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Last night at the closing night of the The Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival the final tally of awards throughout the festival came to four gongs. Recipients included acclaimed Indian actress Sharmila Tagore (Apur Sansar -1959), Days and Nights in The Forest – 1970), director Shekhar Kapur (Mr India – 1987), Bandit Queen – 1994) & the Oscar winning Elizabeth films, and also winners of this year’s Satyajit Ray short film award and Liff Audience Award for best film.

• Icon Awards© for outstanding contribution to world cinema from Sun Mark Ltd went to Shekhar Kapur, and Sharmila Tagore.

• Satyajit Ray Short Film Award in association with the Bagri Foundation went to Mochi (The Cobbler), by Saqib Pandor

• Liff Audience Award went to Song of Lahore, by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken

The awards included the festival’s rarely presented Icon Award© for outstanding contribution to Indian and world cinema, which was won by Bengali actress Sharmila Tagore,...

There is a bittersweet bit of irony at play in the fact that Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Academy-award winning short documentary film A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is on the schedule at LIFF2016. I watched it the same day I heard about the death of Pakistani internet sensation Qandeel Baloch (allegedly an honour killing at the hands of her brother).

A Girl in the River traces the case of the attempted honour killing of a girl at the hands of her father and uncle. Each year, the film tells us, at least 1000 Pakistani women are killed by family members who deem that they have sullied the family “izzat” or honour in some way. Saba’s “crime” was to run away and marry – in fact, to marry the man that her own family had arranged her marriage with, a marriage they decided to break off when Saba...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Embrace of the Serpent (Ciro Guerra)

With its focus on the effects of exploration by white men on foreign lands, Ciro Guerra’s Oscar-nominated Embrace of the Serpent will inevitably be compared to Werner Herzog’s stories of savage nature, and while Guerra is investigating some of Herzog’s most well trodden themes, the chaos of man exists in the background, while the unspoiled sit front and center here.

Two-time Academy Award® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken bring their acclaimed documentary Song of Lahore to U.S. audiences this Friday, May 20 with a release that includes theaters in New York and Los Angeles plus national availability on DVD, VOD and Digital HD at the same time.

The co-directors sat down for this exclusive interview to discuss their new film which features the music of The Sachal Ensemble of Pakistan and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and examines the lives and the cultural heritage of Pakistan’s classical musicians as they prepare for a concert in New York City.

Interview with Song Of Lahore co-directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken:

Q: Was music ever banned in Pakistan?

A: Music was never banned outright, but when General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq took power in 1977 he put in place restrictions on broadcasting non-religious music and dancing. Nightclubs and alcohol were banned,...

Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods Dirty Grandpa (comedy, Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza; unrated) The Witch (period horror; Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson; rated R) Divine Access (comedy-drama; Billy Burke, Patrick Warburton; not rated) Izzie’s Way Home (animated/family; voices: Tori Spelling, Joey Fatone; not rated) Embrace of the Serpent (drama-action; Antonio Bolivar, Nicolas Cancino; not rated) Song of Lahore (documentary...

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Directed by two-time Academy Award® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Best Documentary, Short Subject: Saving Face, 2012; A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, 2015) and Andy Schocken, the acclaimed documentary Song Of Lahore opens in select theaters and is available on DVD, VOD and Digital HD May 20. Featuring the music of The Sachal Ensemble of Pakistan and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Song Of Lahore examines the lives and the cultural heritage of Pakistan’s classical musicians as they prepare for a concert in New York City.

The theatrical release of Song Of Lahore begins on Friday, May 20, exclusively at Village East Cinema in New York City and Laemmle’s Music Hall in Beverly Hills.

Song Of Lahore was an official selection at numerous film festivals in 2015, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival, Idfa Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and the Heartland Film Festival.

Read More: Watch: 'Song of Lahore' Directors Reveal Why the Film Almost Unraveled (Exclusive)Producers Pras Michel and Karyn Rachtman recently joined Indiewire's Special Projects Editor Steve Greene to discuss their film, "Sweet Micky for President," at the International Documentary Association's continued screening series.The official synopsis reads: "'Sweet Micky for President' follows Pras Michel, Grammy award-winning rapper and founder of the hip-hop group The Fugees, as he returns to his homeland of Haiti post-earthquake and finds a corrupt government in paralysis. With no experience or money, Pras passionately mobilizes a presidential campaign for the unlikeliest of candidates: Michel Martelly, aka 'Sweet Micky,' Haiti’s most popular and most outlandish pop star. The idealistic and politically inexperienced pair set out against a corrupt government, civil unrest, and a fixed election system to change the course of Haitian history." In this first clip above,...

Broad Green Pictures has scheduled opening dates for three films: The Infiltrator starring Bryan Cranston, which is going wide on August 31, 2016; Rodrigo Garcia’s Jesus tale Last Days In The Desert starring Ewan McGregor, a limited release on May 13, 2016; and The Dark Horse starring Cliff Curtis, also limited, on April 1, 2016. Newcomer Broad Green has been busy this fall, releasing 99 Homes and I Smile Back and the docu Song Of Lahore in the awards-season corridor. It…...

New appointments and sales of titles including Toto and His Sisters.

Early at this year’s International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa), Austrian doc powerhouse Autlook has announced both a shake up of its structure and several new deals on its bulging Idfa slate. The details were confirmed to ScreenDaily by Autlook MD Salma Abdalla.

Abdalla announced the appointment of Liselot Verbrugge as sales manager and the promotion of Andrea Hock to head of sales.

Verbrugge will work from Amsterdam overseeing Australia/New Zealand, Asia & Oceania, Mena & Eastern Europe and will develop a strand of kids docs for Autlook.

Verbrugge comes to Autlook having been senior producer at Cinekid for Professionals until last month. Former M-d Peter Jager remains a partner in the company.

Docs for Sale

Autlook has arrived at Idfa with a dozen films screening either in official selection at the festival or available in the Docs For Sale.

One title continuing...

Read More: 'Song of Lahore' Directors Are Telling A Story About Pakistan You've Never Seen Before "Song of Lahore" co-directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken joined the International Documentary Association (Ida) to discuss their new documentary as part of the Ida's documentary screening series. Highlights from the conversation are below, as well as a special musical number performed by the band from the film. The documentary centers on a group of Pakistani musicians that form the Sachal Studios, following the unlikely events that saw these musicians first become a YouTube sensation and then receive an invitation to play a fusion of jazz and traditional Pakistani music with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center. On the lack of archives in Pakistan. On potentially unraveling.  The sweet sounds of Lahore.  Read More: Watch: Jazz Crosses Continents in Trailer For Music Documentary 'Song of Lahore'...

Broadgreen Pictures, Meryl Streep and Guy Oseary hosted a reception in West Hollywood to celebrate Song Of Lahore. The 2015 documentary film follows and celebrates the lives of Pakistani musicians, the...

The DGA Theater was swingin’ on Saturday as the Pakistani group featured in the documentary Song Of Lahore played its international hit version of “Take Five” live at Deadline’s the Contenders. The Sachal Jazz Ensemble took to the stage to perform its take on the jazz standard made famous by Dave Brubeck, which they infuse with tabla and other regional instruments. The sellout crowd responded to the stirring song with a standing ovation. Song Of Lahore, which premiered at…...

Nineteen studios presenting 44 films. This year’s Contenders event was a huge success, outstripping last year’s 12 studios. Where to Invade Next director Michael Moore spoke about how he’s revolutionizing the exhibition business, the musicians from the Broad Green documentary Song of Lahore raised the roof with a toe-tapping performance and there were clips from awards contenders that haven’t seen the light of day including Joy, The Hateful Eight, The Revenant…...

Read More: Watch: Jazz Crosses Continents in Trailer For Music Documentary 'Song of Lahore' In the 1960s, the U.S. State Department intiated the Jazz Ambassadors program, sending jazz giants like Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington on tours to cities around the world, including Lahore, Pakistan. In Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken's documentary "Song of Lahore," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, a group of Pakistani musicians that form the Sachal Studios return the favor. The film follows the unlikely events that saw these musicians first become a YouTube sensation and then receive an invitation to play a fusion of jazz and traditional Pakistani music with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Once a musical haven, Lahore has been torn apart by ethnic division, constant war and Islamization for decades. With "Song of Lahore," Obaid-Chinoy and Schocken hoped to preserve the voices of the musicians of Lahore,...

Miramax and Broad Green Pictures announced today that Billy Bob Thornton will reprise his signature role as Willie Soke in Bad Santa 2.The sequel is a follow-up to the raucous comedy hit Bad Santa first released in 2003. Geyer Kosinski will produce.

Miramax will partner with Broad Green Pictures to co-finance and co-produce. Broad Green will distribute Bad Santa 2 theatrically in the U.S. during the 2016 holiday season. Sierra/Affinity will handle foreign sales with sales starting at the upcoming American Film Market (November 4-11, 2015). Said Zanne Devine, Miramax's Evp of Film & TV.

"We've been waiting far too long to see Billy Bob's Willie Soke mess with the holiday season in his own unique way. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Billy Bob, the entire creative and producing team, and Broad Green and Sierra/Affinity to bring back the outrageous humor and characters that made this...

Titles include Asif Kapadia’s Amy Winehouse documentary, Michael Moore’s Where To Invade Next and Matthew Heineman’s Cartel Land.

Among those in consideration for the 88th Academy Awards are Cartel Land, He Named Me Malala, Amy, Janis: Little Girl Blue, Sherpa, Where To Invade Next, Winter On Fire, Wolfpack, Meet The Patels and A Sinner In Mecca.

Several of the submissions have not yet had their Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.

A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 14 2016 and the ceremony takes place on February 28 2016 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood .

The submitted features in alphabetical order are:

Above And Beyond

All Things Must Pass

Amy

The Armor Of Light

Ballet 422

Batkid Begins

Becoming Bulletproof

Being Evel

Beltracchi – The Art Of Forgery

Best Of Enemies

The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution

Bolshoi Babylon

[link...

Among those in consideration for the 88th Academy Awards are Cartel Land, He Named Me Malala, Amy, Janie: Little Girl Blue, Sherpa, Where To Invade Next, Winter On Fire, Wolfpack, Meet The Patels and A Sinner In Mecca.Several of the submissions have not yet had their Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 14 2016 and the ceremony takes place on

Among those in consideration for the 88th Academy Awards are Cartel Land, He Named Me Malala, Amy, Janie: Little Girl Blue, Sherpa, Where To Invade Next, Winter On Fire, Wolfpack, Meet The Patels and A Sinner In Mecca.

Several of the submissions have not yet had their Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.

A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 14 2016 and the ceremony takes place on...

Read More: Meet the 2015 Tribeca Filmmakers #25: Pakistan Keeps Classical Music Alive in 'Song of Lahore' "Song of Lahore" follows the Sachal Jazz Ensemble, a Pakistani music group, as they make their way from Lahore, Pakistan to New York City. Directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken, the documentary examines how Pakistan's music scene and the legendary cultural center of Lahore suffered in the wake of the Taliban's totalitarian reign. Specfically, the film is centered around the Sachal Jazz Ensemble, who, after creating a unique sound, found themselves with unexpected acclaim and an invitation to perform at New York City's Lincoln Center. "Song of Lahore" debuts in theaters on November 13. Watch the trailer above. Read More: Updated: 25 Documentary Filmmakers to Follow on Twitter...

One hundred twenty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 88th Academy Awards.

Last year’s winner was Citizenfour (Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky)

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Above and Beyond”

“All Things Must Pass”

“Amy”

“The Armor of Light”

“Ballet 422”

“Batkid Begins”

“Becoming Bulletproof”

“Being Evel”

“Beltracchi – The Art of Forgery”

“Best of Enemies”

“The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution”

“Bolshoi Babylon”

“Brand: A Second Coming”

“A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story”

“Call Me Lucky”

“Cartel Land”

“Censored Voices”

“Champs”

“CodeGirl”

“Coming Home”

“Dark Horse”

“Deli Man”

“Dior and I”

“The Diplomat”

“(Dis)Honesty – The Truth about Lies”

“Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll”

“Dreamcatcher”

“dream/killer”

“Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon”

“Eating Happiness”

“Every Last Child”

“Evidence of Harm”

“Farewell to Hollywood...

“Take Five” is among the most instantly recognizable melodies in all of jazz, but have you ever heard it interpreted via sitar and tabla? If not, you’ve come to the right film. Here’s the official trailer for Song Of Lahore, a music-melding documentary that premiered at Tribeca. “For at least a thousand years,” we hear at the outset, “Lahore was one of the great art centers. But ever since the Taliban arrived, music has collapsed. … We were losing our culture. Something…...

Broad Green Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Song of Lahore,” a documentary from Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy about a group of Pakistani musicians traveling to the United States to play with Wynton Marsalis’ band at Lincoln Center. The company plans to begin a one-week Oscar-qualifying run in Los Angeles and New York on Nov. 13, followed by a likely rollout in January 2016. “Song of Lahore” premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where TheWrap wrote, “he film about Pakistani music tells a fascinating story and mixes glorious artistry with a background that has real resonance in a.

The documentary "Song of Lahore" is described as a documentary that fills you with joy and makes you grin from ear to ear. Set against the backdrop of a Pakistan where rich cultural tradition found itself in decline as religious fundamentalism grew, an extraordinarily passionate and entertaining group of classical musicians find a new pathway to reinvigorate their art–unwittingly becoming a You Tube sensation with an invitation to play Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis.

The film was the runner-up for the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it premiered. This feature-length documentary by Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken is a dramatic journey into the past and future, essential for all music lovers.

Synopsis

With its ancient palaces and stately gardens, the Lahore of Pakistan's 1947 independence was a haven and a muse for musicians, artists, and poets. Today, this vision of Lahore exists only in myth. Islamization, ethnic divisions, war and corruption have torn apart the cultural fabric of Pakistan, and the sounds of the tabla no longer drift through the old city's bazaar. Against this backdrop, a group of highly talented musicians from Lahore’s Sachal Studios record a breakthrough album of innovative jazz classics that unexpectedly takes them from Lahore to New York City and a performance with iconic Wynton Marsalis.

"Song of Lahore" will have its L.A. premiere on Tuesday July 21st at 7:30pm at ArcLight Hollywood. Andy Schocken will be joining us for Q&A after the film, and a reception at the ArcLight bar.

You can purchase tickets to catch this film Here.

Tribeca top brass announced the winners of the two awards sponsored by At&T on Saturday as the festival neared its conclusion.

King Jack (pictured) directed by Felix Thompson won the Narrative award and TransFatty Lives by Patrick O’Brien took documentary honours.

Each award comes with a cash prize of $25,000. As part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards programme King Jack receives Rockets Over the Delta courtesy of Stephen Hannock and TransFatty Lives receives Taliban Relief Painting courtesy of Piers Secunda.

“The awards go to two powerful and charming stories of young men facing their deepest fears and overcoming their own challenges,” said Tribeca Film festival director Genna Terranova. “These fiction and non-fiction stories of triumph and resilience clearly resonated with audiences this year.”

Leslye Headland’s Sleeping With Other People directed was runner-up in the narrative strand and Song Of Lahore Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was runner-up in the documentary section.

The festival...

Top brass at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) presented by At&T have announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition and Viewpoints selections.

Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.

Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!

The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.

Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...