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MIFF 2016 to showcase 385 documentaries & short films
NEW DELHI: A total of 385 documentaries, short and animation films will be screened during the 14th edition of Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation Films commencing on 28 January.
The biennial event, organised by the Films Division of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and supported by the Maharashtra Government, will conclude with the awards ceremony on 3 February.
MIFF will feature 30 films in the International Competition, including 12 from India, and 27 films in National Competition vying for the Golden Conch Award.
The screenings will be held at the Films Division theatres, Russian Culture Centre and Sophia College theatres at Pedder Road, Mumbai. Screenings will also be held at the Mumbai University auditorium Kalina, Mumbai and Doordashan Kendra (Worli).
Addressing the curtain-raiser press conference in Mumbai, Festival director Mukesh Sharma said, ‘MIFF is the oldest and the largest festival of non-feature films in South Asia as it started in 1990.”
He added, “MIFF brings together a talent pool of documentary film makers from the across the world with their works featuring in international, national, animation and new media competition sections. We received a record number of 831 entries from 25 countries.”
The inauguration of the Festival from Mumbai will be covered live by DD Bharati from 4.30 pm
Additionally, Sharma also informed that for the first time, MIFF had roped in a brand ambassador in Jackie Shroff. “He who regards documentaries as catalysts for social change and is planning to make short films to spread awareness about dreaded diseases and on social issues,” Sharma added.
Highlighting the importance of documentaries that deal with real life challenges, veteran filmmaker Mike Pandey stressed the need for a dedicated documentary channel in the country.
Sharma said in order to increase the outreach of documentary films, the Films Division has signed an agreement with Prasar Bharati, under which Films Division’s documentaries will be shown on the DD Bharati channel.
The inauguration and closing functions will be held at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai at 5 pm on 28 January and 3 February respectively. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be chief guest for the opening ceremony and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore will preside.
Maharashtra Culture Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde, filmmaker Shyam Benegal, I&B Secretary Sunil Arora, Films Division DG Mukesh Sharma, and Shroff will be present.
“Apart from International and National competition, the screening of films in MIFF Prism, Indian Premieres, Jury retrospectives, Animation and award winning films from different countries, Children’s documentary films, North East package, FD and PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) films, homages etc, will make it a wholesome viewing experience for the delegates of MIFF 2016,”Sharma said.
The festival will also present special packages from leading international documentary film festivals like Berlin, Dresden, DokLeipzig from Germany and Leiria from Portugal.
Some of the best documentaries of 2015, among them Mohammed Ali Naqvi and Hemal Trivedi’sAmong the Believers – about the roots of religious extremism in Pakistan and Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence – a Danish documentary about Indonesian killings of 1965-66 and Rinku Kalsy’s For the Love of a Man – a documentary about the cult of adulation for Rajanikant in South India are among the top draws.
The International Jury for the Festival comprises documentary makers Don Askarian from Germany, Jesper Andersen from Denmark, Mathiue Roy of Canada, Siddharth Kak and Gitanjali Rao.
Pandey, who is president of the Indian Documentary Films Association, Uma DaCunha, Biju Dhanapalan, Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) and Jane Yu (Taiwan) are the members of the National Jury.
The festival will also have Master classes by Jury and eminent filmmakers, Camera and Digital workshops, Producers’ Forum, Panel discussions, Seminar and Open Forum by IDPA, under the MIFF Hub.
Cash prizes worth Rs 60 lakh will be distributed for the winners in various categories along with Golden Conch Awards.
In addition the festival will honour a veteran personality from the Indian documentary fraternity with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award that carries a cash component of Rs 5 lakh, trophy and a citation.
Buoyed by the warm reception to the MIFF Zone, screening of films in National competition will be held simultaneously in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Lucknow, Nagpur and Thrissur. MIFF Zone is aimed at taking select competition films to film lovers who are unable to travel to Mumbai for the MIFF.
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Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
