After his fiction feature debut, the absurdist satire “Eeb Allay Ooo!,” Indian filmmaker Prateek Vats is readying political comedy “Chronicles of a Confession.” The film is a selection at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Project Market.
“Eeb Allay Ooo!” won big at the Mumbai Film Festival and went on to play at the Berlinale, Sao Paolo and Valladolid among many other festivals. Written by Vidur Nauriyal and Vats, “Chronicles of a Confession” will follow a Kashmiri shawl seller whose confession to a bomb blast he didn’t commit spurs an investigation revealing truths as absurd as everyday life in Kashmir, northern India.
A few years back Vats chanced upon a news report about a young Kashmiri man walking into a police station in Mumbai and confessing to a series of bomb blasts and investigations revealed that the concerned man had nothing to do with the blasts and had...
“Eeb Allay Ooo!” won big at the Mumbai Film Festival and went on to play at the Berlinale, Sao Paolo and Valladolid among many other festivals. Written by Vidur Nauriyal and Vats, “Chronicles of a Confession” will follow a Kashmiri shawl seller whose confession to a bomb blast he didn’t commit spurs an investigation revealing truths as absurd as everyday life in Kashmir, northern India.
A few years back Vats chanced upon a news report about a young Kashmiri man walking into a police station in Mumbai and confessing to a series of bomb blasts and investigations revealed that the concerned man had nothing to do with the blasts and had...
- 10/8/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
After 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor” and 2019’s “Aadhaar,” Indian filmmaker Suman Ghosh returns again to the Busan International Film Festival.
“The Scavenger of Dreams” has its world premiere in the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ strand. A treatise on social inequality, the film follows Birju and Shona, trash collectors who live in a Kolkata slum with their young daughter. They scour the city’s affluent areas by day for garbage and their experiences become the grist of stories for their daughter by night.
Like “Aadhaar,” “The Scavenger of Dreams,” then called “The Waste Collector,” was also at Busan’s Asian Project Market, where it gained significant exposure. The germ of the film was from a New York Times article about waste collectors that Ghosh read years ago that stayed with him.
“The reason I wanted to make the...
“The Scavenger of Dreams” has its world premiere in the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ strand. A treatise on social inequality, the film follows Birju and Shona, trash collectors who live in a Kolkata slum with their young daughter. They scour the city’s affluent areas by day for garbage and their experiences become the grist of stories for their daughter by night.
Like “Aadhaar,” “The Scavenger of Dreams,” then called “The Waste Collector,” was also at Busan’s Asian Project Market, where it gained significant exposure. The germ of the film was from a New York Times article about waste collectors that Ghosh read years ago that stayed with him.
“The reason I wanted to make the...
- 10/4/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has named ten emerging talents from across the Indian film, gaming and television industries that will participate in the 2022 edition of its BAFTA Breakthrough India initiative supported by Netflix.
The 2022 contingent includes writer-director Ajitpal Singh; composer Alokananda Dasgupta (“Sacred Games”), writer-director Arati Kadav (“Cargo”), producer Mathivanan Rajendran (“Nirvana Inn”), writer-director Leena Manimekalai, game director Nakul Verma (“In My Shadow”), writer-director Prateek Vats (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”), cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”), writer Shubham (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”) and performer Sumukhi Suresh (“Pushpavalli”).
The talents were selected by a jury consisting of BAFTA-winning composer A.R. Rahman, editor and writer Apurva Asrani, actors Anupam Kher and Ratna Pathak Shah, games producer Charu Desodt, Amazon India head Gaurav Gandhi, Netflix India content chief Monika Shergill, producers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Guneet Monga, BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar, GOQii CEO Vishal Gondal and filmmaker Shonali Bose.
During the program,...
The 2022 contingent includes writer-director Ajitpal Singh; composer Alokananda Dasgupta (“Sacred Games”), writer-director Arati Kadav (“Cargo”), producer Mathivanan Rajendran (“Nirvana Inn”), writer-director Leena Manimekalai, game director Nakul Verma (“In My Shadow”), writer-director Prateek Vats (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”), cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”), writer Shubham (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”) and performer Sumukhi Suresh (“Pushpavalli”).
The talents were selected by a jury consisting of BAFTA-winning composer A.R. Rahman, editor and writer Apurva Asrani, actors Anupam Kher and Ratna Pathak Shah, games producer Charu Desodt, Amazon India head Gaurav Gandhi, Netflix India content chief Monika Shergill, producers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Guneet Monga, BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar, GOQii CEO Vishal Gondal and filmmaker Shonali Bose.
During the program,...
- 3/9/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Film Bazaar, South Asia’s largest co-production market, has revealed 21 eclectic projects from several countries and in a welter of languages, for its 2021 online edition.
The selected filmmakers will pitch their projects virtually to a curated audience of Indian and international producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers and sales agents at an open pitch session. This year, Film Bazaar has also collaborated with the French Embassy in India which will be sponsoring the French Institute Award for one market project.
As is the usual case, the projects are a mix of festival favorites and debutants.
From India, Berlinale title “Eeb Allay Ooo!” editor Tanushree Das and Rotterdam title “Nasir” cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi make their directorial debuts with Bengali-language “Baksho Bondi” (aka “How Long Is Tomorrow?”), produced by Naren Chandavarkar (Rotterdam Fipresci winner “The Bangle Seller”); Tamil-language “Bommainayagi” (aka “Queen Doll”) by debutant Shanawaz Nizamudeen, produced by Pa. Ranjith, director of Rajinikanth...
The selected filmmakers will pitch their projects virtually to a curated audience of Indian and international producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers and sales agents at an open pitch session. This year, Film Bazaar has also collaborated with the French Embassy in India which will be sponsoring the French Institute Award for one market project.
As is the usual case, the projects are a mix of festival favorites and debutants.
From India, Berlinale title “Eeb Allay Ooo!” editor Tanushree Das and Rotterdam title “Nasir” cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi make their directorial debuts with Bengali-language “Baksho Bondi” (aka “How Long Is Tomorrow?”), produced by Naren Chandavarkar (Rotterdam Fipresci winner “The Bangle Seller”); Tamil-language “Bommainayagi” (aka “Queen Doll”) by debutant Shanawaz Nizamudeen, produced by Pa. Ranjith, director of Rajinikanth...
- 12/22/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Cinemapreneur is a pay-per-view Ott with a library of independent films available to stream online globally.
India has made its mark in world cinema with the work of talented filmmakers like Chaitanya Tamahe, which recently got into the list of competing films for the Venice International Film Festival. However Indian independent films remain limited to festivals as avenues for a proper release and monetization are localised and few. A traditional release through theatres is very expensive and it’s tougher for small-budget films to find a place in major Ott platforms. Many are available for viewing outside India but there is a lack of spaces within the country itself which can take these films to the right audience.
To change this, Cinemapreneur decided to launch an online pay-per-view platform exclusively for Indian independent films. While the Ott was being set up, they also organised offline screenings for films like Achal...
India has made its mark in world cinema with the work of talented filmmakers like Chaitanya Tamahe, which recently got into the list of competing films for the Venice International Film Festival. However Indian independent films remain limited to festivals as avenues for a proper release and monetization are localised and few. A traditional release through theatres is very expensive and it’s tougher for small-budget films to find a place in major Ott platforms. Many are available for viewing outside India but there is a lack of spaces within the country itself which can take these films to the right audience.
To change this, Cinemapreneur decided to launch an online pay-per-view platform exclusively for Indian independent films. While the Ott was being set up, they also organised offline screenings for films like Achal...
- 8/5/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
After its premiere at this year’s Berlinale, the Indian social drama “Eeb Allay Ooo!” by Prateek Vats was screened in the program of the We Are One film festival. The movie was presented by the Mumbai Film Festival.
The film addresses topics such as guest workers and family affiliation and gives an interesting insight into Indian customs, professional hierarchies and the country’s legal system.
Anjani moves to New Delhi to live with his sister to support her and earn money. But finding a job turns out to be rather difficult and so he is happy when his brother-in-law gets him a job as a civil servant. But this is more exhausting than expected. Monkeys have made themselves comfortable in the city. They are regarded as half gods and must not be hurt. But around the government building they are not wanted. That’s why there are the monkey expellers.
The film addresses topics such as guest workers and family affiliation and gives an interesting insight into Indian customs, professional hierarchies and the country’s legal system.
Anjani moves to New Delhi to live with his sister to support her and earn money. But finding a job turns out to be rather difficult and so he is happy when his brother-in-law gets him a job as a civil servant. But this is more exhausting than expected. Monkeys have made themselves comfortable in the city. They are regarded as half gods and must not be hurt. But around the government building they are not wanted. That’s why there are the monkey expellers.
- 6/10/2020
- by Teresa Vena
- AsianMoviePulse
It’s a truism that satire is the sharpest way of critiquing society’s problems. Make an audience laugh as well as think, and you’ve hit your mark. The trick is knowing how deep to dig while finding that perfect balance of sly humor with unforced, sharp-eyed commentary.
Prateek Vats’ unpretentious debut “Eeb Allay Ooo!” largely gets the equation right, using the amusing antics of a guy hired to shoo away New Delhi’s pesky monkeys to address the capital’s toxic power dynamics. It could however have gone a bit further by using boisterous scenes showing National Day celebrations not just as a soft-pedaled push against the Modi government’s polarizing nationalist rhetoric but a more pointed jab at the ruling party’s poisonous propaganda. Instead, Shubham’s generally praiseworthy script errs on the side of caution, focusing on the protagonist’s personal exasperation and wrapping it up with an ambiguous final scene.
Prateek Vats’ unpretentious debut “Eeb Allay Ooo!” largely gets the equation right, using the amusing antics of a guy hired to shoo away New Delhi’s pesky monkeys to address the capital’s toxic power dynamics. It could however have gone a bit further by using boisterous scenes showing National Day celebrations not just as a soft-pedaled push against the Modi government’s polarizing nationalist rhetoric but a more pointed jab at the ruling party’s poisonous propaganda. Instead, Shubham’s generally praiseworthy script errs on the side of caution, focusing on the protagonist’s personal exasperation and wrapping it up with an ambiguous final scene.
- 5/30/2020
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
Are animals more precious than humans? For his debut feature, Eeb Allay Ooo!, Prateek Vats lets the audience decide what to make of the real-life monkey menace that has long plagued the high-security areas around government buildings including the parliament in India’s capital, New Delhi.
Against the backdrop of this surreal satirical premise, the story revolves around Anjani (Shardul Bhardwaj), a migrant from rural India who can’t find employment in the city and ends up working for a monkey repeller squad (think Ghostbusters for monkeys) under government contract.
"It’s a story about the times we live in ...
Against the backdrop of this surreal satirical premise, the story revolves around Anjani (Shardul Bhardwaj), a migrant from rural India who can’t find employment in the city and ends up working for a monkey repeller squad (think Ghostbusters for monkeys) under government contract.
"It’s a story about the times we live in ...
- 2/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Are animals more precious than humanr his debut feature, Eeb Allay Ooo!, Prateek Vats lets the audience decide what to make of the real-life monkey menace that has long plagued the high-security areas around government buildings including the Parliament in India’s capital, New Delhi.
Against the backdrop of this surreal satirical premise, the story revolves around Anjani (Shardul Bhardwaj), a migrant from rural India who can’t find employment in the city and ends up working for a monkey repeller squad (think Ghostbusters for monkeys) under government contract.
"It’s a story about the times we live in ...
Against the backdrop of this surreal satirical premise, the story revolves around Anjani (Shardul Bhardwaj), a migrant from rural India who can’t find employment in the city and ends up working for a monkey repeller squad (think Ghostbusters for monkeys) under government contract.
"It’s a story about the times we live in ...
- 2/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Saudi Arabia’s nascent Red Sea International Film festival has unveiled its inaugural lineup featuring the Middle East premiere of Harvey Weinstein-inspired workplace abuse drama “The Assistant” amid a fresh mix of feature films and docs from Europe, the U.S., Asia, and Africa launching in the region on top of a robust representation of Arab films.
Significantly, the opener will be “The Book of Sun” by debuting Saudi directorial duo Faris and Suhaib Godus, about a teenager named Husam who, prompted by the growing phenomenon of Saudi YouTube content, embarks with a group of geeks on a mission to make a no-budget horror pic. Production of this film was supported by the fest.
Oliver Stone will preside over the competition jury.
Red Sea festival chief Mahmoud Sabbagh in a statement called “Book of Sun” “a testament to the passionate community of pioneering filmmakers who have inspired and drive Saudi cinema culture.
Significantly, the opener will be “The Book of Sun” by debuting Saudi directorial duo Faris and Suhaib Godus, about a teenager named Husam who, prompted by the growing phenomenon of Saudi YouTube content, embarks with a group of geeks on a mission to make a no-budget horror pic. Production of this film was supported by the fest.
Oliver Stone will preside over the competition jury.
Red Sea festival chief Mahmoud Sabbagh in a statement called “Book of Sun” “a testament to the passionate community of pioneering filmmakers who have inspired and drive Saudi cinema culture.
- 2/17/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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