International
Millennium Films appoints Mark Gill as president
MUMBAI: Former president of Miramax Films and Warner Independent, Mark Gill has been appointed president of Millennium Films. Gill has 25 years of film business experience and a production track record of more than $1 billion at the box office.
Beginning July, Gill will work closely with Nu Image/Millennium Films heads Avi Lerner and Trevor Short and development head Boaz Davidson with focus on development, packaging, production and marketing.
“It’s a new Millennium,” Lerner has reportedly said. “Mark and I have known each other for 10 years, and have worked together very well in the past. He is highly respected in the creative community, has a strong business sense, and is a very hard worker who likes to move as quickly as we do. I am confident that we will be an extremely effective team,” he added.
Millennium Films has also announced its plans to produce and finance five to eight star-driven, wide-release films per year with budgets between $20 and $80 million.
Gill was most recently the CEO and co-founder of The Film Department, an independent movie production and finance company that is known for the film Law-Abiding Citizen, a $40 million thriller starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx.
Before that, Gill served as the founding president of Warner Independent Pictures. In his tenure, the company produced 15 films and earned 11 Oscar nominations, notable among them being March of the Penguins, Good Night and Good Luck.
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.
