Get ready for MAMI
7th International Film Festival, Mumbai (IFFM-2005)
starts on 6th January, 2005.
 

Here are some useful details: -

Delegates' registration fees: Rs.600/-
Students: Rs.500/-
Approach the registration desk at P.L.Deshpande Academy, Prabhadevi, and Chavan Centre (near Mantralay) between 1 and 7pm.

Venues

Main venue
(for the delegates and the press only):
P.L.Deshpande Academy, Prabhadevi, & Chavan Centre
Additional venue
(for general public-ticketed entry and they get first preference over
the delegates, & the press):
Fun Republic, Andheri, (single screen, six shows daily, concessional rates for public).

MAMI  is not a clone of IFFI, Goa.

Contrary to general belief, MAMI's programming package has very few films, about 20, that were shown in Goa Film Festival. This was confirmed by Sudheer Nandgaonkar, the chief programmer of MAMI. For the first time the package will include films from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Serbia & Montenegro, and Lebanon.

Mr. Shyam Benegal, Chairman of MAMI, also reiterated that MAMI is the only independent film festival of India. It has nothing to do with the state or central government and thus it is free from state interference.

Shammi Kapoor will be given this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Naseeruddin Shah will get an award for his Significant Contribution to Cinema in the last 25 Years.

120 films from 34 countries will be screened during the seven days of the festival.

The films are divided into the following categories :-

Global Section
Focus on Brazil
Focus on Chile
Focus on France
Contemporary Swedish Films
DVD section
It will have films from Colombia, Poland, Italy, Serbia & Montenegro
A tribute will be paid to Karel Kachnya of Czechoslovakia.
Seven of his films will be screened, including the films that were banned during
the communist rule.
The filmmaker in focus is Peter Greenway of UK.
Four of his films will be screened.
Midday-Newsfront
It will be a section of films that deal with the subject of journalism. Midday has designed this package.
FIPRESCI Award Winner package
This includes seven films.
Film India World-wide
This has four films. This package is programmed by Uma d'Cunha.
The Indian Competition
It has fifteen films. Quite a few of them were also screened at Goa. 'Shwaas' is also included in this list. This can be very problematic. It can be very difficult for the jury to overlook this national award winning, much hyped Oscar nominated film.

Sahara One, the good samaritan

Sahara One is the main sponsor of MAMI. After Indian Cricket, and Hockey teams, they are getting into sponsoring film festivals for the first time. In the days of yore the kings and the queens would support and patronize sports and arts. After the departure of royalty, democratically elected governments got into this act. They started pulling their hands out when 'socialism' was replaced by the 'privatization' Mantra. Sahara group is really filling in that void now.  Shailendra Singh, the CEO, said that his group was committed to promoting and producing world class films and sponsoring an international film festival like MAMI was an expression of this intent. He also talked about future plans of Sahara One in his brief speech in a press conference. Here is a humble and constructive suggestion for him. Over enthusiastic self promotion during a film festival can become counter-productive. There has to be certain finesse, subtlety, and class in the way you do it. It works much better than crude, intrusive, excessive, and overt kind of drum beating. Sahara One should ensure that it maintains such a dignified presence at the festival that goes well with its highly praiseworthy, noble, and truly grand gesture of patronizing a really deserving cause.

What films to look forward to?
Here are a few names that have come up so far :-
Yesterday
Butterfly
The Horseman
The Corporation
Central Station

Karel Kachyna films can be watched. We have not really come across good political films of late. These could be quite educative. Even FIPRESCI Award Winners could be an interesting package.

More will come later. Let khullamkhulla talk to a few knowledgeable hard core film buffs. You will be passed on the useful information.
 

The lone ranger
I met him on the way to MAMI press meet

Look at this 'lone ranger' who was riding a strange looking improvised bicycle like contraption on the Western Express Highway. He was not pedalling the bicycle normally. He was almost resting on his back and pedalling a small wheel upfront which in turn was turning and propelling the big front wheel on the road forward. The yellow black cyclist cap was resting on his head like a crown. He really looked like a king. He must be around 55 or 60 years in age. And unconcerned about funny looks people were giving him, he kept riding on and on. He certainly had covered a long distance on that bizarre contraption. A whole lot of stuff was tied to his bicycle, covered in dirty looking polythene sheets. Now what must be going on in the lone ranger's head? Think about it and get back to us if you feel like sharing your views.

RKS