India set to host 'Bharat Parv' at 77th Cannes Film Festival

by Utkalika Mohanty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

It is a special year for India as it is set to host 'Bharat Parv' at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival for eminent dignitaries and delegates from around the world to showcase the myriad creative opportunities.

New Delhi, May 10: It is a special year for India as it is set to host 'Bharat Parv' at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival for eminent dignitaries and delegates from around the world to showcase the myriad creative opportunities.

At the prestigious film gala, a delegation consisting of representatives from central and state governments, and members of the industry will showcase India's creative economy in Marche du Films through a series of significant initiatives, as per a statement by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

It will be for the first time that the country will host a 'Bharat Parv' at the Cannes Film Festival, to engage with film celebrities, filmmakers, directors, producers, buyers, and sales agents from across the world and showcase the myriad creative opportunities and a rich bank of creative talent.

The official poster and trailer of the 55th India International Film Festival (IFFI) to be held in Goa on November 20-28, 2024 and will be unveiled at the Bharat Parv.

The Bharat Parv will also see the release of the 'Save the Date' for the 1st World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) to be hosted alongside the 55th IFFI.

The Bharat Pavilion at the 77th Cannes Film Festival at 108 Village International Riviera, will be inaugurated on May 15 in the presence of eminent film personalities, as per a statement by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The Bharat Pavilion at Cannes serves as a platform for the Indian film community to engage in various activities, including, fostering production collaborations, curated knowledge sessions, signing distribution deals, greenlighting scripts, B2B meetings, and networking with prominent entertainment and media players from around the world.

The Pavilion will be organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) as an industry partner.

A 'Bharat Stall' will be put in the Marche du Cannes through the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to provide the industry to connect & collaborate.

The Bharat Pavilion has been designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

It is christened 'The Sutradhara' to depict this year's theme of "Create in India".

At the festival, several Indian movies and productions will be showcased.

In the spotlight, filmmaker Payal Kapadia's magnum opus 'All We Imagine As Light,' poised to captivate audiences and vie for the prestigious Palme d'Or. Notably, this marks a significant milestone as an Indian title graces the Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival Official Selection, after three decades.

British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri's 'Santosh,' in Un Certain Regard.

Karan Kandhari's 'Sister Midnight' will be screened in Directors' Fortnight and Maisam Ali's compelling "In Retreat" in L'Acid.

A short film by Film and Television Institute of India students 'Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know' has been shortlisted in the La Cinef Competitive section.

ShyamBenegal's 'Manthan', a film focusing on the Amul dairy cooperative movement, will be presented in the Classics section, adding a touch of historical significance to the festival's Indian lineup.

The film reels were preserved for several decades in film vaults of NFDC-National Film Archive of India (NFAI), a unit of the Ministry, and have been restored by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHM).

National Award-winning cinematographer Santosh Sivan will be the recipient of the prestigious Pierre Angenieux tribute at the Cannes Film Festival. He will also deliver a masterclass for the Cannes delegates, becoming the first Indian to be honored with this distinction.

Many Indian states including Goa, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Delhi are likely to participate to help showcase India's diverse locations and film talent.

Interactive sessions at the Bharat Pavilion, organized throughout the festival, will cover topics such as incentives for creating in India, international collaboration in film festivals, India as a filming destination, and bilateral film co-productions between India and countries like Spain, the UK, and France, among others. These sessions aim to facilitate discussions, networking, and collaboration opportunities for filmmakers seeking to engage with the dynamic Indian film industry and international partners.

The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will open on May 14 and come to a close on May 25.

(ANI)

Incidents Of Violence Mar Second Phase Polls In Odisha

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, May 20: Incidents of violence marred the second phase polls in Odisha, even as the state recorded 60.72 per cent voter turnout by 7 pm.

The voter turnout figure is most likely to cross the 70 per cent mark after the final computation following receipt of details about polling statistics from all the booths.

Reports from Bargarh said an auto-rickshaw driver was killed by two persons at Sarsara village while he was carrying some voters on his vehicle to the polling booth. The deceased was identified as Biswanath Mirdha.

Family members of the deceased alleged that it was a political murder executed by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Inspector General of Police, Himanshu Lal said the murder took place because of “personal enmity” between the deceased and the accused.

Local BJD assembly candidate Debesh Acharya said the reason behind the murder will be ascertained after the police investigation.

The broad daylight killing sparked tension in the area for quite some time. The family members of the deceased and others created ruckus and demanded an immediate halt of voting in the village. The police, however, handled the situation quite well by whisking away the family members and other agitated people from the crime spot.

Reports said tension prevailed at Turum village in Ganjam district as a clash erupted between BJD and BJP after alleged booth rigging attempts by BJD workers. The incident occurred at booth no 47 of Beruanbadi village under Turum police limits.

The voting was initially peaceful since morning. However, some BJD workers allegedly entered the booth for rigging. A clash erupted inside the booth when the BJP agents opposed the BJD workers. Irate over this, the BJD workers allegedly attacked the BJP workers. The entire act has been captured on a mobile camera.

Read More Odisha News

Odisha CM's Office, Residence Under Grip Of Corrupt Coterie: PM Modi

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, May 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office and residence were taken over by "a corrupt coterie" and the backbone of this mechanism would be broken when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power on June 10.

Addressing public meetings in Dhenkanal and Cuttack Lok Sabha seats after holding a roadshow in Puri this morning, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his close aide VK Pandian.

“A handful of corrupt persons have captured the CM's residence and office. Small workers of the BJD have now become crorepatis," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said a mafia in Odisha is controlling everything and not allowing anyone to compete. “Once BJP comes to power on June 10, its backbone will be broken,” he said.

PM Modi said though the state is rich in mineral resources, its people are distressed. He alleged that the BJD government is not allowing the people of Odisha to benefit from the state's mineral wealth.

Stating that Odisha received Rs 26,000 crore from the district mineral fund (DMF), PM Modi said the money should have been spent on roads, schools and drinking water, but the BJD government has misused it.

Raising the issue of Ratna Bhandar, the treasure trove of Shree Jagannath temple in Puri, PM Modi said people are discussing how the keys of Ratna Bhandar have gone to Tamil Nadu.

“When our keys of houses are lost, we pray to Lord Jagannath and find them within one or two hours with the Lord’s blessing. But the keys of Lord Jagannath Ratna Bhandar are missing, and it has been six years now. The report of the commission of inquiry into the missing keys of Ratna Bhandar has been suppressed for six years as the keys have gone to Tamil Nadu," he said.

“The BJD government and those who have captured the Chief Minister are directly responsible for this,” he alleged.

"I assure the people that once the BJP government comes to power, the entire truth will come out and we will make the report public. Our service to Lord Jagannath will begin from this work,” he added.

On raising of paddy MSP, PM Modi said, "Once BJP forms government in Odisha, paddy MSP per quintal will be increased to Rs 3,100 and within 48 hours, farmers will get the money credited to their bank account,"

PM Modi reiterated that a double-engine government will be formed in the state after the elections.

“Vote for BJP, and Modi guarantees that any son or daughter of Odisha will be made the chief minister of Odisha. The dual engine government will be sworn in on June 10 in Odisha," PM Modi said.