New Delhi (The Hawk): The festival aims at providing a common platform for filmmakers from across the globe to showcase their talent and put forth the excellence of cinema from all over. Bringing together film cultures, the festival allows the understanding of various social and cultural ethos and appreciation of world cinema. The festival is conducted jointly by the Directorate of Film Festivals (under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India) and the state Government of Goa.With an aim of providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of the film art, IFFI celebrates some of the finest cinematic works every year from India and around the world. A steering committee for 53rd International Film Festival of India has been formed to conduct this year’s with the below-mentioned.The functions of the Steering Committee is to support the Ministry to finalize the IFFI programming which includes finalizing various sections of IFFI programme, Master Classes and Workshops, cultural components.The Steering Committee deliberated over various components of IFFI and discussed ways to enhance collaborations with international film makers, participation of regional cinema, giving a platform to young film makers as well as showcase new trends in cinema along with emerging technology that enhances the experience of cinema lovers. The Steering Committee will hold a number of meetings in the run up to IFFI and ideate on content curation and explore partnerships. Union Minister Sh Anurag Singh Thakur said that his vision for IFFI is to work closely with the film fraternity from Indian Cinema and use their expertise as well as understanding to take the 53rd IFFI to the next level. He said that IFFI is a festival that aims to promote the business of cinema for the benefit of the film industry by providing collaborations and networking in order to boost the ‘creative economy’ of India. He added that the creative economy has the potential and talent to create new entrepreneurs in the M&amp;E sector which will help transform India into a content and post production hub for the world.

The festival aims at providing a common platform for filmmakers from across the globe to showcase their talent and put forth the excellence of cinema from all over

Steering Committee Deliberates Roadmap For 53rd Int'l Film Festival Of India	

Mumbai: Scams have always caught the fascination of storytellers, filmmakers and content creators, who find a thread to present the events of the past in a compelling way. 'Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story' and 'Jamtara', have for long entertained the audience while educating them at the same time about the repercussions of these scams at large.
The recently released MX Player series 'Shiksha Mandal', said to be inspired by the Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh, tells the story of the medical entrance exam scam.
The scam, which was functional since the 1990s, came to light in 2013. Huge irregularities were found in the exams conducted by Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal) -- otherwise known as Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, in the selection of medical students and state government employees (including food inspectors, transport constables, police personnel, school teachers, dairy supply officers and forest guards) where the final results were rigged.
About 40 individuals involved in the scam died from unnatural causes, though the unofficial figure is over 100 deaths as reported by the media.
Madhya Pradesh's former education minister Laxmikant Sharma too was named as an accused in the same. Later, in what can be called an ironic turn of fate, Sharma died in 2021 at the age of 60 due to Covid-19.
IANS recently spoke with Gautam Talwar, Chief Content Officer at MX Player about the nature of the scam, the research, documentation, findings and the current status of the scam.
Sharing what was so compelling about the scam that resulted in the birth of a series, Talwar said in an interview with IANS: "The knowledge that scams like these will land up making future doctors who will then impact people's lives and the society overall was a story worth telling for sure."
He was also intrigued by the manner that the entire machinery works, and the number of people involved into making it a reality.
As a part of the research, the writing team went through various news articles, ongoing court case proceedings, and also met the "victim's relatives, and colleagues".
Talwar added: "They visited coaching centres, and understood how the examination process happens from the students point of view. In some cases, the team also met the victims who were wrongly diagnosed by fake doctors. The team helped ably by local line producers also helped in unearthing true stories that became part of the overall narrative."
Upon being probed further about the key findings and outcome of the research, Talwar said, "There are many stories, and incidents which are individually very strange and unique, but difficult to narrate in a cohesive story form. This education scam is neither recent nor over, it is probably still going on in many states in multiple streams."
Since, there were many divergent stories arising from the scam, the creators focussed on one stream -- of medical entrance tests, given its impact on society.
The scam is ever-evolving as the scamsters come up with new ways once their old modus operandi is exposed by the media agencies.
"Till even very recently scams are being unearthed by various news channels, but the scamsters have found new ways of committing similar scams once the modus operandi gets unearthed. It's too large an industry to be stopped completely," Talwar told IANS.
But, where do the wires connect at the end of it? Is it some powerful politician, a bureaucrat, a crime lord or a collusion of all these?
Talwar had a rather interesting answer. He said, "There is no end point to it, the scam is probably still happening at various levels from individuals to coaching centres to schools to universities within the education system. It's too multi-pronged with too many nefarious connections which keep changing with the course of time. It's not an easy wire to detangle."
What makes this scam unique is that "it has not been done or started by one person and it's not over yet, there are many people at multiple levels involved, it's kind of a chain."
Talwar concluded by noting: "It's a well-organised scam and will keep changing its modus operandi consistently to be in operation. What is sad is that the demand from the end consumer fuels this kind of scam."&nbsp;
—IANS

Scams have always caught the fascination of storytellers, filmmakers and content creators, who find a thread to present the events of the past in a compelling way. 'Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story' and 'Jamtara', have for long entertained the audience while educating them at the same time about the repercussions of these scams at large.

 There's no stopping Vyapam-like scams, says 'Shiksha Mandal' showrunner

Belgrade (Serbia): President Murmu who reached Serbia in the final leg of her two-nation visit on Wednesday said that Serbia has emerged as a new film destination for Indian filmmakers. Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on Wednesday, Droupadi Murmu said that she has been told Indian movies have been popular in Serbia. "I am told Indian movies have been popular in Serbia, and Serbia has emerged as a new film destination for Indian filmmakers. Many Serbians also have a deep affinity for India's spiritual heritage, including Yoga. I am also told that Ayurveda is recognized here as a system for cure and treatment," she said. She further said that India and Serbia have always shared an understanding of each other's core interests. President Murmu said she was looking forward to meeting with the Serbian minister and government officials during her visit. The President interacted with the diaspora and friends of India at a Community Reception hosted by the Ambassador of India to Serbia, Sanjiv Kohli, in Belgrade. Addressing the gathering, the President said that India and Serbia are ancient lands. In the modern era, India's relations with Serbia were particularly defined in the context of the Non-Aligned Movement, she noted, adding that India and Serbia have always shared an understanding of each other's core interests. She added that based on this bilateral foundation, she would look forward to interacting with the Serbian leadership during her visit, the office of the President of India said in a release. Expressing her gratitude to the friends of India in Serbia and the love and adulation that she has received, the President underlined that their contribution to building friendship and understanding between Serbia and India is crucial. Pointing out India's role as a first responder, a voice of the global south and a responsible development partner, President Murmu said Serbia has been a valuable partner in India's sustainable development cooperation programmes. "Each of these aspects reflects our quest towards becoming a leading power," she added. President Droupadi Murmu reached Belgrade, Serbia, earlier on Wednesday, in the final leg of her two-nation visit to Suriname and Serbia. The ongoing visit by President Murmu marks the first such visit by an Indian head of state to Serbia. In a special gesture, she was received by the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and accorded a guard of honour at the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade. From the airport, the President travelled to Gandijeva Street where he paid his respects at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. —ANI

President Murmu who reached Serbia in the final leg of her two-nation visit on Wednesday said that Serbia

'Serbia Emerged As Film Destination For Indian Filmmakers': President Murmu

Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the filmmakers are drawn to Uttarakhand because of the state's natural beauty and he also added that they will be provided all the possible support by the state government for shooting. He said that the natural beauty of Uttarakhand is attracting filmmakers to come to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Every possible cooperation will be given by the state government for filming in the state. Whatever suggestions are received from the people associated with the film world, those suggestions are taken very seriously. Prasoon Joshi, the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and a well-known lyricist, met with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in the Chief Minister's Camp Office on Monday. He thanked the Chief Minister for establishing the cultural centre in Dehradun. According to him, there is a fast-growing tendency among filmmakers to shoot in Uttarakhand. He recommended that a research centre be constructed together with a cultural centre. Literature festivals and workshops can also be organized in this cultural centre. He said that efforts will have to be made to take various stories based on Uttarakhand and its art and culture to the international level. The artists also suggested giving subsidies for web series in the state, which would increase the attraction of people associated with the film world here. On this occasion, Sudeep Pandey, Shalini Shah, Praveen Kala, Amit Joshi, Rajesh Shah, Varun Dhaudiyal and Gaurav, associated with the art and literature sector also met Dhami. The Chief Minister also honoured all the artists. —ANI

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the filmmakers are drawn to Uttarakhand 

CM Dhami Says Natural Beauty Of Uttarakhand Is Attracting Filmmakers

New Delhi: An initiative inspired by India's G20 presidency theme -- One Earth. One Family. One Future -- was announced and discussed at a curtain-raiser event and panel discussion held on Saturday.
'Planet India', a first-of-its-kind powerful visual storytelling campaign, celebrating India's solutions to the climate and nature crisis, will premiere at Bikaner House, New Delhi on September 5, 2023.
In partnership with multi-award winning filmmakers Studio Silverback, the makers behind Sir David Attenborough's A Life on Our Planet and India's leading creator economy platform PlucTV, 'Planet India' will showcase the human-driven stories from every angle across the country.
The storytelling campaign will launch onto multiple social platforms ahead of the G20 summit, and a film featuring veteran actor Jackie Shroff will premiere on JioCinema later this year.  G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, who participated in the event, said, “In India we have made our G20 presidency the people's presidency. We have taken it to over 60 cities of India, and have involved each state and union territory in G20 activities. We have seen action from remarkable programmes like these who represent the enduring Indian spirit in the face of a challenge like this.”
—IANS

An initiative inspired by India's G20 presidency theme -- One Earth. One Family. One Future -- was announced and discussed at a curtain-raiser event and panel discussion held on Saturday.

G-20 theme inspired visual campaign launched; it represents Indian spirit, says Amitabh Kant

Guwahati: The 8th edition of the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) is set to be held from December 14-17 in Guwahati, officials said.  The founder of the film festival, Tanushree Hazarika told IANS, “BVFF is a celebration of stories that ignite hearts and inspire minds. We aim to be a catalyst, fostering meaningful cinema, connecting diverse talents, and promoting the vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes of Northeast India.  “We envision a future where Northeast India becomes a thriving hub for filmmaking, contributing effectively to the global cinematic tapestry with its unique stories and perspectives,” she added.  The film festival has its collaboration with Amazon Prime Video, allowing filmmakers to present their pitches directly to the leading OTT platform.  According to the organizers, the collaboration will provide unprecedented opportunity and has the potential to redefine the landscape for independent filmmakers, empowering them and elevating the standards of filmmaking while opening doors within the industry.  This year, BVFF received a total of 200 plus film submissions, with approximately 120 originating from the Northeast and the rest from all over India.  Pallavi Chumki Barua, Programming Director, BVFF, emphasized, “BVFF is not just a film festival; it's a cinematic odyssey offering an immersive movie-watching experience, engaging interactions with filmmaking personalities, dedicated masterclasses, workshops, and a celebration of the passion for cinema.”
—IANS

The 8th edition of the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) is set to be held from December 14-17 in Guwahati, officials said.

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Steering Committee Deliberates Roadmap For 53rd Int'l Film Festival Of India

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Steering Committee Deliberates Roadmap For 53rd Int'l Film Festival Of India

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