Movies
Moviebuff and 2D entertainment announce first clap season 2
MUMBAI: Moviebuff and 2D Entertainment have announced the launch of First Clap Season 2, the country’s only theatrically showcased talent hunt for aspiring filmmakers, back again with the challenge of creating a compelling story in three minutes on any subject. Knack Studios is supporting the initiative by extending free of charge its postproduction facilities, for processing the Digital Intermediate and 5.1 audio mix, to the top five winners prior to the theatrical screening. Moviebuff’s partner Little Shows will handle the online public voting process as they did last year.
The contest has a simple challenge – ‘Oru Kathai Sollunga’ – tell a story, in 3 minutes. First Clap is the only platform that brings aspiring filmmakers, production houses, cinema halls and avid audiences under one roof giving the creators an opportunity to realize the ultimate dream of seeing their work on the silver screen and showcasing their story to masses to experience their response.
For all contestants, this is a chance to associate with industry bigwigs as well as have their creation shown on the big screen, ensuring a much wider reach and direct audience feedback. The maiden edition of the contest was screened in 170 theatres across 40 cities in Tamilnadu alone, with a minimum viewership of 34,35,432.
The top three contestants will win cash prizes from 2D Entertainment and Moviebuff.com. The winner earns Rs. 3 lakhs in prize money while the first runner-up receives Rs. 2 lakhs and the second runner-up Rs. 1 lakh. The winner will be given an opportunity to narrate their script to renowned actor Suriya’s 2D Entertainment film production and distribution company, including an opportunity to intern with them.
“A platform like First Clap helps us identify raw new talent and exposes us to various innovative stories. If scripts are finalized, we will be interested in working with this new class of creators as bringing such artists under one common platform gives us more options on the projects we want to support,” says Suriya. His company, 2D Entertainment, focuses on quality content ensuring entertainment with a difference by nurturing innovative talent and utilizing the best of technology.
“The first season helped garner exposure for these aspiring filmmakers – they saw their work on the silver screen along with audiences in various cities and towns, and it gave them the opportunity to connect with a production house. Contestants can expect improved exposure and feedback in this second edition of the competition,” says Arvind Ranganathan, Chief Executive Officer of Qube Cinema Technologies (QUBE). Moviebuff.com, promoted by QUBE, is an end-to-end service providing information and solutions for anything related to the business of movies — consumption, exhibition and content creation – to a variety of users, including, but not limited to, consumers, content creators, exhibitors and affiliates, and serves as a one-stop-shop for these users.
The contest officially opens for submissions on Jan 20th 2018. Participants can register on Moviebuff.com to submit their entries by Feb 24th 2018. A panel of eminent jurists comprising of filmmakers and film enthusiasts will assist in shortlisting the films, which will be published online for public voting.
On the basis of votes received from the online voting, the top five films will be screened for a period of five weeks in 170+ screens across several theatrical distribution districts of the Qube Cinema Network. During this time, the general public will be invited to vote for their ranking of these top five films on Moviebuff.com.
The film that receives the highest number of votes will be declared the winner of the contest. Announcement of the winning entry is slated mid 2018.
For more information/additional material, visit Moviebuff.com | Moviebuff.LittleShows.com
Hollywood
Did the ballet and opera controversy cost Timothée Chalamet his Oscar?
The actor’s ‘dying art forms’ comments may have danced away his Oscar chances.
LOS ANGELES: Last night, the 98th Academy Awards delivered a performance that wasn’t in the script, as Michael B. Jordan clinched the Best Actor statue, leaving Timothée Chalamet’s widely predicted win to pirouette away into the night. While Chalamet was long considered the frontrunner for his starring turn in Marty Supreme, many are whispering that a singular, ill-timed performance, not on screen but on the campaign trail, may have rewritten the finale.
For months, the narrative surrounding the race had a singular star, Chalamet, the critics’ darling and the bookies’ bet. However, the closing numbers saw a dramatic plot twist. Chalamet found himself upstaged not just by his fellow nominees but by the ghost of public opinion, following remarks he made during a Variety and CNN actor-on-actor conversation in February.
What started as a breezy discussion turned distinctly frosty when Chalamet, the conversation’s designated trendsetter, took aim at some classical institutions. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, where no one is interested anymore,” he said, before branding them “dying art forms.”
The backlash was swift and, unfortunately for Chalamet’s campaign, star-studded. For the film industry, an establishment that often fancies itself as the glamorous custodian of the high arts, the actor’s comments didn’t just strike a bum note. They sounded like a discordant symphony. Academy heavyweights, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg, publicly voiced their disapproval. Spielberg himself countered that the “cinematic experience” and classical performance are bound by a similar dedication to audience engagement, effectively suggesting that Chalamet’s view was perhaps a bit too modern for its own good.
The conversation quickly became a media maelstrom. In a masterstroke of high-culture clapback, renowned ballerina Misty Copeland didn’t just issue a statement. The Academy even choreographed a surprise performance by her for the ceremony itself, a powerful, wordless rebuttal that many saw as a direct riposte to Chalamet’s dismissive claims. Even regional arts institutions joined the choreography. The Seattle Opera offered a cheeky “TIMOTHEE” discount, granting a 14 percent markdown to prove that people do, in fact, care.
Did this cultural counterpoint truly cost Chalamet his win? While some industry insiders argue that Michael B. Jordan’s complex dual performance in Sinners, a performance that also swept the SAG Awards, had simply built up too much momentum, the timing of Chalamet’s comments was undeniably poor. Coming as final Oscar voting began, they arguably soured his narrative and made a vote for him feel, to some, like a vote against artistic unity.
Even the ceremony itself wasn’t finished with the narrative. Host Conan O’Brien, whose sharp tongue is a celebrated feature of these galas, didn’t miss a beat. “Security is extremely tight tonight,” O’Brien jibed during his opening monologue, glancing toward the front row. “I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities. They’re just mad you left out jazz!”
The laughter that followed was pointed, a final public curtain call for a controversy that Chalamet likely wished had closed weeks ago. Whether it was a case of genuine peer disapproval, a sudden surge in support for Jordan’s powerhouse performance, or simply a case of poor footwork on the campaign stage, the ballet and opera debacle has now cemented its place in Oscar history. Chalamet’s experience serves as a clear memo to future contenders. Even when you are the headline act, a solo performance can still fall flat if you forget to play to the entire house.
