Sunday 27 February 2011

FESTIVAL SUMMARY- Part 3

Film: Land Gold Women.
Date, Time & Venue: 21 March, 2011, 6:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: Avantika Hari
Star-cast: Christopher Villiers, Hassani Shapi, Aaron Virdee, Laurence Saunders
Language: English 
Country, Running Time, Year: United Kingdom, 99 minutes, 2009.

Synopsis

Land Gold Women is an award 2009 winning film which deals with the issue of honor killings, first of its kind in UK. The film won India's National Film Award for Best Film in English Language.

The film shot entirely in the UK that covers the issue of honour killings in a modern society, is set in Birmingham, a place which is home to a large ethnic Indian Muslim community.

Land Gold Women  revolves aroudn a small British Asian family caught between their traditional past and the tumultuous, faction-driven present. Nazir Ali Khan, a soft-spoken, genteel 45-year old professor of History at a University in Birmingham, emigrated from India in the 1990's. He made Birmingham his home with his conservative wife Rizwana and their two children, Saira,17 and Asif,14. He indulges their interests in all things English and Western but now finds himself increasingly nostalgic about his roots.

A still from the movie Land Gold Women.
Saira, with a year to complete her graduation is excited at the prospect of going to the university to pursue her interest in Literature. She also hopes that this will give her more time to spend with David, her aspiring writer boyfriend. At this critical juncture in her life, Nazir finds himself feeling increasingly conflicted at the thought of hi daughter going out into the big bad world. His fears are further strengthened by the arrival of his older brother Riyaaz from India. A staunch traditional man, Riyaaz arrives with a proposal of marriage for Saira. A man of his word, who takes great pride in his roots, Riyaaz does not intend on taking a 'no' for an answer.

With the threat of an illicit relationship looming over his head and the prospect of getting cut off from the rest of his family, Nazir finds himself at the brink of a terrible decision to make: Should he save face? Or save his daughter ?

Click here to watch the trailer of the film.

For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Film: When Harry Tries To Marry.
FilmWhen Harry Tries To Marry
Date, Time & Venue: 26 March, 2011, 6:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: Nayan Padrai
Language: English 
Country, Running Time, Year: USA, 2011.

Harry is a New York bachelor cynical about "true love" ever since his parents divorce. Determined to live happily-ever-after, and not end up as another divorce statistic, he asks for help from his match-making uncle. This traditional arranged marriage to a lovely girl from India baffles and surprises parents and friends.

The cast and crew of When Harry Tries To Marry.
Just as Harry think he's found the perfect Indian bride he begins to wonder if his friendship with Theresa, a fun and sexy American, could be something more. Harry and Theresa become closer as she helps him prepare for the big day. The plans are under way and Harry is running out of time to choose between a love thats arranged and one that he's found himself.

For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Film: For Real
Date, Time & Venue: 18 March, 2011, 6:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: Sona Jain
Star-castSarita Choudhury, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Zoya Hasan, Adil Hussain, Sriharsh SharmaRahul Rai, Stefanie EstesFreshia BomambehranGrant Kretchik
Language: English 
Country, Running Time, Year: UK, 90 mins, 2009

Six-year old Shruti knows something no one else does. An alien has come in place for her mother and her real mother has been sent to the Orion Galaxy. While the alien looks just like her mother on the outside, Shruti knows she is completely different from here beloved mother on the inside.

Shruti turns to her brother for help but he doesn't believe her. Her father, like always, remains wrapped in work and unavilable to her. Unable to accept the Alien in her home and desperate to be with her mother, thel lonely child runs away.

What follows is a child's passage to finding her real mother, a man's struggle to save his family and a woman's journey to finding himself.



For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Film: The Interview
Film: The Interview
Date, Time & Venue: 22 March, 2011, 6:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Star-castJackie Shroff
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Country, Running Time, Year: India, 110 mins, 2011.

Against his will, a famous award winning political war reporter for a quality newspaper has to interview one of the most popular actress of the country. Scar meets scar: the interview derails, the characters collide and the tensions rise to a feverish level. Are the intimate confessions of the actress, which for a different kind of reporter would be a publicity goldmine, for real, or is she a better actress than he thinks she is? And does the reporter, with his very personal revelations, discern himself from his yellow press colleagues, or is he a much meaner man than he pretends to be? The confrontation evolves into a passionate verbal duel, with one overriding question: who is going to win?

Click here to view the promo of the film The Interview.

For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Film: Varnam
Film: Varnam
Date, Time & Venue: 22 March, 2011, 8:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: S M Raju
Language: Tamil with English subtitles
Country, Running Time, Year: India, 120 mins, 2011.
A still from the movie Varnam.
Varnam is set against the backdrop of Theni. The story revolves around the life of a teenage boy. The boy loses his parents in a calamity and is adopted by his uncle. he relocates to his uncle's house and joins school there. Influenced by the new-found family members and their attitudes, the boy goes through a lot of things in his life. Adrift in a confusing melange of good and bad, he learns through his experiences. issues related to caste clashes, status differences and a sweet love affair chisel the personality of the teenager. What happens to him is told in a riveting screenplay.

View the official trailer of the movie Varnam here:



For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Monday 21 February 2011

FESTIVAL SUMMARY- Part 2

The Killing of John Lennon
FilmThe Killing of John Lennon
Date, Time & Venue: 24 March, 2011, 8:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Language: English 
Country, Running Time, Year: United Kingdom, 2007, 114 Mins.

Synopsis

The Killing of John Lennon is a chilling insight into the mind of Mark David Chapman, the 25 year old narcissist who gunned down The Beatles star John Lennon outside his Dakota apartment in New York in 1980. Meticulously researched and filmed on actual locations where events occurred it is a gritty and imagistic examination of a celebrity stalker's mind leading up the kill and his descent into madness and exorcism.

Watch the promo of the film below:



For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Peepli Live
Date, Time & Venue: 21 March, 2011, 6:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: Anusha Rizvi, Mahmood Farooqui 
Star-cast: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuvir Yadav, Shalini Vatsa
Language: Hindi, English subtitles
Country, Running Time, Year: India, 2010, 110 Mins.

Synopsis

On the eve of national elections in the Indian village of Peepli, two poor farmers, Nath and Budhia, face losing their land over an unpaid government loan. Desperate, they seek help from an apathetic local politician, who suggests they commit suicide to benefit from a government program that aids the families of indebted deceased farmers. When a journalist overhears Budhia urge Nath to "do what needs to be done" for the sake of their families, a media frenzy ignites around whether or not Natha will commit suicide.

The screening of the film will be followed by a Q&A session with writer/director Anusha Rizvi.

Check out the promo of Peepli Live:



For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com


Film: Jogwa


Date, Time & Venue: 23 March, 2011, 6:15 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: Rajeev Patil
Language: Marathi, English subtitles
Country, Year: India, 2009

Synoposis

National Award winning film Jogwa is about two strangers being forced into a life of servitude to the local deity. They fall in love and want to start a new life but will the wrath of a highly supersititous community let them live in peace.

Catch the promo of the film below:



For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com


Sander Francken's Bardsongs.

Film: Bardsongs
Date, Time & Venue: 25 March, 2011, 6:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly
Director: Sander Francken
Language:English subtitles
Country, Running Time, Year: India and Africa, 2010, 95 Mins.

Synopsis

A plastic collector named Sahir refuses to pass judgement on fate when his son is wounded and the outbreak of war proves him right. Young Bouba is given the task of answering the question "What is the greatest part of all knowledge?". His search leads him to love. And Sonam sets out across the Himalayas to sell his dzo, but the journey proves useful despite the fact that he doesn't sell the animal. All three stories are presented in the form of traditional songs which intermingle in this engaging on-screen narrative. The characters are always seeking something, thus enabling the movie to grip the attention.

Watch the trailer of the film below:



For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com

Saturday 12 February 2011

COSTUME DESIGN MASTERCLASS WITH BHANU ATHAIYA

Name of Event: Costume Design Masterclass
Date, Venue & Time : 26 March, 2011, 2:00 pm at David Lean Room, BAFTA
Ticket Price: 15 Pounds
Bhanu Athaiya
Tongues on Fire (TOF) in association with London Film Academy will present a Costume Design Masterclass- Illustrating the power of aesthetics in cinema with Bhanu Athaiya, India's First Oscar Award Winner and Indian cinema's most well regarded costume designer.

The master class will give people a golden opportunity and hands on training on the art of costume design. It will further delve into the sheer importance of costume designing in films by highlighting the important aspects a designer should look at in order to bring out the visual impact of costumes on celluloid. 

About Bhanu Athaiya

 


Whether it's Guide, Gandhi, Lagaan or Swades- think of any trend-setting Indian film and chances are the costumes were designed by Bhanu Rajopadhye Athaiya. According to Richard Attenborough, the director of the Oscar-Award winning film Gandhi, it took him 17 long years to set up the film and only 15 minutes to make up his mind that Bhanu was the right person to design its costumes.

Bhanu Athaiya is Indian Cinema's most well regarded costume designer and has worked in over 100 films, since 1950 with filmmakers as big as Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Vidhu Vinod ChopraAsutosh Gowariker and international directors like Conrad Rooks and Richard Attenborough.

Her debut film as costume designer was C.I.D in 1956 which was followed by a series of  Guru Dutt classics like Pyaasa (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1964). She has won numerous prestigious awards in her career of more than 50 years, the most noted amongst them being the Academy Award for Costume Design (The Oscar) for her work in 1982 film, Gandhi. With this she became the first Indian to have bagged an Oscar.She then followed it up with two national Film Awards in 1991 and 1992.



The Masterclass is supported by British Fashion Council and is priced at 15 Pounds each.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact :

Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com.




FESTIVAL SUMMARY- Part 1

Onir's I AM
Title: Opening Night
Film: I AM
Date, Time & Venue: 18 March, 2011, British Film Institute National Film Theatre 1, Southbank
Director: Onir
Star-cast: Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Purab Kohli, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Abhimanyu Singh, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap
Language: Hindi, Kashmiri and Bengali with English subtitles
Coutnry, Running Time,Year: India, 80 Mins, 2011

Synopsis:

"I AM is about people with fractured lives held together by unbroken dreams."
I AM is about issues and dilemmas that bruise the modern Indian society. Unravelling and exploring these tribulations, the film unfolds many a tale of individuals struggling to find their identity and uphold their dignity in a world that is callous, cold and unsympathetic
Shot in for different cities across India, I Am is a fusion of stories where the protagonists share a common dream- a desire to regain their lives, to regain an identity which has been taken away from them
I AM AFIA is the story of a single woman who feels her identity will be made whole through the singularly feminine experience of motherhood. Unable to trust or even wait for a man, she is frustrated by a society that demands a "husband" to have a child. Thus her search is defined- does motherhood necessarily require the burden of a man?
I AM MEGHA is a story of two friends- a Kashmiri Pandit woman and a Muslim woman- separated by conflict. Against the backdrop of the ethnic cleansing in Kashmir in early 90's, this story tells of loss of home and identity. If your own home rejects you, where do you go and where are you "from"?
I AM ABHIMANYU is the story of a broken man, with a proud mask. Abhimanyu is trapped by the demons of his past, a past of sexual abuse. To move forward he must first go back, into a world where his childhood was stolen from him.
I AM OMAR is a horrific tale of sexual discrimination; blackmail and prejudice is part of the torrid fabric. It reveals how the police use Article 377 (law under Indian Penal Code which criminalizes homosexuality) to harass and blackmail gay men. In the current climate of media sensationalism, perhaps this story gains even more poignancy.

I Am reflects the story of everyone. I AM is born of true life incidents.

Watch the trailer below:



Director Dilip Mehta, actors Shriya Saran, Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas and Don McKellar 
Film: Cooking With Stella
Date, Time & Venue: 19 March, 2011, 1:00 pm, Apollo Cinemas
Director: Dilip Mehta
Star-castDon MckellarLisa RaySeema BiswasShriya Saran
Language: Hindi / English / French with English Subtitles
Country, Running Time, Year: Canada / India, 2011, 104 Mins.

Synopsis


A light-hearted satirical, social comedy about an unsuspecting couple in the Canadian Diplomatic Service posted to New Delhi who inherit a household of Indian servants headed by the wily, charming and totally inspiring cook-Stella Elizabeth.
Stella (Seema Biswas), Michael Laffont (Don McKellar))
Stella has been a cook in the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi for 30 years. She is brilliant as a cook and brilliant at creatively padding her salary- with a few pilfered items, some minor overcharging and a special phone-order duty free business. A newly posted Canadian diplomatic couple Michael and Maya arrive with their baby and after an initial jolt when she learns that Michael will be staying home as "diplomatic housewife" while Maya goes off to work, everything goes swimmingly for Stella. Michael was a chef in Ottawa and he is longing to learn authentic Indian Cooking. Stella agress to be his "cooking guru". But Stella's cozy domestic set-up implodes when Tannu, an honest nanny, joins the household and threatens to expose Stella's eceptions. Eventually Stella wins Tannu's full co-operation (and then some!). Michael has learned many important lessons from his teacher including glorious traditional South Indian cooking. And Stella? Well, let's just say dreams sometimes come true in unexpected ways.

Watch the promo of 'Cooking With Stella'.



Film: Khudakushi
FilmKhudakhushi
Date, Time & Venue: 20 March, 2011, 8:30 pm, Apollo Cinemas
Director: Rakesh Mehta
Star-cast: Asif Khan, Sahil Ansari, Sanjay Batra
Language: Hindi with English Subtitles
Country, Running Time, Year: India, 2010, 70 Mins.

Synopsis

Young Imran is in search of a job. When he meets Wali Sheikh he gets impressed by his lifestyle. Little did he know that Wali Sheikh is working as a sleeping cell for a terrorist organisation. Wali Sheikh has his own reasons of vengeance against the state. Imran gets brainwashed and changes his approach towards the society.A longtime plan of Wali Sheikh's  group to blast the CSR in Mumbai faces problems when key members get caught by police. Now all responsibilities are on Wali Sheikh to make it a last minute success. Wali Sheikh convinces Imran to accompany him to place the bomb. Imran apparently agrees to be a part of the plan. The life at home takes a new twist for Imran. The results of his act may jepopardize his entire family's life. A tensed Imran leaves home with Sheikh but something else is waiting for him

Watch the trailer of 'Khudakushi' below :

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF LAFF'2011

Like every year, the year 2011 also has a range of exciting events in store for the 13th Annual London Asian Film Festival (LAFF). The film festival, this time around, boasts of a big line-up of proceedings which include feature films, documentaries, short-film competition, panel discussions, award ceremony, education and community screenings.

The main highlights of this festival, which honours independent films from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh that have made waves on the international film festival circuit, include :


  • Costume Design Master Class: Tongues on Fire (TOF) , in association with London Film Academy presents a Costume Design Master class- Illustrating the power of aesthetics in film at BAFTA with Academy Award winner and Indian Cinema's most well regarded Costume Designer Bhanu Athaiya. The event takes place on Saturday 26 March,2011 at 2.00 pm at David Lean Room, BAFTA. Supported by British Fashion Council, the tickets for the event are priced at 15 Pounds each. For more information or to purchase tickets contact : info@tonguesonfire.com
                             

  •  Screening and Talk : Anusha Rizvi, director of Bollywood film Peepli Live to attend a Q & A session following the screening of the film. On 22 March 5:30 pm, Anusha will be giving the London Asian Film Festival Inaugural Speech of the Nargis Dutt Lecture 'Business of Making Films' at the Brunei gallery, SOAS. This event marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. her speech will be followed by a panel of four speakers and discussion. It is a free event. For more information, please contact : info@tongesonfire.com
  • Closing Night Gala & Awards : Hollywood actor Heath Burns will be screening her film 'Ashes' at BAFTA. This event will be attended by leading Bollywood celebrities. The screening will then be followed by the London Asian Film Festival Award Ceremony which will include awards such as Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Male & Female), Original Script, Audience Choice Best Film, Best Cross-Over Film and Best Short Film Competition winner & runner-up. The Lifetime Achievement Award, this year, will be offered to India's First Oscar Award Winner costume designer Bhanu AthaiyaFor more information, please contact : info@tongesonfire.com.
  • Short-Film Competition : Now in its 6th successful year, the Short-Film Competition gives the next generation of talented film-makers a chance to showcase their work.  The competition will be presented by comedian Paul Chowdhury. Tongues on Fire Short Film Award is our way of inspiring new film-makers. The TOF-Jury include Indian film director Jayabrato Chatterjee, CEO of WFTV Kate Kinninmont, Short Film competition co-ordinator Balvinder Mudan and lecturer at Birkbeck University of London, Dr.Mike Allen.


For more deatils, Contact Tongues On Fire:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com




-   

CLOSING NIGHT GALA

Actor-Director Ajay Naidu

The 13th London Asian Film Festival, presented by Tongues on Fire (TOF) comes to a close with a Gala Screening and Awards Dinner at BAFTA on 27 March. Director Ajay Naidu's 'Ashes' will be screened on closing night of the festival which will be graced with the presence of leading film personalities including Hollywood actor Heather Burns, Academy Award winner Costume Designer Bhanu Athaiya.

Actor Heather Burns
The London Asian Film Festival Award Ceremony will include awards such as Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor Male & Female, Original Script, Audience Choice Best Film, Best Cross-Over film and Short Film Competition Winner & Runner-up.

Costume Designer Bhanu Athaiya
This year the Annual Lifetime Achievement Award will be offered to Oscar award Costume design Winner Bhanu Athaiya.

Watch the video of 'Ashes' below:



Contact TOF:
Keerthi Suresh, Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com  


Friday 4 February 2011

OPENING NIGHT

The 13th Annual London Asian Film Festival by Tongues on Fire (TOF) will open on 18 March 2011 at the British Film Institute, Southbank. The inaugural films of this year's festival include:
  • Bollywood feature film I AM  produced by actor Sanjay Suri and directed by Onir and 
  • Short story Untold produced by Sanjay Suri's newly formed production company "Kahwa Entertainment"

Onir, Director of I Am
About I AM

I AM, an initiative by film director-Producer Onir and Actor-Producer Sanjay Suri, is about people with fractured lives held together by unbroken dreams. The film addresses certain issues in our society. A vision to use the medium of mainstream films to spread awareness while popularizing the culture of watching content oriented cinema. With this project the team of I AM hope to bring in another dimension to independent cinema in India. This project offers scope to different co-producers to partly co-produce any of the stories along with the main producers. They believe that independent cinema exists to give a voice to those working against the tide and outside the system. I AM is a collection of for short-tales- I Am Omar, I Am Megha, I Am Abhimanyu, I Am Afia , each tackling a societal issue.


Here is a sneak peak of the movie I AM.



For more information on festival screenings and tickets, visit our website www.tonguesonfire.com, book directly at British Film Insitute, Southbank, Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly Cinema, Piccadilly or write to us at info@tonguesonfire.com.

Festival's opening night will witness the presence of leading stars from Bollywood and Independent cinema including Manisha Koirala and Sanjay Suri. The screenings will then be followed by a Q & A session by the BFI.


Press Contact for TOF:
Keerthi Suresh
Festival Programmer
0779 416 7321
info@tonguesonfire.com
www.tonguesonfire.com