International
25 films to premiere at Toronto Film Fest
MUMBAI: This year‘s Toronto International Film Festival will hold world premieres of films of Robert Redford, Guillaume Canet, Michael Winterbottom, John Cameron Mitchell, Tony Goldwyn, Emilio Estevez and David Schwimmer.
In all, about 50 films, including 25 world premieres, were unveiled yesterday at the opening news conference for the fest‘s 35th edition.
Redford‘s The Conspirator, an investigation into the assassination of President Lincoln that stars Robin Wright, James McAvoy and Kevin Kline, will have its gala screening at Roy Thomson Hall.
To be accorded the same treatment would be Canet‘s Little White Lies, a beachside drama that stars Marion Cotillard, Benoit Magimel and Gilles Lellouche. The South African-set Steven Silver‘s Canada/South Africa co-production, The Bang Bang Club, starring Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and Taylor Kitsch will also have its premiere at the Fest.
Stars whose latest work will be on display include Nicole Kidman, playing one half of a married couple rocked by the death of their child, in Mitchell‘s Rabbit Hole. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis facing off as rival ballerinas in Darren Aronofsky‘s Black Swan will be the opening-night film at the festival. Keanu Reeves, playing a man unjustly imprisoned in Malcolm Venville‘s Henry Crime; Edward Norton and Robert De Niro circling each other in John Curran‘s psychological thriller Stone and Ben Affleck, who has directed himself in the Boston crime drama, The Town which Warner Bros. will release domestically on 17 September.
French actress Catherine Deneuve will be seen in two features: Francois Ozon‘s Potiche and Eric Lartigau‘s melodrama The Big Picture. Helen Mirren will also will get plenty of exposure from her appearances in John Madden‘s thriller The Debt and Rowan Joffe‘s adaptation of Graham Greene‘s novel Brighton Rock.
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.
