Latest news with #Director'sFortnight
NDTV
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Radhika Apte NDTV Exclusive: "Wish I Got More Work, Not Going To Lie," Says The Sister Midnight Actress
Radhika Apte's latest release Sister Midnight has hit the screens today in India, the actress gets candid about her work and thoughful career choices "I ran away!" That is the first reaction Radhika Apte has when asked about her version brush with Mumbai's jostling crowd. The point in case, Mumbai is also the backdrop of Radhika Apte's critically acclaimed film Sister Midnight which has been released in theatres today. The film had its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Golden Camera Award in Director's Fortnight during Cannes 2025 along with a nomination for Outstanding British Debut at BAFTA Awards 2025. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karan Kandhari (@deathpunkbaby) Advertisement - Scroll to continue It's raining accolades for Sister Midnight, but Apte has her composure right in place. She shows no signs of overrated euphoria on her film being showered with love. The actress is also detached from the usual shenanigans these days when it comes to film promotions. No big entourage, no mindless social media collaborations, no going gung-ho about it. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Radhika is brutally honest about calling a spade a spade. She also shares her insights on offbeat films finding their place among Indian audiences, and chuckles when asked about when she would reclaim her title as "Netflix's Poster Girl." Radhika Apte On Over The Top Promotional Plans Impacting A Film's Performance "It depends on what you want, and it's not my target. It's such a waste of time according to me. It's exhausting. I don't want it." shares Radhika. However, the actress quickly adds that it is not like she has never done it. From upping her social media game, to being in the limelight, there was a time when she simply had to do it all and she was up for it. But not anymore. Apte says, "It doesn't make sense to my brain either because it's like there's so many other things to do in life. And there's never time to do any of that if you're doing this. So I just stopped doing that after a point." The actress reveals that she witnessed her brand collaborations and commercial viability declining soon after. It was a clear demarcation of how people who are cognizant of all the necessities to make their films work, were grabbing all the right eyeballs. Perhaps, what she had to let go of when she decided to step back. Is The Audience Ready To Watch Niche Films Like Sister Midnight? The depleting side of offbeat films that traverse Film Festivals across the globe, is somewhere still lacking to receive that validation from their own people. Taking the latest film into consideration, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's Superboys of Malegaon had a terrific run at all the notable International Film Festivals. It premiered on September 13, 2024, at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Red Sea Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Add to that, it bagged the Best Film award at the National Indian Film Festival of Australia. But were the theatres thronging with cinemagoers when it was finally released in India, on February 28, 2025? Not really, then how far have we come as consumers of good cinema? Radhika reacts, "I don't think we should assume that the audiences don't understand how to watch a certain content. We do look at cinema as an escape. We do look at cinema or entertainment for a quick release of stress and anxiety. So it's not easy to change that. It's very difficult to then make somebody like that sit and ask them to watch something slow. Just because it's arty, it doesn't mean it is a great film. I have seen some exceptionally boring ones too. But in India, I think it's a hard one to change." Radhika Apte On Her Mumbai Debut: "I Got So Depressed, I Packed My Bags And Left" Circling back to how her film Sister Midnight is set in Mumbai, Radhika expresses the angst she felt when she first came to the city. But like they say, before it gets better, it gets a lot worse. Radhika agrees as she reveals, "I gave up. I got so depressed, that I packed my bags and left. I said I don't want to do this again. But then I met my partner in London, who knew people in Mumbai, and he came, he left England, came to stay with me. There's nothing for him in Pune. I think the key for me to survive in any place is to meet with the locals and become friends." To add a little context to why debating about Mumbai's hustle and bustle made sense here, Radhika essays the character of Uma, a newly wedded wife in Sister Midnigh t. Losing her way in the new domestic life that she has to adhere to, Uma has a turmoil of exasperation rousing within her. Uma is bold, feral, and opinionated. The more she tries to break through the shackles of her new life, the more she gets entangled in it. Speaking of being unhinged, Radhika chimes in, "I did find myself a lot in Uma and I find a lot of Uma in me reflecting in many times. There's something quite rebellious about her and I think that's something that I resonate with because I'm not pompously calling myself a rebel, but I at least question things. I do find that to be very similar and I have quite a foul mouth. So I think that's another similarity." Is Radhika Apte Creatively Satisfied With The Work Done So Far? In an earlier interview this year, Radhika Apte's potential was termed as vastly untapped. Does the actress agree? She enjoys having the privilege to take a call, and do work that truly is a testament to what she brings to the table. But then there are lost opportunities purely because of commercial limitations, which probably stops filmmakers and producers from casting her in meatier roles. Radhika says, "Sometimes, I do wish it was easier to get parts that I want. I don't have to keep fighting for certain things. I wish there were more opportunities, not going to lie. There have been films when I always go on set for such a limited number of days. I find it quite sad." Radhika was generously given the title of being the Netflix queen a while back with back-to-back hits like Sacred Games and Monica, O My Darling. But what did it lead to? The actress says, "I loved being a part of Monica, O My Darling, but how many days did I work for? Five days. I feel like why don't you cast me when you get big money? And I know they want to cast me but they can't because I am not that big commercially. So that does bother me, but then again, I'm not ready to play the game. At least. I do what I like to do." On the work front, Sister Midnight has hit the screens today in India, and Radhika Apte is refreshingly confident about letting the macabre yet manic plot of the film, take its due course. Sign up to read this article FREE! Exclusive Stories: Dive into content reserved just for members. Fewer Ads: A cleaner, more enjoyable reading experience. Enhanced Interface: Tailored just for you. Join Now – It's Free!
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
From Hyderabad to Cannes
The sound of Japanese drums Taiko echoes in a rhythm during the opening credits. The madness of the rhythm builds up not unlike that of a pre-war buildup as we see a Kurosawa-esque montage of a broken city — damaged walls, doors, empty alleyways – until we come to what looks like a homeless man waking up amidst the dark ruins. This is how filmmaker Aleem Bukhari opens his latest short film Karmash. The film premiered as part of the Director's Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival on May 22, and is the first ever Pakistani short film to have earned the honour. Going guerrilla Karmash, Bukhari says, is his third short film, and is about the last survivor of a fictional Karmash tribe, who recalls the fragmented memories of his long-dead ancestral traditions. The 15-minute, black-and-white film plays out like an essay rather than a conventional linear narrative. And its structure and absence of information become its biggest strengths. Bukhari is a visual artist and a self-taught filmmaker, who has been working independently since 2016. A number of short films and music videos later, Karmash has now become his breakthrough project with its inclusion in Cannes. "It was surreal," says Bukhari of the moment he found out Karmash was going to Cannes. "Very overwhelming." The Hyderabad-based filmmaker started the project last year, shot it in August and finished it early this year, just in time for Cannes' submission. Besides the film's haunting beauty, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the project is how it was made. Six friends – Irfan Noor K, Ebad Talpur, Shahzain Ali Detho, Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Qadir Abbas and Bukhari – created Karmash on a shoestring budget, minimal resources and borrowed equipment. The film is a collaboration between Bukhari's Sleepbyte Films and Noor's Braanz Films. "I'm the writer, director, and cinematographer of the film," says the filmmaker. "Irfan Noor K is the actor and producer. Shahzain Ali Detho is the assistant director, co-editor and co-sound designer. Muhammad Ali Shaikh served as the location sound recordist and mixer. Ebad Talpur is the script supervisor and second AD. Qadir Abbas is the line producer." He continues, "Basically, the six of us made the film ourselves. We have done everything ourselves, just the six of us who share this passion for cinema. And under Sleepbyte Films, it was our aim to produce artistic, auteur-driven, unconventional cinema. Now we wouldn't need approval of bigger producers or companies so we can continue to make the kind of films we love. These six people are the reason why Karmash is at Cannes right now." He also credited Salman Israr for coming onboard as the co-producer. Bukhair quips that the film is so low budget that the festival submission budget was higher than the production cost. "The production was difficult since we worked with a very low budget and bare minimum resources. No proper cars, only our bikes and equipment. You can imagine the summer heat in Hyderabad. We just survived, I don't know how. Most of the budget was spent on fuel and food. Other than that, we went completely guerrilla the way we produced it." The film, shot on Sony a6400 with a 35mm lens (which works as an approximately 52mm lens on the A6400's crop sensor), looks tightly framed. But rather than a limitation, it works as a deliberate creative choice and helps Bukhari create this strange, decaying world. The filmmaker also utilised mostly natural light, except a small LED panel for a couple of sequences. Experimental storytelling Bukhari shares how the story behind Karmash came to him. "The Karmash tribe doesn't exist. It's fictional. We kept the name since the word means 'the one who follows his duty and legacy'. And the film's themes are connected to the meaning. The character is trying to follow his familial legacy." The filmmaker was keen on creating an experimental film that was "narratively non-linear in its structure so that it becomes like a journal, an essay or a memoir", and this character of the last remaining member of a tribe, who he is trying to recall his past, came to him. "Then the horror and supernatural elements came in." As far as the themes are concerned, Bukhari says the film is about oppression. "It's about stealing the sense of belonging from someone who belongs to a particular place and culture." Considering the socio-political conflicts and erasure of certain communities around the world and within Pakistan, Bukhari essentially formulates a universal depiction of oppression which can fit the state of the current world and its many injustices without naming any one in particular. The creation of a fictional tribe serves him well here. Earlier in the conversation, he states something rather interesting. He says, "He [the protagonist] wants to stick to his ancestral traditions and he's narrating it to an audience that perhaps doesn't exist." This line, and a few others, opens up new interpretations of the film best kept unsaid for those who are yet to watch it and to honour the mystery and magic of cinema. Stillness Bukhari credits a long line of legendary filmmakers as some of his influences – Edward Yang, Paul Thomas Anderson, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Satyajit Ray, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Leo Carax, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, David Lynch and Bela Tar. The 29-year-old, who has previously made shorts such as 'Sapola' (2018) and Anaari Science (2024) is very much inspired by science fiction, cosmic and supernatural horror and magical realism genres. From all the filmmakers and the genre tropes, he has picked up things that he uses to mold himself into a unique cinematic voice. He says the learning process includes eventually letting go of all influences to develop his own voice. For him, cinema is a personal endeavour and he prefers to tell stories which emotionally resonate with him. "I want to tell stories I care about, perhaps about feelings of alienation and isolation, the bittersweet aspects of life." He adds, "That's the kind of stories I want to tell, of people going through life in my city Hyderabad. The city plays a big part in my films. I want to keep that." But Bukhari sees cinema as more than just storytelling, placing atmosphere, mood and feeling over story. He wants to create "an experience, the atmosphere, feeling and a world" that stays with the audience even if they don't fully comprehend the story. With Karmash, Aleem Bukhari definitely accomplishes that.
The Herald Scotland
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
What is EIFF's selling point now in a world of film festivals?
Sorry, Baby arrives in Edinburgh on August 14 following an acclaimed world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where Ms Victor won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. She's in good company there: previous winners include Christopher Nolan, Jesse Eisenberg and Noah Baumbach. Her film will also screen later this month as part of the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Director's Fortnight strand. Just as important, Sorry, Baby has been picked up for distribution by muscular indie A24, the people who brought us quirky and offbeat hits such as Uncut Gems, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Civil War, Lady Bird and Moonlight. The Oscar-winning director of that last film, Barry Jenkins, serves as co-producer on Sorry, Baby. Will he make the trip to Auld Reekie? With the Edinburgh Festival in full flow at the time, he just might. But the EIFF is still finding its feet following the – how shall I put it? – organisational misadventures which nearly snuffed it out, so we should offer only cautious applause at this first glimpse of the 2025 programme. The wider question which has faced the festival for many years – what is its exact USP in a world where film festivals proliferate? – remains unanswered. Crowd-pleasing American indies, albeit edgy ones from exciting talents, are not enough to differentiate Edinburgh from the rest. Close scrutiny of the full programme when it is revealed will better show the direction of travel. Kneecap recapped I love learning a new phrase. The latest is 'outrage archaeology', which is the practice of combing through people's social media posts looking for anything controversial which could engender a headline. You do it with a mouse rather than a toothbrush, though in common with the more traditional and honourable form of archaeology I'd say you still do it in trench – only this one is an offensive position in the culture wars. Which brings us to fiery Belfast rap group Kneecap, to whom the eyes of the outrage archaeologists have turned following political statements made by them in visuals accompanying their appearance at US rock festival Coachella. These turned on the issue of Palestine, and specifically on a US-assisted campaign by Israel which is viewed by many (not just the three members of Kneecap) as genocidal. Lo and behold, two days later came news reports of comments made by the band which did certainly cross a line. Cue outrage, some valid, some less so. Herald writers Dani Garavelli and Derek McArthur have both written on the issue and I commend their columns to you, especially as the stramash has moved closer to home with calls from some quarters to have Kneecap removed from the line-up of TRNSMT, the music festival to be held on Glasgow Green over the weekend of July 11 to 13. And finally The Herald's critics have been out and about, with Teddy Jamieson heading to Stirling's Albert Halls to watch Mercury Prize-nominated alt-folk singer King Creosote run through a selection of work new and old – but mostly new, and mostly delivered on a battery of modular synths which are his latest obsession. There are others, though, as Teddy relays in an entertaining review of what seems to have been an eventful evening, one in which the Fife-based musician aired his views on everything from fluoride in the water to 15 minute cities. 'Was he being ironic?' was the question one concertgoer asked of her companion afterwards. The chances are he was not. I interviewed Mr Anderson ahead of the release of his most recent album and he told me then that his current concerns were with 'the sort of stuff that gets censored. It's like you can have an opinion these days but it has to be a very certain [one]. It's very narrow. If you agree with this, it's fine, you can say what you like. But if you don't, it's nu-uh.' Still with music, Keith Bruce was at the City Halls in Glasgow to hear the Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform new work by its Associate Composer, rising Scottish star Jay Capperauld. The piece was Carmina Gadelica, a five movement suite performed by 10 wind instruments – or a dectet, if you prefer – with added foot stomping at the end. Also in the programme were works by Mozart and Schubert. No foot stomping required there. Elsewhere theatre critic Neil Cooper was at The Studio in Edinburgh to take in a sobering and moving portrayal of dementia in Matthew Seager's play In Other Words, and at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow for Studio 3, a 'bitesize showcase' of works originally produced for Òran Mór's A Play, A Pie And A Pint season. Finally dance critic Mary Brennan was at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh for Scottish Ballet's revival of its well-received 2019 production The Crucible, based on Arthur Miller's 1953 play (in turn a riff on McCarthyism) but choreographed by Helen Pickett. An electrifying watch worthy of its five star review, The Crucible arrives at Glasgow's Theatre Royal on May 22.
Qatar Tribune
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
Eight films supported by DFI selected for 78th Cannes Fest
Tribune News Network Doha Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced that eight films supported through its grants programme have been selected for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, reaffirming the Institute's enduring commitment to nurturing bold, original voices in world cinema. Spanning a wide spectrum of genres, styles and cultural narratives, this year's selected films reflect the richness of global storytelling and underscore DFI's mission to champion compelling, underrepresented perspectives from the Arab world and beyond. The selected projects will be unveiled to global audiences across various sections of the festival, including the official programme with one in Official Selection Competition and three in Un Certain Regard. Four additional titles will screen across the parallel sections of Critics' Week (La Semaine de la Critique), Director's Fortnight (La Quinzaine des Cinéastes), and ACID, highlighting the artistic excellence and global relevance of the filmmakers. DFI's strong presence at Cannes 2025 builds on its legacy of empowering emerging talent and contributing meaningfully to the global film landscape. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, chief executive officer of DFI, said: 'We are incredibly proud to attend the 78th edition of Cannes with another selection of outstanding films supported by the Institute. This recognition speaks to the power of authentic storytelling and the importance of amplifying diverse voices.' Official Selection Competition: 'Renoir' (Japan, France, Singapore, The Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar) by Chie Hayakawa. Official Selection Un Certain Regard: 'Aisha Can't Fly Away' (Egypt, Tunisia, KSA, Sudan, Germany, France, Qatar) by Morad Mostafa; 'Promised Sky' (Tunisia, France, Qatar) by Erige; and 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza' (Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Qatar) by Tarzan & Arab Nasser. Critics' Week (Semaine de la Critique): 'Sleepless City' (Spain, France, Qatar) by Guillermo García López; and 'L'Mina' (Morocco, France, Italy, Qatar) by Randa Maroufi. Director's Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes)cTypeface:> 'The President's Cake' (Iraq, USA, Qatar) by Hasan Hadi. ACIDcTypeface:> 'Life After Siham' (Egypt, France, Qatar) by Namir Abdel Messeeh.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Savanna and the Mountain' depicting Covas do Barroso's fight against lithium premieres in theatres across Portugal
It's a modern real-life tale of David vs Goliath set to music. The activism of the people of the rural community of Covas do Barroso against a British lithium mining giant will be shared on the silver screens across Portugal this week Paulo Carneiro's 'Savannah and the Mountain' centres on the northern mountainous Boticas community in Trás-os-Montes. After winning high praise from critics at Cannes last year where it premiered at the Director's Fortnight section, the film's release has been eagerly anticipated. Its director Paulo Carneiro describes it as a documentary fiction, depicting activism and resistance in the form of a musical western. "The people of Covas do Barroso were poorly represented by a documentary, because we needed to put them into action, we needed to take the struggle out of the office, out of the emails, out of the scientific papers that have to be read and re-read and analysed by specialists, and put the struggle into practice, show the struggle in practice," said Carneiro. The film depicts the northern community's fight for their land after discovering that a British mining giant is planning to build Europe's largest open-pit lithium mine just a few metres from their homes. "We live in one of the most isolated regions of the country, but in 2018 it was recognised as a World Agricultural Heritage Site because of the way we live, the way we work the land, the way we relate to nature," says Aida Fernandes, who is part of the film's cast, as well as the president of the local community of Covas do Barroso. "When we see a project like this on our doorstep, which endangers everything we have, the way we live, we run the risk of having to leave our place... The film portrays exactly that, our pain," she added. The struggle is amplified by the intervention of Carlos Libo's soundtracks and the authenticity that the inhabitants of Covas do Barroso bring to the film. The expectation, in the eyes of Director Paulo Carneiro, is that it will fill cinemas and achieve success nationwide, not just in the major cities.. Portugal has the largest lithium reserves in Europe, with 28 million metric tonnes of high grade lithium. In recent years, Covas do Barroso has been in the news for its people's fight against the advancement of lithium mining by British company, Savannah Resources, which holds a concession there to exploit a total area of 542 hectares. The company is currently prospecting in Covas do Barroso after former Secretary of State for Energy Maria João Pereira eased some of the administrative processes and bureacratic hurdles in December. It is on the basis of the administrative easement map that Savannah Resources pays compensation for the use of the land for a year, the company's CEO, Emanuel Proença, confirmed to Euronews in December last year. At the end of March, the European Union made this exploration one of 47 strategic mining projects at a European level. The argument for betting on lithium, used in the production of batteries for electric cars, is its importance for the energy transition. The residents are refusing to let up the fight. On 14 April, around 25 people gathered in the community in solidarity with a landowner who was allegedly asked by the National Republican Guard to remove a trailer from his land that's preventing Savannah Resources' machines from passing through. The man, Benjamim Gonçalves, was reportedly 'requested' to do so against the backdrop of arrest. Aida Fernandes was one of the people present at this show of strength. Gonçalves, claims that the plot of land in question is not included in Savannah Resources' deal with the government, that authorises the mining company to work on private and public land. Others in the community also support his viewpoint.
