International
Jane Campion only woman to win Palme d’Or at Cannes in last fifty years
NEW DELHI: Only one woman filmmaker – Jane Campion – has won an award in the Palme d’Or at Cannes in the past 50 years.
Revealing this, Swedish Film Institute CEO Anna Serner also revealed that only 54 of the thousand-plus films that have competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in the past 50 years have been made by women.
Additionally, only one woman – Kathryn Bigelow – of the four women from the more than four hundred who have been nominated for an Oscar for best director has won.
The facts were revealed at a press conference held in Cannes to mark the 50th anniversary of the Swedish Film Institute.
Serner introduced an international equality initiative for films. “In Sweden women have directed roughly ten per cent of all feature films over the last fifty years”, said Serner.
Furthermore, eight women have won the Swedish National Film Award for best director in the last fifty years, five of them in the last ten years
Serner put forth an equality package of mentoring, an inside look at the industry and a study of women who are about to make their first feature. She urged film industries, filmmakers, producers and film festivals around the world to look at this question and help to bring about international equality.
Announcement was also made about new projects including the upcoming Waltz for Monica to be released in December about the Swedish jazz singer Monica Zetterlund. Directed by Per Fly and written by Peter Birro, the film also stars Edda Magnason as the talented vocalist who died tragically in 2005 from a fire in her apartment. Magnason, Birro and Fly all attended the anniversary dinner.
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.
