Latest news with #Indie
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Angammal', ‘Bad Girl' and other Tamil titles to shine at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025
The upcoming edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is all set to feature a stellar line-up of Tamil titles, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. The line-up is led by Vipin Radhakrishnan's film Angammal, starring Geetha Kailasam, Saran, and Thendral Raghunathan. The stirring film, set in a remote 1990s Tamil Nadu village, examines the discomfort and chaos that arises when a son tries to 'modernise' his mother's traditional ways to avoid social embarrassment. What begins as a simple act spirals into a sharp commentary on shame, culture, and control. The film has been selected for Best Indie Film, Best Actress and Best Director. Then comes the Vetri Maaran-produced Bad Girl, which has already created ripples across Tamil Nadu. The coming-of-age feature directed by Varsha Bharath follows Ramya (Anjali Sivaraman) on a chaotic journey from adolescence to adulthood. Caught between overbearing parents, social expectations, unrequited crushes, and internal chaos, Ramya's story resonates with the realities of many young Indian women navigating identity, love, and mental health. The film has been nominated for Best Actress and Best Director. ALSO READ: Director Varsha Bharath on what it takes to be a 'Bad Girl' Filmmaker Vani Subramanian's documentary title, Cinema Pe Cinema, will also see its Australian premiere at the festival. A tribute to India's single-screen theatres and the communal movie-watching culture they nurtured, the film gently examines a fading cinematic heritage through memory, nostalgia, and resistance to erasure. Meanwhile, all the way from France comes actor-director Lawrence Valin's Tamil political drama, Little Jaffna, starring Valin, Vela Ramamoorthy and Radikaa Sarathkumar. 'The film follows Michael, a police officer tasked with infiltrating a Tamil separatist group in Paris. As he immerses himself in their world, he begins to empathise with the very people he was meant to expose, blurring the lines between duty, truth, and belonging,' reads a press release. The Tamil slate also includes the tender short film, Farewell, coming from the UK by Soham Kundu, starring Samir Mahat and Vishnu Krishnan. 'In a single day, two friends—one heartbroken, the other on the verge of marriage—confront grief, nostalgia, and their tangled past in a quiet yet emotionally resonant journey,' reads the logline. The 2025 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will be held from August 14 to 24.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
It's not just music - what a festival with a twist can bring to Arran
Just 500 tickets are available for the multi-stage festival that has a focus on sustainability and wellness as well as a diverse line-up of artists and performers from dub reggae, house, Italo disco, electro and acoustic music. Hosted in association with Hello?Disco Boombox, it is not your typical festival and it also has a programme that includes forest parties, beach yoga, eco-workshops, sound bathing, Indian head massages, holistic therapy, wild swimming and guided hikes but sticks with its ethos of Leave No Trace. Camping is available at the Ormidale Park & Hotel, where the event has its main event hub while there is also an acoustic spot at Wineport and the Arran Botanical Beach Bar will host the wellness stage. Read More The nearby Auchrannie's Motorhome facilities also offers shower facilities while there is plenty of other options for accommodation on the island too. Daniel Sharkey is the main organiser and his work in involving the locals of Arran has been heavily praised by Sheila Gilmore of VisitArran, who hopes the people visiting the island can enjoy everything it has to offer, including local food vendors who will be in attendance to serve up some delicacies. She said: 'We're always looking at encouraging people to come and it is something a wee bit different as well. 'There has been a lot of engagement with local businesses so from our point of view it is a win-win for everybody. 'Daniel is organised, and he's been planning it for a while so that has been really important so we're quite happy. The Arran trust is going to benefit as well so it's all good. It's all win-win for the island. 'We have lots of music festivals in Arran so this isn't the first of its kind but we're all for welcoming new events so that would be a great thing and we'd hope it would be repeated. 'It's exciting. Other festivals are more Indie music and that is great as well, but this is what it is all about, having something different. If everybody did the same thing it wouldn't work. 'They're going to have stunning settings so folk might want to extend their stay. They might go do something in the morning before the music kicks off so I think it will be good. It's also a good time of year, we're trying to expand the season and it's the beginning of September and people are thinking it might not be so busy the island so it gives people the opportunity to access other things if they want to. 'They might come on the Friday and go out and do activities on the Saturday, go do activities or climb Goatfell or whatever. There's no end of things they could want to do. There are options for everyone to enjoy our island.' The festival takes place on Arran in September (Image: Handout) For Daniel himself, also known by his DJ name Sharkey's Machine – who has also curated and created the Dance Tent at Back Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival next weekend from August 1 to 3 - he is keen to inspire festival goers to help promote the island and connect with music and nature during the weekend. He said: 'To encourage people to enjoy both music and outdoor exploration. Our goal is to inspire individuals from diverse backgrounds to connect music with nature in promoting access to natural spaces and advocating for responsible outdoor recreation. 'We do this by integrating music, art, and culture into the outdoor experience, aiming to ignite a sense of adventure and appreciation for the world around us, all in the name of inclusivity and diversity and through the value of music. 'In our quest to leave no trace we will do our own site and beach clean-up, have a no plastics use policy and a re-usable policy alongside health and wellness activities and are fully ready to onboard any interested sustainability and green brand partnerships. 'Our other goal is to put Arran, a recently included Unesco Global Geopark firmly on the global tourism map due to the introduction of the Glen Sannox vessel, we see Arran as the perfect fit and dare I say an almost tropical destination for this event.' The festival will take place near Brodick Bay and is easily accessed via ferry from Troon, Ardrossan or Claonaig. Passenger launched as a micro-clubbing concept to try and take it back to the days of intimate parties with friends, and had a successful first year with Adventures in Aviemore in 2024. The move to the islands is focused on music, mindfulness and wellness and is a family-friendly event although children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. He added: 'What makes this different is the sense of journey and adventure associated with this event – we are asking people to take a leap into the unknown with mindfulness and grace, recognising the intrinsic value of nature and the natural world and our own inter-connectedness with it. 'These are some of Passenger's core values and we are asking people to live these values and join us on the island for an unforgettable moment in time. Various ticket options are available, including early bird weekend tickets for £70, as well as individual day tickets, tickets for locals and a wellness pass. They can be bought here. FULL LINE-UP LINE UP FUNK D'VOID YOU WILL NEVER SEE MY EYES AGAIN LANCE DESARDI - live DOMENIC CAPPELLO RED PIG FLOWER UGLY PEOPLE DANCE CLUB CO-ACCUSED AMK WRONG PARTY SOUND SISTRENZ PASSENGER DJ'S CLAIRE MARSHALL JFUNC LIVE KAIROGEN MOTUS SUPER AFRICAINE
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The K's Jamie Boyle issues urgent warning over music venues closing
The closure of grassroots music venues is threatening to derail the British music industry, warns The K's frontman Jamie Boyle ahead of a landmark performance at Hillsborough Stadium Indie band The K's admit it's harder for unsigned bands as grassroots venues face further closures. The band from Earlestown, located between Manchester and Liverpool are today playing The Sarah Nulty main stage at Tramlines Festival in Sheffield, enjoying the recent release of their second album, Pretty On The Internet. 'We're well excited,' said frontman Jamie Boyle. Speaking to the Mirror from Hillsborough Stadium, he went on to add: 'As soon as we finished our first album, our minds were set on the second.' Last year, their debut album reached Number Three, being beaten by Beyoncé and The Libertines. But should their album get to number one, what would it mean for the band? 'It means everything to us. We'd love it. We said yesterday when we did our album release show, there's still one box I haven't ticked for my first album campaign, as amazing as it was but to finally tick that box and get that Number One accolade to our name. 'But regardless, as long as we keep doing what we're doing for a living, making music we love, that's all that matters but a Number One, would be that cherry on the top.' Prior to the record being released, four tracks racked up an impressive four million streams, something the band struggled to get their heads around. 'I think when you see it on paper, you don't even think about it until you have to,' said guitarist Ryan Breslin. He added: 'It's unfathomable the number itself, you see it on paper and then you sit down and think how many people know these songs, it's crazy. I don't think you can actually visualise that community, so all that put into context, it's class. 'As long as people keep listening, as long as everything keeps going down so well, we'll keep doing what we're doing, hopefully it stays that way for a while.' However, they admit that during the creation of the record, they learned to mainly focus on nothing but the album process. 'Don't let anything cloud our vision,' they added. But having worked their way up the industry for the past decade, bassist Dexter commented: 'It's been a lot of hard work over the past ten, seven years. It's been quite hard work. Obviously we're getting to these stages, it's kind of like the fruits coming out of the trees now. It has been hard work but it's served us well.' More recently, the band have launched a pop-up shop in their hometown to celebrate the release of their album, with Ryan admitting it was 'cool' to meet the people who have supported them over the years and seen their rise to success. He went on to add: 'The streams on Spotify, it's hard to kind of comprehended when you've got 100 people still in a shop buying your albums. Yeah, it's a good feeling.' Living between Manchester and Liverpool has been a huge help for the band. 'You get more doors open for you when you live between massive music scenes. There are more venues on your doorstep, which is why it's such a shame. See so many closing doors on a lot of the venues that we started off playing aren't there anymore. Theres a lot of focus on keeping them open now which I hope succeeds.' One of the venues the band have played the most was The Leadmill, Ryan said: 'There's just something in the water.' Speaking about their set at Tramlines, drummer Nathan said: 'We can't wait I think was an extra buzz as well obviously, because we just dropped the album. So I think it's just going to be a little extra special on stage for us and for the fans as well.' Jamie added: 'I think it's going to be f**king mint. I think it's going to rock.'
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lights, Camera, Algorithm! Runway AI Joins the Production Crew
Live Events Not that innovations tend to enter the scene under the cloak of obscurity, now come loud, Netflix and Disney are venturing into the future of film production via their considerations toward Runway AI 's generative video technology . This isn't a headline-catching pivot or marketing ploy-just a wise, strategic investment for a leaner and smarter ecosystem of content productions. Instead of losing their voice over discussing how "AI is changing the entertainment industry," they have quietly placed AI tools to multiply creative capabilities behind the curtains, rather than replace human AI made headlines when it revealed that Netflix had utilized generative tools for visual effects in its Argentine sci-fi series The Eternaut . One of the scenes featured in the video was of a building collapse execution performed ten times faster and at a fraction of the traditional VFX costs using Runway's AI increasingly secretive Disney experiments with Runway's capabilities. Disney has its eyes set on a fast, scalable avenue for pre-visualization, editing, and rendering of high-quality content without costs ballooning, given the huge franchise portfolio and large-scale production pressures. Unlike some of the tech-first disruptors, both studios are extremely careful about getting into any kind of controversy. Their deployment of AI is consciously thought out by humans and integrated into existing what makes the Runway AI even more enchanting, beyond generating almost-realistic videos from text or image prompts, is its expansion of the creative toolkit. With Gen 4 and Act Two, directors and editors can rapidly scratch visual ideas, animate scenes without green screen, and replace cumbersome manual steps with iterations based on a few prompts. In effect, it's equipping the filmmakers with a virtual VFX assistant that can churn out high-fidelity results in a matter of hours, as compared to the several weeks it takes a business operations standpoint, this is a dream scenario. Budgets become leaner, production timelines shrink, and visual standards go up. Studios can now prototype scenes faster, test narratives more effectively, and push creative boundaries without burning capital. Importantly, this approach is not eliminating jobs—it's reallocating creative energy to higher-value tasks while AI handles the repetitive and time-consuming long-term implications for the entertainment sector are immense. Indie filmmakers now have access to tools that were once the domain of major studios. VFX can be democratized, not gatekept. Global storytelling becomes easier as AI bridges budget constraints and language barriers. For streamers trying to meet escalating content demands, this is not a luxury—it's a some in the industry express concern over copyright and synthetic content, companies like Netflix and Disney are clearly prioritizing compliance and thoughtful use. Disney's earlier lawsuits against AI image generators suggest a legal-first mindset, and both studios are moving cautiously. There's no blanket adoption—just targeted, project-specific integrations designed to test impact before ahead, expect hybrid production crews that include prompt engineers alongside cinematographers. Expect faster ideation cycles, more personalized content, and a shift toward AI literacy as a core skill in the creative economy. This is not a disruption—it's a natural evolution, one that respects tradition while optimizing for the and Disney's early embrace of Runway AI is a blueprint for how legacy companies can move fast without breaking things. It's pragmatic innovation: quiet, careful, and rooted in value creation. For those building the next generation of content, the message is clear—this isn't the end of creative storytelling . It's just the beginning of a more intelligent version.
Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Perth bass guitarists share musical experiences down the decades
Guitarists George and Frankie spoke about their love of the Fender Bass. Two Perth bass guitar players in city bands decades apart shared stories of gigs, late-night rehearsals and treasured instruments. George Clark - formerly of 1960s Perth band The Erle Blue Stars and resident of the city's Ochil Care Home - met Frankie Sweeney of award-winning Indie rock outfit The Crom who emerged five years ago. The meeting, arranged by Ochil's activities staff, gave them the opportunity to chat about their shared interests and passion for the bass guitar. They each revealed a deep admiration for the unmistakable tone of a Fender bass guitar. Ochil Care Home general manager Liz Stewart said: 'Despite the decades between their debut performances, both musicians discovered a mirror in the other — kindred spirits shaped by rhythm, resilience, and the soulful rumble of baselines. 'For George, who once played packed halls across Perthshire, this moment rekindled memories of his time on stage, while Frankie found insight and inspiration from a local legend whose legacy still echoes in community lore. 'Seeing the spark in George's eyes as he connected with someone who understood his experience — not just musically but personally — was heartwarming. 'It's moments like these that remind us how powerful shared experiences can be. 'The visit left everyone buzzing with joy and proved that music isn't just timeless — it's connective, healing, and deeply human. 'It was a celebration of identity, artistry, and the kind of community that allows stories to be passed on, chord by chord.' The Crom are influenced by guitar-based rock bands including The Beatles, The Stone Roses, and The Jam. They took the Best Band title after reaching the final 10 in the category in the eighth annual Radio WigWam Awards 2025. It followed winning the Best Indie Rock Act at the awards in January 2023. In 2022 The Crom won the Battle of the Bands competition at Perth venue The Twa Tams. And their debut album, 'Right On Cue', was nominated for the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award. The Erle Blue Stars, led by the late Erle Jacobson, had a loyal following in the Perth area in the 1960s and regularly played City Hall.
