Hollywood
Shoojit Sircar’s 3 movies to be screened at Indian Film Festival in Russia
MUMBAI: The Indian Film Festival in Russia (IFFR) will screen three of director Shoojit Sircar’s movies namely Vicky Donor, Piku, and Madras Café. The film festival of Indian Films in Moscow will be held from 3-6 September, 2015.
Actor and singer Ayushmann Khurrana will be accompanying Sircar for the screening of their much appreciated movie Vicky Donor on the second day of the festival.
IFFR is aimed at bridging the gap between the two entertainment industries in the world – Russia and India. The festival will include top Bollywood blockbusters and celebrities from the Indian film fraternity. The choice of movies is intended to showcase the very wide range of cinema that emerges from Mumbai, the heart of the Indian film industry.
The IFFR aims to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indian cinema and culture in the 21st century. The new generation of Indian producers and directors is now seeking to re-launch Indian cinema on Russia’s big screen.
The four-day festival will not only showcase a select number of recently released popular Hindi movies, but will also feature live classical music and dance performances by Russian artistes and Indian Kathak and Bharatanatyam dance groups.
Hollywood
Iger’s final act: Disney boss wraps up epic saga with a new captain at the helm
After 15 turbulent years, two stints in the c-suite, and billions spent on blockbuster acquisitions, Bob Iger is stepping away from the Magic Kingdom.
CALIFORNIA: The 75-year-old chief, hailed as one of the most transformative leaders in modern media, officially hands over to former parks chief Josh D’Amaro on 18 March. And this time, he’s getting the succession right.
Iger’s legacy glitters with big bets and epic wins: the $7.4bn Pixar buy, $4bn Marvel swoop, and the colossal $71bn 21st Century Fox deal. He dragged Disney into the streaming age, fought off activist investor Nelson Peltz, and saw off a political scrap with Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
But it hasn’t all been pixie dust. The forced return of Iger in 2022—after the short, shaky reign of successor Bob Chapek—tarnished an otherwise stellar run.
Now, D’Amaro takes the wheel with a streamlined leadership team and Disney firing on all cylinders. The firm’s streaming business is in the black, theme-park attendance is soaring, and five global films have hit $1billion at the box office in the past two years. Not bad for a firm that was on the ropes just months ago.
D’Amaro’s first move? A slick reorg under new president and chief creative officer Dana Walden, folding film, tv, streaming and gaming into one punchy unit. Sean Shoptaw, heading up the gaming division, now reports directly to Walden—bringing Fortnite and Epic Games collaborations closer to Disney’s creative heart.
Iger isn’t sailing off into the sunset just yet. He’ll keep busy with Angel City FC, the women’s football club he owns with his wife. And as Ann Mooney Murphy of Stevens Institute predicts: “A guy like that never truly retires.”
One era ends. Another begins. And the House of Mouse bets big on a future beyond the king.
