Indian entrepreneur Prasanna Ajarekar has launched Anashwar Media and Entertainment, marking the company’s debut with director Nikhil Mahajan’s “Taxi Driver” at the ongoing Film Bazaar project market. The film follows a taxi driver and a thief whose lives intersect during one fateful night, revealing an unexpected connection from their past. Production is set to commence […]

Vertigo Releasing has acquired U.K. and Ireland distribution rights to “The Kingdom,” directed by Corsican filmmaker Julien Colonna. The organized crime thriller and coming-of-age drama is set for theatrical release in spring 2025. The film, which bowed in the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes, centers on a teenage girl named Lesia who discovers her […]

Indian technology startup Vireza is developing a new mobile application that aims to revolutionize the theatrical movie-watching experience by allowing audiences to interact with films in real-time, founder Arjun Nittoor revealed at Film Bazaar. The technology, developed entirely in-house at the company’s Bengaluru R&D facility, enables moviegoers to participate in key story decisions throughout the […]

Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcasting heavyweight, rolled out its streaming platform Waves at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, marking the state broadcaster’s entry into the country’s competitive streaming space. The platform launches with a slate spanning 12+ languages and 10+ genres, featuring everything from video-on-demand content to free gaming, radio streaming, […]

India’s National Film Development Corporation’s (NFDC) Film Bazaar market has expanded into series development and attracted robust registrations ahead of its 2024 edition, running alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The market has selected several series projects in its co-production market, following the introduction of an OTT [streaming] award at IFFI […]

Celebrated Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who serves as festival director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, has outlined his vision for the 2024 edition, emphasizing a shift away from comparing Indian cinema to Western standards. “For a long time, at every festival, we’ve kind of looked down upon ourselves as though Indian […]

Ana Tiwary’s Sydney-based production company indiVisual films – international is bringing “Home Before Night,” a cross-cultural drama with sci-fi elements, to India’s Film Bazaar’s co-production Market. “It is such a hauntingly beautiful story that mixes drama with elements of science fiction and authentically represents the experiences of migrants in Australia,” says Tiwary (“Terra Incognita”). Written […]

Former Netflix producer Dimpy Agrawal’s production banner Gubbara Entertainment has unveiled a slate of six projects at India’s Film Bazaar, including a project starring Anasuya Sengupta, who made history as the first Indian actor to win best performance at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard for “The Shameless.” Sengupta will headline short “Ma,” penned by Columbia University […]

Paramount’s “Gladiator II” dominated the U.K. and Ireland box office with a £9.1 million ($11.5 million) opening weekend, according to numbers from Comscore. Studiocanal’s “Paddington In Peru” maintained momentum in its sophomore session, collecting £6.8 million for a cumulative £18.8 million after two weeks. Warner Bros.’ “Red One” secured third place with £1.4 million, pushing […]

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa is taking cinema to the streets — quite literally. India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) have partnered with Picturetime Digiplex to screen a selection of films in inflatable theaters at the festival’s 55th edition. These include S.S. Rajamouli’s global […]

Celebrated filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has revealed plans to establish a film school in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum district, with a specific focus on AI technology in filmmaking. The initiative builds on Kapur’s decade-long experience running The Dharavi Project alongside Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, a hip-hop and rap initiative in Dharavi in partnership with Universal Music that […]

ABS-CBN Films and GMA Pictures’ romantic drama “Hello, Love, Again” achieved a milestone opening weekend of $2.4 million across North America, setting a new record for Philippines cinema in the territory. The sequel to 2019’s “Hello, Love, Goodbye” surpassed expectations, with its opening weekend earnings already exceeding the entire North American run of its predecessor, […]

STREAMING SUCCESS Netflix leads the pack with two nominations as India’s streaming platforms gear up for the Best Web Series Award at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The category, which returns for its sophomore year, has witnessed a robust 40% increase in submissions across 10 major streaming platforms. Netflix’s dual contenders include […]

Taiwan production house Aview Images has struck a partnership with Singapore’s Momo Film Co to co-produce two upcoming features – Nelson Yeo’s “The Drought” and Daniel Hui’s “Other People’s Dreams.” “The Drought,” Yeo’s sophomore feature, explores family dynamics and personal struggles against the backdrop of an uninhabitable drought. The project marks a reunion between Yeo […]

India’s MovieVerse Studios, a division of IN10 Media Network, is making its entry into Tamil-language cinema with “Rakkayie,” starring Nayanthara. The period-action drama marks the directorial debut of Senthil Nallasamy. The project, which will see Nayanthara in an action-oriented role, is set to be co-produced with Chennai-based Drumsticks Productions, known for films like “Yaanai” and […]

The QCinema Project Market, the industry platform of the Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, wrapped its second edition with grants and co-production support distributed across multiple projects from the region. Three Filipino projects secured the market’s top Philippine Co-Production Grant of $34,000 each: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Anak Alon” (Daughters of the Sea), Eve Baswel’s “Bato […]

The 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has unveiled its main competition lineup, with 15 features vying for the Golden Peacock award carrying an INR4 million ($47,000) prize purse, notably featuring nine films directed by women. Among the world premieres are Manijeh Hekmat and Faeze Azizkhani’s Iranian drama “Fear & Trembling,” exploring an older […]

Director Kim Sung-su’s historical drama “12.12: The Day,” South Korea’s entry for the 2024 international feature Oscar race, chronicles a pivotal moment in the country’s history. The film depicts the military coup of Dec. 12, 1979, which led to an eight-year military junta. The tense action drama features an ensemble cast including Hwang Jung-min (“Deliver […]

Vietnam talent showed strong presence at the 12th QCinema International Film Festival in Quezon City, Philippines, as Trương Minh Quý’s “Viet and Nam” claimed the top prize, while compatriot Dương Diệu Linh’s “Don’t Cry, Butterfly” secured the Grand Jury Prize. “Viet and Nam,” which made its debut in Cannes Un Certain Regard, emerged victorious in […]