Latest news with #47thMoscowInternationalFilmFestival
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Khasi film feted at Moscow film festival
1 2 3 4 Kolkata: ' Ha Lyngkha Bneng ' ('The Elysian Field'), Pradip Kurbah 's Khasi film , co-written by Kolkata's Paulami Dutta with sound design and mixing engineering by Saptak Sarkar and Sayantan Ghosh, won the Best Film and Best Director award at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival . At the same festival, it was also given the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film by a jury whose president was from Kolkata. The festival had 13 films from 13 countries participating in the main competition. Spanish filmmaker Luis Miñarro awarded the Golden Saint George for the Best Film, mentioning that its title can be interpreted "as a place where superior souls meet." Jury members - director and screenwriter Aleksey German Jr and director, screenwriter, producer Cornel Gheorghita – awarded Kurbah the prize for the best director. Gheorghita said, "This is a very important film, which took me to a new level in world cinema when Sokurov, Kurosawa and Beckett came together." German added, "This is an incredibly bold film by a courageous, smart, subtle and perfectly humane director who did exactly what one shouldn't do to win at a festival – he removed all powerful narratives and themes and took people's feelings and emotions instead." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Premendra Mazumder, the president of the NETPAC jury, said the 123-minute-long film was awarded for its philosophical expression of life and death through a "brilliant poetic visual language" enriched with "satire and humour." "The astounding poetic visuals where nature acts as a stimulant kept us engrossed from beginning to end. It is a cinematic gem from India," Mazumdar said. Kurbah, who is a self-taught director, said, "This is a small step forward for Indian independent cinema which keeps trying to tell stories from the heart, even if they are not part of the mainstream. For films from the Northeast, it's a quiet but proud moment to see that even small, personal stories from our region can find their place and be accepted by audiences across the world." The National awardee didn't follow any set technique while making the film. "Most of what I've learned has come from simply observing life — the little moments, the silences, the emotions that are often felt but not spoken. I've always believed that stories are all around us, in the everyday things we often overlook. I just tried to trust my instincts and stay true to the feelings I wanted to express. It was a very natural and organic process for me, guided more by emotion and intuition rather than anything planned," he added. Kurbah's film is set in 2047, also the year when India celebrates its centenary of independence. His Kolkata-based co-writer was born and brought up in Shillong. "We have been to movies and not to film schools. We devoted four years intermittently to finalising the first draft. This film was written during the pandemic when I was stuck in Bengaluru and Pradip-da was in Shillong," Dutta said. Set in the Khasi Hills in 2047, the six characters - Complete (Richard Kharpuri), Livingstone (Albert Mawrie), Maia (Baia Marbaniang), Friday (Jeetesh Sharma), Miss Helen (Helena Duiia) and Promise (Merlvin Mukhim) – live in a village in east Khasi Hills. "It has seen mass migration to cities and is not well connected by a motorable road, and faces intermittent power cuts. The geographical space amplifies their loneliness and loss, but the characters look for joy and embrace solitude. While one of them tries to get electricity to the village, another has found a family in a goat, and another decides to choose laughter at every place she has cried before," Dutta added. Sarkar, an alumnus of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute who designed the sound with Sumir Dewri and Sayantan Ghosh, said, "The film has four seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter. It was challenging to subtly create the soundscape for each season. Dynamizing the sonic place with only six characters was equally difficult," Sarkar said.
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Meghalaya's Pradip Kurbah wins best director, best film at Moscow International Film Festival
Shillong, National awardee and self-taught filmmaker Pradip Kurbah has bagged two major honours at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival, with his film 'Ha Lyngkha Bneng' winning Best Film and Kurbah himself being awarded Best Director, officials said on Friday. The awards were presented by the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema , which annually recognises outstanding feature films from the Asia-Pacific region, they said. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma congratulated Kurbah on the remarkable achievement. Reacting to the win, Kurbah shared his excitement in an Instagram post: "I'm overwhelmed, humbled, and filled with gratitude. Ha Lyngkha Bneng has just won Best Film and Best Director at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival." "To say this is a dream come true would still fall short of what I feel right now," he added. Kurbah, who won the National award in 2014, dedicated the award to the people of Meghalaya who supported local cinema and his film crew. "Most importantly, this is for Meghalaya, for its people, its stories, and its spirit. Your support of local cinema is what inspires us to dream, to take risks, and to keep telling stories that matter. This award is yours too," he said. Kurbah is a self-taught filmmaker who promoted the state's local talent and the picturesque landscape. The CM said Kurbah's feat in Russia is a proud moment for all the people in Meghalaya and added that the state government had supported Kurbah with ₹30 lakh funding for the film. "Huge congratulations to Bah Pradip on this well-deserved award! The international award is not only a testament to his talent but also a shining example of promoting our local culture and showcasing the incredible abilities that our state has to offer," Sangma told PTI. "His work is making a positive impact and he has brought pride to our community and the state, and we're thrilled to see him thrive on the global stage!" he added.
Russia Today
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
Spy thrillers, killer grannies, Cinderella on a rampage: Russia's film fest has it all
The 47th Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) opened on Thursday, continuing a legacy that dates back to 1935 – making it one of the oldest film festivals in the world. In recent years, the festival has expanded its scope, spotlighting not just feature films but also television series across competition and themed sections. MIFF offers audiences a rich cinematic experience, from time-honored classics to groundbreaking independent projects from around the globe. While the main competition results are under wraps until the winners are announced, here's a look at some standout selections from this year's lineup. At any film festival, the opening and closing selections tend to draw special attention, and this year is no exception. In honor of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, MIFF appropriately opened with a wartime drama: 'His Name Was Not Listed', a screen adaptation of the novella by celebrated Soviet author Boris Vasilyev. Vasilyev is best known for his poignant wartime stories, including 'And the Dawns Here Are Quiet' and 'Tomorrow Was the War' – which have been adapted for screen numerous times. These two are cemented as Soviet cinema classics. Interestingly, 'His Name Was Not Listed' had never been made into a film during the Soviet era, although it was staged at Moscow's iconic Lenkom Theatre and later adapted for television. Now, at last, this deeply human story reaches the silver screen. The film follows young Lieutenant Kolya Pluzhnikov, who arrives at the Brest Fortress on June 21, 1941 – just one day before Nazi Germany launches its surprise invasion of the Soviet Union. The crowded station and bustling crowds offer no hint of the horrors to come. Eager and optimistic, Kolya is still trying to report to his unit when, at 4 a.m., the bombs begin to fall, and war explodes into his life. The festival closes with 'What We Wanted to Be', a romantic melodrama from Argentine director Alejandro Agresti. The story centers on a man and woman who meet every Friday at the same café to share who they might've become in a different life. Spanning decades, their imagined selves evolve alongside their real lives, offering a tender meditation on love, dreams, and the quiet power of tradition. With this year marking eight decades since the defeat of Nazi Germany, MIFF is honoring the occasion with a series of war-themed films. Beyond the premiere of 'His Name Was Not Listed', the retrospective sections shine a light on both iconic and early-career works by legendary Soviet filmmakers. Among the most anticipated screenings is Tatyana Lioznova's 'Seventeen Moments of Spring', a 12-part espionage drama from 1973 that has become a cultural touchstone in Russia. Originally made for television, the series will be shown in its entirety over six days – a rare chance to see it on the big screen. For generations of Russians, its hero isn't just Colonel Maxim Isaev from Yulian Semyonov's novels, but rather his on-screen alias, Otto von Stierlitz. This is a prime example of a screen adaptation eclipsing its literary source. Set in 1944, the series follows Stierlitz as he works to derail secret peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and the Western Allies – talks that could sideline the USSR in postwar power dynamics. The show's cultural impact was immense, sparking widespread use of its quotes and even inspiring an entire subgenre of dry, absurdist 'Stierlitz jokes.' What's more, the historical premise isn't purely fiction. In 1943, Allen Dulles – then head of the US Office of Strategic Services – stepped up contact with German officials, concerned about how the war would end and what the postwar order might look like. By early 1945, Dulles and SS General Karl Wolff had met twice to discuss Germany's conditional surrender. When Soviet leadership got wind of it, tensions flared between Stalin and Roosevelt. Eventually, on April 29, 1945, the German surrender was signed – with Soviet representatives present, and the process managed by military officers rather than intelligence agents. MIFF also turns the spotlight on student films by two giants of Russian cinema. The first, 'There Will Be No Dismissals Today', is a collaboration between Andrei Tarkovsky and Alexander Gordon. The film tells the story of a buried German munitions depot, dormant for 15 years yet still deadly. A team is assigned to disarm the volatile cache, risking their lives to prevent disaster. Nikita Mikhalkov's student film 'A Quiet Day at the End of the War' transports viewers to 1944, as the front edges westward. In one village, the fighting has ceased, but peace hasn't yet arrived. Soldier Andrei Komarov and a young Kazakh woman named Adalat discover artwork inside a ruined church, a brief but beautiful reprieve that draws them together. Featuring future Soviet film legends – Lev Durov, Sergey Nikonenko, Natalia Arinbasarova, Alexander Kaidanovsky, Yuri Bogatyrev, and Alexander Porokhovshchikov – the film offers a glimpse of greatness in its early stages. MIFF's retrospective offerings also include mid-century American masterpieces – films that long ago became cornerstones of global cinema and are always worth revisiting. Audiences will get to see Charlie Chaplin's final silent films, 'City Lights' and 'Modern Times', on the big screen. While talkies had already taken hold in the 1930s, Chaplin remained loyal to silent cinema until his full transition with 1940's 'The Great Dictator'. 'City Lights' premiered in 1931, still squarely within the silent era, but by the time 'Modern Times' debuted in 1936, the writing was on the wall. Though Chaplin penned dialogue for the film, he ultimately decided not to give voice to his Little Tramp – making 'Modern Times' a poignant farewell to an era. Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) adds another layer to this conversation. The noir classic captures the tragedy of faded fame in the dawn of sound cinema. A down-and-out screenwriter stumbles into the reclusive world of a forgotten silent film star, whose delusions of a comeback unravel into heartbreak and madness. It's a haunting meditation on Hollywood's ever-turning wheel. No MIFF would be complete without its fan-favorite 'Wild Nights' section – a showcase for the bold, bizarre, and genre-defying. This program is all about breaking boundaries and challenging audiences. Among the standouts is the Canadian throwback 'Vampire Zombies... From Space!', a loving spoof of 1950s sci-fi horror. Set in 1957, it follows a ragtag group trying to foil Dracula's interstellar scheme to turn a sleepy town into his undead army. The film is made even more fun by cameos from cult icons Judith O'Dea (Night of the Living Dead) and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of Troma Entertainment. South Korean director Min Kyu-dong returns to thrillers after a 20-year detour into romantic comedies. His latest, 'The Old Woman with the Knife', features a sixty-something hitwoman who takes out society's worst while wrestling with her own past. Min's breakout horror film Memento Mori (1999) marked him as a talent to watch – and now, he's come full circle. Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt makes her feature debut with 'The Ugly Stepsister', a twisted reimagining of Cinderella from the villain's point of view. Here, stepsister Elvira wages a violent, bloody campaign to become the belle of the ball and seize the legendary glass slipper for herself. Finally, Argentina's 'Play Dead' dives deep into classic horror territory, echoing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. A young woman wakes up in a basement, injured and surrounded by corpses. Realizing she's been abducted, she fakes death to survive as a horrifying ritual unfolds above.
Russia Today
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
Spy thrillers, killer grannies, and Cinderella on a rampage: Russia's film fest has it all
The 47th Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) opened on Thursday, continuing a legacy that dates back to 1935 – making it one of the oldest film festivals in the world. In recent years, the festival has expanded its scope, spotlighting not just feature films but also television series across competition and themed sections. MIFF offers audiences a rich cinematic experience, from time-honored classics to groundbreaking independent projects from around the globe. While the main competition results are under wraps until the winners are announced, here's a look at some standout selections from this year's lineup. At any film festival, the opening and closing selections tend to draw special attention, and this year is no exception. In honor of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, MIFF appropriately opened with a wartime drama: 'His Name Was Not Listed', a screen adaptation of the novella by celebrated Soviet author Boris Vasilyev. Vasilyev is best known for his poignant wartime stories, including 'And the Dawns Here Are Quiet' and 'Tomorrow Was the War' – which have been adapted for screen numerous times. These two are cemented as Soviet cinema classics. Interestingly, 'His Name Was Not Listed' had never been made into a film during the Soviet era, although it was staged at Moscow's iconic Lenkom Theatre and later adapted for television. Now, at last, this deeply human story reaches the silver screen. The film follows young Lieutenant Kolya Pluzhnikov, who arrives at the Brest Fortress on June 21, 1941 – just one day before Nazi Germany launches its surprise invasion of the Soviet Union. The crowded station and bustling crowds offer no hint of the horrors to come. Eager and optimistic, Kolya is still trying to report to his unit when, at 4 a.m., the bombs begin to fall, and war explodes into his life. The festival closes with 'What We Wanted to Be', a romantic melodrama from Argentine director Alejandro Agresti. The story centers on a man and woman who meet every Friday at the same café to share who they might've become in a different life. Spanning decades, their imagined selves evolve alongside their real lives, offering a tender meditation on love, dreams, and the quiet power of tradition. With this year marking eight decades since the defeat of Nazi Germany, MIFF is honoring the occasion with a series of war-themed films. Beyond the premiere of 'His Name Was Not Listed', the retrospective sections shine a light on both iconic and early-career works by legendary Soviet filmmakers. Among the most anticipated screenings is Tatyana Lioznova's 'Seventeen Moments of Spring', a 12-part espionage drama from 1973 that has become a cultural touchstone in Russia. Originally made for television, the series will be shown in its entirety over six days – a rare chance to see it on the big screen. For generations of Russians, its hero isn't just Colonel Maxim Isaev from Yulian Semyonov's novels, but rather his on-screen alias, Otto von Stierlitz. This is a prime example of a screen adaptation eclipsing its literary source. Set in 1944, the series follows Stierlitz as he works to derail secret peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and the Western Allies – talks that could sideline the USSR in postwar power dynamics. The show's cultural impact was immense, sparking widespread use of its quotes and even inspiring an entire subgenre of dry, absurdist 'Stierlitz jokes.' What's more, the historical premise isn't purely fiction. In 1943, Allen Dulles – then head of the US Office of Strategic Services – stepped up contact with German officials, concerned about how the war would end and what the postwar order might look like. By early 1945, Dulles and SS General Karl Wolff had met twice to discuss Germany's conditional surrender. When Soviet leadership got wind of it, tensions flared between Stalin and Roosevelt. Eventually, on April 29, 1945, the German surrender was signed – with Soviet representatives present, and the process managed by military officers rather than intelligence agents. MIFF also turns the spotlight on student films by two giants of Russian cinema. The first, 'There Will Be No Dismissals Today', is a collaboration between Andrei Tarkovsky and Alexander Gordon. The film tells the story of a buried German munitions depot, dormant for 15 years yet still deadly. A team is assigned to disarm the volatile cache, risking their lives to prevent disaster. Nikita Mikhalkov's student film 'A Quiet Day at the End of the War' transports viewers to 1944, as the front edges westward. In one village, the fighting has ceased, but peace hasn't yet arrived. Soldier Andrei Komarov and a young Kazakh woman named Adalat discover artwork inside a ruined church, a brief but beautiful reprieve that draws them together. Featuring future Soviet film legends – Lev Durov, Sergey Nikonenko, Natalia Arinbasarova, Alexander Kaidanovsky, Yuri Bogatyrev, and Alexander Porokhovshchikov – the film offers a glimpse of greatness in its early stages. MIFF's retrospective offerings also include mid-century American masterpieces – films that long ago became cornerstones of global cinema and are always worth revisiting. Audiences will get to see Charlie Chaplin's final silent films, 'City Lights' and 'Modern Times', on the big screen. While talkies had already taken hold in the 1930s, Chaplin remained loyal to silent cinema until his full transition with 1940's 'The Great Dictator'. 'City Lights' premiered in 1931, still squarely within the silent era, but by the time 'Modern Times' debuted in 1936, the writing was on the wall. Though Chaplin penned dialogue for the film, he ultimately decided not to give voice to his Little Tramp – making 'Modern Times' a poignant farewell to an era. Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) adds another layer to this conversation. The noir classic captures the tragedy of faded fame in the dawn of sound cinema. A down-and-out screenwriter stumbles into the reclusive world of a forgotten silent film star, whose delusions of a comeback unravel into heartbreak and madness. It's a haunting meditation on Hollywood's ever-turning wheel. No MIFF would be complete without its fan-favorite 'Wild Nights' section – a showcase for the bold, bizarre, and genre-defying. This program is all about breaking boundaries and challenging audiences. Among the standouts is the Canadian throwback 'Vampire Zombies... From Space!', a loving spoof of 1950s sci-fi horror. Set in 1957, it follows a ragtag group trying to foil Dracula's interstellar scheme to turn a sleepy town into his undead army. The film is made even more fun by cameos from cult icons Judith O'Dea (Night of the Living Dead) and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of Troma Entertainment. South Korean director Min Kyu-dong returns to thrillers after a 20-year detour into romantic comedies. His latest, 'The Old Woman with the Knife', features a sixty-something hitwoman who takes out society's worst while wrestling with her own past. Min's breakout horror film Memento Mori (1999) marked him as a talent to watch – and now, he's come full circle. Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt makes her feature debut with 'The Ugly Stepsister', a twisted reimagining of Cinderella from the villain's point of view. Here, stepsister Elvira wages a violent, bloody campaign to become the belle of the ball and seize the legendary glass slipper for herself. Finally, Argentina's 'Play Dead' dives deep into classic horror territory, echoing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. A young woman wakes up in a basement, injured and surrounded by corpses. Realizing she's been abducted, she fakes death to survive as a horrifying ritual unfolds above.
Al-Ahram Weekly
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egyptian actress Bushra on jury of 47th Moscow Int'l Film Festival
Egyptian actress Bushra Rozza (AKA Bushra) will be a jury panel member for the main competition segment of the 47th Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), which is taking place from 17 to 24 April. The jury panel will include Spanish film producer Luis Miñarro, Romanian filmmaker Cornel Gheorghita, Russian filmmaker Aleksey German Jr., American actor John Robinson, and Russian actress Maryana Spivak. MIFF's competitive segment comprises four categories: main competition, documentary film, short film, and Russian premieres. Six films from various countries, including Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, India, Mexico, Iran, China, Korea, and Turkey, are included in each category. The Egyptian actress served as a jury member in previous film festivals, including the Carthage Film Festival, Casablanca Arab Film Festival, Amman International Film Festival, and Aswan International Film Festival. Bushra, 43, began her career in entertainment in the early 2000s as a broadcaster before becoming an actress. She landed her first role in the sitcom Shabab Online (Youths Online). She won an early award for her 2004 film Alexandria... New York (directed by Youssef Chahine) and then the Best Actress Award at the Dubai International Film Festival for her role in Mohamed Diab's film 678 (2010). Among her other significant roles is the leading role in Akram Farid's Mr. and Mrs. Oweis (2012). She is also a singer who has released multiple albums, including Makanak (Your Place) and Ehki (Talk). MIFF Founded in 1935 and became regular since 1959, MIFF is one of the oldest festivals in the world. Over the past twenty years, the festival jury has been headed by leading world film personalities, such as Alan Parker, Richard Gere, Theo Angelopoulos, Geraldine Chaplin, and Margarethe von Trotta. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
