Indian filmmaker BR Chopra dies
Mumbai: One of India's best known producer-director of popular movies, Baldev Raj Chopra, popularly called B R Chopra, died Wednesday, November 5, 2008, due to old age. Chopra celebrated his 95th birthday this year. In 2007, B R Films completed 50 years of film-making in the industry. He could be called one of the founders of what some call 'Bollywood'. Read more »
EU: Co-productions do better and earn more admissions than national films
The European Audiovisual Observatory has just published a special report on European co-productions for presentation at the Council of Europe Film Policy Forum which takes place in Krakow from 11 to 13 September 2008. This is probably one of the most comprehensive analyses of co-production performance ever attempted on a European level.
The data sample comprises more than 5 400 films with theatrical release between 2001 and 2007 in 20 selected European markets. Read more »
Hollywood legend Sydney Pollack dies
As a filmmaker his movies received 48 Oscar nominations. 12 of his actors were nominated for Oscar performances, including Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Jessica Lange, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep and Barbra Streisand. Sydney Pollack, the award-winning director of 'Tootsie' and 'Out of Africa,' has died at the age of 73 Monday, May 26, 2008, in Los Angeles. Besides, being a prolific director, Pollack acted as well as produced. He was suffering from Cancer. Read more »
Remakes! Inspirations! Or, sheer coincidence!
Remaking of successful Hollywood films in India has been going on for ages. Indian producers hate the term 'plagiarism'.
Instead, they prefer to call their unofficial remakes 'inspirations'. In this report we list dozens of Indian remakes/inspired films as the Hollywood studios try to restrain this business of inspiration by allowing "The Wedding Crashers" to become the first authorised remake of a Hollywood film in India, writes Kathy Robinson in this exclusive report for iefilmi.com. Read more »
Biggest ever database of EU TV Channels & Companies
The Communication Directorate General of the European Commission is going to announce the setting up of the largest ever database of TV companies and TV channels in the European Union at MIPTV 2007. Read more »
'London Dreams' is first film under India UK Film treaty
London, Oct 21 (IANS) Indian and British filmmakers are expected to co-produce 10 new movies over the next two years as a bilateral film treaty kicks in, officials said Tuesday.”London Dreams”, a film starring Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan, will be the first title under the co-production treaty that was approved by the Indian cabinet in April after months of delay. Read more »
Several Indian films could be sued for plagiarism
Seeking investment for Indian film industry is proving to be a double-edged weapon. With a growth rate of almost 17 per cent, Indian Entertainment and Media industry is flourishing. Iconic film-makers such as Warners, Sony, Universal and DreamWorks have now reached Mumbai, the film capital of India, offering tie-ups with local producers. More money, more films, more business- so far, so good. Here's the bad news; Hollywood giants will not take it kindly if Bollywood producers keep on stealing their themes, stories and screenplays right in front of their eyes. They will sue not only in Mumbai but in London and California as well, writes Kathy Robinson exclusively for iefilmi. Read more »
Amitabh Bachchan biography: A detailed account
Arguably, Amitabh Bachchan is India's biggest ever star of all times. He is big in every sense of the word, according to India EU Film Initiative. His father, Harivansh Rai, was a great Hindi poet. His mother, Teji, was a friend of Indira Gandhi when she the prime minister of India. He married a much talented as well as respected actress of her time, Jaya Bhaduri. He became a cult in the late 1970s and 1980s, after giving a number of blockbuster performances. The whole country prayed when he fell sick. Read more »
Filming in India: Guidelines
We at India EU Film Initiative (www.iefilmi.com) have received some requests to publish the guidelines for filming in India. Well, shooting in India can be both fun and taxing. All together, it could be a life-changing experience. It happens only in India, say the locals! Ask Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie who surely returned with an incredible experience after filming for 'A Mighty Heart'. Read more »
GANDHI
Screen writing is a craft and this goes without saying that one has to learn it. There are only two ways of mastering this craft; either you join a course or you read as many screenplays as possible. We will try to bring you a great screenplay every week.
Our first choice for the readers of India-EU Film Initiative is quite a symbolic one. It's perhaps the first Indo-British project that created a sensation all over the world. Read more »