Latest news with #GuneetMongaKapoor
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oscar Winner Guneet Monga Kapoor, Vikramaditya Motwane Join India's Kashish LGBTQ+ Film Fest Jury (EXCLUSIVE)
Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor and filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane are among 16 jury members set to judge 12 competition categories at the 16th edition of India's Kashish Pride Film Festival. Joining Monga Kapoor ('The Elephant Whisperers,' 'The Lunchbox,' 'Masaan') and Motwane ('Black Warrant,' 'Udaan,' 'Jubilee') are director-producer Abhishek Chaubey ('Dedh Ishqiya,' 'Udta Punjab,' 'Sonchiriya') and producer Neeraj Churi ('Sabar Bonda,' 'Ek Jagah Apni') as jury members for the Kashish QDrishti Film Grant, which awards $3000 to an LGBTQ+ identifying filmmaker to make a short film. Actor Renuka Shahane ('Hum Aapke Hai Kaun,' 'Imtihaan') will support two runners-up. More from Variety Venice Selection 'Stolen' Acquired by Prime Video (EXCLUSIVE) Oscar Winner Guneet Monga Kapoor Brings Rising Indian Producers to Cannes Through Women in Film India Fellowship (EXCLUSIVE) 'Life of Pi' Stage Adaptation in Spotlight as IFFLA Expands Industry Days (EXCLUSIVE) The narrative jury features actor Shishir Sharma ('Raazi,' 'Mary Kom,' 'Dangal'), actor and TV host Shruti Seth ('Shararat,' 'Fanaa,' 'Raajneeti') and filmmaker Tanuja Chandra ('Dushman,' 'Sur,' 'Qarib Qarib Single'), who will adjudge best narrative feature and shorts, best screenplay and best performance awards. These categories receive backing from Taiwanese streaming platform GagaOoLala, production house Samruddhi Studios and actor Abhay Kulkarni. Documentary filmmakers Bishaka Dutta ('In the Flesh,' 'Taza Khabar'), Prateek Vats ('Eeb Allay Ooo!,' 'A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings') and Shubhra Chatterjee ('Rainbow Rishta,' 'Lost Recipes') comprise the documentary jury, selecting winners of the unity in diversity documentary feature and short awards, supported by K.F. Patil Charitable Trust. The student shorts jury includes actors Siddharth Menon ('Loev,' 'Karwaan,' 'June'), director-producer Sudhanshu Saria ('Ulajh,' 'Loev,' 'Knock Knock Knock') and Mubi programming director Svetlana Naudiyal, with support from Whistling Woods International. Additional awards include the Riyad Wadia Award for best emerging Indian filmmaker, Ismat Chughtai Award for best woman filmmaker of Indian origin, and Aditya Nanda Award for best film on mental health, backed by Nargis and Roy Wadia (Wadia Movietone), filmmaker Ashish Sawhny and Akshay Tyagi (Keshav Suri Foundation). The festival runs June 4-8, kicking off Pride Month with screenings at St. Andrews Auditorium in Bandra, Mumbai, on opening night, then moving to Cinepolis Andheri West and Alliance Francaise Marine Lines for the remainder of the fest. This year's edition showcases 152 films from 48 countries, including entries from Iceland, Peru, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Nigeria and Palestine. Indian films lead with 37 titles, followed by 34 from the U.S. and 19 from the U.K. The festival also features a strong South Asian presence with films from India, Bangladesh and Bhutan. 'Queer,' directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Daniel Craig, will bookend the festival alongside 'Close To You,' directed by Dominic Savage and featuring Elliot Page as lead actor and producer. Other key titles include Dutch film 'Out' by Dennis Alink and 'Odd Fish' by Snævar Sölvason, set in Iceland. Onir's multiple award-winning 'We Are Faheem & Karun' serves as the Indian narrative centerpiece, while Romanian entry 'Three Kilometers To The End Of The World' by Emanuel Parvu is the international narrative centerpiece. The festival pays tribute to late patron Shyam Benegal with a screening of his 1983 classic 'Mandi,' starring Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Neena Gupta, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Soni Razdan and Amrish Puri. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Guneet Monga Kapoor launches Women in Film India at Cannes, champions gender equity in cinema
The red carpet was not the only thing glittering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Amidst cinematic celebrations, a groundbreaking initiative took centre stage, the official launch of Women in Film India (WIF India) by Oscar-winning powerhouse Guneet Monga Kapoor. With it, she is not just rewriting the rules of representation, she is building the playbook from scratch. Women in Film India launched by Guneet Monga Making its global debut in the most cinematic way possible, WIF India kicked off its journey by announcing its first-ever Cannes Producers Fellowship, a dynamic programme designed to boost Indian women producers onto the international stage. The spotlight? Three incredible visionaries who have been shaping narratives and pushing boundaries back home: Tillotama Shome, the critically acclaimed actor who now helms Shadowbox; Rucha Pathak, a seasoned creative mind; and Dimpy Agarwal, an independent filmmaker using cinema to drive social change. These trailblazers are not just attending Cannes, they are participating in the Producers Network, accessing international co-productions, funding avenues, and invaluable global partnerships. Guneet Monga calls it structural 'This is not symbolic, it is structural,' Guneet expressed through her bold initiative. Her vision is rooted in real-world impact: mentorships, leadership development, and sustainable access. She envisions WIF India as the scaffolding for future generations of women in entertainment, not just a one-time celebration. Shefali Bhushan, a key voice in Marathi cinema, also joins this powerful lineup through a special accreditation grant, furthering WIF India's mission to represent India in all its regional diversity. A platform for women in the screen industry The initiative, supported by Women in Film Los Angeles (WIF LA) and Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), joins a global sisterhood of over 50 affiliates. According to WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer, this partnership is a key step towards building a truly connected global community of women in the screen industries. In addition to the glitz, the fellowship also comes with a powerful ripple effect: each producer will bring their learnings back to the Indian community, ensuring that the initiative does not end with Cannes, it begins with it. With WIF India, Guneet Monga Kapoor is not just raising a toast to Indian talent, she is building the entire table.
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First Post
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Waves 2025: Creators declare: 'Great stories have no rules'
From slow-burn dramas to genre mashups, the panel explored how Indian storytelling is coming into its own while engaging global audiences read more On Day 2 of MIB's WAVES Summit, a powerful lineup of creators and producers came together to decode how storytelling is being reimagined in a digital-first world. The panel featured Tanya Bami (Series Head, Netflix India), Guneet Monga Kapoor (Producer, Sikhya Entertainment), Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh (Director, Original Films at Netflix India) and Michael Lehmann (International Film & television director, screenwriter, producer), Siddharth Roy Kapur (Founder, Roy Kapur Films), and Supriya Yarlagadda (CEO & Executive Director of Annapurna Studios). The conversation unpacked how the rise of streaming has enabled stories to break conventional boundaries, with creative voices taking center stage, experimenting with genres, and leaning into specificity to find emotional universality. From slow-burn dramas to genre mashups, the panel explored how Indian storytelling is coming into its own while engaging global audiences. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tanya Bami, Series Head, Netflix India added ' Great storytelling is our only playbook. It's not formulas or trends that make a story successful, it's the stories that burn inside our creators, waiting to be told. We welcome fresh voices and empower them with the support they need to bring their ideas to life. With cultural authenticity at the heart of everything we do, we believe the more locally rooted a story is, the more universally appealing it becomes.' Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director, Original Films at Netflix India , added, 'At the heart of every film is a feeling—it's the memory you carry after the credits roll. That's the real currency of cinema, and at Netflix, that's what we aim to create. There's no secret sauce to cultural relevance, there is innovation and then there is deep intention. We're very aware of the audience we're speaking to, and we champion stories that reflect the many Indias we live in. Innovation excites us, especially when it's rooted in purpose. Whether it's a screenlife thriller shot on iPhones or a genre-defying narrative that breaks every rule, we're uncomfortably excited by ideas that challenge convention. That's where the Netflix effect begins.' Guneet Monga Kapoor, Producer, Sikhya Entertainment, 'For me, storytelling is deeply personal—if it moves me, it can move the world. Documentaries are the purest expression of that truth: real people, real stakes, no scripts. With Netflix, this genre has found a powerful platform in India, and as producers, our job is to nurture that spark with care, craft, and conviction. Michael Lehmann, International Film & television director, screenwriter, producer said 'In the digital age, audiences can access the entire history of cinema at their fingertips—yet what still matters most is spending time with real people on screen. Great storytelling isn't about relentless action or trends; it's about character, connection, and the quiet power of human experience' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Siddharth Roy Kapur, Founder, Roy Kapur Films said 'We're on the cusp of Indian stories breaking out globally like never before. With platforms like Netflix giving us instant reach in over 190 countries, distribution is no longer the barrier—it's about staying true to the stories we want to tell. If we tell them with honesty and conviction, the world will listen.' Supriya Yarlagadda, CEO & Executive Director of Annapurna Studios said- 'In the South, we've always aspired for cinema—but the digital era has opened a new frontier. Long-format storytelling demands a different craft, and we're finally embracing it. It's not about stars or scale—it's about characters, conviction, and the courage to tell our stories in our own languages. Now is the time to back writers, not formulas.' The panel reinforced that India's streaming revolution is not just about scale—it's about trust, risk-taking, and building a world where stories lead the way.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ace storytellers dissect visual content in digital age
Mumbai: From large screen cinema halls to palm-sized cellphones, the journey of storytelling via the visual medium has transformed beyond recognition in recent years. Both in form and content. On Friday, the creme de la creme of producers, directors, scriptwriters and channel heads gathered to discuss the ' Evolution of Storytelling in a Digital Era' on the second day of WAVES at BKC. Producer Guneet Monga Kapoor, director Michael Lehmann from the US, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh and Tanya Bami, both of Netflix, as well as Supriya Yarlagadda of Annapurna Studios featured on the panel of speakers. The session was moderated by film critic Baradwaj Rangan. Bami, series head at Netflix, said she puts herself in the audience's seat when commissioning stories. "Amid a surfeit of comedy, romance is underserved. So, that is a genre we are building. The more locally rooted your stories are the wider their universal appeal." Sheikh, who is director, original films, Netflix India, said, "To me, it is important how we are left feeling after the credits roll. [At Netflix] Our choices are not incidental, they are intentional. We want creators to come and blow our minds with fresh ideas. We want stories that are innovative, disruptive, that make us 'uncomfortably excited'." Lehmann referred to the filmmaking scenario in the US. "There is a tremendous expansion of everything. Thirty years ago, you would not get to see all films easily in all theatres. Now, everybody has access to everything, there is an awareness of different cultures. Yet, the US is still looking for that big blockbuster. It is harder to make smaller movies about real people." Guneet Monga, whose documentary 'Elephant Whisperers' won an Oscar in 2023, recalled how the word 'documentary' used to be a bad word. "But, in fact, it's also an art form, like films, music videos and series. Documentary is as real as it gets. Sadly, in India, it is classified as art house. Outside of India, people will say it was great cinema, but here, it is labelled art house. We like to put things in a box. But it is an exciting thriving form of storytelling. I love documentaries!" Supriya Yarlagadda, executive director of Annapurna Studios, objected to the blanket use of the term 'south Indian films', pointing out how Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam make independent, distinct content. "It is true that cinema still looks big to us. So we are lagging behind on the series front. But we will catch up. It is our time now," she said. She drew applause when she said the bottomline for commissioning content should be, "Did I (myself) like it or not?" Kapur reflected how earlier audiences would make a commitment to watch a movie. "They would stand in line, buy a ticket, spend the day with family to travel to a theatre and sit through a movie. Now, attention spans are shorter. We are required to produce films that people will make a commitment to and come to see in theatres for at least a week or two. Eventually, they know it will stream on a platform."
