International
Vail fest to honour Fred Schepisi
MUMBAI: The Vail Film Festival will honour director Fred Schepisi with the Vail Film Festival‘s Vanguard Award. Krysten Ritter, who plays a lead role in the Starz series Gravity, has been chosen to receive the festival‘s Excellence in acting award.
Schepisi, whose films include Six Degrees of Separation and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, most recently directed The Eye of the Storm. The film, which will be released in the United States by Sycamore Entertainment, will have its US premiere as the festival‘s opening night film.
Ritter‘s film credits include She‘s Out of My League, Confessions of a Shopaholic, What Happens in Vegas, 27 Dresses and Vamps. She stars in Kat Coiro‘s L!fe Happens, which will screen as the festival‘s closing night film.
The festival, which runs from 29 March to 1 April in Vail, Colorado, will present the honorees at its awards ceremony on the closing night.
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.
