India Pavilion at Cannes

Films an important constituent of Govt.’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ initiatives,

says Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore at Cannes 2015

Cannes, 14 May  2015: 

Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Retd), inaugurated the India Pavilion at Cannes Films Festival today in France. Speaking at the packed inaugural session of the India Pavilion, Hon’ble Minister said, “new Government at the Centre is certainly more decisive and focused and is constantly working towards taking India to higher levels of growth which is inclusive. The government is channelizing that objective through campaigns like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ and realizes that the film industry is an important part of these campaigns given its tremendous potential towards job creation”.

Adding to that the Minister said that, “even though steps may seem slow but they are certainly for sure”. Col. Rathore further said,“India has already signed coproduction agreements with a slew of countries. In the last one year five co-productions have been undertaken with France alone. We need to take these partnerships to the next level now”.

He added that the government is rigorously working towards providing a seamless work environment for the film industry by establishing a single window clearance mechanism. Also, a center of excellence for gaming and visual effect s has been announced. The government would do its best to be an infrastructure partner and would like to have faculty coming from the industry itself and looks forward to more faculty exchanges.

The session also saw unveiling of the 46th IFFI, 2015 regulations and ‘India Film Guide’ by the Minister. The India Film Guide is a comprehensive booklet with information on policy initiatives by the government pertaining to film sector, the listing of Indian companies at Cannes Film Market, Indian Films at Cannes and contacts of important people in the business of film making.

The session was attended by luminaries such as Dr. Mohan Kumar, Ambassador of India to France, Mr. Bobby Bedi, Film Maker, Ms. Nandita Das, Actor/Film Maker, Mr. Roshan Baig,  Minister of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka, Mr. K. Sanjay Murthy, Joint Secretary, Films, Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India and Mr. Ravi  Kottarakara, Former President, Film Federation of India.

Mr. Bobby Bedi, the celebrated film maker, in his welcome address said that, “India’s presence at Cannes has increased tremendously over the past decade and we have seen an increase in representation in terms of quantity and an improvement in the quality of content as well”. Dr. Mohan Kumar, Ambassador of India to France said that the ambition should be to get Indian films in the most important category of films at Cannes. He added over the next two to three years he will strive to work on that. The quality of films from India has been wonderful quality and content now. Mr. Ravi  Kottarakara, Former President, Film Federation of India felt that India has on offer some of the best shooting locations. There has been a tremendous change in the Indian film landscape and the sector is definitely going to grow by leaps and bounds. We should try to experiment more to have a wider global acceptability. Also, India’s linguistic cinema which includes films in Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Bhojpuri are as good as mainstream Bollywood films and should get an equal opportunity to be showcased.

Ms. Nandita Das, Actor/Film maker said that she would like to raise the issue of censorship in India. As we mature, it is important to promote freedom of expression rather than curtailing voices. Mr. Roshan Baig, Minister of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka suggested that it will be really great if the regional film industry is showcased as a part of the delegations to some of the major international film festivals.

Mr. K Sanjay Murthy, Joint Secretary, Films, Ministry of I&B, Government of India said that over the course of next few days we hope to learn from various film commissions and carry back new partnerships and learning experiences.

‘Bad blood’ gets Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift together

Taylor Swift has always been vocal about her admiration for Kendrick Lamar’s work.  The 1989 singer has roped in Compton rapper, Kendrick Lamar for her next single. And this time, Lamar will not be seen doing what he is best known for! Instead the ‘To Pimp  a Butterfly’ rap icon will STAR  in the music video for ‘Bad Blood’, the fourth single from Swift's 2014 pop album 1989. Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift’s fondness for each other has never gone unnoticed, but this is the first time they'll be working on a project together. Interestingly, Kendrick also happens to be the only male star to feature in the video.

The video will involve weaponry, slick outfits, dark emotions, death, violence, soft smirks under long eyelashes, long shadows, a high kick or two, a feel-good moment, a bad guy, city streets wet with dew, the glint of a knife in the moonlight, a howl, breezy hair, scowls, muscles, a smokey-voiced narrator and a starry ensemble. An excited Taylor Swift took to her Twitter account to reveal Lamar will be playing ‘Welvin the Great’ in the upcoming video, which is set to debut on Sunday May 17th at the Billboard Music Awards.

Each model/singer/actress/rapper in the video was allowed to choose their  character’s name and persona. Lamar settled on “Welvin Da Great” for his character as he best related with the internet celebrity with a catchphrase— “Who don’t got no bitches?”—and more than 1 million Instagram followers. Also Welvin Da Great and Lamar are from the same hood in Compton.  The others who have joined the Swift squad for the video are  Hailee Steinfeld, Serayah McNeill, Lily Aldridge, Ellie Goulding, Lena Dunham, Jessica Alba, Gigi Hadid, Hayley Williams, Zendaya, Martha Hunt and Karlie Kloss.

STAR-STUDDED VIDEOCON d2h IIFA WEEKEND 2015 ALL SET TO TAKE KUALA LUMPUR BY STORM

BOLLYWOOD’S FINEST SLATED TO BE PART OF THE 16^TH IIFA WEEKEND

ANIL KAPOOR,FARHAN AKHTAR, SHAHID KAPOOR, ARJUN KAPOOR, RANVEER SINGH, PRIYANKA CHOPRA, JACQUELINE FERNANDES,ANUSHKA SHARMA, SONAKSHI SINHA,CHITRANGADA SINGH, PARINEETI CHOPRA, BIPASHA BASU, RITEISH DESHMUKH& MANY MORE TO FOLLOW

TICKETS TO THE IIFA 2015 AWARDS NOW OPEN FOR SALE

New Delhi 15th May 2015: The 16th edition of the most spectacular celebration of Indian Cinema globally, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards today announced the hosts for some of IIFA’s most awaited sub-events and performances that will take place at the IIFA Weekend this year. The Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend & Awards will take place at Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5-7 June 2015.

What started off as a one night awards show has grown into a mega three day weekend extravaganza in order to accommodate the myriad magical elements that Indian Cinema has to offer. The IIFA movement has taken the world by storm by bringing a spectacular weekend to a new locale every year filled to the brim with film-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases and premieres, global business forums and sporting events.

The IIFA Weekend this year will also see a night exclusively dedicated to fashion which will be hosted by Friend of IIFA, Neha Dhupia. IIFA Rocks, the exclusive music extravaganza will see a host of fantastic musical performances by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Mika, Ankit Tiwari, Kanika Kapoor, Jawed Ali and theNooran sisters. Superstars Jacqueline Fernandes, Aditi Rao Hydari, Lisa Hayden and Lauren Gotlieb will also take the IIFA Rocks stage for some incredible performances.

At the 16th Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend, the IIFA Gala Screening on 6th June in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will feature the highly awaited star-studded film Dil Dhadakne Do. The film is a bittersweet comedy drama about a family that takes a trip which changes them forever. With an ensemble cast of Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Farhan Akhtar and Anushka Sharma, the film is directed byZoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.

Speaking on the occasion, Andre Timmins, Director – Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, said, “We have some incredible performances all set for the IIFA stage this year including some of the biggest stars of Bollywood in film as well as music. Huge preparations are on to manage the backend, airlines, hotels, different venues and other logistics and we are happy that the Malaysian Government is laying the red carpet to make this a spectacular event.”

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Kapoor, Actor and Friend of IIFA said “Through time, IIFA has grown from a mega awards ceremony into an iconic global platform for Indian films and culture while showcasing to the world the best that Indian cinema has to offer. I am looking forward to the film media briefing of Dil Dhadakne Do which will be a part of the Weekend this year and I am delighted to see IIFA return to Malaysia, this timeto the vivacious city of Kuala Lumpur.”

Saurabh Dhoot – Executive Chairman, Videocon d2h said, “Videocon d2h has had an extremely successful innings with IIFA and we are pleased to continue this association with them for the 4th year. The common link of wholesome entertainment brings IIFA and Videocon d2h together. Our recent listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange, bears testimony to our global outlook & tremendous growth. Videocon d2h will continue to bring unique content, new mediums of delivery and innovative services to our consumers.”

The event will be telecast on India’s leading Hindi entertainment channel Colors with foot printsin over 140 countries.

Raj Nayak – CEO, Colors said, that “IIFA is the World’s biggest Global Indian Event, where the entire industry comes together to showcase Bollywood & India.  We at Colors are proud to be associated with IIFA and we promise our viewers, in true Colors style Bollywood entertainment like never before.”

Mr. Anil Khera – CEO, Videocon d2h said, “We thank our 6.5 crore consumers for making us India’s Fastest Growing DTH Service. IIFA is a pioneer in recognizing excellence in entertainment and Videocon d2h blends perfectly with the platform due to relentless desire to innovate & excel with a winning attitude. We are committed to providing the best technology to our consumers and delighting them always. Our continued partnership with IIFA is an endeavor to strengthen this association and take the wholesome entertainment experience across the globe.”

Speaking on the association with IIFA, Mr Pankaj Munjal, Co Chairman and Managing Director of Hero Cycles said, “IIFA awards are one of the most eminent and widely popular awards for Hindi cinema. We are pleased to associate with this mega event as cause partners for our campaign 'Cycling Heroes'. We believe this is a great opportunity to connect to a larger audience to spread the message of taking up cycling to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Sedentary lifestyle of the present generation is one of the biggest causes of many lifestyle diseases. It is our endeavour to encourage people, across various age groups to take up cycling as their first step towards staying fit”

Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager of Malaysia Major Events said “As excitement heightens, we are proud to host the 16th IIFA Celebrations 2015 and welcome its entire contingent to Malaysia. Being host city, Kuala Lumpur anticipates the weekend’s buzz as it shall be among our biggest showcases for the year in conjunction with the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015. The city's dazzling setting will imprint the Bollywood family and fans with spectacular experiences in a truly diverse environment.”

According to Malaysia Airlines’ Regional Senior Vice President, South Asia & Middle East, Mr. Azahar Hamidsaid, “It is an honour for Malaysia Airlines to be a part of this glamorous event and flying in some of the best Bollywood stars to our home ground, Kuala Lumpur. The airline’s extensive network and world-class service makes it a desirable partnership with IIFA.

“It is our commitment to provide the best service and we look forward to welcoming the celebrities from the Indian Film Industry and fans of the IIFA awards on-board Malaysia Airlines,” he added.

Tickets for the biggest celebration of Indian Cinema abroad are available for sale. Log on towww.myticket.asia or call 03-8080 8700 or 017 2447139. Patrons wishing to purchase VIP Hospitality Tickets can send an email to viphospitality@iifa.com.

IIFA Awards 2015 will be held at Stadium Putra, the Official Hospitality Partner is JW Marriot/The Ritz Carlton, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines is the Official Airline Partner for the 16th edition of the IIFA celebrations.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd promotes the IIFA Weekend & Awards globally each year and travel to new, exciting and beautiful destinations, taking the film fraternity with it to unite and celebrate the best of Indian film and culture, thereby taking Indian Cinema& India to a wider audience.

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy. Also, the IIFA Awards is India's biggest media event. With a viewership of almost 800 million, it is among the world's most-watched annual entertainment events. From a one night celebration in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London, the last sixteen years have seen the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) movement grow into a cine-packed weekend of film-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases and global business forums, all of which climax into the highlight of the Weekend, the IIFA Awards. www.iifa.com