#NFB; #AnimatedShorts; #AnimatedFilms; #VirtualRealityAimation

News release 

Montreal, May 26 (Canadian-Media): Seven works that were either produced or co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) have been selected for We Are One: A Global Film Festival, an unprecedented online film festival streaming across the globe on YouTube from May 29 to June 7, 2020.

More than 20 of the most prestigious festivals in the world—including Venice, Berlin, Cannes, Annecy, Tribeca and Toronto—are joining forces to present We Are One: A Global Film Festival, which will also provide ways for viewers to donate to COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts.

​The NFB titles selected are: the animated shorts Shannon Amen by Chris Dainty and The Procession by Pascal Blanchet and Rodolphe Saint-Gelais, both of which have won acclaim on the festival circuit; Léon in Wintertime, Molly in Springtime, Bonifacio in Summertime and Poppety in the Fall, a series of four enchanting, family-friendly animated films co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon; and the VR animation work Minotaur by Munro Ferguson.

Quick facts

Seven NFB productions or co-productions selected for the We Are One: A Global Film Festival:

Animated shorts

• Shannon Amen by Chris Dainty (15 min)
  Synopsis, biographies, images: mediaspace.nfb.ca/shannon-amen
  Shannon Amen unearths the frantic, passionate and pained expressions of a young woman as she struggles to reconcile her sexual identity with her religious faith.
  
  
• The Procession by Pascal Blanchet and Rodolphe Saint-Gelais (11 min 23 s)
  Synopsis, biographies, images: mediaspace.nfb.ca/theprocession
  After Catherine’s fatal car accident, she speaks from the beyond to her husband, Philip, who must endure the family ritual of the funeral.

A series of animated films recounting four seasons in the life of Léon, an adorable bear cub

• Léon in Wintertime by Pierre-Luc Granjon and Pascal Le Nôtre (27 min)
• Molly in Springtime by Pierre-Luc Granjon (27 min)
• Bonifacio in Summertime by Pierre-Luc Granjon and Antoine Lanciaux (27 min)
• Poppety in the Fall by Pierre-Luc Granjon and Antoine Lanciaux (27 min)

Virtual-reality animation

• Minotaur by Munro Ferguson (6 min 52 s)
  Synopsis, biographies, images: mediaspace.nfb.ca/minotaur
  The archetypal hero takes a journey through seven stages: birth, childhood, mission, labyrinth, monster, battle and death/rebirth.

#MeghanMarkle; #Disney; #NewOnDineyPlus; #PrinceHarry; #RoyalFamily; #Africa

Toronto, Mar 26 (Canadian-Media): ​More than three years after quitting her acting career former “Suits” star Meghan Markle accepted the role of a narrator in the upcoming documentary “Elephant,” due to livestream on Disney+ beginning April 3, media reports said.

Meghan Markle. Image credit: Twitter

The release is one of a series of animal- and nature-themed features to mark Earth Month. Dating back to 1970, both Earth Month and Earth Day have been observed to focus our energies on our environment.

The film follows an elephant family on a 1,600-kilometre journey across the Kalahari Desert.

Proceeds from the film will benefit Elephants Without Borders, a charity believed to be close to Meghan and Harry’s hearts.

Meanwhile “Black Swan” actress Natalie Portman’s Disneynature documentary “Dolphin Reef” will premiere alongside “Elephant” on April 3.

Harry and Meghan's announcement in January of quitting as senior royals, relinquishing official duties and seeking financial independence had shocked the world. Since late last year they have been based on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia and will officially end royal duties on March 31.

#MosaicInternationalSouthAsianFilmFestival; #spotlightOnBengaliLanguageCinema

Mississauga, Aug 2 (Canadian-Media): The Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF), Canada’s leading South Asian film festival, now in its 7th year,  is back once again this August 2019 with  a spotlight on Bengali language cinema, media reports said.

MISAFF/Twitter

The festival will run from Aug 1 – Aug 4th, 2019 at the Cineplex Cinemas Mississauga (309 Rathburn Rd W) to showcase eight fiction films, three documentaries, and seven shorts from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Italy, the UK and Canada.

Themes of love, comedies on complex relationships of women’s and familial struggle stories and portrayal of domestic/intimate partner violence are mingled with  explorations of art and ancestry.

“MISAFF takes the liberty of showcasing courageous and ground-breaking films. We welcome audiences from Mississauga and the GTA, and while it is a South Asian film festival, the stories and movies are for everyone irrespective of ethnicity or background.” said Festival Director Arshad Khan.

“We are showcasing films that address the human condition but also relate to our lives in so many epic ways. MISAFF is the only film festival in Mississauga and it has built a reputation to showcase the best cinema South Asian filmmakers have on offer from around the world.

We stand apart because as filmmakers ourselves we understand the needs of other film professionals. That is why we include opportunities for emerging filmmakers and talent to network with other industry professionals.”

“MISAFF creates community, connects audiences and celebrates the power of cinema to transform us as it continues to evolve here in Canada and around the world. MISAFF fills a cultural void and unites us in the face of growing inequity and dissonance.” Anya Mckenzie, Festival Advisory Board member.

Arshad Khan Credit: MISAFF

“I really enjoyed the film,” said a fan coming out of York Cinemas in Richmond Hill in Canada on June 21.  “It was refreshing and very entertaining. What I found most interesting is it takes the life of a very ordinary person and brings out the extraordinary in it.  It is a film that everyone should see.”
 
“It is light and very entertaining,” said another fan. “I can’t wait to see the Tamil version Pakkiri when it comes to Canada”.
 
Flash mobs in Toronto and Calgary also contributed to the Madaari Mania in Toronto at https://youtu.be/j8D_k0SytrE and Calgary at:https://youtu.be/yCj4iRygZ3U

 
The actor co-stars with Berenice Bejo, Barkhad Abdi, Erin Moriarty and Abel Jafri as well as Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, and Stefano Cassetti.​

Dhanush plays Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, a poor boy who grows up to be a street magician and embarks on an extraordinary voyage across Europe in search of his estranged father. During his trip, he finds love in a Swedish furniture store in Paris, but danger with Somalian migrants ensues and he ends up in London, then more threats follow the young man until he finds himself in Rome, where an unlikely threat shadows the hustler on to a hot-air balloon.
 
The actor’s success story began with the Kolaveri song written and sung by him, that hit over ten million views in the first three days on YouTube and became a sensation in India and international audiences.  Since then, Dhanush has done several films and has risen to fame dramatically.  The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir directed by Ken Scott is his first international film.
 
“Probably the most difficult thing for me was adapting to a world so radically different from what I am used to. I had to get accustomed to different work methods and a different shooting style. During the first week, it was pretty tough for me, but after that, I really had a blast,” says Dhanush in an interview.​​

The film has been adapted from Romain Puértolas' best-selling novel The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Caught In An Ikea Wardrobe.  The screenplay of the film was written by Puértolas and Luc Bossi who is also producing through his Paris-based company Brio Films. Other co-producers include Vamonos Films, Little Red Car Films, Scope Pictures, M! Capital Ventures, Impact Films and Golden Ratio Films. ​

Madaari Mania in North America - Flash Mob in Toronto at:  https://youtu.be/j8D_k0SytrE and Calgary at: https://youtu.be/yCj4iRygZ3U
  
Toronto, June 17, 2019: Madaari Mania is hitting fans from the across the world with millions of hits from people of all demographics and crossing all age barriers.  Sung by  Vishal Dadlani and Nikhita Gandhi and music by Amit Trivedi, the Madaari song, that has everyone swinging and tapping their toes, is from the film The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir that will be released in cinemas in Canada June 21.  (See Toronto and Calgary Flashmobs - #Madaari Mania in Toronto at https://youtu.be/j8D_k0SytrE and Calgary at: https://youtu.be/yCj4iRygZ3U
 
Renowned actor Dhanush stars as the lead in the international film co-produced by France, India and Belgium. Directed by Ken Scott, the film also features Berenice Bejo, Barkhad Abdi, Erin Moriarty and Abel Jafri as well as Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, and Stefano Cassetti.

Dhanush plays Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, a poor boy who grows up to be a street magician and embarks on an extraordinary voyage across Europe in search of his estranged father. During his trip, he finds love in a Swedish furniture store in Paris, but danger with Somalian migrants ensues and he ends up in London, then more threats follow the young man until he finds himself in Rome, where an unlikely threat shadows the hustler on to a hot-air balloon that rides across the Med.

The film has been adapted from Romain Puértolas' best-selling novel The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Caught In An Ikea Wardrobe.  The screenplay of the film was written by Puértolas and Luc Bossi who is also producing through his Paris-based company Brio Films. Other co-producers include Vamonos Films, Little Red Car Films, Scope Pictures, M! Capital Ventures, Impact Films and Golden Ratio Films.

The film has won many awards, distributed in Canada by A-Z films and will be in cinemas across Canada on June 21.
 
Dhanush speaks candidly to his fans and audiences about the film:
 
The screenplay
It had a fantastic message to send out to the world, combined with irresistible humor. It was also the promise of a journey I hadn’t yet dared to take in my career. You rarely get the chance of being offered a role like that.
 
The character of Aja (Dhanush’s character in the film)
He is a street magician. He is charming and can get out of sticky situations most of the
time. But he is also a character who most viewers can identify with, because he is truly
philosophical about life - and doesn’t hesitate to take off on a mind-blowing adventure.
 
About Director Ken Scott
He is an extremely pleasant director and at the same time, he has a very clear vision
of what he wants. It’s fantastic to be directed by someone who knows how to take
you exactly where he wants you to go, yet allows you to make the character your
own. He encourages real team work; with him, I felt like we were building scenes
together, getting inspiration from both his approach and mine. I learned a lot with
him.
 
Work methods
I didn’t have time to do readings or rehearsals, but in retrospect, I’m really happy
about that. Because I was able to keep a certain freshness and spontaneity that I
wouldn’t necessarily have had if we had rehearsed.
 
Partners from all over the world
It was fascinating to work with actors from different countries and cultures.  I really appreciated discovering their approaches to the craft of acting, especially since it is such a rare experience.
 
Bérénice Bejo, co star
Bérénice Béjo is wonderful and a very good acting partner. She is warm, encouraging and cooperative. We had an excellent time together, especially in the dance sequence.
 
Dancing
It’s an art that is an integral part of Indian culture. I’ve done more than thirty  films in India, and in most of them I had dance scenes. Since I’m used to dancing on a regular basis, I didn’t really need to do any preparation for that.
 
A different world
Probably the most difficult thing for me was adapting to a world so radically different from what I am used to. I had to get accustomed to different work methods and a different shooting style. During the first week, it was pretty tough for me, but after that, I really had a blast!
 
The EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF THE FAKIR will be in cinemas in Canada June 21.  
 
See Official Trailer the film at: https://youtu.be/H1WASu-s4eA
 
Jaadu Ka Pitaara is now open with second track #Madaari song sung by Vishal Dadlani and Nikhita Gandhi and music by Amit Trivedi from the film #TheExtraordinaryJourneyoftheFakir at: https://youtu.be/-UPuJATvHmc.

#KenScott; #Dhanush; #BéréniceBéjo; BarkhadAbdi; #ErinMoriarty; #AbelJafri; #GérardJugnot, #BenMiller, #Sarah-JeanneLabrosse; #StefanoCassetti; #BrioFilms;  #VamonosFilms, #LittleRedCarFilms, #ScopePictures, #M!CapitalVentures, #ImpactFilms;  #AudienceAwardforBestComedy; #BarcelonaSant-JordiInternationalFilmFestival


​Toronto, June 4 (Canadian-Media): The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, is a comedy adventure by Quebec director Ken Scott (Starbuck, Delivery Man, Unfinished Business, La Grande Séduction), media reports said.

Starring well-known Indian actor Dhanush, and featuring Bérénice Béjo (The Artist), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Erin Moriarty (Blood Father), and Abel Jafri(Timbuktu). Rounding out the cast is Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, and Stefano Cassetti.
 
A co-production between France, India and Belgium, the English-language feature will be distributed in Canada by A-Z films, and released day-and-date with US, India and Canada on June 21.
 
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir most recently won the Audience Award for Best Comedy at the Barcelona Sant-Jordi International Film Festival, and was the opening night film at the International Film Festival of South Asia, in Toronto.

The screenplay was written by author Romain Puértolas, and Luc Bossi who is also producing through his Paris-based company Brio Films. Other co-producers include Vamonos Films, Little Red Car Films, Scope Pictures, M! Capital Ventures, Impact Films and Golden Ratio Films
 
A hustler from Mumbai embarks on an extraordinary voyage across Europe in search of his estranged father. During his trip, he finds love in a Swedish furniture store in Paris, but danger ensues when he finds trouble with Somalian migrants and he ends up in London. More threats follow the young man until he stumbles upon some fortune in Rome. An unlikely foe chases the hustler until he’s forced into an unlikely hot-air balloon escape. And it doesn’t just end there…

Adapted from Puértolas’ novel “The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe,” came out in 2014 and has been translated into 35 languages.
 
“This film is a universal story that is a joy ride for every member of the family,” says A-Z Film’s Antoine Zeind. “Director Ken Scott has done a remarkable job bringing together many parts of the world, and mixing in plenty of emotion through laughs, storytelling, and social commentary. I know Canadians will be very taken by The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir and I’m excited to bring this adventure to them.”​
​

Dhanush Film (The extraordinary journey of the Fakir) would be shown across Canada June 21 in the Cineplex Theatres at :Toronto, – Yonge-Dundas; Toronto – Winston Churchill; Winnipeg – Northgate; Edmonton – Movies 12; Vancouver – Riverport; Vancouver – SilverCity Mission.


Reporting by Asha Bajaj

​ 
#IWINC; #AWIC; #Imagebuilderz; #AgaKhanMuseum; #Prashant Sarnaik; #Kuljeetsingh, #Bhuvana Dinakaran; #Sheetal Kulkarni; 

Toronto, June 3, 2019: GULZARISH,  a spectacular show combining art, poetry, narration and music presented by the Indian Women in Canada (IWINC), in partnership with Association of Women of India in Canada (AWIC) and Imagebuilderz, was held at the renowned Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Ontario on  May 31, 2019.​

One of the classiest shows in town, Gulzarish based on soulful rhyme and verse of renowned lyricist and film director Gulzar, had captivated over 300 Toronto audience and kept them spell bound.
 
“IWINC is proud to bring this first production to Canadians,” said IWINC founding members at the prestigious Aga Khan Museum on May 31, 2019 in Toronto.  “The show is presented very artistically, conveying Gulzar’s many moods and his uniquely distinctive style that continues to captivate audiences across many generations.” ​

         IWINC/Facebook                                                       Audience at Gulzarish

Six ingenuous women – Mini Khurana, Ravinder Malhi, Smita Dayal, Taran Chandok, Ranju Bansal and Manpreet Dhillon - from the Greater Toronto Area, with a collective vision to bring together the strength, energy and resources of women in the community and to enrich lives and society, had taken the initiative to found IWINC.

Managed by Majestic Drive Events, the spectacular show was presented by Prashant Sarnaik, founder of P.S,  the Karaoke Klub and the mastermind behind GULZARISH, with his team of fellow artists.

“Gulzar Sahab has done films like Aandhi, Mausam and Mirza Ghalib and his music ranges from songs like Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji, Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koyi, Lakdi ki kathi, Beedi Jalayke and a range of other compositions.”

​“We wanted to pay homage to Gulzar Sahab who is a legend in the arena of music and poetry and we wanted to pay our respect to this remarkable poet and musician,” said Sarnaik whose organization has performed several shows in Minneapolis and has a mandate to create a platform for local artists, pursue personal passion for music and fundraise for underprivileged children and women.

Prashant Sarnaik 

​“This is our first dream project conceptualized by taking Gulzar Sahab’s fans through a mesmerizing journey of his poetry and film career through music and narration by all local artists,” said Sarnaik.

                 Kuljeet singh & Bhuvana Dinakaran                                                  Sheetal Kulkarni 

The presenters of this show were greatly applauded and the show came to and end followed  by mouth watering dinner and snacks

Presenters of the show recognized and greatly applauded​​

(​Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

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MontrealGirls/Facebook

Arab Cinema Center's selection of 'Montréal Girls' as the winning project to participate at the MAFF event would connect this film with international decision-makers as well international funding institutions attending the festival.

Previously, 'Montréal Girls', was curated as one of the 10 Canadian projects participating in the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, for which Chica was one of the selected rising directors.

Already being financially supported by Telefilm Canada, SODEC and Bell Media’s The Harold Greenberg Fund, 'Montréal Girls' tells the story of Basil, a young Egyptian student who had gone to Montreal on a med school scholarship.

There he is introduced to the city's vibrant underground subcultures and thrilling nightlife by his cousin, whom he meets in Montreal. Inspired by this exciting new world Basil decides to become a poet.  Soon he gets into relationship with two young women who shatter his perceptions and reveal to him his destiny.

The coming-of-age drama is produced by Samuel Gagnon and Bahija Essoussi of the Montreal-based production company Objectif 9, while Patricia Chica’s long time collaborator, producer Byron A. Martin, acts as an Executive Producer.

Principal photography is slated to start in September 2019 in Montreal, followed by a portion of the movie to be shot in Cairo, Egypt. Producers Mohamed Hefzy and Daniel Ziskind of Cairo-based production company Film Clinic are attached to supervise the Egyptian portion of the shoot.

Patricia Chica is a Canadian multiple award-winning director, writer and producer with over 50 hours of content under her belt and specializes in high-quality character-driven content that depicts strong emotions and thought-provoking stories.

Her latest short film Morning After was presented in 19 countries and garnered over 30 awards and nominations. Patricia Chica is an alumna of the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and the SODEC_LAB Immersion Cannes. She is repped by Alex Flores, Steven Tobias and Doug Warner at Shoreline Management in the United States. Currently, Patricia Chica divides her time between Montreal and Los Angeles.

Patricia Chica will be attending the 2nd Málaga Festival Fund & Co-production (MAFF) event and open to discuss with International Sales Agents, Talent Agents, Festival Programmers and Financiers.

​(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)