Latest news with #KSFDC
News18
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Jeo Baby's Malayalam Film Victoria Selected For Shanghai International Film Festival
The Malayalam film Victoria, directed by Sivaranjini J, is the only Indian film selected for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival. Indian cinema is shining bright again. The Malayalam film Victoria, directed by first-time filmmaker Sivaranjini J, has been officially selected for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). And guess what? It's the only Indian film at the festival this year! The film will be shown in the Asian New Talent section, which highlights new and exciting voices in cinema. The festival will take place from June 13 to June 22, 2025, and will also feature films from countries like Iran, Japan, China, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. Popular director Jeo Baby, known for Kaathal, shared the happy news online. He posted, 'Proud moments for Indian cinema. The one and only Indian movie @ 27th Shanghai international film festival. Congrts @ 🙌🏼 this movie produced by KSFDC." Victoria follows the story of a young woman named Victoria, a beautician working in a small town. Her quiet life takes a dramatic turn when she decides to run away with her Hindu boyfriend, going against her strict Catholic family. Things get even more confusing when a neighbour leaves a rooster with her for a religious offering! It's a story full of emotions, challenges, and unexpected moments. The movie stars Meenakshi Jayan, Sreeshma Chandran, Jolly Chirayath, Steeja Mary, Darsana Vikas, Jeena Rajeev, and Remadevi. It deals with important topics like religious pressure, women's freedom, and cultural identity. Victoria is backed by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) and was funded through the Women Empowerment Grant, a special initiative to support women directors. The film had its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Kerala in 2024, where it won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film. That's not all, even Kiran Rao will also be part of the festival as a jury member. The main jury is headed by Giuseppe Tornatore, the famous director of Cinema Paradiso. The Shanghai International Film Festival is the largest film festival in Asia and China's longest-running international cinema event. The first festival was established in October 1993. It is the only Chinese festival accredited by the FIAPF. The festival is held over a ten-day period every June. SIFF is organized by China Film Administration, China Media Group, and the Shanghai government. First Published:
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Thrissur's Kairali-Sree theatres to offer word-class experience to moviegoers
The modernised Kairali-Sree theatre complex in Thrissur will be reopened on May 27. Minister for Cultural Affairs, Fisheries, and Youth Affairs Saji Cherian will inaugurate the renovated theatres. The theatre complex, functioning under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), has been upgraded with cutting-edge features such as RGB laser projectors, Dolby Atmos 64-channel surround sound, 3D and silver screens, state-of-the-art seating, including couple seats, lift access, advanced fire safety systems, and a dedicated feeding room, to offer world-class cinema experience to moviegoers.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shaji N Karun a portrait of pain solitude and art
Known for his reticence and subdued voice, Shaji N Karun often spoke of the unsaid and inexplicable pain, loneliness and human crisis through his films. 'It's the human crisis that I tried to dwell deep into, and I always tried to find an expression for the same through my craft,'' Shaji told me during our last meeting in Dec. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As a young child, Shaji was fascinated by the visuals of Ashamudi Lake on the banks of which his grandparents lived. His family moved to when he was in the seventh standard. He was enamoured of the quaint town and its architecture. He used to join his neighbour-turned brother-in-law Krishna Warrier during his mountain expeditions and clicked catchy black-and-white photographs that impressed relatives and friends back home. Had he not become a cinematographer, Shaji would have ended up as a medical practitioner. When he left for an interview at Pune film institute, his admission to Thiruvananthapuram medical college was already confirmed. 'I was too homesick. It was a long journey to Pune. Homesickness overpowered me during my first long journey, alone. I wanted to get rejected as much as I wanted to study cinematography. But the darkness inside the film hall turned out to be the best company for the homesick youth,'' Shaji said sitting at his small officeat KSFDC during an afternoon ahead of the last IFFK. He passed with flying colours. Many used to wonder how a reticent filmmaker G Aravindan and more reticent cinematographer Shaji communicated with each other. Those who watched them work used to say there was something happening between the two, but others could not decipher it. 'Our communication was a continuous process. We both had an idea of the scenes well before we started shooting. Formal communication was thus not much necessary,'' Shaji once said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It was a three-year suspension from KSFDC that came as a blessing in disguise for Shaji. During that period, Shaji moved out of Aravindan's shadow and worked with other directors. An astute craftsman, Shaji was known for his knack to extract the best out of actors. On the sets of Vanaprastham , when Suhasini said she was unable to go blank as demanded by Shaji, he asked her what she studied in college. She said physics and Shaji asked her to just wait for the moment when the proton and electron of an atom were to meet, so that she can go blank. Shaji never got due recognition in the state. When his debut film Piravi got national and international awards, including at the Cannes, the film was adjudged only as the second-best film. He told me the govt must have chosen him for the JC Daniel Award out of guilt.—
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shaji N Karun, master of cinematic realism, dead
Ace filmmaker Shaji N Karun , whose craft of cinematic realism earned global acclaim, passed away at his residence 'Piravi' in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. He was 73. Shaji had been battling cancer for some time. He had received the JC Daniel Award for lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema on April 16. He was later admitted to a private hospital and was brought home two days ago. The cremation will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. He is survived by wife Anasuya Warrier and sons Appu Karun and Karun Anil. A recipient of Padma Shri and French honour ' Order of Arts and Letters ', Shaji was the chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation. Born in 1952, Shaji started his career as a cameraman and he wielded the camera only for legendary filmmaker G Aravindan for a long time. He won the national award for best cinematographer for 'Thampu' in 1979. Shaji also worked with directors KG George, Hariharan and MT Vasudevan Nair before emerging as a director with 'Piravi' (1988), which received several national and international accolades. His films 'Swaham' (1994) and 'Vanaprastham' (1999) also earned national and international recognition. Shaji was instrumental in the development of KSFDC and Kerala Chalachitra Academy as major institutions of repute. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo "Throughout his career, Shaji consistently upheld the principles of realism in his films... He approached cinema as a fundamentally visual art form, believing that images, more than words, should carry the weight of storytelling," cinematographer Santhosh Sivan said.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Shaji N. Karun, filmmaker, institution builder of Malayalam cinema, dead
Shaji N. Karun, filmmaker, cinematographer, and institution builder of Malayalam cinema, passed away here on Monday evening. He was 73. He had been unwell for the past few months. Two weeks before his demise, he had received the J.C. Daniel Award for lifetime contributions to Malayalam cinema at a function in Thiruvananthapuram. Over a career spanning five decades, he had directed films such as Piravi,Swaham and Vanaprastham, which all have fetched honours at the national and international levels. All three films were screened at the Cannes Film Festival, with Piravi winning the Camera D'Or. He won the National Award for the best film in 2010 for Kutty Srank. The country had honoured him with the Padma Shri. He was serving as the Chairperson of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) at the time of death.
