Meet a 14 –year old documentary film maker from Bihar: Akash Jha   Akash Jha, a 14-year-old student of St Thomas School, Ghaziabad, has made a short film — Ek Khoj: Bharat Ki-Swatantrata Aandolan 1857-1947 Ke Shahidon Ke Gumnam Jivit Vanshaj — on the condition of the descendants of the martyrs and forgotten heroes of the country. On how he got the idea to film a documentary, Aakash said: “I have seen my parents launch a nationwide movement, Andolan Ek Pustak Se, for the forgotten heroes and freedom fighters. They also released a book on them. Later, I suggested my father that... 

Cameron, maker of ‘Titanic’/ ‘Avatar’ dives 11 kms deep into sea!   Hollywood director James Cameron has just returned to the surface after plunging nearly 11km (seven miles) down to the deepest place in the ocean, the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific. He made the solo descent in a submarine called “Deepsea Challenger”, taking over two hours to reach the bottom. He spent more than three hours exploring the ocean floor, before a speedy ascent back to the surface. His craft was kitted out with cameras and lights so he could film the deep. This is only the second... 

Jharkhand season at National Film Awards: two Ranchi filmmakers win Rajat Kamal   Ranchi: according to reports, at the 58th National Film Awards held in New Delhi recently, two film makers from Jharkhand – Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharya received the Rajat Kamal award from President Pratibha Patil for Ek Ropa Dhan and Iron Is Hot. Ek Ropa Dhan was adjudged the best promotional film. It is a Hindi film about a system of rice intensification that was introduced by a priest Fr Henri de Laulanie in Madagascar. The remarkable feature about the method is that it requires much less... 

Eminent film critic Chidananda Dasgupta passes away at 89 Son of Shantilata and Manmathanath Dasgupta, a Brahmo missionary and social worker, Chidananda Dasgupta was born at Shillong, Assam, India in 1921. In 1944 he married, Supriya Das, a daughter of Brahmananda Dashgupta, brother of poet Jibanananda Das. His daughter Aparna Sen is a well known actress and filmmaker. Actress Konkona Sen Sharma is his granddaughter. In 1947, Chidananda, along with Satyajit Ray and Hari Sadhan Dasgupta, founded the Calcutta Film Society. The opportunity to see the best of world cinema had a decisive impact... 

 Film-makers and student film-makers from Bihar who want to participate  can get in touch Mr Mazumder. [Editor, Bihardays] Dear Friends, I need films to present in the Siliguri Short & Documentary Festival (17-21 November 2010). The Festival is being organized by the Siliguri Film Society, a non-profit voluntary organization affiliated to the Federation of Film Societies of India, dedicated to promote film culture. I shall be highly obliged to get your active support to make this festival a success. Please note that Siliguri is the Northern-most city of West Bengal at the foot-hills... 

Patna Cine Society will be screening and discussing two German and a French movie this month.  Venue: Dr. SEN’S PREMISES. Buddha Marg, Patna 20 Oct. (Wed.) 7.00 p.m. Anna’s Summer Vacation (German, 2001, 107 mins.): dir. Jeanine Meerapfel. Anna Castelano is packing-up the home that had belonged to her family on a Greek island. She is going to sell it. Her husband Max is no more and she has not yet overcome the tragedy. She spends the summer on the island which has become her second home. She is trying to come to terms with her solitude. For the first time she opens the old family... 

 PRD will be organising its 11th film appreciation course from 22nd October to 27th October at Chabbi Griha, Lok Nayak Bhawan Patna.

Bicycle thieves, Mughal- e-Azam and Peepli Live are the films which will be screened and discussed, among others. Mr. R.N. Dash, President of Patna Cine Society will be the chief Co-ordinator of the course.

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ViBGYOR-2011: CALL for Entries Welcome to the 6th Edition of ViBGYOR International Film Festival for Short & Documentary films, to be held in Thrissur, Kerala, India from January 12-16, 2011! The 6th ViBGYOR is dedicated to the memory of late C. Saratchandran, the noted filmmaker and activist and our friend and co-traveler at ViBGYOR. Accordingly we have chosen ‘Political Filmmaking and Media Activism in South Asia’ as the special focus theme of the year. Anand Padvardhan is the festival Director for 2011 VIBGYOR. Due to time and space constraints we can only screen around 100 films... 

Invitation for 2nd Cinema of Resistance Nainital Film Festival   When: October 29 to 31, 2010 Where: Chalet Hall(Popularly known as Shailey Hall), Nainital Club, Mallital, Nainital, Utarakhnad  Opening at 3.30 pm on October 29,2010 and other days at 10 am  In Memory of Girda and Nirmal Pande  Organized jointly by Yugmanch and The Group, JSM  Release: Festival Brochure  Poetry posters in memory of Faiz, Kedarnath Agrawal, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, Ajneya, Nagarjun and Girda  Songs: performances by Yugmanch, Nainital  Play: A short play Akal Badi Ya Sher  by young artists of Nainital,... 

Attention Film-makers from Bihar and Jharkhand. If you’re interested in showing your films abroad, here’s your chance. The LIDF in association with the London Review of Books http://www.lrb.co.uk  is calling for submissions. The call is open and international. All subject matter is considered. Short and Feature length films are accepted. First time and established filmmakers all welcome. Films must be produced after January 1st 2009. The festival is competitive. The LIDF is the UK’s largest independent documentary festival. Since 2007 the festival has worked to ensure that...