FICCI FLO Film Festival in Feb 2016

Academy Award® Winning Actor Geena Davis’ Instituteto Launch Global Symposium on Gender in Media at the first FICCI FLO Film Festival

New Partnership between Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and FICCI FLO Film Festival

October 27, Mumbai: The first FLO Film Festival organized by FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO), Mumbai Chapter,the women’s wing of FICCI, today announces a new partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media that will see the Festival host the Institute’s first Global Symposium on Gender in Mediain Mumbai, India inFebruary 2016. Speaking about the partnership, Academy Award®-winning actor and Founder and Chairman, Geena Davis said “Media images have a huge impact on our perceptions, and on our social and cultural beliefs and behaviours. Our new global study, explores how global films may be reinforcing negative gender stereotypes with movie audiences of all ages.” The Institute is the only research-based organisation working within the media and entertainment industry to engage, educate, and influence the need to dramatically improve gender balance, reduce stereotyping and create diverse female characters in entertainment.

Archana Garodia Gupta, National President, FLO, said, “FLO has been working to empower women, and erase gender stereotypes for three decades. Films are a very powerful medium, and have a major role to play in our perception of the world. They can help redress the balance or reinforce negative gender images. We are very excited to bring this issue to the fore in the Film Capital of the world, and hope to improve the image of women in Indian films.” At the 3rd Global Symposium on Gender in Media, the Institute will present new global research which explores the influence of film audiences in the UK, India, Nigeria, France and Brazil funded by the Oak Foundation. The Festival will open with the Symposium, (the Symposium is sponsored by Independent Television Service Inc- ITVS), which will convene eminent entertainment content creators, business leaders, actors, directors, media personalities, policy makers, to engage in dialogue around the ìnstitute’s global researchalong with two panel discussions from leading entertainment industry personalities, content creators, along with gender in media related subject matter experts.

- Read the full news at: http://www.filmytown.com/ficci-flo-film-festival-feb-2016/#sthash.Je0EiD90.dpuf

Prem Chopra’s New avtaar on the sets of ‘Udanchhoo’

Actor Prem Chopra and the sizzling Bruna Abdullah were recently seen on the sets of ‘Udanchhoo’ at film city. The veteran actor was seen in a fresh and unique avatar. Sitting on a grand throne covered with garlands and flowers, Prem ji was seen dressed in lustrous blue and yellow robe playing a baba. Standing beside him, with true devotion is the stunning Bruna Abdullah, redefining sexy in a sari. The scene is full of ironic comical moments with the subtext of raw reality, where disciples of ‘Baba G’(Prem Chopra) have come to seek his blessings.

Udanchhoo is a layered comedy and the script is inspired from real life events’. The protagonist and his family are sucked into the devious plot of the greedy ‘Baba G’. While Prem Chopra has a central role in the film, you will also see talented actor Rajneesh Duggal and debutant Sayesha Saigal in the lead roles.

Speaking on the subject Prem Chopra said, “I can’t divulge much right now. But this film will shed a new light on the ways of these “god men” and babas. The story is extremely fresh with unpredictable twists and is laced with humor all through.”

The Creative Director, Ravindra Sigh, “Udanchhoo is not your regular Bollywood story of a hero, villain and revenge. This is a character driven film where each one has a special role to play in the larger scheme of things. This is why when I started the casting process, I had decided to take people with a lot of experience in doing character driven roles. Prem ji and Ashutosh are a result of the same search. The film will elude you every time you think you have figured out where it is heading. It’s a great blend of comedy, complex plot  and the thrill of a heist.”

Swara Bhaskar pens a love story

Swara Baskar, who’s eagerly awaiting the release of her grand Diwali attraction this year, Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo, is always known for her choice of interesting roles and playing it with great aplomb. Accordingly, the versatile actress has decided to write the kind of role she would want to play.

Swara, who has an interesting line up of films releasing in the second quarter of the year including the Salman Khan starrer and also Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Nil Battey Sannata among others, has turned writer with her script, Split Ends, one of the thirteen final contenders in the Asia Society India Centre New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters 2015-2016, running with the theme, ‘Making Heroine The New Hero’.

The talented actress wrote the first draft of the story in 2011 and reworked it over the years. Well known screenwriter Sridhar Raghavan helped her nurture the script which is set in the Hindi heartland and draws its premise from her own extended family.

Swara says, “I will be locking in on a producer and director by December and plan to act in the movie,” adding that she prefers taking breaks to attend script writing, theatre and acting workshops. “I realised the final script has the potential to be narrated as a full-length feature. I have a timeline in place and hope to begin casting for the roles by the end of the year,” she says.

Swara is looking forward to an eight-month writing programme, beginning with a five-day workshop by filmmaker Anjum Rajabali, followed by a second workshop in February 2016. “The commendable aspect of this initiative is that each participating fellow receives Rs 2 lakh as funding for their writing work and script development.”