International
Big rush for Oldenburg fest
NEW DELHI: Happy New Year by K Lorrel Manning with Michael Cuomo as lead actor received the German Independence Award – Audience Award – presented by Peter Göttelmann, CEO Marketing of EWE AG – at the Oldenburg International Film Festival which concluded over the weekend.
Both the director and lead actor were present.
Director Markus Engel received the award for the best short film for his work The Last Guest with a special recommendation going to 15 Summers Later by Pedro Collantes.
The five-day festival was filled with 8 world premieres, 9 international premieres, 3 European premieres, 17 German premieres and a total of 55 films.
The festival opening gala was highlighted by the comedy No Sex Is No Option by Torsten Wacker in front of 1300 people at Oldenburg‘s EWE Arena with stars Stephan Luca, Anna Thalbach, Armin Rohde and Janin Reinhardt in attendance.
The Festival ended with the award ceremony and the premiere of Anduni – Where is Home with guest Florian Lukas.
Dr. Ketel by Linus de Paoli won the jury award of German Independence Award – Best German Film.
The international jury of Matthew Modine, Radley Metzger, Ildi Toth Davy, Soopum Sohn, and Matteo Lovadina said, “The film adventurously explores the techniques of film making. Pushing the boundaries of storytelling to an area that is unique in contemporary cinema.”
Another highlight of the festival was the German premiere of US-Spanish co-production The Way by Emilio Estevez in attendance of Deborah Kara Unger and Yorick van Wageningen at the packed St. Lamberti Church, where the festival showed a film for the first time.
Among the many programming highlights were Brawler an energising tale about two brothers who fight for the same woman in a series of illegal bouts.
Among the guests of this year‘s festival were: Matthew Modine, Deborah Kara Unger, Inger Nilsson, Ted Kotcheff, Roger Fritz, Mark Polish, Arthur Brauss, Radley Metzger, Bela B. Felsenheimer, Stephan Luca, Anna Thalbach, Armin Rohde, Janin Reinhardt, Kostja Ullmann, Ken Duken, Florian Lukas, Marc Senter, Nathan Grubbs, Chris Sivertson, Noémie Merlant, and Burak Yigit.
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.
