From 6th to 10th January, the 15th edition of Jaipur International Film Festival ‘JIFF’ will launch 12 full-length films in various Indian languages of INDIAN PANORAMA. This is going to happen for the first time in the history of Indian Cinema when 12 films in different Indian languages are being launched on this grand scale. These films are being promoted in India through a campaign named ‘TORCH CAMPAIGN’.
The third phase of the ‘Torch Campaign’ is organized at Prasad Preview Theatre Labs in Chennai, where famous Tamil music composer, singer, actor, and director Gangai Amaran graced the significant event as Chief Guest.
This is a historical moment for TAMIL and INDIAN CINEMA – Gangai Amaran
As a chief guest at the ‘Torch Campaign’ event of Jaipur International Film Festival, Gangai Amaran asserted that this is undoubtedly a historical moment for Indian and Tamil Cinema. For the first time, a film festival has started working towards building a new image for regional cinema and promoting it worldwide, he further says. “There are talks all around, but real work is rare. Hanu Roj and Jaipur International Film Festival deserve words of praise for this great attempt, as it will merge North and South. Indian Cinema has started walking on a new path and now I’m realizing the true significance of film festivals”, Amaran opines.
During the launching ceremony, Jaipur International Film Festival founder–director Hanu Roj informed that the co-production meet during the film festival will be organized on 8th January. Hanu Roj will be moderating the meeting himself for the first time. Inviting all the south film industry’s producers and directors, Hanu asserted that this time, the film’s Co-Production worth 100 crores INR will be discussed about. Many south filmmakers will be coming to the festival for this event, as they showed interest in filmmaking in the Rajasthani language.
Trailers of films in various Indian languages are shown
During the ‘Torch Campaign’ in Chennai, trailers of these films are shown to film enthusiasts and they were made aware of these films.
These 12 different Indian full-length films are being promoted
The selected films include the Assamese film Bokul Phulor Dore directed by Sanjeev Hazarika and Produced by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the Tamil film Maamanithan [The Great Man] by Seenu Ramasamy, the Malayalam film The One and The Many within by Chidambara Palaniappan L, the Bengali film #Homecoming by Soumyajit Majumdar, the Tamil film Visithiran by M Padmakumar, the Tamil film Gargi by Gautham Ramachandran, the Marathi film Taath Kana by Girish Mohite, the Tamil, the Telugu film Shadow of the Night (Iravin Nizhal) by Radhakrishnan Parthiban, the Malayalam film Nest of Sorrows by Joshy Mathew, the Tamil film Mugizh by Kartick Swaminathan, the Malayalam film Avanovilona By Sherry and Deepesh T and the Bengali film Jhilli by Ishaan Ghose. All these films would be screened during the festival, from 6th to 10th January 2023. At the special event, all producers and directors related to these films were present.
Actress Rituparna Sengupta, Actor Saswata Chatterjee and Producer – Director Goutam Ghose attended the significant event in Kolkata
Previously, the second phase event of the ‘Torch Campaign’ is organized at the Hotel Hindustan International, Kolkata. Famous actress Rituparna Sengupta, Kahaani fame Saswata Chatterjee and renowned director Gautam Ghose graced the event as Chief Guests.
There should be a category for the Best Foreign Film in National Film Awards – Hanu Roj
At the program, festival founder–director Hanu Roj stated that more efforts are required for Indian Cinema to be taken to the world level. For this purpose, the category of ‘The Best Foreign Film’ should be added for foreign films in National Film Awards. It would definitely help Indian Cinema to be global, and the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should pay special attention to it.
The Torch Campaign initiated from Guwahati, on 15th November
Previously, on 15th November, the Torch Campaign kicked off from Guwahati. The Launching Ceremony was organized at Vivanta Taj Hotel, in a magnificent manner. Chief Guests of the Launching Ceremony were, noted filmmaker and entrepreneur Riniki Bhuyan Sarma (She is married to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam), and Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Guwahati’s Joint Commissioner of police. Mahanta is a documentary filmmaker himself.
Establishment of JIFF Indian Cinema Fund
“With the motto of promotion and global dialogue of Indian Cinema, JIFF will create Indian Cinema Fund, where well-known personalities from the film industry will be added and involved”, festival founder–director Hanu Roj asserts. Agreeing with this aspect, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma stated that she would be on the board of directors as well. Festival founder–director Hanu Roj told that more than one thousand filmmakers, actors, actresses, and film professionals are going to participate in the campaign.
Campaign to continue in these cities
After launching in Guwahati on 15th November, and the second phase taking place in Kolkata [18th November], the third phase will be organized in Chennai [26th November], Mumbai [1st December], Chandigarh [16th December], Rohtak [17th December], and Jodhpur [26th December]. Next to the event in Jodhpur, the torch will be handed over to the filmmakers of Delhi, who will bring it to Jaipur on 5th January.
Awarded films to be screened in 4 cities of 4 states
“After 12 films’ screening during the film festival in Jaipur, awarded films would be shown in four cities Srinagar, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, and the dates for the screening would be declared in February 2023”, festival founder–director Hanu Roj informs.
12 Awards for 12 Films
“One film may receive more than one award and one film may not get any award, as each film needs to fulfill the parameters decided by Jury”, informs festival spokesperson Rajendra Boda.
Noted five filmmakers to choose awards for 12 films
The prestigious jury includes Jim Rygiel, who has won 3 Academy Awards [Oscars] and 3 BAFTAs for Best Visual Effects for the very popular film THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.
Stephen Castor from Hollywood is on the Jury, who has partnered in business with Jim Rygiel, three-time Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects for THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.
Marc Baschet is a big producer and cinematographer, known for No Man’s Land [2001, Oscar-winning film], Before the Rain [1994] and The Adopted Son [1998] is also a Jury member, who has participated in JIFF twice.
Two Indian filmmakers have nodded to be on the Jury including renowned play writer Kamlesh Pandey, who has an enriched experience of writing of more than 30 years in the advertising world, more than 20 years in films, and 14 years in the television world. It’s interesting to know that Pandey has won the Filmfare Award for Tejaab, Star Screen Award for Saudagar, and IIFA Award for Rang De Basanti.
Shaji N Karun is an Indian film director and cinematographer, who would be the Chairperson of this jury. His debut film Piravi [1988] won the Caméra d’Or – Mention d’honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
