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Siraj Syed is the India Correspondent for FilmFestivals.com and a member of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics. He is a Film Festival Correspondent since 1976, Film-critic since 1969 and a Feature-writer since 1970. He is also an acting and dialogue coach. @SirajHSyed
Prithvi Festival: Piyush Mishra’s Gagan Damama Bajyo, rivetting study of the life and times of Bhagat Singh, sets the tone
Besides Mohandas Karamchand ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi, two other freedom fighters are often cited as heroes of the Indian freedom struggle against its colonial British masters: ‘Netaji’ Subhashchandra Bose and ‘Shaheed’ Bhagat Singh. Bose went abroad, formed the Indian National Army (INA/Azad Hind Fauj) and waged armed battles against the ...
IFFI 50, XII: Rajinikanth to be Icon of Golden Jubilee
Union (Central Government) Information & Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar, announced on November 02 that, “In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, during the past several decades, I am happy to announce that the award for the ‘Icon of the Golden Jubilee of IFFI 2019’ is being conferred on cine-star Shri. S. RajiniKanth”, said Javadekar.
Carpenter-turned-porter-turned-bus conduc...
IFFI 50, XI: Kashmiri film Nooreh to open non-feature Indian Panorama
The 50th International Film Festival of India, 2019 will witness over 200 best films from 76 countries, 26 feature films and 15 non-feature films in Indian panorama section and around 10,000 delegates and film-lovers are expected to participate in the golden jubilee edition.
Indian Panorama is a flagship section of IFFI, which showcases the best of contemporary Indian Feature and Non-Feature Films of the years. This ...
IFFI 50, X: International Jury for IFFI 2019 has Bailey, Campillo, Yang, Ramsay and Sippy
John Bailey, Cinematographer and Ex-President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (the body that awards the Oscars) will chair the International Jury of 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). French film-maker Robin Campillo, who was also a member of the Cannes International Jury 2019, renowned Chinese film-maker Zhang Yang and Ms. Lynne Ramsay, who is one of the leading lights...
IFFI 50, IX: 13 International films and 2 Indian films in the competition at IFFI 2019
Each year, the coveted ‘Golden Peacock’ prize is given to one movie in the International Competition Section. It carries a cash prize of Rs. 40 lakhs (4 million), to be shared equally between the Producer and the Director, a Trophy and a citation.
This year, the International Competition consists of 15 movies, produced and/or co-produced by 22 countries. Two entries are from India.
Here is the...
IFFI 50, VIII: Debut Film Competition entries announced
The 50th International Film Festival of India announced the seven films in Debut Competition section of the festival. The festival, which has been a launch pad to several film-makers over the past 66 years, aims at bringing forth the best first time film-makers of the year in this section.
Algerian film Abou Leila, directed by Amin Sidi-Boumedine,
Korean film Romang, by LEE Chang-geun,
Romanian film Monsters, by Mar...
IFFI 50,VII: Isabelle Huppert to get Lifetime Achievement Award; 50 women’s films to be screened
One of the most famous and most popular French actresses of her generation, Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Panaji, Goa, 2019.
This was announced by Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Prakash Javadekar, in New Delhi yesterday.
The Union Mi...
IFFI 50, VI: Soul of Asia Retrospective of seven landmark movies
IFFI 2019, in its 50th edition, will be presenting a specially curated section which consists of some of the new and dynamic films that have made their mark, from across various Asian countries, and have been directed by Asian film-makers. With this spirit in mind, it has been named, Soul of Asia.
Films to be showcased in this section are:
Feelings to Tell, by Wen LI
Summer is the Coldest Season, by Sun Zhou
The Fourth Wal...
IFFI 50, V: Kaleidoscope selection of 20 films announced today
50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) today announced the list of films to be screened in Festival Kaleidoscope, one of the most important sections of the festival.
Festival Kaleidoscope section of 50th IFFI brings under one umbrella exotic films from around the world for film aficionados, who will flock to the festival at Panaji, Goa, in just under three weeks’ time. The section showcases 20 films, hand-picked a...
IFFI 50, IV: 17 films in specially curated Master Frames section
2019 marks the 50th year of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The 50th International Film Festival of India, 2019, will witness over 200 selected films from 76 countries, 26 feature films and 15 non feature films in Indian panorama section, and more than 10,000 people and film lovers are expected to participate in the golden jubilee edition.
On the occasion, a special section has been curated, called Master Frame...
The Current War, Review: DC Edison v/s AC Westinghouse
Unless you do some background reading, this review included, you will not guess that the film is not about a conventional war but about the rivalry between Thomas Alva Edison, credited with inventing Direct Current operated incandescent bulbs, and their Alternating Current based, dynamo-run variants, developed by George Westinghouse, back in the 1880s. It’s a double-barrelled bio-pic that spouts too much jargon and is not saved by f...
Terminator-Dark Fate, Review: Terminal stillness
With a title like Dark Fate, they have already let the cat out of the bag. It is bound to end in one or more of its heroes/heroines dying, meeting their dark fate. That being a given, Terminator: Dark Fate provides some impressive action and unending shape-shifts/split bodies to keep you entertained, saving the best for the last. It is a long last, and it lasts really long.
Three years after defeating the T-1000 and averting the rise of the ma...
Ujda Chaman, Review: Hair loss, weight gain
Barren follicles and overflowing lipids can, and often do, cause the corps to be subjected to taunts and ridicule for extended periods of time, maybe all through life. If you happen to be in the marriage market, sporting a bald patch up front, or ample girth across your perpendicular stance, these are distinct disadvantages, almost as bad as age differences of 20 or more years between prospective suitors. Highlighting the plight of obese and balding...
IFFI 50, III: 50th festival since 1952
Started way back in 1952, the first ever IFFI was organised by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, with the patronage of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. This was also the first International Film Festival held anywhere in Asia. It inspired many budding talents to become film-makers, especially the film Bicycle Thieves, which remains a classic 70 years later. Seen in the picture, r...
IFFI 50, II: Make a short film in 72 hours, win Rs. 1,00,000
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) celebrates its Golden Jubilee edition, from 20th to 28th November 2019, in Goa’s state capital, Panaji. This year, it be having a short film-making competition called “Mini Movie Mania Short Film Competition”. The topic for the film will be given during IFFI, and the movie-makers have to submit their films within 72 hours, after the topic is announced. There will be two s...
IFFI 50, I: 10 Oscar winners to be screened
On the occasion of the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the festival has announced a special section which celebrates some of the most outstanding films which have won the Best Film award at the annual Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. The section has been aptly named the Oscar Retrospective.
The films to be showcased in this section include Casablanca (1942) by Michael Curtiz, Gone With the Wind (1939) by Victor Fleming,...
8th edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) from 7 November, announces full line-up
Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) will be held from 7 to 10 November, 2019 in the beautiful mountain town of McLeodGanj, Dharamshala, home of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and the meeting point of a rich and cosmopolitan mix of people and cultures. As is the past, the eighth edition will continue to showcase an eclectic mix of the best of independent features, documentaries, shor...
MFF 21, 2019: Fernando Meirelles’ Masterclass
Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles took a master class on the fifth day of MAMI’s 21st Mumbai Film Festival. Best known for his globally acclaimed and award-winning films such as The Constant Gardener, City of God and Blindness, the director was speaking after the screening of his 2019 biographical comedy-drama titled The Two Popes, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.
Festival Director Anupama Chopra presented the Excell...
MFF 21, 2019, 05: The rest, with ratings, and the best of the fest
It is over now, and I have seen my quota of films, ending with a show at Mumbai’s classy Le Reve single screen mini-theatre in Bandra West. Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI)’s 21st Mumbai Film Festival MFF), took off on 17th October, with screenings beginning on the 18th, and ended on the 24th. Both days inclusive, I managed to see films. I wrote about 10 of them earlier this week. Here are cryptic review...
Housefull 4, Review: Emptiness to the fore
In the age of the multiplex, a sign saying that a particular show is House-Full, meaning all the tickets have been sold in advance, is about as rare as discoveries of the abominable snowman. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala is a grandson who carries on the business his grand-father started, and even calls his company Nadiadwala Grandson, complete with an animated logo featuring an old man and a young child. Housefull 4 is Sajid’s fourth foray with the...
MFF 21, 2019, 04: Ten films seen, with ratings
Halfway through Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) 21st Mumbai Film Festival MFF), till 21 October, I had managed to see the following films. Here are cryptic reviews, with their star ratings:
A Son, France-Tunisia-Lebanon-Qatar, Directed by Mehdi M. Barsaoui, Rating: *** ½
Influences of Iranian cinema apart, the film has some real depth. It leaves several questions unanswered, but that turns out to be its strength. Perform...
Yaaram, Review: Single blues, double whammy and triple talaaq
Actor Siddhanth Kapoor, a part-time DJ (disc-jockey), makes his singing debut in Yaaram. The number, titled, ‘Kaash phir se’, is composed by Jeet Gannguli and penned by Kumaar. According to a newspaper report, the actor took a single take to record it, after a mere two days of rehearsals. The song recording is shown as a live studio event while the end credits roll. Credits over, let’s get down to debits and brass...
Downton Abbey, Review: The King, the butler, the chef, the assassin and the maid
It’s no secret that royals are very particular about almost everything. This is partly due to security concerns and partly a result of ritualistic tradition, passed on from generation to generation. Seeing Downton Abbey not only reaffirms these facts, but also reinforces the theory that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) may be a result of regal genes, given that kings and queens make such a fuss about eve...
Maleficent-Mistress of Evil, Review: Feynix rises from the ashes
When a studio like Disney decides to give it the works, it usually works. It is difficult to find fault with the execution of the plot in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, unless, of course you begin with the title itself. As viewers will discover early in the film, she is not the mistress of evil. Then you might consider the fact that there are several killings and a full-blooded war depicted, in a film aimed at young children and ...
MFF 21 Movie Mela, III: Kareena Kapoor-Khan, Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar in Big Talk
Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt discussed their favourite roles, film icons and handling success, with producer director and itinerant actor Karan Johar at the Jio MAMI Movie Mela with Star 2019, held on 13 October 2019 at the Rang Mandir, Bandra, Mumbai. This was the last session of the ‘feast/fest’. The Rapid-Fire session witnessed a surprising twist from close friend, young actor Varun Dhawan...
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About Siraj Syed
 Syed Siraj
(Siraj Associates)
Siraj Syed is a film-critic since 1970 and a Former President of the Freelance Film Journalists' Combine of India.
He is the India Correspondent of FilmFestivals.com and a member of FIPRESCI, the international Federation of Film Critics, Munich, Germany
Siraj Syed has contributed over 1,015 articles on cinema, international film festivals, conventions, exhibitions, etc., most recently, at IFFI (Goa), MIFF (Mumbai), MFF/MAMI (Mumbai) and CommunicAsia (Singapore). He often edits film festival daily bulletins.
He is also an actor and a dubbing artiste. Further, he has been teaching media, acting and dubbing at over 30 institutes in India and Singapore, since 1984.
Bandra West, Mumbai India View my profileSend me a message
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