International
Long Island International Film Expo on in Bellmore
MUMBAI: The 12th Annual Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE) that starts this week will feature Independent films and shorts both from Long Island and around the globe will go underway at the Bellmore Movies (222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore) from 9 – 19 July. It will also feature panels, a cheese and wine reception and an award ceremony.
“These are some of the best independent films in the world,” says director of the Nassau County Film Office, Debra Markowitz. “This year, the selected films to be screened come from 23 different countries and include 146 shorts and 24 feature-length films, she said.
The Nassau County Film Commission and the Long Island Film/TV Foundation, an organisation set-up to help promote Long Island film production, were both involved in putting LIIFE together as well.
With each passing year LIIFE has grown from screening just 40 films and has presented up to 170. This year some of the standouts include Tapped, a documentary about the bottled water business and Hope Deferred, a documentary about the importance of stem-cell research.
Among other must-see flicks is a comedy about men who are in the business of making wedding videos called The Video Guys. The movie was written and directed by Dan Brennan and has already won numerous technical awards.
Then there is Night for Day, a vampire movie, thriller and love story rolled into one. It is written, directed and produced by Russ Camarda who also acts in the film. Despite the differences in mood and genre, these films were both shot entirely on Long Island, directed by native Long Islanders, and share a similar cast of actors.
A technical award ceremony is scheduled for 17 July as well as a closing and a star-studded award ceremony on 19 July. Among those honoured will be actress Nikki Blonsky, (of Hairspray fame) who will be receiving the Creative Achievement Award.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
