International
Odessa Intl film fest from 13 July
MUMBAI: The third edition of the Odessa International Film Festival (OIFF) will kick off on 13 July.
“We are doubling in size with each edition,” festival‘s director Denis Ivanov said in a statement. “This year, we are inaugurating a new, 1,200 seat festival center, and we expect about 100,000 viewers to turn up,” he added.
Among the highlights of the international competition are Sergei Loznitsa‘s V Tumane (In the Fog), a WWII drama; Garbage by American director Phil Volken, Poslednyaya Skazka Rity, (Rita‘s Last Fairy Tale) by Russian actress/director/screenwriter Renata Litvinova and the teenage drama Dollhouse by Irish director Kirsten Sheridan.
“Apart from the international competition, the festival would feature a Ukrainian national competition and about half a dozen special programmes including French Panorama and Lost World: Ukrainian Cinema of the Early 1990s.
OIFF is also holding a retrospective of movies by Todd Solondz, who is expected to show up in Odessa. The festival‘s professional program is to be drastically expanded, compared to last year. “We are basically bringing in the entire Ukrainian film industry here,” Ivanov commented.
The festival is to close on 21 July.
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
