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Editor’s Note: This story was originally published during the 2024 Telluride Film Festival.

“All We Imagine as Light” is a film that is difficult to describe. You have to experience it. Indian documentarian and rookie scripted filmmaker Payal Kapadia tells the story of two Mali nurses in Mumbai, and shoots the city in a singular visual style.

She has lived there, and understands its rhythms and colors. One veteran nurse (Kani Kusruti) is estranged from her husband from an arranged marriage. He’s living abroad, and she misses him. A mysterious package arrives, a rice maker. Is it from him? Her younger roommate (Divya Prabha) is enjoying a secret affair with a Muslim. Another older friend (Chhaya Kadam) is about to be evicted from her apartment. When the roommates help her move back to her home village, the movie shifts into another mode, and winds up somewhere unexpected.

I spoke...

India has chosen the comedy film “Laapataa Ladies,” or “Lost Ladies” in English, as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards. The movie tells the story of two brides who accidentally switch places on a train ride to their husbands’ homes. This mix-up sends the women to unexpected destinations and greatly changes their lives.

Directed by Kiran Rao, “Laapataa Ladies” premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival where reviews praised it. Since then it has proven popular on the international film festival circuit. The movie stars Pratibha Ranta and Nitanshi Goel as Jaya and Phool, the two newlywed women whose faces are covered by identical red veils as they begin their journeys.

India’s selection committee picked “Laapataa Ladies” over Payal Kapadia’s drama “All We Imagine As Light,” previously seen as the front-runner after winning a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

India has selected Kiran Rao’s comedy of errors Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) to represent the country in the 2025 Oscar race in the Best International Feature category.

The Hindi-language film, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, beat out Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which had been considered the frontrunner for the Oscar slot, after its rapturous reception in Cannes, where it won the festival’s Grand Jury prize.

But Rao’s feature has proven a crowd-pleaser on the festival circuit. The light satire follows Jaya (Pratibha Ranta) and Phool (Nitanshi Goel): Two new brides, whose faces are hidden behind identical red marital veils, both traveling on the same Indian cross-country rail car to their nuptials, who get accidentally swapped and land at the wrong weddings, setting them on very different destinies. Yash Raj Films picked up international distribution rights to the film,...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Janus Films and Sideshow have set the U.S. release date for “All We Imagine as Light,” the critically acclaimed Indian drama that won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, for Nov. 15 in New York and Los Angeles, with a nationwide expansion to follow.

Written and directed by Payal Kapadia in her narrative directorial debut, the film tells the story of two women in Mumbai — Prabha, a troubled nurse who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, and Anu, her young roommate who is seeking a place to be intimate with her boyfriend. A trip to a beach town allows them to find a space for their desires to manifest. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon.

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.

The co-distributors hope the drama...

India enjoyed a record year at the Cannes Film Festival — winning three major awards and an honor — and this is likely to have a positive impact on the country’s independent cinema scene, according to industry experts.

Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” won the competition grand prix, Anasuya Sengupta was awarded best actress at the festival’s Un Certain Regard strand for “The Shameless” and Chidananda S. Naik’s “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” was crowned the best film at the La Cinef section. In addition, Indian DoP Santosh Sivan was this year’s recipient of the annual Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award conferred during the festival.

“All We Imagine as Light” was the first Indian film in competition in three decades, since Shaji N. Karun’s “Swaham” in 1994. “Sister Midnight” was a Directors’ Fortnight selection, “Santosh” screened at Un Certain Regard and “Girls Will Be Girls,...

For women making their movies and especially making their mark in a male-dominated industry like Bollywood it is not easy. However, Guneet Monga, Mira Nair, Prerna Arora, Ashwini Iyer Tiwary, Kiran Ral, and Zoya Akhtar have proven that everyone has space to exist and excel. To celebrate International Women’s Day today, we want to shine the spotlight on influential women filmmakers who have succeeded and redefined the narrative of Indian cinema with their impactful films.

Mira Nair

A pioneer in film the world over, Mira Nair needs no introduction. The filmmaker was one of the first female filmmakers who put India on the global map. Her filmography boasts epics such as Salaam Bombay!, Golden Globe winner Hysterical Blindness, Vanity Fair, The Namesake, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and the series ‘The Suitable Boy’. This powerhouse of talent also has numerous documentaries and loves to showcase her Indian roots and heritage on...

The Malayalam film ‘2018: Everyone Is A Hero’, which was selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category, has failed to make it to the final shortlist of the 96th Academy Awards. The film, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph and featuring an ensemble cast of Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Indrans, Asif Ali, Tanvi Ram, and Aparna Balamurali, among others, was a survival drama set against the backdrop of the devastating 2018 floods in Kerala. The film was a tribute to the heroes who saved lives during the calamity and also highlighted the global issue of climate change and its impact on the environment and humanity.

The film was chosen by the Film Federation of India (Ffi) as the country’s official entry to the Oscars from among 26 entries, including films like ‘The Disciple’, ‘Sherni’, ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, and ‘Pinki Elli?’. The Ffi selection committee,...

Zoya Akhtar is no stranger to contradiction.

The Indian writer, producer, and director grew up in a film family, the daughter of poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar and child star-turned screenwriter Honey Irani. She grew up surrounded by the arts and was poised to enter the Hindi film industry — but when the time came to make her first feature, it took years.

“It took me a really long time to get a movie made in India, and I’m from the industry, so I had access to everybody,” Akhtar told IndieWire in New York City. “It was because I wanted to make a film like ‘Luck by Chance.’ It wasn’t the norm. People weren’t doing ensembles at that time. People weren’t gray as characters, male actors didn’t wanna play a character that was gray. They didn’t get the irony of the film, in a sense.

Jude Anthany Joseph, director of India’s international feature Oscar contender “2018,” has started work on his next film.

The untitled investigative thriller is being written by the filmmaker alongside journalist Josy Joseph. The film is based on the true story of Kerala Shipping Corporation’s cargo ship Mv Kairali that disappeared in 1979 with a crew of 49 and 20,000 tonnes of iron ore on board while sailing from Margao, India to Rostock, Germany, via Djibouti.

“It’s really fascinating to learn the historical importance of this incident and how the investigation never succeeded. As a filmmaker it is a challenging subject to execute,” Joseph told Variety. Production is due to commence in the last quarter of 2024.

Meanwhile, “2018” screened at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa and the producers threw a lavish party to celebrate the film’s progress. The survival drama based on the climate change-caused floods that...

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair (“Salaam Bombay!”) has come on board to executive produce “Our Land, Our Freedom,” from directors Meena Nanji and Zippy Kimundu, ahead of the film’s world premiere at IDFA, which takes places in Amsterdam Nov. 8 – 19. The documentary feature will screen as part of the festival’s Frontlight strand.

“Our Land, Our Freedom” follows Wanjugu Kimathi, daughter of the legendary leader of the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army, or Mau Mau Rebellion, Dedan Kimathi. When the resistance figure was hanged by the British authorities in 1957 for possession of firearms, his body was dumped at an unknown location. Now, Wanjugu follows in her mother’s footsteps to look for her father’s remains.

Over the course of the film, Wanjugu’s search becomes an investigation into British colonial atrocities including concentration camps and land theft that left hundreds of thousands of Kenyans destitute. Along the way she meets Mau Mau veterans,...

Following four long years of pandemic shutdown, India’s Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival made a triumphant return Friday night with a glitzy opening ceremony packed with stars from the Hindi and South Indian film industries, including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kareena Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Sonam Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, along with Tamil cinema legends Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, among many others. Held inside Mumbai’s shimmering new Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, which opened just in March, the ceremony featured two hours of impassioned speeches and the dolling out of awards, all of it presided over by Chopra Jonas, this year’s festival chairwoman.

In her opening remarks declaring the festival officially open, Chopra Jonas emphasized the role of women in the Indian industry, saying: “We’d like to acknowledge the pivotal role of women in front of the camera and behind – we have some of the most amazing women,...

Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, who is known for ‘Salaam Bombay!’, ‘The Namesake’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and several others, will serve as the Head of Jury for the South Asia Competition at the soon-to-be-held Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival.

Mira is an Academy-Award nominated filmmaker, her international hit ‘Monsoon Wedding’ which brought her huge international acclaim, made her the first woman to win Venice Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Lion.

Her next film will be ‘Amri’, an experimental portrait of Amrita Sher-Gil. In 2012, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.

Commenting on her new role as Head of Jury for South Asia Competition, Mira said: “If we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will. My mantra for a long time, which is why I am honoured to preside over the Mami jury for the South Asia competition this year. I look forward to being inspired...

Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, who is known for ‘Salaam Bombay!’, ‘The Namesake’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and several others, will serve as the Head of Jury for the South Asia Competition at the soon-to-be-held Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival.

Mira is an Academy-Award nominated filmmaker, her international hit ‘Monsoon Wedding’ which brought her huge international acclaim, made her the first woman to win Venice Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Lion.

Her next film will be ‘Amri’, an experimental portrait of Amrita Sher-Gil. In 2012, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.

Commenting on her new role as Head of Jury for South Asia Competition, Mira said: “If we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will. My mantra for a long time, which is why I am honoured to preside over the Mami jury for the South Asia competition this year. I look forward to being inspired...

Tom And Jerry Singapore

The first ever localized “Tom and Jerry” series, featuring the cartoon cat and mouse in Singapore, will premiere in Southeast and South Asia, Australia and New Zealand on Cartoon Network on Oct. 21. It will also stream on HBO Go in Southeast Asia. Episodes will be globally available via the Cartoon Network Asia YouTube channel.

In the seven-part series, the cartoon frenemies weave through colorful neighborhoods, modern skyscrapers and city-in-nature experiences. New episodes will air weekly.

“It was important for us to create stories and environments that feel authentically Singapore – and at the same time honor the distinct animation style and sense of humor that has made Tom and Jerry so well loved for generations,” said Christopher Ho, head of kids at Southeast Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery.

“Tom and Jerry” has run to more than 500 episodes and 15 movies in an 83-year history, securing seven Academy Awards along the way.

South Asia Competition jury also includes David Michod, Isabel Sandoval and Marianne Khoury.

Acclaimed India-born filmmaker Mira Nair is to preside over the main South Asia Competition of the upcoming Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival (October 27-November 5).

She will be joined by Australian writer/director David Michod, Filipina filmmaker and actress Isabel Sandoval and Egyptian producer and director Marianne Khoury, who was named artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival in June.

Jio Mami revealed its full lineup yesterday, confirming that it had dropped its international and India Gold competitive sections in favour of a South Asia Competition, to...

Monsoon Wedding and A Suitable Boy filmmaker Mira Nair has been announced as the Head of Jury for the South Asia Competition at this year’s Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival (October 27-November 5).

The 14 titles selected for the festival’s new competition section, which showcases debut and second-time filmmakers from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora Cinema, were revealed yesterday, along with the rest of the Jio Mami line-up.

Nair won the Venice film festival’s Golden Lion for Monsoon Wedding (2001) and her more recent credits include The Namesake (2006), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), Vanity Fair (2004), A Suitable Boy (2020) and Queen Of Katwe (2016).

Her next film will be Amri, an experimental portrait of Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil. She also recently directed ‘Monsoon Wedding the Musical’, which opened in New York City in May 2023 and is next headed for Broadway.

Anupama Chopra, Festival Director at Jio Mami, said: “We are thrilled to...

“Mississippi Masala” director Mira Nair says she was nervous to ask Denzel Washington to be more vulnerable in his scenes with Sarita Choudhury in the swooningly romantic 1991 drama.

“I fell in love during the making of this film during the writing of the screenplay of this film,” Nair recalled at a Women in Film screening Thursday night at Vidiots. “I experienced what I call the stupor of love. I was really weak-kneed,” she said in a post-screening Q&a. “And that was what I wanted from Denzel and Sarita. Sarita got it, but Denzel… no one talks to him like that,” she said with a smile.

She had hired because of his turn in 1988’s “For Queen and Country,” and said he was nailing every other aspect of the role. “He’s a consummate actor. He is just extraordinary. But when it came to the love stuff, I was wanting more.

Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...

Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...

Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...

Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...

Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...

India has officially announced its entry for the 2024 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is 2018, a Malayalam-language epic survival drama about the severe 2018 Kerala floods that devastated the state. [1]

The film, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph and written by Joseph and Akhil P. Dharmajan, stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal with an ensemble supporting cast. The film follows the lives of several characters who are affected by the floods in different ways, and how they overcome the challenges and help each other. [1]

The film was released on 5 May 2023 and received critical acclaim and commercial success. It grossed over ₹200 crore (US$25 million) at the box office, to emerge as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all-time and one of the highest grossing Indian film of 2023. [1] The film was praised for its realistic portrayal of the disaster, its emotional impact, its technical excellence and its social message.

Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the prominent Bollywood production designer of the Oscar-nominated music sports drama Lagaan, has died. He was 57.

Desai reportedly was found dead at his studio in Karat, near Mumbai. The Indian Express and other local news agencies have reported police initially are suspecting suicide. Investigations are continuing.

Desai was known for his colorful work on the 2001 blockbuster Lagaan and Devdas, the BAFTA-nominated Indian drama from a year later. During his long career he also worked on another Oscar-nominated feature, 1988’s Salaam Bombay!, and on 1942: A Love Story (1993), Hum Do De Choke Sanam (1999) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008), among others. He also designed the set for Kaun Banega Crorepati? in Slumdog Millionaire and worked as a producer on several films and TV shows. He also directed Hello Jai Hind! and Ajintha, the former of which he also acted in.

Desai set up Nd Studios in Karjat, where he is believed to have been found,...

Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the Indian production designer best known for his work on the Oscar-nominated “Lagaan” (2001) and BAFTA-nominated “Devdas” (2002), was found dead Aug. 2 at his studio in Karjat, near Bollywood capital Mumbai. He was 57.

According to Indian news agency Pti, local police suspect that Desai allegedly died of suicide, though they are investigating further.

During his distinguished career, Desai worked with Mira Nair on the Oscar-nominated “Salaam Bombay” (1988) and “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love” (1996). He also worked with several leading Bollywood filmmakers including Vidhu Vinod Chopra on “Parinda” (1989) and “1942: A Love Story” (1993); Sanjay Leela Bhansali on “Khamoshi: The Musical” (1995), “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” (1999) and “Devdas” (2002); Ashutosh Gowariker on “Lagaan” (2001) and “Jodhaa Akbar” (2008); and Rajkumar Hirani on the “Munna Bhai” franchise. He also designed the “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) set for “Kaun Banega Crorepati?,” the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

In 2003, Desai produced “Desh Devi Maa...

New Delhi, Aug 2 (Ians) Bollywood celebrities are left in “shock” at the demise of renowned art director and production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai, calling it a “heartbreaking news”.

Desaiwas found hanging in a case of suspected suicide at his N.D. Studios here, early on Wednesday, official sources said. He was 57.

Condoling the death ofDesai, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri wrote in a social media post: “I am heartbroken and sad beyond control to learn about my dearest friendNitinDesai’s death. A legendary Production designer, a visionary who made Nd Studio…Nitin not only loved Pallavi and I, he always guided me even in films we didn’t do together. Why Nitin, why?”

“Some ofNitin’s films: Salaam Bombay, 1942 A Love Story, Khamoshi, Kama Sutra, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Mission Kashmir, Lagaan, Devdas, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, Munnabhai Mbbs, Swades, Mangal Pandey, Slumdog Millionaire, Jodhaa Akbar..Now you know why he was a legend,...

A raucous Indian wedding brass band draws the audience to their seats at St. Ann’s Warehouse, heralding the start of Monsoon Wedding. As you might expect, despite some last-minute detours and the spilling of unexpected secrets, all’s well that ends well in a swirl of marigold and crimson, exuberant dance, and the cathartic deluge promised by the title.

The stage musical is the new incarnation of Mira Nair’s 2001 movie of the same name. Nair, who also directs this eye-catching production, rose to fame in 1988 with Salaam Bombay!, an unflinching look at street kid life in Bombay. Since then, She’s enjoyed a distinguished filmmaking career with such works as Mississippi Masala, The Namesake, and Vanity Fair.

I recently spoke with Nair about the importance of bringing her most popular movie to the stage, its unique marriage of styles, and more.

It’s been more than two decades...

This post contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 7 of "Star Wars: Visions," "The Bandits of Golak."

The latest season of "Star Wars: Visions" continues the tradition of telling diverse, poignant stories about the many, many pockets of rebellion scattered across the galaxy. Almost every story in season 2 contains the throughline of stepping into one's power, where a sense of personal purpose unlocks the path to challenging the Empire in small, yet meaningful ways. The biggest, boldest stories are the ones steeped in specific cultural traditions, wherein creators are able to weave their own cultural backgrounds into the DNA of "Visions," allowing fresh, interesting perspectives to emerge in a franchise with limitless possibilities.

One such story is Ishan Shukla's "The Bandits of Golak" from the Indian animation studio, 88 Pictures. "The Bandits of Golak" centers around Rani (voiced by Sonal Kaushal), a Force-sensitive kid who does not quite understand the true...

All That Breathes.When Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh decided to mount an Oscar campaign in October 2021 for their film Writing with Fire, they were attempting a historic first. Until then, no Indian documentary feature had ever been on the radar for the Academy Awards. The general assumption has always been that India had only one category to gun for: Best International Feature Film. Every year since 1957, the Film Federation of India (Ffi), an apex body comprising Indian film producers, exhibitors, distributors, and studio owners, has appointed a committee to select the country’s official submission from the year’s releases. These selections have often proved to be arbitrary decisions, rarely standing a chance at even making the shortlist, primarily due to a vague selection process that lacks credibility. In the last six decades, only three Indian submissions—Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988), and Lagaan (2001)—actually ended up with a nomination.

Director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga became the first Indian filmmakers to claim competitive Oscars after their short documentary The Elephant Whisperers won the Academy Award tonight.

Gonsalves gave thanks to “my motherland, India,” as she accepted the award.

The Elephant Whisperers revolves around Bomman and Belli, an Indigenous couple and their “large” family – orphaned elephant calves that they help raise in the Theppakadu Elephant camp within the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in South India. Gonsalves spent five years following this human-elephant blended family for her Netflix documentary.

“I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world,” Gonsalves said as she began her acceptance speech, “for the respect of Indigenous communities and empathy towards other living beings we share our space with, and finally, for coexistence.”

She added, “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing our film, highlighting Indigenous people and animals, to...

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

Our second Breakout features Taaza Khabar, an Indian streaming series about a man who learns to predict the future. It has been Disney+ Hotstar’s biggest new hit of 2023.

Name: Taaza Khabar

Country: India

Streamer: Disney+ Hotstar

Producer: Bb Ki Vines Productions

Seller: Disney

Where you can watch: Hulu

For fans of: The Invention of Lying, Salaam Bombay!, Slumdog Millionaire

Rrr‘s historic Oscars push cemented the growing impact Indian content is having on global audiences, but the action thriller isn’t...

In the past 55 years in which India has been sending entries for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, it has been on just three occasions that the selected movies, despite some of them being critically acclaimed both in India and abroad, have made it to the nominations shortlist.

A dismal record, if any, calling in question the selection process.

The three films on this rather bald list are the Nargis-Sunil Dutt classic “Mother India” (1957), Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay” (1988) and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Aamir Khan-starrer “Lagaan” (2001).

This year, the official selection — “Chhello Show”, Nalin Kumar Pandya aka Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film — again lost out to a strong field comprising, among others, the German World War I drama “All Quiet on the Western Front” and the Golden Globe winner, “Argentina, 1985” (the historical drama from Argentina around the fight waged by a group of lawyers against the South American’s...

Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is...

India has selected Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” (“Chhello Show”) to represent the country in the best international feature category at the upcoming 95th Academy Awards, but it’s not going over well in social media circles. That’s due to the popularity and love for the historical epic, “Rrr” from S.S. Rajamouli, which has been a fan-favorite and box office hit stateside.

The good news is the U.S. distributor for the film has opted to launch a full awards campaign for the action drama and is calling on the 10,000 Academy members to consider voting for the film in all categories.

“Rrr” will be submitted for best picture, director (S.S. Rajamouli), original screenplay (Rajamouli and V. Vijayendra Prasad), lead actor (for both N.T. Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan), supporting actor (Ajay Devgn), supporting actress (Alia Bhatt), original song (“Naatu Naatu”), original score (M.M. Keeravaani), cinematography,...

S.S. Rajamouli was in the middle of his Oscar campaign when India threw a wrench into the process. The country announced this week that it will not submit “Rrr,” the breakthrough Indian Telugu-language action-adventure epic that has become a surprise hit in the U.S., as its official Oscar submission for Best International Feature. Instead, the Film Federation of India went with “Last Film Show,” an autobiographical coming-of-age drama about young boy’s burgeoning love of movies.

For many audiences who have embraced “Rrr” in recent months, the decision comes as a shock on many fronts. “Rrr” was the rare crossover event movie from India. The movie pulled in 65 million on opening weekend in India, then grossed 14 million in the U.S., thanks to a theatrical relaunch in arthouses that Variance Releasing dubbed “encoRRRe”; that overlapped with a Hindi-language dub surfacing on Netflix, where it became an even bigger phenomenon.

A movie with the action sensibilities of James Cameron and the ambitious scope of George Miller has to be considered a definitive Oscar contender, right? Not without the proper backing by a studio or, in this case, a country that will submit your film for the Academy’s best international feature award.

Enter “Rrr,” a film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who wrote the script with V. Vijayendra Prasad. The three-hour action epic follows two patriotic but philosophically opposed men (Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr.), who team up to rescue a girl from British colonial officials in 1920s Delhi.

When the 94th Oscar nominations were announced back in January 2022, India’s official submission “Pebbles” was not among the films recognized for international feature. It marked exactly 20 years since India’s last nom in the category.

In fact, only three Indian films in total —”Mother India” (1957), “Salaam Bombay!” (1988) and...

In a British cinema scene increasingly dominated by multiplexes, Islington’s Screen on the Green remains something of a landmark. It may no longer be the independent it once was — having been bought 14 years ago by the boutique Everyman chain — but the North London stalwart still stands out, its quirky half-moon facade, red neon signage and pun-heavy marquee beckoning audiences into its single, intimate auditorium.

The programming these days mixes artsy discernment with commercial necessity: this week’s bill, for example, balances “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness,” with an offbeat short film screening and album launch on the weekend. That balance of inclusivity and eccentricity has kept it a go-to venue for London film lovers, and is very much the legacy of its former owner, British exhibition and distribution legend Romaine Hart, who passed away last December at the age of 88.

In...

One of the greatest novels of the 21st century so far, Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake" nearly defies adaptation. Spanning multiple decades, languages, and metropolises, Lahiri's novel follows the life of Gogol Ganguli, a first-generation Indian American, and his oft-contentious relationship with his ethnic identity. Luckily, the best filmmaker for the job stepped up to the plate and made an adaptation of "The Namesake" that radiates as much charm and melancholy as the novel does.

The director in question is Mira Nair, who at the time was best known for helming "Salaam Bombay!" (which was nominated for an Oscar), "Mississippi Masala," and "Monsoon...

The post How Harold And Kumar Helped Kal Penn Land The Namesake's Lead Role appeared first on /Film.

After being lost in the tendrils of rights issues for many years, Mira Nair’s 1991 masterpiece Mississippi Masala is finally being brought back to audiences with a gorgeous new 4K restoration from Janus Films. Premiering the restoration at the 2021 New York Film Festival, there’s been a euphoria surrounding this re-release in a way that’s difficult to describe. Many resurrections of lost films each year develop a fervent passion from the film-loving community, but there’s something special about what’s happening with Mississippi Masala.

Maybe it has to do with how specifically beautiful the film is. Developed with her longtime creative partner, writer Sooni Taraporevala, it’s a story of love between Mina, a brown woman, and Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a Black man, in Greenwood, Mississippi. It’s also a story of pain, as Mina has ended up in Mississippi due to the exile of Ugandan Indians that...

Festival’s 26 th edition runs October 6-15.

South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) is launching its On Screen section which will carry premieres of high-profile drama series that will later be streamed on Ott video platforms.

Biff, whose 26th edition will be held October 6-15, said the section “aims to precisely reflect the current state of the market, which is expanding multi-directionally, while embracing the extended flow and value of cinema” and should be “able to present more diverse and higher-quality works to the audience, whose range of fandom is expanding”.

The inaugural On Screen Section will launch...

Documentarian Senain Kheshgi takes us through a few of her favorite documentaries.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

American Movie (1999)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary

The French Connection (1971) – Dennis Lehane’s trailer commentary, Mark Pellington’s trailer commentary

Grey Gardens (1975)

Salesman (1969)

Real Life (1979)

Hoop Dreams (1994)

Seven Up! (1964)

Don’t Look Back (1967)

Primary (1960)

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Reds (1981)

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) – Dennis Cozzalio’s 2020 best-of list

High School (1968)

Hospital (1970)

Titicut Follies (1967)

Harlan County, USA (1976)

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Mississippi Masala (1991)

India Cabaret (1985)

The 400 Blows (1959) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary

Bicycle Thieves (1949) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards column

Shoeshine (1946)

Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Day For Night (1973) – Neil Labute’s trailer commentary

Sherman’s March (1986)

Capturing The Friedmans (2003)

I Think We’re Alone Now (2008)

The Mole Agent (2020)

The Act of Killing (2012)

Other Notable Items

Walter Hill

Walton Goggins

The Majority

Mark Borchardt

Mike Schank

The...

The re-release of Mira Nair’s unflinching 1988 story of street children, prostitutes and drug dealers shows it has lost none of its power

Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! from 1988 was developed through journalistic research into the street children of Mumbai with her screenwriting partner Sooni Taraporevala; now it is re-released and what strikes you is not simply its energy and vitality and its Dickensian storytelling appetite, but its fierce unsentimentality. This is a movie that withholds the resolution for which the audience might find itself longing, showing only how street children cannot imagine their own future as street adults, seeing only imprisonment or death. I found myself contrasting Garth Davis’s recent film Lion from 2017, about the true story of a street kid who fell asleep on a train and finds himself transported thousands of miles away to Kolkata without any means of getting back or explaining to the uncaring officialdom what has happened.

Premiering at Toronto International Film Festival and associating with the likes of Anurag Kashyap had given this movie the impetus it needed. But once audience got their eyes on the prize, it was reason enough be talked about and discussed.

Mulla (Sanjana Dipu) is frustrated with life in Lakshadweep with his uncle Moosa (Dileesh Pothan). His parents are no more and the only other relation is his elder brother (Moothon in malayalam) who had run away to Mumbai many years ago. One night when it gets unbearable, Mulla leaves on a fishing boat towards Mumbai. The boat capsizes and he is rescued by a ship which drops him off in Mumbai. He escapes from an orphanage and ends up with a boisterous bunch of kids led by Bhai (Nivin Pauly). As he keeps searching for his elder brother, there are things Mulla uncovers about himself and the people around him.

Aakash Prabhakar’s maiden venture in cinema 'Freddie’s Piano' makes it to the official lineup of Nyiff 2021. Nyiff Celebrates Unmatched Breadth of Indian Cinema with films in 15 languages this year. The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) is North America's oldest and most prestigious film festival which features cinema from India. 'Freddie's Piano' was screened virtually at the Scottsdale International Film Festival last year.

'Freddie’s Piano' is a young adult film about two half-brothers Aden and Freddie. Aden wants to give Freddie a piano to fulfill their father’s dream; Freddie wants to give Aden the freedom he dreamed about when their father was alive. In the end, both brothers learn that what they really need is each other. Freddie’s Piano is a simple film about what Aden does to get his younger brother Freddie a grand piano for Christmas.

Aakash comes from a theatre background and has done several plays,...

India’s Oscar entry is screening from Jan 27, 3pm UK time.

Screen International has partnered with film market platform Archipel Market on an exclusive series of screenings focused on the international feature awards race.

This initiative is designed to enable each country to organise an event around their submission.

The upcoming screenings are listed below, with more titles set to be added during this year’s awards season.

The screenings are open to awards voters and industry professionals and will be available for 24 hours after the start time.

Click here to RSVP or fill out the form below

For more...

India’s Oscar entry is screening from Jan 27, 3pm UK time.

Screen International has partnered with film market platform Archipel Market on an exclusive series of screenings focused on the international feature awards race.

This initiative is designed to enable each country to organise an event around their submission.

The upcoming screenings are listed below, with more titles set to be added during this year’s awards season.

The screenings are open to awards voters and industry professionals and will be available for 24 hours after the start time.

Click here to RSVP or fill out the form below

For more...

Nigeria’s Oscar entry is screening from Jan 22, 3pm UK time.

Screen International has partnered with film market platform Archipel Market on an exclusive series of screenings focused on the international feature awards race.

This initiative is designed to enable each country to organise an event around their submission.

The first screenings in the programme are the Oscar entries for India (Jallikattu); Latvia (Blizzard Of Souls); Nigeria (The Milkmaid); and South Africa (Toorbos). More titles will be added during this year’s awards season.

The screenings are open to awards voters and industry professionals and will be available for 24 hours after the start time.

The first titles are the Oscar entries for India, Latvia, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Screen International has partnered with film market Archipel Market on an exclusive series of screenings focused on the international feature awards race.

This initiative is designed to enable each country to organise an event around their submission.

The first screenings in the programme are the Oscar entries for India (Jallikattu); Latvia (Blizzard Of Souls); Nigeria (The Milkmaid); and South Africa (Toorbos). More titles will be added during this year’s awards season.

The screenings are open to awards voters and industry professionals and will be available...

Oscars'Jallikattu' is the third Malayalam movie that has been selected as an entry for the Academy Awards. Tnm StaffLijo Jose Pellissery’s Malayalam film Jallikattu has been selected as India’s entry for the 2021 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category by the Film Federation of India (Ffi). Jallikattu stars Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad and Santhy Balachandran, among others. The film is about a buffalo that breaks loose and a village’s attempt to capture it. It’s also an allegorical tale on human civilisation and how easily social structures can crumble in the face of base instincts. Lijo has made critically acclaimed films such as Amen, Angamaly Diaries and Ee.Ma.Yau in the past. Jallikattu was written by S Hareesh and R Jayakumar, and was based on the short story Maoist penned by the former. It premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF...