International
Four-day NIFF gets going in Kathmandu
MUMBAI: With an aim to provide a platform for indigenous as well as non-indigenous community toresearch, document, interact and develop information on indigenous cultures, traditions,languages, issues, knowledge and wisdom through the visual medium, the four-day 5th NepalInternational Indigenous Film Festival (NIIFF 2011) organised by Indigenous Film Archive (IFA)began in Kathmandu on 22 April.
Alike earlier editions of NIIFF, this edition also eyes for international recognition of Nepali filmindustry and indigenous community of Nepal.
Said Navin Subba of the NIFF, “In our first attempt, we hardly got few international participants but now there are dozens of films and documentaries made by international film makers.”According to Subba, in past couple of decades Nepal film industry used to copy Bollywood and Hollywood movies but at present, the industry and Nepali filmmakers have the quality to tell their own Nepali tales.
A total of 42 films from 20 countries and regions including Australia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China‘s Taiwan, Canada, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Sweden, Russia, Vietnam and the United States will be shown at the festival.Among them eight Nepali films including two fictions and six documentaries are being screened.
Fourteen filmmakers and festival organizers are participating in person from eight countries and regions .
78year -old Canadian producer Alanis Obomsawin is a Guest of Honor at the festival.
Pastor also ruled in favor of a prosecution request to play video clips from the last two days of Jackson‘s stage rehearsals. The clips show Jackson rehearsing the songs “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Earth Song”. Some of the rehearsal footage was turned into the posthumous hit film “This Is It.”
The judge said the footage of Jackson was “relevant as to his demeanor.” Murray‘s attorneys had argued that the rehearsal footage was edited and misleading.
Deputy district attorney David Walgren said he wanted the jurors to see the clips because they show Jackson as an “energetic” man who “fully intends in participating in this tour (and) fully intends on living out his life.”
Jackson at the time was days away from beginning a series of comeback concerts in London.
Pastor said he will also allow testimony from women with whom prosecutors say Murray, who was married at the time, had a “personal and social relationship.” But the judge did not want
jurors to hear about Murray meeting two of the women at strip clubs.
The judge also ruled against a defense request to delve into Jackson‘s troubled finances and numerous lawsuits against him. Pastor said he did not want the trial to become a “salacious analysis of personal financial issues.”
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.
