Talk to her about the challenges synonymous with the debut edition of any major film festival, and she opines that most existing ones already have an audience while they will need to “build” one…reports Sukant Deepak
Even as Chandigarh gets set to host its first-ever international film festival, Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF), its Artistic Director, Beena Paul is optimistic that the event, besides introducing the audiences to some of the best in Indian and world cinema, will give a major push to filmmaking in the region — Punjabi, Haryanvi and Pahari.
“This is considering that CIFF Market will be bringing together filmmakers who need funds with potential producers. There will be masterclasses, producer meets and platforms to understand the Indian cinema market,” she tells.
A pass-out of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Beena Paul, a major film editor is the recipient of two National Film Awards and three Kerala State Film Awards. Besides, she has held several positions including the artistic director of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and the vice chairperson of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
Stressing that Chandigarh was chosen after much deliberation considering its strategic location, she adds, “The urban towns in India are the ones that are growing, and one can witness a hunger for cutting-edge events there. We wanted to find a place slightly ‘more’ than Delhi, Mumbai and Goa.”
Talk to her about the challenges synonymous with the debut edition of any major film festival, and she opines that most existing ones already have an audience while they will need to “build” one.
“So, we are showing films that are interesting and accessible and not full-blown art- house. The curation aims to make the viewer more curious.”
Stressing that film festivals are always instrumental in giving a push to new filmmakers who want to tell stories differently, she cites the example of Malayalam cinema.
“I give immense credit to the IFFK, which exposed young filmmakers to movies that were not Bollywood or Hollywood. Young filmmakers realised that a film could be treated in several diverse ways, and that it was perfectly alright to follow one’s peculiar vision,” says Beena Paul, who apart from editing over 50 documentaries and feature films has also directed four documentaries.
For someone who was instrumental in shaping IFFK right from its inception and was its Artistic Director for more than two decades, not to mention the head of programmes at the International Film Festival of India for three years and curating its 50th edition in Goa, smiles, “Yes, building IFFK was tough and there were many challenges. But I look back at it with wonder as we had so much courage.”
In February 2017, Beena Paul co-founded the Women in Cinema Collective, India’s first association that aims to work towards equal opportunity and dignity of women employees in the film industry.
She says before that there was no thought about how women would fend in the industry.
“Individually, we all have suffered and put up good fights, but yes this collective has been good for women working in the industry,” she feels.
While OTT platforms may have introduced everyone to different cinemas of India, she feels most platforms are uncurated.
“Suppose I want to see the works of a particular director… Mubi is an exception.”
As she gets set to bring 85 films from across the country and the world to Chandigarh, she stresses, “We have paid special attention to the Children’s section, and it is completely different from what they see on television. I feel it is extremely important that they are exposed to good cinema from a young age.”
More than 15 curated projects by creators with a strong presence in the Indian film industry are being presented at CIFF/market. CIFF will also feature workshops, master classes, and panel discussions for the benefit of festival and industry delegates…reports Asian Lite News
Chandigarh, which is set to host its first international film festival — Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) from March 27 to 31 — is not just meant to expose the audiences in the region to around 80 of the finest international and Indian films, but will also boast of a CIFF/market to facilitate the business and craft of filmmaking.
The film festival will open with the Cannes Award-winning French film ‘The Taste of Things’ starring Juliette Binoche, and close with South Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2024 to date — the Horror-Mystery-Thriller ’Exhuma’ (Pamyo) which premiered at the 2024 Berlinale.More than 15 curated projects by creators with a strong presence in the Indian film industry are being presented at CIFF/market. CIFF will also feature workshops, master classes, and panel discussions for the benefit of festival and industry delegates.“We are expecting a lot of potential producers and filmmakers to come face-to-face. There are also a lot of producers who wish to enter the industry but do not know how to. For filmmakers, it is very tough to raise funds in this industry. And setting up venues and meetings will help,” Nina Lath, Founder & CEO of Cinevesture told IANS in a special interaction.This former MD of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), who joined the organisation in 2006 after quitting the Indian Revenue Service, was instrumental in giving NFDC a new lease on life. It was under her leadership that NFDC produced or co-produced some very fine films — Dibakar Banerjee’s ‘Shanghai’, Qaushiq Mukherjee’s ‘Tasher Desh’, Gurvinder Singh’s debut film, ‘Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan’, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and won three National Awards, Anand Gandhi’s ‘Ship of Theseus’ and Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Lunchbox’.She also set up the successful Film Bazaar, the Screenwriters Labs, and the Viewing Room. Almost every movie in the WIP Lab made it to international film festivals.“Chandigarh is an interesting city with design as its genesis. In terms of logistics too, it makes a lot of sense to hold something of this scale here. Not to mention the huge student population from across the region that comes here to study,” says Lath, revealing that they want CIFF to be an annual feature though this time they are testing waters.With films from India, Serbia, France, Bangladesh, and the US besides many in Indian languages including Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, and Malayalam, she stresses that the audiences will be the main stakeholders. “Precisely why we are doing ‘People Choice awards’ – only they get to decide what works and what does not. Beena Paul, the Artistic Director, and VS Kundu, the former Head of the National Films Division of India as the Director of the Film Festival are great assets for CIFF.”Talking about the Children’s section where they will also be taught how to make films, and a host of workshops and masterclasses that will be organised during the event, Lath adds, “I have always believed that it is paramount for children to be exposed to the arts from a young age. The workshops and masterclasses line-up is very interesting, and we expect excellent participation. For instance, Emmy Award winner Chase Guttman will conduct a workshop on Drone photography and cinematography.”Talk to her about the current state of independent cinema in India, and Lath is optimistic. She is however not in favour of giving subsidies. ”New filmmakers need support. Filmmaking is not like other arts. A lot of careers are at stake, there is an obligation to make a return on investment. Precisely what, at CIFF, we will be doing a lot of workshops and looking at things from the point of view of producers. It is important to understand how people are responding to movies. Investment in the projects, sales, and the director and the writer are not the only people needed. Everyone needs to have a skill set. There is a gap in demand and supply in terms of skill sets. So. how as a producer does one analyse a script, we want to address these questions.”Even as numerous film festivals have started in smaller towns in the country, for example, cities in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, UP, and Madhya Pradesh, Lath feels there is a need for more. “This development is healthy. Audiences get acquainted with the fact that there is another kind of cinema that exists too — beyond the mainstream. Even if the scale is small, more such festivals should come up. They precipitate conversations around independent films which is extremely important.”Lamenting the demise of the film club culture, she feels while there is a need to revive them, they must not restrict their conversations to analysing the films just on the thematic level but also look at production values.
A New Era of Film Culture
Chandigarh is set to host its first international film festival — Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) from March 27 to 31. The opening film of the festival is Cannes Award-winning French film ‘The Taste of Things’ starring Juliette Binoche. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Anh Hung Tran, the historical romantic drama won the award for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023.
The closing film is South Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2024 to date — the Horror-Mystery-Thriller ’Exhuma’ (Pamyo), which premiered at the 2024 Berlinale. Both the opening and closing films will have their India premieres at the festival and shall be open-air screenings in the Government Museum & Arts Gallery, Sector 10, the main venue of CIFF 2024.The festival will showcase 24 award-winning international features in the World Cinema section, 17 indie gems in the India Unveiled, 27 shorts in Brief Encounters, a curated section of children’s films and timeless classics. Programming highlights include internationally acclaimed films like 2024 Oscar contender Holocaust drama, ’The Zone of Interest’, Palme d’Or Winner and Academy Nominee Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, 2023 Academy Award-winner, ’The Whale’ starring Brendan Fraser, a gripping documentary which won at Berlinale, ’Seven Winters in Tehran’, Singapore’s Oscar entry, ’Breaking Ice’, the Roshan Mathew starrer ’Paradise’, and the animation feature ’Sultana’s Dreams’ among others. Award-winning Indian features and docs such as Toronto International Film Festival winner Marathi film ‘Sthal’, Venice Film Festival film ‘Stolen’, Rima Das’ Assamese film ’Tora’s Husband’, Deepa Mehta’s TIFF film, ’I am Sirat’, auteur filmmaker Gurvinder Singh’s Punjabi feature ’Adh Chanani Raat’, Harjit Singh’s documentary on the late Punjabi painter and writer’ Imroz-A Walk Down The Memory Lane’, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Malayalam film ’Malaikottai Vaaliban’, Sreemoyee Singh’s documentary, ’And, Towards Happy Alleys’, an ode to Iranian cinema and poetry featuring Jafar Panahi, Varun Grover’s short ’Kiss’ and the Riz Ahmed starrer short ’Dammi’. International features, ‘Roleless’, ’The Tenants’ will have India premieres at the festival and short films Dammi and Suddenly TV will have their Asia premiere.
A host of stars will be attending the festival including Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Roshan Mathew, Gulshan Devaiah, Varun Grover, Rasika Duggal, Rashmeet Kaur (singer), Hansal Mehta, Shekhar Kapur, Sudhir Mishra, and Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, among others. The opening and closing films will be open air screenings in the Government Museum & Arts Gallery, Sector 10, the main venue of CIFF 2024. Three more Open Air screenings are scheduled of the classics ’Jalsaghar’ (Satyajit’s Ray’s 1958 musical), Guru Dutt’s ’Kaagaz Ke Phool’ (1959) and ’The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone’ (2020), a recut of the original Godfather 3 by Francis Ford Coppola to mark the 30th anniversary of the film. The open air screen is 60 feet wide. An experiential cinema exhibition to celebrate the centenary of Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand is being set up in the Rose Garden Underpass in collaboration with National Film Archives (NFDC) and students of Chandigarh College of Architecture. A screening of Children’s films is open to all children from the ages of 10-17 years at 9 a.m. from March 27-31 at Cinepolis Jagat. This inaugural edition of the festival will also feature CIFF/market to facilitate the business and craft of filmmaking. More than 15 curated projects by creators with a strong presence in the Indian film industry are being presented at CIFF/market. CIFF will also feature workshops, master classes and panel discussions for the benefit of festival and industry delegates. The festival is being organised by Cinevesture Pvt. Ltd. Nina Lath is the Founder and CEO of the company. The festival is supported by the Government Museum & Art Gallery, Chandigarh, Department of Tourism Chandigarh, and Chandigarh Administration. VS Kundu IAS (Retd) and a former Head of the National Films Division of India has come aboard as the Director of the Film Festival and industry veteran Bina Paul as the Artistic Director of CIFF. The advisory board of CIFF has the presence of Bahubali star and leading film producer, Rana Daggubati, Jerome Paillard, who served as Head of the Cannes Film Market, Festival de Cannes from 1995 to 2022, Nicole Guillemet, former Co-Director of Sundance Film Festival, the celebrated Indian filmmaker Ajitpal Singh (Fire in the Mountains and Tabbar) and other experts in the field of film making.
The main venues of CIFF will be the Government Museum and Art Gallery (GMAG), Sector 10 and Cinepolis theatres in Sector 17 Chandigarh. Nina Lath, Founder and CEO of Cinevesture said: “Cinevesture International Film Festival is envisaged as a platform for the two key stakeholders, namely audiences and producers. Its various verticals have been designed keeping the same in mind. We trust that in time, CIFF will serve as a reliable festival offering high-quality content for audiences and enhanced business opportunities for the film industry.” CIFF Director, V. S. Kundu said: “CIFF is the first global-scale cinema event to ever happen in Chandigarh with the support of Chandigarh Tourism, the Department of Culture and Chandigarh Administration. It is a truly international film festival designed to match the best international film festivals.” “We endeavour to build a strong foundation for an annual event that the global film industry will look forward to, and which will foster effective business relationships between producers and distributors and the filmmakers of the region,” he said. Bina Paul, Artistic Director of CIFF said: “This year at the launch of the Cinevesture film festival, the focus of programming is to bring a potpourri of cinema to the people of Chandigarh. There will be something for everyone. Festival favourite International and Indian films for film buffs and for students, and the latest trends in Korean, Japanese and French cinema will be on show.
Children will get a chance to see films from many parts of the world, hearing stories they may otherwise not. Attending filmmakers, producers, and technicians will interact with audiences and share their experiences, thus enriching the viewing experience. A film festival opens up the world.” Naveen, Director, Government Museum & Arts Gallery Chandigarh said: “While the museum has been attracting diverse audiences and promoting cultural understanding through its exhibitions, its support for the Cinevesture International Film Festival marks a significant step forward in positioning itself in Chandigarh as a hub of cultural exchange and enrichment. This will not only lead to an increase in footfalls but also provide an opportunity to showcase the museum’s facilities as a venue for cultural events, potentially attracting future collaborations and partnerships.”
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it is obvious that the returning officer has defaced the ballot papers…reports Asian Lite News
The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the Returning Officer who held the Chandigarh Mayor elections, saying he was “murdering democracy” and ordered the preservation of the entire record of the election process, including ballot papers, videography and other material, through the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it is obvious that the returning officer has defaced the ballot papers.
“Is this the way he conducts the elections? This is a mockery of democracy. This is the murder of democracy. We are appalled. We will not allow democracy to be murdered this way. The man defaces ballots the moment he sees a cross at the bottom. This man should be prosecuted. Is this the behaviour of the returning officer?”
It directed that the meeting of the Chandigarh Corporation slated to be held on February 7 be deferred till further orders.
“Tell the Returning Officer that the Supreme Court is watching him. We will not allow democracy to be murdered like this. The great force in this country is the purity of the electoral process, but what has happened here?” said the bench.
The observations of the apex court came after it watched video of the controversial election.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kumar, said that the issue can be solved by holding a fresh election after sequestering the record.
The top court also issued notice on a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party’s councillor Kuldeep Dhalor, who had lost the mayor election to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Manoj Sonkar on January 30.
The apex court’s remarks came while hearing the plea of AAP’s councillor after the BJP won the mayor election following the Returning Officer’s move to scrape eight opposition votes.
BJP’s Sonkar bagged 16 votes against the 12 votes received by Kumar, despite having 20 councillors. The action of rejecting eight votes of the AAP-Congress alliance as invalid had sparked allegations of vote tempering.
An AAP councillor challenged a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh.
Kuldeep Kumar, who lost the Chandigarh mayoral election, approached the apex court against the High Court’s refusal to grant an immediate stay on the election result in which the BJP candidate was declared the mayor.
On Wednesday, Punjab and Haryana High Court denied interim relief to the AAP, which alleged that ballot papers had been tampered with and sought fresh polls under the supervision of a retired judge of the court.
The appeal in the top court said that the High Court erred in not granting any interim relief to the AAP candidate in the form of a stay on the outcome of elections for the post of Mayor or directing the preservation of electoral records. (ANI)
To kickstart this transformative journey, a high-level meeting was convened under the able guidance of UT Adviser Dharam Pal…reports Asian Lite News
The Union Ministry of Tourism has announced the launch of Swadesh Darshan 2.0, a significant initiative aimed at transforming more than 55 cities into exceptional tourist destinations in the country. Among these selected cities, Chandigarh stands out as a prominent choice, ready to warmly embrace visitors, reports Khalsa Vox.
Taking charge of this exciting project is L&T Infra Engineering in association with PwC, handpicked by the ministry to serve as the project development and management consultant. Their primary objective is to unlock and maximize the tourism potential of the city, making it a memorable experience for visitors from far and wide.
As per Khalsa Vox, to kickstart this transformative journey, a high-level meeting was convened under the able guidance of UT Adviser Dharam Pal. During the meeting, the team reviewed the meticulously crafted inception report submitted by the project development and management consultant. The enthusiastic participation of various departments of Chandigarh made the meeting even more fruitful. They were encouraged to share their insights, concerns, and interests to ensure that the city’s tourism development caters to the needs and desires of the tourists.
The joint presentation by the L&T and PwC team shed light on the core concepts of the project. The inception report, a solid foundation for further progress, will soon be followed by comprehensive master plans for tourism encompassing both physical infrastructure and intangible offerings. The project development and management consultant team will be stationed right here in Chandigarh, actively engaging in on-ground work to bring the vision to life.
The gathering at the meeting was graced by the presence of prominent officials, including Hargunjit Kaur, Secretary of Tourism, Home Secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav, Secretary of Culture Vinod P Kavle, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra, DC Vinay Pratap Singh, CITCO MD Purva Garg, Chief Architect Kapil Setia, and Chief Engineer CB Ojha. Their combined efforts and dedication will play a pivotal role in transforming Chandigarh into a tourism paradise.
With the Centre’s resolute push and the diligent efforts of the project development and management consultant team, Chandigarh is all set to blossom as a prime tourist destination in India. The city’s rich cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and warm hospitality will soon be showcased to the world, inviting travelers to embark on an unforgettable journey of discovery and delight. As the project takes shape, tourists can look forward to a rejuvenating and immersive experience in Chandigarh, leaving them with cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
The event promises to be a platform for countries to come together and work towards a sustainable future for agriculture and food security…reports Asian Lite News
The second Agricultural Deputies Meeting of the Agricultural Working Group (AWG) of the G20 is all set to take place from March 29 to 31 in Chandigarh.
The event will see the participation of delegates from 19 member countries, 10 invited countries and 10 international organisations. Speaking about the upcoming event, Ritesh, joint secretary (IC), Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said, “The second Agricultural Deputies Meeting of AWG is an important platform for countries to come together and discuss ways to ensure sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition”, adding, “We are honoured to host the event in Chandigarh and look forward to fruitful discussions.”
Day 1️⃣ of the 2nd Agriculture Working Group Meeting in #Chandigarh will focus on the developments of the Agricultural Market Information System Rapid Response Forum and identify capacity building needs for the Agriculture Sector.
Rajinder Chaudhry, additional director general of PIB Chandigarh, added, “The AMIS Rapid Response Forum, which will be held on the first day of the meeting, is an important initiative to address the food market situation and identify capacity building needs. We hope that this forum will provide a vision for the future progress of the initiative.”
During the second and third days of the meeting, member countries will focus on drafting the communique, which will address four thematic areas, namely food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture with a climate smart approach, inclusive agricultural value chains and food systems, and digitalisation for agricultural transformation.
Apart from the discussions, delegates will also get to experience the rich cultural heritage of Chandigarh through a visit to the food festival at Rock Garden, an excursion to Sukhna lake, followed by a gala dinner and a visit to Yadavindra Gardens at Pinjore.
The event promises to be a platform for countries to come together and work towards a sustainable future for agriculture and food security. (ANI)
Despite the best of the efforts by the attending medical team, Kumar could not be revived from his irretrievable condition and was declared brain dead on August 17…reports Asian Lite News.
Two donor families displayed exemplary magnanimity amid the tragedy of losing their loved ones and kindled hope in critical eight patients with the transplantation of four kidneys and four corneas at the PGI Hospital here, doctors said on Friday.
“We are overwhelmed by their spirit of giving of the donor families and hope their generous gesture inspires others and makes them realize that death is not the end of things, people can live on through others, through this noble cause of organ donation,” said Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Director Jagat Ram said.
Ashwani Kumar (54) a resident of Kaithal in Haryana met with a road accident in his town on August 14 and was taken to the Civil Hospital there. As his condition worsened, Kumar was rushed to the PGIMER on the same day.
Despite the best of the efforts by the attending medical team, Kumar could not be revived from his irretrievable condition and was declared brain dead on August 17.
When doctors informed the family that their dear one did not pull through, the family knew they didn’t want Kumar’s death to be in vain. Being fairly clued about the concept and having already pledged for organ donation, the grief-stricken but resolute family consented for organ donation.
Anita, the wife of Kumar, showcased unparalleled courage amid her own tragedy as she said, “It’s something no family should have to go through. We said ‘yes’ to organ donation because it is far better to give someone a new life than reducing these organs to ashes.
“That’s why despite the heartache that we are going through, we knew it was the right thing to do.”
Reflecting on the case, H.S. Kohli, Head of the Department of Nephrology, said, “Following the family’s decision, the two best matching recipients who were suffering from end-stage debilitating kidney ailment and dependent on renal dialysis for long, were identified and retrieved kidneys were transplanted to them giving them second chance at life.
“Looking at the kidney waiting list which is getting lengthier with passing time, yes by any donor family like that of Ashwani Kumar creates a perceptible difference between life and death for end stage kidney failure patients.”
Apart from the kidneys, the corneas of the donors were also harvested, which on transplantation, restored the eyesight of two other patients here at the PGIMER.
Earlier on August 9, a young and promising life was mercilessly cut short by a speeding vehicle, causing fatal head injuries.
After the mishap, the youth aged 28 years from Punjab was immediately rushed to a local hospital and then on being referred to the PGIMER, was shifted here on August 10.
As the ill-luck would have it, all the efforts to save the young man proved futile and after three days of struggle between life and death; he was declared brain-dead on August 13.
Then, the transplant coordinators at the PGIMER counseled the family about organ donation for which the family consented, braving their own grave tragedy. With the family’s generous decision, four lives were impacted with the transplantation of two kidneys and two corneas here at the PGIMER.
The grieving mother, who wanted to keep the identity anonymous due to her personal sentiments, said, “We would just want people to know about the cause, we have done it so that our son can relive through others. We have done it for our own peace and solace.”
Endorsing the need for public awareness for the cause to save precious lives, Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO (North), PGIMER, said, “The gift of life that has been given by these two donor families conveys much about our capacity for great compassion and generosity. This cause needs to be taken seriously as anyone can suffer from organ failure.”
