News

Christoph Thoke’s Mogador Film, Sebastian Popp’s Stoked Film (both Germany) and Jeremy Chua’s Potocol (Singapore) have joined forces to back “The Clouds Woke No Clocks,” a refugee drama from Indian filmmaker Aniket Dutta. The project will be led by Indian producer Roshni Sen and Dutta’s Empty Video banner.

Acclaimed Bangladesh actors Mostafa Monwar and Deepanwita Martin (Busan title “No Ground Beneath the Feet”) are set to star in the film, which follows a displaced family settling in a makeshift camp in the Himalayan foothills. The story centers on parents Khalid and Sharmeen, and their eight-year-old son Shoaib, who relocate to India to escape persecution in their home country.

“For me the state of being is more important than the state of being a refugee,” says Dutta, whose debut feature “Ghost of the Golden Groves,” co-directed with Sen, played at Festival du Nouveau Cinema Montreal. “I’m...

Filled with plenty of high-quality and impressive works throughout the year, Asian countries produced a sparkling amount of Horror content for 2019. Indonesia took massive steps forward with a variety of productions that showed that a lot of impressive filmmaking talent was residing in the country. South Korea continued their impressive run of masterclass filmmaking that show they are capable of making spectacle on par with the best US blockbusters.

By contrast, the grittiness and less refined if no less impressive works coming from India and the Philippines also surprised as those stand out for their different nature. With the schlocky, over-the-top nature of Japanese entries rounding out the list, the year produced many notable and noteworthy genre efforts.

Without further ado, and with a focus on diversity, here are the best horror/exploitation films of 2019, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2018, but since they mostly circulated in 2019, we decided to include them.

The success of our Submit Your Film Initiative was even more significant than we expected, since we received almost 100 applications from filmmakers all over the Asian world, in order to review their films for Asian Movie Pulse. Furthermore, and particularly regarding short films, we have started a cooperation with Vienna Shorts Festival, that will allow the films that we suggest to them to be submitted with a 70% price off (final submission fee would be just 3-5 euros depending on the film) and a chance to screen in Vienna during the festival.

In that regard, we would like to thank all the filmmakers who submitted their work and we hope that they continue to do so for many years to come.

At the same time, we also felt the need to celebrate this initiative by listing the movies we considered the best. Without further ado, here are the best #SubmitYourFilm Movies...

Bengali duo Aniket Dutta and Roshni Sen are set to make their North American debut with their film “Ghosts of the Golden Grove”. Here at Asian Movie Pulse we previously reviewed the film, which can be read here and here.

“Ghosts of the Golden Grove” is set to make it’s premiere on October 16th at Festival du Nouveau Cinema de Montreal. In anticipation of the date a trailer has been made available and can be viewed below.

Synopsis

Strange incidents occur in the heart of shonajhuri forest in rural bengal (the backdrop for both stories) which develops an ominous character of its own that allures and finally engulfs our protagonists.(imdb)...

With its North American premiere at Montreal's Festival du nouveau cinéma just a few days away on October 16th, the filmmakers at Cutting Chai Entertainment have given us the opportunity to share the trailer for their avant-garde horror story, Ghost of the Golden Groves. A film in two parts, written and directored by Roshni Sen and Aniket Dutta, known collectively as Harun-Al-Rashid, Ghost had its world premiere at the London Indian Film Festival over the summer, where I reviewed it and had these thoughts: An avant garde ditych set in the jungles of West Bengal, Ghost of the Golden Groves is a trippy Indian sci-fi fantasy sure to engage more adventurous viewers... film fans who like to be challenged will find plenty to dissect and...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

An avant garde ditych set in the jungles of West Bengal, Ghost of the Golden Groves is a trippy Indian sci-fi fantasy sure to engage more adventurous viewers. Made in two parts by directors Roshni Sen and Aniket Dutta, known collectively as Harun-Al-Rashid, the film follows the stories of two very different journeymen going about their work in the remote Shonajhuri forest who encounter fantastical and troubling adventures beyond their wildest nightmares. In the first story, written by Dutta, Promotho (Joyraj Bhattacharjee) is a milquetoast surveyor sent into the Shonajhuri forest to make plans for roads to connect the interior villages with the outside world. When he arrives is is surprised to find a world of dark mystery and ritualistic folk traditions that challenge his...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Recently we had “Tumbbad“, a formally conventional, yet mesmerizing, demons-infested tale of greed, reviewed here by yours truly. Another brilliant, yet differently dressed, debut comes also from India – “Ghost of the Golden Groves”, penned and helmed by a Bengali duo Aniket Dutta and Roshni Sen, hidden under the pseudonym Harun al-Rashid (after an Arabian Nights character who is always masked). These two titles are not even remotely same kind of cinematic works, but now it is possible to argue that horror scene in India is gaining momentum quickly.

“Ghost of the Golden Groves” comes from Bengal and relies a bit on its tradition regarding the art house cinema dating from the 60’s and Indian New Wave, but it is not the only clue needed for the interpretation of this diptych of strange ghost stories set deep in the backwoods and in the time when civilization started to visit those virgin lands.

Back for it’s 10th edition, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival has announced its full line-up as well as the list of guests that will be attending the Festival this year.

Their most diverse showcase yet, with 10 languages and 7 talented women Directors’ films being premiered, the Festival will play host to multi-award winning director Anurag Kashyap and one of India’s most talented actress, Radhika Apte.

This year’s highlights include a red carpet opening night at Picturehouse Central with the exciting World Premiere of cop whodunnit “Article 15” starring Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana directed by Anubhav Sinha. Our closing night marks the return of Ritesh Batra, the Director of “The Lunchbox”, with the premiere of “Photograph” starring the legendary Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Ayushmann Khurrana in “Article 15”

In addition to the Screen Talks with Anurag Kashyap and Radhika Apte, there will also be a Chai with Chadha event, where prolific...