“Omerta” the closing film receives great response at the Jio MAMI 19th Mumbai Film Festival

Mumbai, 18th October:
After enchanting movie buffs during its tenure, the most enthralling film festival Jio MAMI 19th Mumbai Film Festival with Star gears up for its closure with the screening of Omerta by Hansal Mehta today at PVR ICON.

The red carpet was attended by Hansal Mehta, Rajkummar Rao, Kiran Rao and many more.

Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao come together yet again after delivering critically acclaimed films like Shahid, Citylights and Aligarh with this new venture.

Omerta was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which captures the bloody trail of British-born terrorist Omar Sheikh who plotted the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. It is Hansal Mehta’s second film that is screened at TIFF after Shahid.

Hansal Mehta, Director, Omerta is a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Direction in the year 2013 for Shahid. He started his career in the television industry and later ventured into movies with Jayate (1999).

The suave director-actor duo cast their spells yet again at the finale screening of MAMI Film Festival.

Rajkummar Rao said, “Hansal Mehta and I are very delighted and humbled that we get to screen our film at the closing of MAMI Film Festival. It has been a very exciting project to work on. What better platform than MAMI for its premiere.”

The Jio MAMI Film Festival is held in Mumbai – the financial capital of India is also the epicentre of the Indian film industry. The city plays such a major role in production and dissemination of Indian films and television programs that it is widely known by its acronym ‘Bollywood’... Read more at: http://www.filmytown.com/omerta-closing-film-receives-great-response-jio-mami-19th-mumbai-film-festival/

‘Women In Films’ panel discussion at Mumbail Film Fest

Jio MAMI 17th Mumbai Film Festival hosts the ‘Women In Film’ panel discussion with eminent women from the world of cinema

MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 3, 2015:

On Tuesday, November 3rd, Jio MAMI 17th Mumbai Film Festival with Star India brought together distinguished women from Indian and international cinema. Shabana Azmi, Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut, Kiran Rao, Anupama Chopra and American filmmaker Ava DuVernay took part in a conversation on Women in Film that was powered by Lifebuoy and their initiative ‘Help a Child Reach 5′ that examined the position of women in film today.

The session commenced with the screening of a moving film about Lifebuoy’s ‘Help a Child Reach 5’ initiative. Made by acclaimed director Anand Gandhi, the film which deals with the issue of infant mortality left the audience visibly touched. The discussion was then kicked off by Anuvab Pal who moderated the conversation and touched upon important topics ranging from the relation between gender and characters to the wage disparity that still remains prevalent across many industries.

In response to a question, Kangana Ranaut expressed, “I feel it’s not about female or male centric characters, it is about a character that has lived and been loved.”

Vidya Balan shares her views stating that, “I have seen growth and I am happy with it. You have to look at the journey and not the destination.”

Talking about the portrayal of women in films, actor Shabana Azmi said, “It has been left to parallel cinema to portray women with any kind of complexity”.

Ava DuVernay spoke about the issues women face in Hollywood and said, “There is a definite kind of film a woman is allowed to make”. She then added, “because of economics women are not given the budget or trust to make films apart from romantic comedy.”

Kiran Rao also expressed that “women must stand up and know their worth and their value”

The panel was preceded by a brunch that celebrated women in film. Attended by women at the top of their game in media and film, the occasion was made even more special by Sula Vineyards which did a tasting of their new sparkling wine- Brut Tropicale.

- Read the full news and see more at: http://www.filmytown.com/women-in-film-panel-discussion-mumbail-film-fest/#sthash.oYlYffSl.dpuf

Hansal Mehta’s ‘Aligarh’ selected to open the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival

Set in a small town in Uttar Pradesh from which the film takes its name, ‘Aligarh’ is the story of a professor (Manoj Bajpayee) fired for his sexuality and a young journalist (Rajkummar Rao) who tells his story to the world. Based on true events, the film follows Dr. S R Siras, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University who, when discovered to be homosexual, was fired from his position.  The film depicts the unlikely friendship between Dr. Siras and a reporter investigating his first big story, a relationship that will change them both forever.

 Aligarh has been selected to screen at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea and the 59th BFI London Film Festival, this October. This will mark the first time in almost two decades that a Hindi film will open the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

- Read the full story at: http://www.filmytown.com/hansal-mehtas-aligarh-open-mumbai-film-fest/#sthash.ma9Rdl59.dpuf