are determined to change this and have ingrained this into the DNA of our company. Our ground up system architecture has been built to reflect transparency and accurate real time reporting. We are proud to have been acknowledged by our International platform partners for our in house systems.

Transparency is something we take very seriously even to the smallest level and it is our constant endeveour to work with our engineering team in updating our reporting process to reflect financial accuracy and reduce human error. My vision is to build the highest quality organization comparable to the best in the World.

Vista India specialises to adapt a film for streaming (in various platforms iTunes, Amazon Video Direct, Google Play (transactional)) from quality parameter perspective? Can you explain the process?

Each of these platforms has a very stringent set of delivery parameters that are also frequently updated. Vista specialises in the whole gamut from acquisition to delivery, with an emphasis on quicker turnaround for the online delivery, which results in better monetisation for our content partners. Our extensive experience in the content production workflows and the OTT workflows enables us to tune all aspects of the delivery to the platform requirement in the quickest turnaround time for both the platforms and content partners.

Since Vista is one of the preferred aggregators for Netflix’s SVOD in India, does the final decision rests with Netflix on streaming it on their platform?

Yes, the final decision rests with Netflix.

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Our extensive experience in the content production workflows and the OTT workflows enable us to tune all aspects of the delivery to the platform requirement in the quickest turnaround time for both the platforms and content partners What do VOD platforms look for in a film?

My general observation in the past 5 years has been that VOD platforms look for content that connects with the audience in terms of emotion, humour or story. Some of the pointers that play an important role would be the production value, strong story line, popularity of the star cast internationally and locally. Box office numbers, the number of festivals the film has travelled and the accolades it has garnered could also play a key role.

Many a time, a film gets rejected for various reasons. From your experience can you provide insights into this issue?

Different platforms have different requirements. However, if one must generalise, many films are rejected because of: The content does not pass the QC standard of the platform The content does not meet the platform’s programming strategy The content is not available exclusively There is a disconnect in the offer and expectation of the license fee What are some of the innovations Vista has adopted in recent times?

We are working on extensive tooling to augment our delivery capabilities in terms of project management, process automation and delivery workflows. We are switching to a full 4K workflow to cater to the newer delivery standards from various digital platforms. Apart from this we are also expanding our service offerings within the SVOD/ OTT spectrum.

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COALITION OF CONTENT

CREATING MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL SYNERGIES Mahindra Comviva’s expertise in end to end content management combined with Sacom’s robust catalogue of Arab, Asian and Hollywood video content will lead to new growth opportunities ech Mahindra’s mobile solutions provider arm Mahindra Comviva in January joined hands with Sacom Mediaworks, a leading content aggregator in Middle East and Africa, to provide a broad range of digital VOD content –- short and long format -- to Mooditt Digital Store, Mahindra’s digital marketplace for content.

This tie-up assumes significance, as it will allow both the companies to “create mutually beneficial synergies” at a time when the world is witnessing an exponential growth of digital content, making content discovery and distribution a tough challenge.

While the challenge for distribution channels is to get access to right content in the minimal possible timeframe, the content providers -- especially small time artists and independent content creators -- are confronted with the challenge of maximising their reach and monetising the content. This deal shows the way to bridge this gap.

“We are very pleased with our partnership with Sacom Mediaworks as it puts us on a stronger footing in the Middle East and Africa. Mahindra Comviva’s expertise in end to end content management combined with Sacom’s robust catalogue of Arab, Asian and Hollywood video content will lead to new growth opportunities in the region. We are looking forward to working with Sacom Mediaworks and create mutually beneficial synergies,” said Atul

T

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Madan, Senior Vice President, Digital Lifestyle Solutions at Mahindra Comviva.

The deal will help Mahindra Comviva to leverage Sacom Mediaworks’ global content portfolio that includes over 10,000 hours of video content spanning genres like Feature Films, Television Series, Short Films, Live Entertainment Events, Celebrity Chat shows, and Health and Fitness shows. Mahindra Comviva’s solutions are deployed by over 130 mobile service providers and financial institutions in over 95 countries.

Speaking about this tie-up, Dinesh Gupta, Director, Sacom Mediaworks said: “We’re excited to join forces with Mahindra Comviva that brings the pedigree of Mahindra & Bharti Airtel Group, having successfully consolidated their position as market leaders in Telecom and Mobility solutions domains with presence in four continents and 70+ countries. We will be working together to grow the reach and monetisation potential of our content together and offer our entertainment IPs & VOD content in Hollywood, Arabic & Bollywood genres for Middle East, Africa, Russia, CIS countries and Asia Pacific.”

He added that Mahindra’s Mooddit Digital Store addresses the twin problems of reach and discoverability of content and “deserves a more robust content library to implement at scale. Every story deserves an audience and this partnership will go a long way in taking the stories to their audiences”.

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Manoj Mishra Chief Operating OfďŹ cer, DQ Entertainment International

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MEET DQE AT MGB STAND 162

DQE AT EFM WITH A ‘QUEST’ DQ Entertainment International, which is participating in EFM for the first time, will look for distributors and financiers for its latest theatrical movie- The Quest for Never Book. Manoj Mishra, Chief Operating Officer, DQ Entertainment, talks about The Quest, The Jungle Book and other projects What are DQE’s objectives and priorities at EFM? This is the first time you are participating as an exhibitor.

Our primary focus during the market would be to meet independent theatrical distributors from different regions of the world and our priority at EFM this year will be to find reliable and strong distributors and financiers for our latest theatrical movie –The Quest for Never Book(Peter Pan) while also to explore potential for co-production with other leading distributors and investors for partnering in our future theatrical projects such as The Jungle Book. Yes, we are participating for the first time at EFM. Tell us about DQE’s transformation in animation movie space. DQE’s Peter Pan movie was nearing completion.

Also your Jungle Book movie...

Our commitment to animated features marks another major milestone for DQ Entertainment with the scheduled release of our latest movie –The Quest for Never Book. We have involved a truly world class team with remarkable animation accomplishments for this feature film and the result is a distinctive and captivating movie for families the world over to enjoy.

The movie is complete and ready to hit the silver screens around the start of this summer in most parts of the world. We intend to lock our distribution partners for various important regions during this market while we already have distributors in place for many regions.

The Jungle Book movie too is in pipeline at DQE with a world class sizzle reel already worked by us. We are also presently working on closure of the budget for the same.

We will announce to the market regarding the developments on this movie once we have everything in place and ready to begin production.

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Are there any new launches at EFM? What are the co-productions currently on/or in pipeline for DQE? As mentioned before, our brand new launch at EFM would be –The Quest for Never Book – a 90 minutes animated theatrical feature film inspired from our globally popular Peter Pan franchise. We are also having few other theatrical movies based on classic properties planned for the future in the pipeline presently, details of which we will be announcing in due course of time.

ear broadcasting is impacted by digital platforms such as OTT and VOD. Cable and satellite subscriptions are already declining as more people are opting to access content through digital platforms.

While exclusivity and original programming have become important for live action programming, for animated content, producers looking to monetize their IP will want a wider reach and distribution on greater number of platforms on nonexclusive basis.

How has DQE embraced digital disWhat is the state of animation indus- tribution? Is there a DQE App on the anvil? try today? DQE works with some of the top European and American part- This is working in progress and we are ners and collaborate with them. How diligently working on this front. You will is the landscape changing with digital soon hear from us. takeover of the M&E space?

The last couple of years were such a tur- Do you see animation content top in bulent time for the animation industry the radar of OTT? in general. DQE however has managed The OTT platforms still are skewed toward to endure during this hard times & road the 18years and above age group while the animated content is more blocks and is poised to fit for kids below 12 years. take off on an upward We have understood However, as technology growth trajectory from is advancing rapidly and here on. We have underthe importance of more and more devices stood the importance of start falling in the hands collaborations and cocollaborations and coof the kids, as is being productions with strong productions with strong witnessed globally, it global partners early on won’t be too long before and have aligned our global partners early animated content will be business according to the current atmosphere on and have aligned our one of the top content being watched in OTT platwith the right mix of production of own IPs, business according to the form. Presently, demand for kids’ animated conco-production and sercurrent atmosphere with tent will be a mixed bag vice projects.

The rapid growth and the right mix of production driven by OTT as well as linear TV. changes happening in the digital space espe- of own IPs, co-production How do you see the cially in the M&E secand service projects business for animator is quite evident with tion content in the major SVOD platforms beginning to produce content exclusive- immediate future? How do you see it ly for their large global subscriber base from the perspective of a personalized apart from acquiring thousands of hours service emerging in the OTT regime? of already produced content .This phe- The future for animated content globally is nomenon is set to grow at a very rapid expected to remain bright and is growing pace and we are sure that the digital seg- at a healthy rate. The amount of animated ment will become a very dominant player content that has been produced in the rein the M&E space soon. Producers have cent years has increased vastly which can be validated by the increased number of now started realising the potential of the digital platforms in reaching out to animated movies being nominated in the a much larger audience base than before Academy Awards animated film category. and are making content without being Digital platforms such as OTT have fully dependent on television broadcast- helped in the huge consumption of aniers alone for showcasing their shows to mated content from across the world. It has played a great part in plugging the the world audience. gap between the content that are proDo you see animation in broadcast- duced by many independent producers ing getting impacted by OTT, video whose shows are not acquired by the trastreaming and new emerging digital ditional broadcasters and the audience. platforms specifically for animation The audience now have a platform from content? What’s driving animation where they can consume the animated content of their choosing and at a time business today?

We can already see that. Traditional lin- they want.

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MAKE YOURSELF VISIBLE IN PICKLE-MARCH 2018 INDIAN M&E SERVICES MARKET ISSUE Pickle reaches out to audio visual companies in over 50 countries; Targets global buyers and distributors; Film Festivals and markets; Animation production companies; Global companies looking at offshoring from India; Co-production seekers and location service providers. Pickle business guide tracks the entertainment business in India.

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BLOCK YOUR DATES FOR ENTTECH

UNLOCKING THE GREAT INDIAN M&E POTENTIAL

Photo: Neeraj Kumar

enTTech, scheduled for 5-7 March 2018 at Mumbai, is the maiden effort of Service Exports Promotion Council to help participants partner with aspiring young minds eager to make their mark in creative services and unlock the great hidden potential of the Indian M&E sector, says Sangeetha Godbole, Director General, Service Exports Promotion Council Service Exports Promotion Council (SEPC) is set to organise enTTech – a B2B market for the media and entertainment services sector. How is the event shaping up? enTTech, our maiden effort to bring together Indian services industry in the M&E space and the companies from across the globe, is shaping up with great gusto.

This seems to be the perfect time to start an effort like enTTech, as Indian media, entertainment and technology services are growing at an accelerated pace on the back of growing offshore services domain, especially in animation, VFX, gaming, AR/VR, film production, location and new media, among others.

The Government of India is going all out to attract investment and to create employment opportunities for aspiring Indian youth. Given India’s solid IT backbone, enTTech is a beautiful fit in that effort.

It is an attempt to celebrate India’s strengths in the creative and technology services arena, and to partner with the rest of the world.

What’s the mandate and core vision of the Service Exports Promotion Council (SEPC) from the Media & Entertainment Services perspective?

Services Export Promotion Council has been set up by

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Sangeetha Godbole Director General, Service Exports Promotion Council

We want to encourage our small companies to find a foothold in the global market in this sector as also our larger companies to spread and deepen their global footprints 39

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Technology in Entertainment Services Exhibition, or enTTech, will exhibit an array of services offered by the Indian M&E companies and match make needs of the overseas production houses. It will be an excellent opportunity for overseas players to partner with some of the brightest minds in the Indian M&E space.

The Government of India is going all out to attract investment and to create employment opportunities for aspiring Indian youth.

Given India’s solid IT backbone, enTTech is a beautiful fit in that effort

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The first-of-its-kind true market place in M&E space will include all Services verticals relating to the M&E sector – Animation, gaming, VFX, AR/VR, new media, dubbing, subtitling, music, and advertising among others.

the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. It is our mandate to promote export of Services from India, of which entertainment forms an important part.

The Media and Entertainment (M&E) Industry is one of the most dynamic industries in India with modern technologies acting as a key enabler for providing world-class services to overseas clients/ companies.

The industry is increasingly witnessing the convergence of media, entertainment and technology creating efficiencies in workflow, revenue streams and unique business models.

The sector is only going to grow exponentially. We want to encourage our small companies to find a foot-hold in the global market in this sector as also our larger companies to spread and deepen their global footprints. It is with this vision that we have started our work in this sector.

How’s India placed in the M&E services domain?

What are the sectors included in the M&E services vertical for enTTech?

India is doing very well in the M&E Services domain. We are proud that in every major blockbuster produced anywhere in the world, there is an Indian footprint. Be it VFX, animation, gaming or AR/VR, Indian companies are doing a great job in providing backend support. Indian companies are also now waking up to IP creation. I think the future looks fantastic, and SEPC is happy to be part of that. Looking to that future we have included all Services verticals relating to the M&E sector – animation, gaming, VFX, AR/VR, new media, dubbing, subtitling, music, advertising in enTTech. We will create a true market place in India – the first of its kind.

How can overseas production companies looking to offshore M&E services from India benefit from participating in enTTech?

We will have most Indian companies participating at enTTech. Thus, anyone travelling from overseas will be able to connect to a whole array of companies from India – young, not –so-young, small, large, in almost every vertical of M&E space. We will also

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enTTech to have panel discussions covering all major M&E verticals such as vfx, gaming and animation, among others. Speakers will include reputed Indian and international M&E personalities, who will help Indian companies to gain from their perspectives. Deliberation on regulatory issues, skilling requirements and investment will be part of the conference.

It will offer a great platform to young aspiring entrepreneurs to interact directly with key government officials. A session with Minister exclusively for the youngest 20 CEOs will be one of the key highlights of enTTech.

have Invest India to hand hold any company wanting to invest in India.

Will all Indian M&E services company be under one umbrella at enTTech?

Yes. We’re working with MEAI of Bangalore and TVAVGA of Hyderabad. We will make it an inclusive effort. enTTech will have a dedicated conference flow. What are some of the conference themes this year?

We will have panels on all major M&E verticals like VFX, gaming and animation. We are expecting some prominent Indian and international personalities in M&E space at the dias. Listening to them would be a great opportunity for Indian companies. We will also deliberate on regulatory issues, skilling requirements and investment.

India has a strong startup ecosystem in various verticals? Will this get reflected in start-up engagement in the M&E services space?

Government is very eager to support start-ups. It believes in self employment along with jobs creation. The aspiring young people will find great interest in

this space. We have also kept a session exclusively for the youngest 20 CEOs with our Minister. The top leaders are keen on engaging with young India. Almost all ministries are engaging positively with start-ups. I’m sure this will bear results soon, particularly for the M&E Services space.

What are your tips for delegates to make the best use of time at enTTech?

Engage with each other within the country and the guest participants coming from abroad. Together let’s create a symphony which takes this sector to a crescendo.

Enjoy the sessions. Put forth your views frankly and forthrightly. Express all regulatory issues to the senior officers of government who will attend. Demand resolution and follow up later.

Become members of SEPC and avail of the export incentives that government provides.

Foreign delegates must interact with as many companies as they can because this is an excellent opportunity to unlock hidden Indian potential.

Most importantly, do great business.

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Soumitra Ranade Chairman and Co-founder, Paperboat Studios

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INSIDE PAPERBOAT STUDIOS

WE MUST TELL OUR OWN STORIES Animation can have a glorious future in India, given we tell our own stories rather than keep following the West, their aesthetic and imagery. Indian animations must have an identity of their own, as it is only the unique that can eventually become global, believes Soumitra Ranade, Chairman and Co-founder, Paperboat Studios What’s the idea behind establishing Paperboat Studios?

We thought of starting Paperboat Studios in 2007 because we felt that there was a dearth of cutting-edge design and animation studios in India. Back then, there were many studios doing backend work for Western production houses, some studios were specialised in advertising and some were doing TV serials. But there was none that offered a complete solution – from scripting to production and design to animation – that too in all genres. So, we decided to do just that as we believed we had the required talent and resources.

For us, animation is only a tool. It is the ideas that fire us. The idea can be represented in medias as varied as live-action, illustration, book design or even documentary.

You have created some of the finest feature films and animation Intellectual Properties (IPs) from India. How does it feel to add services to your portfolio and create IP for others?

What goes in your mind when you create a product for others?

We primarily look at creative satisfaction, business development, and/or good money when we evaluate a project that has been offered to us. We accept a project only when either of these three is ticked off. I figured out quite early in life that it would be rare when all the three boxes would be ticked off for one particular project. If one can tick off two, I would consider that lucky.

So if we get a project which is exciting creatively but offers very little money, we do it. But we also do projects only for money to keep the studio running. This clarity of thought takes care of most of the things as we do a project. There are no frustrations or disappointments later as we know exactly why we are doing a project.

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However, no matter what the reason is, we never compromise on quality. That remains a constant.

Paperboats’ core ideology is “to serve simplicity with sophistication”. What are the services rendered at your studio?

We like to get involved during the ideation of a project. This creative process is our strength. It ensures that we offer solutions rather than just being an execution studio. Most of our clients accept this and involve us at early stage of their projects. We work on scripts, visual treatments, and character and location designs. We suggest various styles that we think would suit the project. Then we execute the animation and also VFX. We also do voice casting, voice direction, music and sound design. The whole idea is that you come to us with a broad sense of what you are intending to do and you go

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with a hard copy of the final output.

For us, complete ownership of the project is critical. I believe that’s the only way to achieve high standards.

Will 2D continue to exist? With technology influencing every domain where are we going from here? What are the innovations you see in the animation/filmmaking space?

I believe that 2D will most certainly continue to exist. When we look at animation we tend to look at Hollywood. That may be the most successful industry globally, but we can’t ignore European animation – particularly French. Most of it is 2D and of extremely high standards. I think this 2D-3D debate is irrelevant. What defines good animation for me is the storytelling and the world that it creates.

Even if we were to look at Hollywood, my guess is that 2D would come back with a vengeance very soon. Art is always cyclic.

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We are already into Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. People would want to get better at that.

But eventually they would have to come back to 2D animation. They will have to come back to simple joys of life, for example – a cat chasing a mouse

Yes, today 3D is dominant. So is technology. But how far can we eventually go.

Jungle Book (2016) was a defining film for me in that sense. All barriers got diffused in that film – between live action, animation and VFX – between art and technology itself. So I am sure this chasing of technology will continue for a few more years. We are already into Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. People would want to get better at that. But eventually they would have to come back to 2D animation. They will have to come back to simple joys of life, for example – a cat chasing a mouse.

Animation and IT sector evolved simultaneously in India. Indian IT has gone global and animation/animation services haven’t seen the same success? Do you think animation will have its glory in India in the coming years?

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I am not sure if animation and IT sectors are comparable. IT is essentially technology driven, while animation is driven by art. The entire mindset is different. The DNA of an IT engineer is vastly different to the DNA of an animator. In fact, they are from two entirely different planets.

Animation will have a glorious future in India only if we follow our own dreams.

If we keep copying the West, their aesthetic and imagery, we will end up as a sweatshop for international studios. For us to have a glorious future, we must have an identity – an identity that is unique.

We must tell our own stories, through our own audio/visual traditions. It is only the unique that can eventually become global.

What advantages do you see in India in providing offshore animation production services? Where do we excel in this space?

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Soumitra Ranade is optimistic that 3D animation film Alibaba & 41 Thieves will get revived

There are both advantages and disadvantages in providing offshore animation services. The advantages are that you get a well-trained team working on some top-end projects from across the globe, an efficient production pipeline and you get into the habit of consistently producing quality work – month after month, year after year.

The disadvantages are that you never actually contribute to the creative. You never take the defining decisions and you are never really involved with the ‘creation’ of a project – you are only executing it. As a result of this, the success or failure of a project doesn’t really affect you. That can be very comforting but in a terribly negative way. You could live in a bubble all your life. You keep churning out animation without being attached to it emotionally. You end up becoming a sweatshop.

There are so many studios all over the world which do the most amazing backend work but when it comes to executing even a simple short film that they initiate themselves, they fail miserably. They find it difficult to work on their own ideas.

need those 500 people around me shouting and screaming and crying and laughing!

So yes, the big screen cinema will survive only if it offers big screen experience.

Today people watch content on mobile, computer, television or big screen? As a filmmaker, do you think people will continue to watch films on big screen in darkness?

The modes of transmission, as also the modes of reception, have undergone a whole lot of change. I find watching films on my laptop very exciting. It’s a very one-on-one engagement with the material. I can stop it whenever I want to, make some tea for myself and then continue. I can watch it at 4 in the morning when the world is sleeping. The screen becomes an extension of my own personal space.

But it’s actually got to do with what kind of film one is watching. I can’t ever imagine watching a Rajnikant film on my laptop. For that I have to go to the theatre. I

You had done an almost finished 3D film Alibaba and 41 thieves with UTV (now Disney India) about seven years ago. Any chance of the film getting revived?

Well, I am very attached to this film. It is a wonderful film and when we showed the trailer at various forums all over the world we got amazing responses. I am very-very sure about the film and, in fact, it is uncanny that you ask me about it now – I should be giving you some exciting news very soon.

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Will we get to see a sequel or another children film like Jajantaram Mamantaram?

Yes. I have been working on it for years.

I have many scripts in that genre. I suppose there is a time for everything.

We saw you during Cannes Film Market 2017 where your Albert Pintoko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai was screened?

What are you working on now?

Currently I am engaged in the release of the film, which should happen very soon now. Only when this film is out of my system will I be able to concentrate on my next. I do have a few scripts ready but I haven’t really identified which of them will be my next.

I do have a feeling though that after this very dark and intense film, I might go in for a lighter, fun-filled children’s film, perhaps only to retain my sanity.

Is there any new documentary on the card after your acclaimed Afghanistan doc? What goes into your mind when you reflect on current Afghanistan (Soumitra grew and had four years schooling in Kabul).

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‘Kabuliwala in pre-production

Albert Pintoko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai is waiting for theatrical release

I try and work on documentaries in be- and Court have had a second run on these tween my fictional work. I don’t start platforms after their successful theatrical with any script or any predefined prem- release. Many others like Aankon Dekhi, which couldn’t have a good theatrical reise. For me documentaries are more of explorations -– explorations into new lease due to financial constraints, eventuspaces, or ideas, people, or events, and ally found audiences on these platforms. more importantly into my own inner self. This just wasn’t possible a few years They are more of reflections rather than back.

I just wish that they also had a section documentaries.

Currently I am working on a documen- for classics. It’s a pity that you can’t see tary on the Idu Mismi tribe of Arunachal Awara or Pyasa on these platforms, or Pradesh. I have been shooting this film V Shantaram or Ritwik Ghatak’s films.

That’s our cinematic for the last few years. heritage and it should I intend to visit them a few more times OTT and VOD platforms be there for the new generation to see. over the next couple should have a section These films should of years. I have hours be curated and this and hours of matefor avant-garde, curatorial approach rial but haven’t got works also for poputhe film yet. I just experimental cinema lar, mainstream cinlove the process – goand non-Hollywood, ema. Sometimes I am ing there, meeting with old friends and independent animation. in the mood to watch a crazy, over-the-top making new ones, It is important for Hindi comedy. But I sitting on mountain have no idea which tops drinking their platforms not only to one to see. So if I norice beer. Lurking somewhere there is show but also to shape tice a film that is recommended by David my documentary. I am sure I will find viewership by engaging Dhawan I would cerwatch it. it sooner or later. I in critical discussions tainly They should also am patient when it on cinema have a section for comes to my docuavant-garde, experimentaries. mental cinema and Has new video streaming mediums like non-Hollywood, independent animation.

Netflix, Amazon, Jio, Hotstar eased life I am dead sure there is an audience for it, and if it’s not there today, then we must for independent filmmakers?

Yes, most certainly it is a breath of fresh nurture it. It is important for platforms air for independent filmmakers. For one, not only to show but also to shape viewerthese platforms are beyond censorship. ship by engaging in critical discussions Independent films tend to be explosive -– on cinema. socially and politically. They talk about things as things should be talked about. What is your mission for 2018?

Censorship sometimes becomes a hin- The mission for 2018 is the same as it has been for the last so many years. This year drance for such films.

So many wonderful films like Newton we are going to change the world!

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INDEPENDENT VOICE

FUTURE BELONGS TO INDEPENDENT FILMS

Hari Viswanath Film director, Screenwriter

s an independent Indian filmmaker, sometimes I feel very insecure becausea large number of people and a section of media believe that, in a diversified cultural mosaic like India, the audience welcome only the so-called commercial main stream films.

However, I believe that the independent films are also commercial products which are consumed by the consumers (film-goers) from the outlets (theatres).

But if a commodity does not even make it to the outlets, how can you be so sure that the consumers only demand the socalled commercial big house products?

I wish there was a healthy competition between these two kinds of films, so that the audience had the choiceto select their movies according to their tastes.

As far as my venture Radiopetti is concerned, I would say it’s not a complete success. I was very happy to get a world premiere in Busan and win the Best Audience Award, that too for my debut film.

Apart from that, the film won four more awards at various film festivalsand nine

A

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Many good works in India do not get theatres because the system belongs to hardcore commercial houses. However, digital platforms have empowered filmmakers to explore new ways, believes HariViswanath official selections. It was made available on Netflix (first Tamil film on Netflix before its theatrical release), itunes and Google Play. But all said and done, since the film didn’t get the theatrical release in its home ground, I still feel incomplete.

Being a jury at IFFI (International Film Festival of India)2017,was a very good experience. I enjoyed the cinema as an art without the barrier of language, as we got films in Indian Panorama from all the states of India. I could experience the rich culture of India and got to know how small and beautiful things are told by other fellow film directors.

My new short film is based on a concept I developed while I was working as a team leader in an IT company. In an office, so many people work for hours together and while they are there, they laugh, cry, experience humiliation, insult or get praised. Sometimes they feel that there is no one who is watching them going through all these emotions. But I thought that there is one witness – a computer monitor– that watches everything. But LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK

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Radiopetti Director: Hari Viswanath

since it is an inanimate being, it cannot react. This thought gave me an idea, what if the monitor could talk! Based on this idea, I have made this short film in Hindi, Monitor, which is a story being told from the point of view of a computer monitor.

India is the most prolific movie producer nation in the world. As part of this film production market, every independent film maker is like an isolated island. As an independent film maker, my first work was Radiopetti. It received applause at international film festivals, but shockingly I could not get a theatrical release of my film in India because of several reasons.

However, after participating as a jury of Indian Panorama at IFFI last year, I found I am not the only film maker who has suffered this release issue. Many good, thought provoking artistic works could not be released in Indian theatres because the releasing system belongs to the hard core commercial houses. They make the hits and flops. So, an independent film maker, in almost every part of India, suffers in almost the same way as I did.

Our Constitution gives usthe right of freedom of expression.Yes, it’s there.

Although a strict certification board is

there. But, if the final creation cannot reach tothe audience and this becomes a phenomenon, it makes a creator unhappy andfrustrated.But having said that, I also believe that good Indian cinema of the future belongs to independent film makers.

India is a huge country with a vast diversityin talent and the emerging digital world has made filmmaking easier.Now anyone can shoot using their mobile or any digital camera.

In this digital era making a film could be easier, but making good quality films is quite difficult.

Besides that, showing your film on the right platform to the audience is another important aspect that one needs to learn and understand.

The best thing about the emerging digital era is that filmmakers need not have to think about the traditional way of theatrical release alone. Now we have so many digital platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu,etc) to showcase our films to our audience around the world.

Radiopetti won four festival awards and nine official selections. It was made available in Netflix, itunes and Google Play. But all said and done, when the film didn’t get the theatrical release in his home ground, still I feel incomplete

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(The writer is the maker of 2015 Tamil film Radiopetti which won widespread accolades at multiple international film festivals across the globe)

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FILMS YOU SHOULDN’T MISS IN 2018

WHAT’S IN STORE IN 2018?

HINDI Q THUGS OF HINDOSTAN It is a period action-adventure film, written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

The film’s plot is based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s 1839 novel Confessions of a thug, about a Thug called Ameer Ali, whose gang of thugs posed a serious challenge to the British Empire in India (then known as Hindustan or Hindostan) during the early 19th century. The film tells a fictional story set between 1790 and 1805.

Q SIMMBA Ranveer Singh will soon be seen in his cop avatar in the action flick Simmba, being directed by Rohit Shetty and co-produced by Karan Johar.

Stating that a masala entertainer is something he was longing to do, he adds: “After Gully Boy I have Rohit Shetty. It’s a full on masala entertainer, which is something I have been wanting to do for such a long time. It’s got all the ingredients- action, comedy, drama, romance, Songs. All the good stuff that goes into a Rohit Shetty film,”

Q STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2 Student of the Year 2 is directed by Punit Malhotra. It is a sequel to the 2012 film, Student of the Year. The film is distributed by Fox Star Studios and produced

by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the banner of Dharma Productions.

The film stars Tiger Shroff in the lead role and is scheduled for release in 2018. Ananya Pandey will be seen in a key role and music for the movie is by Vishal-Shekhar.

Q ZERO Shah Rukh Khan, the ‘baadshah’ of Bollywood, is back with Zero, a romantic drama written by Himanshu Sharma and directed by Anand L Rai. The film was jointly produced by Rai and Red Chillies Entertainment’s Gauri Khan. Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma are the lead ladies. The plot follows Khan as a man with dwarfism, who falls in love with a superstar played by Kaif. Sharma portrays a character of a girl with intellectual disability.

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Q HICHKI The film stars Rani Mukerji in the lead role of a teacher having Tourette syndrome. The movie is directed

by Sidharth P Malhotra and produced by Maneesh Sharma under the banner of Yash Raj Films.

The film is an adaptation of Hollywood film Front of the Class (2008), which itself was based on the book, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had by Brad Cohen, of which Yash Raj Films acquired the rights.

TAMIL Q 2.0 Inarguably the most awaited Tamil film of the year, starring superstar Rajinikanth in the lead. A sequel to Enthiran (Robot), 2.0 is a science fiction film written and directed by S Shankar, and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah, founder of Lyca Productions.

This is first Indian film that is directly shot in 3D. With an estimated budget of 450 crore, it is the most expensive Indian film made to date. The film is being shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi.

Q KAALA This one too is a Rajinikanth film. But this is directed

by Ranjith, who earlier helmed Rajini’s Kabali. Set in Mumbai, the movie portrays the top actor as an ageing don.

The film is produced by Wunderbar Films of national award winning actor Dhanush. Music is being composed by Santhosh Narayanan, and the movie will be distributed by Lyca Productions.

Q VISWASAM This film brings together Ajith and director Siva for the fourth time, after Veeram, Vedhalam and Vivegam.

This is also the fourth film together for Ajith and Nayanthara, after Billa, Aegan and Arrambam.

Tipped to be based in north Chennai, the movie is being bankrolled by Sathyajyothi Films, who produced Ajith’s last venture Vivegam. This is said to be a Diwali release

Q VIJAY-MURUGADOSS MOVIE After two blockbusters- Thupakki and Kaththi- Vijay and director A R Murugadoss have joined forces for this flick, which is said to be a social subject dealing environmental issues.

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Being bankrolled by Sun Pictures, the film production and distribution arm of media conglomerate Sun Group, the movie’s shoot is progressing swiftly.

KANNADA

Q SURIYA-SELVARAGHAVAN FILM

Q KGF

This 36th film of Suriya is being helmed by Selvaraghavan, hailed one of the finest filmmakers of Tamil cinema. Untitled yet, it is tipped to be a fun entertainer with a twist.

The film is written and directed by Prashanth Neel and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner Hombale films. It stars Yash and Srinidhi Ramesh Shetty in the lead roles.

Q MANI RATNAM MOVIE

The movie is a complete period drama and is set in the 70s and early 80s. Yash will be seen essaying the role of Rocky, a slick and a suave person belonging to 70s era.

The star cast of this film includes Fahad Fazil, Arvind Swamy, Simbu, Vijay Sethupathi, Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh and Aditi Rao Hydari. Music is by A R Rahman.

Q

KURUKSHETRA

TELUGU

It is an epic historical war film, written by J K Bharavi and directed by Naganna. It is based on the poem Gadhayuddha by Ranna, which itself is based on the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Q SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY

Produced by Muniratna Naidu, Kurukshetra is one of the most-expensive films made in Kannada cinema.

The film features an ensemble cast including Darshan, Ambarish, V Ravichandran, Arjun Sarja, Nikhil Kumar, Sneha, Meghana Raj, Saikumar Pudipeddi, Sonu Sood, Srinivasa Murthy, Danish Akhtar Saifi, Ravishankar and Hariprriya among others.

Starring Chiranjeevi, the mega star of Tollywood in the lead, this film is produced by Ram Charan and directed by Surender Reddy.

This 151st film of Chiranjeevi is based on the life of freedom fighter from Rayalaseema, Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. And the star cast includes Amitabh Bachchan, Nayanthara, Kiccha Sundeep, Vijay Sethupathi and Jagapathy Babu.

Q BHARAT ANE NENU It is a political thriller film directed by Koratala Siva, featuring Mahesh Babu and Kiara Advani in the lead roles. Mahesh plays a chief minister in this flick.

The movie is all set for a grand release in April 2018.

The film marks Mahesh’s second collaboration with director Koratala Siva, who earlier made Srimanthudu with the same actor in the lead.

Q RANGASTHALAM It is a period drama directed by Sukumar and starring Ram Charan and Samantha Akkineni in the lead roles, while Aadhi Pinisetty and Jagapathi Babu play crucial roles.

The movie will see Ram Charan play a villager and is an action thriller story set in the country side. The film, it is said, will have Ram Charan playing as a deaf villager who is an engineer.

MALAYALAM Q BILAL One of the evergreen action movies of MammoottyBig B- directed by Amal Neerad, is having a sequel in the name of Bilal.

Big B released in 2007 was an action-thriller. The film was inspired by Hollywood crime thriller Four Brothers starring Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund.

Q KAMMARA SAMBHAVAM It is a cross-genre social satire film written by Murali Gopy and directed by Rathish Ambat. The movie is produced by Gokulam Gopalan and stars Dileep, Siddharth, debut actress Sanija Sajeev, and Murali Gopy.

It marks the Malayalam debut of Siddharth. In the film scripted by Murali Gopi, the plot follows the adventures of Kammaran, the character played by Dileep.

Q NAA PERU SURYA

Q ODIYAN

It is an action film starring Allu Arjun as protagonist.

Produced by Sirisha and Sridhar Lagadapati under the Ramalakshmi Cine Creations banner, the movie is written and directed by Vakkantham Vamsi.

It is a fantasy thriller film directed by V A Shrikumar Menon in his feature film debut and written by K Harikrishnan. The film stars Mohanlal in the lead role, with Manju Warrier and Prakash Raj; produced by Aashirvad Cinemas.

The movie marks the debut of Vamsi as a director.

Vamsi has previously written stories for successful movies like Kick, Race Gurram and Temper. Veteran actors Arjun and R Sarathkumar play supporting roles.

Q SAAHO This is the next film of Prabhas, after the blockbuster Baahubali series. The action thriller film is written and directed by Sujeeth and produced by UV Creations.

It is based on the legend of Odiyan, who in Kerala folklore are men possessing shapeshifting abilities, who could assume animal form. Odiyans are said to have inhabited the Malabar region of Kerala before the era of electricity.

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Shraddha Kapoor plays the heroine in this flick, which is being shot simultaneously in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. It is being shot extensively in locations like Hyderabad, Mumbai Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Romania and Europe.

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

e are happy to present the February edition of Pickle on the occasion of Berlinale and European Film Market 2018.

Pickle congratulates EFM on its 30th Anniversary this year. Berlinale and EFM set the tone for what’s to come in the cinema space in the next few months ahead.

As we bring out the 10th edition of Pickle for Berlin, there is one more reason to celebrate. We will soon be launching the Pickle matchmaking App to connect decision makers in the Indian M&E sector with the rest of the world.

This year took off on a bright note for the Indian cinema, both mainstream and independent. The rousing success of Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai, Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstars, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavat has brightened the prospects of the filmed entertainment space.

In the first two months of 2018, three independent films from the subcontinent – Ere Gowda’s Balekempa (The Bangle Seller), Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Jonakiand and Q’s Garbage have landed slots in two major festivals. While the first two were screened at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, Garbage has made it to Berlin’s Panorama section – the

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only Indian film at Berlinale this year.

In this issue, we have listed 10 highly anticipated Indian films that we hope will be ready for rounds of the festival circuit this year – and beyond.

At Berlinale and EFM this year, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in association with Confederation of Indian Industry has set up the India Stand (MGB 44). It will have representation from production companies, VOD, line producers, post production studios and exporters from across the country. Over 50 Indian film companies are at EFM this year. DQ Entertainment International will launch two films at the Market.

The Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry has emerged as a globally recognised market with a revenue of around $22 billion. The industry is undergoing a huge transformation and exponential growth. New opportunities are emerging with the explosion of digital platforms.

Our forthcoming print issues in March will focus on the Indian M&E services market (enTTech). The April issue will be dedicated to MIPTV and NAB SHOW, while the May issue for the Cannes Film Festival and Market.

Feel free to email us your thoughts and suggestions.

n vidyasagar pickle media nvidyasagar@picklemag.in, www.picklemag.com

Pickle Volume XI 4th edition Published by Pickle Media Private Limited Email: natvid@gmail.com O Mumbai O Chennai No.2, Habib Complex Dr Durgabhai Deshmukh Road RA Puram CHENNAI 600 028

Printed by Bon Graphics New #7, Arumugam Nagar, Dayalan Garden, Chinna Porur, Chennai – 600 116 Mobile: +91 9884816263 Email: bon_graphics@yahoo.co.in

Editorial Coordinators : M Sai Email: natvid@gmail.com Photo Editor: K K Laskar

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Pickle Business Guide 2018 Copyright 2018 by Pickle Media Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Pickle is an ad supported business guide tracking the filmed entertainment business in India.

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