Etobicoke, On. –, 2010 – The D.C. Music Theatre is celebrating their two-year anniversary with a three-day music festival. The all ages festival is taking place on the Easter long weekend starting on Thursday April 1, 2010 and running through to April 3, 2010, at The D.C. music Theatre (360 Munster Ave. Etobicoke On. M8Z 3C7). The event will start off with an indie night on the Thursday and a punk and metal night to follow, featuring StayleFish, Assassinate The Following, Caym, Polarity and many more.

 

It wasn’t to long ago when there was nowhere for independent bands to play in Etobicoke. For the past two years D.C. Music has been hard at work turning their production studio into a full out concert hall, giving a home for artists and music lovers to enjoy some great shows. “D.C. Music have been concert promoters for quite sometime now and we created a great stop for touring artists and local bands to showcase their talent to all the local concert goers in this area, and because we do all ages shows it gives the kids in this area a place to get exposed to some great music.” said Marco Mondano president,   ” We are really excited about our 3 day festival, and we want to invite everyone to come out, celebrate and have a great time with us.”   

 

In the last two weeks in October, I have been on a magical world tour that included the US, France, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan and India, to mention a few. But as all these countries came to me in London, I only had to travel to London. Before you all wonder if I have gone crazy, let me tell you that the Times BFI 51st London Film Festival made it possible! There were around 184 feature films and 133 short films from 43 countries, shown at various venues in London. The Festival Started on 17 October, with the opening night gala showing David Cronenberg’s ‘Eastern Promises’ and finished on 1 November, with the closing night gala showing Wes Anderson’s ‘The Darjeeling Limited’, a train voyage across India. Few films from the festival are reviewed below and I hope you enjoy the tour as much as I did.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Julian Schnabel/France.

What does one say after witnessing such brilliance! Perhaps, ‘Thank God for the London Film Festival’, without which I could not have seen this most wonderful French film! Brilliance in performance, acting, photography and technical details were evident through the film, making it totally gripping to the very end. The directorial skill was at its best in the restrain showed at the most crucial moments. The film is based on a true story. J D Bauby, the editor of French Vogue suffered a stroke and the film starts as he comes out of a coma after 20 days. He was diagnosed with a rare ‘locked in syndrome’, which left him with his memory and only the movement of his left eye! With the help of the speech therapist, through the alphabet of blinking, he tells his story which became a best seller.

 

 

Laura Silverman / Heather Connor

The Silverman Group, Inc.

312.932.9965 / 312.932.9911

laura@silvermangroupchicago.com

 

Lori Hile

Chicago International Film Festival

312.683.0121 ext. 103

publicity@chicagofilmfestival.com

The 44th Chicago International Film Festival, October 16 – 29, 2008, presented by Cinema/Chicago, will offer moviegoers the best new films from around the world, with several exciting additions, including a “Festival Village” and the launch of Green Screen, a program celebrating our natural environment, the power and artistry of filmmaking, and the intersection between the two. In its fifth decade, the Festival continues to present special appearances by legendary international actors and directors, along with the impressive film line-up for which the Festival is known. Audiences this year will be captivated by 116 feature films, 38 short and student films, and 18 documentaries from more than 45 countries, showcasing both established and promising new filmmakers. “

 

For 44 years, we’ve been committed to taking you all across the globe to discover some of the most exciting cinema the world has to offer, right here in Chicago for two weeks only,” said Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival. “This isn’t your typical Saturday night out at the movies – these are once-in-a-lifetime events. And this year we’ve set up camp in a new Festival Village to create an even stronger sense of community where you can come out, see the films, meet the people who make them, mingle with your fellow film fans, and most importantly see the world in a whole new way.”

 

5th Asian Film Festival under the joint ageis of Aashay Film Club, the Indira School of Communication and in association with the Asian Film Foundation, was successfully held in Pune at twin venues, -between 1st – 8th November at City Pride,Multiplex Kothrud, and the National Film Archives theatre.

The concept of the festival being screening of majority of Asian Cinema which has now become the major attraction in the 21st century and even in the Oscars. Asian movies are making ground entries Even when we compare European and Hollywood movies with the Asian Cinema the Asian movies are making a mark for itself due to its realistic scripts and stories.

India, China, Japan and Iran are pioneers in the Asian Cinema Industry which is closely followed by Korea, Israel, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Srilanka

and Taiwan who are also setting a mark of their own stream in the European market. Cultures of these places are being publicized through the screening of these movies in Delhi, Pune and Mumbai.

Senior Film Drama Actor Dr.Mohan Agashe was the convener of this year’s festival. Kirloskar group were the ‘Main Partner’.The co-partner City Pride Kothrud, with Media partners being the Sakal & Maharashtra Herald group of News Papers.

Madhur Bhandarkar, young and talented film maker, inaugurated the festival by lighting the traditional lamp. Noted Film maker Yash Chopra, received the 3rd Zenith Asia award. Well received film of International Film Festival, Poet of the Wastes directed by Mohammad Ahmadi, was the opening film,which was screened to packed houses, whereas, Umesh Kulkarni’s film in Marathi, ‘Valu’ – The Wild Bull was screened on the closing day.

 

Review of some of the Best Films from India, at the London Film Festival

 

Best films from India were screened at the London Film Festival that promotes world films, which may not be available for screening in the cinemas across the nation. The festival is an important venue for development and promotion of films from UK and abroad. Some of the films from India are reviewed below:

Frozen’: Shivajee Chandrabhushan/India: ‘Frozen’ is a story told from a young girl’s perspective.

Frozen is a film that makes the audience transfixed to their seat till closing credits disappear! It is the brilliance of the black and white landscape and the directorial restrain in bringing the conflict between individuals and society. Frozen tells the story of an aging father Karma, his teenaged daughter Lasya and her ‘little brother’ Chomo and the story is told through Lasya’s eyes. The action takes place in Ladakh, Indian side of Jammu-Kashmir border, 15000 feet above sea level in freezing conditions at 30 degree below. Lasya grows up watching her father making apricot jam and selling his product at the local market place. Unfortunately, he is unable to compete with others in the trade, as they use machines to make jam. Karma is in financial ruin, having to borrow from unscrupulous moneylenders. Their simple lives are shattered by the arrival of the army that protects the frontier and sets up a camp close to their house. Karma is asked to take his children and leave his ancestral home, which brings him close to a breaking point. Amidst all this, Lasya is blossoming into a very attractive woman and a local boy Romeo gets interested in her. Karma is oblivious to his daughter growing up, till one of the moneylenders tells him that he is willing to forget the money in exchange for her! The turmoil of the financial ruin, worrying about his daughter’s safety and having to move out of his safe haven play havoc on the aging Karma. Unexpected disaster sets in and Lasya runs away to escape from it all, only to be stopped by a barbed wire…