18 TH JIO MAMI MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL WITH STAR 20 – 27 october 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
*The favourite film festival for cine buffs . patronized by cineastes’ all over India
unveiled its 18 th edition on 20th October evening with an exclusive opening
ceremony ( only for invitees ) at the iconic newly renovated ROYAL OPERA
HOUSE at Mumbai . Theme of the festival was “Inspire , Transform and
Enrich “It was the glamorous galore of Industrialists, Media
Honchos , Film Stars and city’s glitterati topped with red carpet show.
Formal Opening ceremony was inaugurfated by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra shri Devendra Fadanavis .
The Festival was well organised and was full with Master classes, Film Mart , Seminars and othr related activities ,including a special section for childrens
OPENING FILM
Death in the Gunj ( India )
This film is the debut feature film of the award winning actor Konkona Sen Sharma , who also the wrote the script. While it touches the sensitive issue of parental pressure on children to score well in their Academics, it then delves into
A gripping mystery thriller.
Shymal is a shy student who failed in the examination,but for fear of parental wrath,
He did not reveal about his result to his parents . He embarked on a road trip with his family to McCluskiegunj in Jharkand
India he saw this an opportunity for escaping his failure.
Something is amiss, in this seemingly perfect family holiday, which soon ends with an implosion that catches everyone unaware. Developments in the story unfold fast . Here the director writer has kept the pace ripping and interest of viewers intact with deft treatment . flawless Script and
Mature direction by Konkona is praiseworthy.
This film was earlier screened as World Premiere In Toronto
International Film Fest and as Asian Premiere at Busan Film Fest. Cinematography by Sirsha ray and Editing by Aarif Shaikh
Are brilliant. Vikrant Massey and Kalki Koechlin have played their parts well.
CLOSING FILM WAS “ UN PUS UNE“
( Sorry, no details available )
FEST AWARD WINNING FILMS
Category : Half Ticket
· The Golden Gateway Award (Feature film) – ‘Hang in
There, Kids!’ By Laha Mebow
· The Silver Gateway Award (Feature) – ‘At Eye Level’ by
Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf
· Special mention (Feature) – ‘Colours of Innocence’ by
Mrinmoy Mondal.
Young Critics Choice Award went to the film ‘Cinema
Travellers’ by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya.
Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality went to ‘Lipstick Under my Burkha’ by Alankrita Shrivastava.
‘Mastercard Best India Female Filmmaker 2016 Award’ to Konkona Sensharma for the film ‘A Death in the Gunj’.
The ‘Audience Choice Award’ went to the movie ‘The Salesman’
by Asghar Farhadi.
Category : :DIMENSIONS MUMBAI
· The Golden Gateway Award was bestowed on Santosh
Ganpat Kamble, Director of ‘Mumbai’s Mahuwa’
· The Silver Gateway Award went to Tabu Kaariya,
Director of ‘Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh’.
Film ‘Bombai’ received The Special Mention
(Dimensions Mumbai) Award .
Category : INDIA GOLD
· Haobam Paban Kumar received The Golden Gateway
Award for ‘Lady of the Lake.’
· The Silver Gateway Award went to movie ‘The
Narrow Path’ made by Satish and Santosh Babusenan
· The Jury Grand Prize went to Aicheng Jai Dohutia
for ‘The Hidden Corner.’
· The Special Mention went to ‘Autohead’ made by
Deepak Sampath and also to ‘Cinema Travellers’ by
Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya
Category : International Competition
· Davy Chou received The Golden Gateway Award for
‘Diamond Island’.
· The winner of The Silver Gateway Award to
Ralitza Petrova for ‘Godless’.
· The Jury Grand Prize went to the movie ‘Everything
Else’ by Natalia Almada.
· Special Mention for Political Commitment of the
Film went to ‘When Two Worlds Collide’ AND also to
Macarena Arias for the film ‘Alba’.
GOOD FILMS OF THE FEST
THE SALESMAN (FRANCE IRAN )
This masterpiece film is made by Internationally acclaimed and many award winning Iranian film director ASGHAR FARHADI
Presented as a part of World Cinema .
In his usual characteristic style ,Asghar Farhadi gave another masterpiece in this film whihc rightfully had won Best actor for Shahab Hosseini who played Rana and Best screenplay award at 2016 Cannes Film Fest. Emad and Rana is a young couple living in Tehran.When their flat gets damaged, they are forced to leave that and move into a new apartment . The couple had to face a chain of developments lined to influence their life dramatically arising out of an incident linked to the previous tenant of the apartment. The movie keeps audiences fully involved and relate to the developments thus an empathy gets established. Actress Taraneh Alidosti was brilliant as Emad, Rana’s wife.
The film was conferred the Audience Choice Award at this Mami Festival.
DEATH IN SARAJEVO ( France Bosania )
This was another absorbing film made by writer director Danis Tanovicfrom Bosania. The film was also screenedearlier at Toronto and avenice Film Festivals And was well appreciated.
Sarjevo’s Hotel Europe was bustling with preparation for a Gala organized European Union which could have wiped out all losses the Hotel had. But the unpaid disgruntled employees were bent on striking the work.
Film shows all tactics adopted by the Manager to stop the strike failed.The high tempo of the tight screenplay with deft direction keeps the audience glued to their seats. All artistes performed well.
DIAMOND ISLAND (CAMBODIA )
Ms. Davy Chou is a young French -Cambodian film maker , who had made two feature documentaries
earlier to this Top Award film in The International Competition section of this year’s Jio-Mami Fest.
The film had also won SACD Award at the Cannes Fest of 2016.Writer- Director Davy Chou has sensitively
Treated the subject of transformation of village
Life of youngsters into the modern urban milieu with
Success.
Diamond Island is a symbol of Cambodia’s future-a
Sprawling ultra- modern paradise for the rich. Like many other country boys, Bora (18 yrs) gets lured by
The glitz , glamour and money of the urban life.he starts working at a construction site in Diamond Island. He forges new friendships and even gets
United with elder brother Solie ,who had disappeared five years ago from the village.Solie introduces him to the exciting world of cambodia’s privileged urban youths, its girls, its night life and its illusions.
Cinematographer Thomas Favel aided the director
Skillfully in bringing out the glitz and glamour
Of the modern urban town.Film kept tempo till end.
DOG DAYS ( CHINA )
This was another competition film .Although failed to get any award, it has been hugely appreciated for its beautiful plot of and brilliant direction by
Writer-director Jordan Schiele for depicting with fineness the struggles , cruelties and ills of modern urban life faced by a single mother.
Young Lulu a single mother works as a dance in a cheap night club. One night she came home late and discovers that her boy friend Bai Long has disappeared with their baby . Her desperate chase takes her to a transvestite bar, where a gay man Sunny is performing
And who knows the whereabout of Bai Long and her baby.
A deal is struck. Lulu would get her baby back but in turn she has to agree not to come in between the gay relationship of Bai Long and Sunny.In a hotel in Shanghai, events come up to a head as emotional and erotic trials and tribulations pile up.
Huang Lu as young mother has given a moving performance Earlier, the film was screened with
audience appreciation at Berlin and Beijing International Film Festivals .
AQUARIUS ( BRAZIL )
This film was in World Cinema section but was shown as a Competition film in Cannes International Film Fest of 2016. The film is a moving description of
A gritty 65 year old lady to save her building from the Builder/Develper shark , who will not think twice in adopting devious means to somehow claim the grab
the building -- a la Mumbai type Builder mafia.
In Recife (elite area) of Brazil, Clara a 65 year old Widow retired Music teacher resides, in a two floor building named Aquarius. She is now the only resident of the building All other neighboring
Apartment residents had left due to pending development.But Clara desires that she would only leave the place AFTER HER DEATH. Thus she embarks
On a cold war with the builder company. The developing tensions with the builder adopting many devious means
To force her to leave make her think about her loved ones,, her past and her future.
Besides brilliant performances; the writer-director
Kilber Mendonca Filho has done a superb job of quick flowing script and deft directorial touches. Good Cinematography and Editing also helped him in making this absorbing film
--- By Mohan Siroya
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