By Jigar Ganatra

Aspiring filmmakers across the globe come together to celebrate filmmaking with country?s most prolific cinematic names.

Steven Spielberg once said, ?You shouldn?t dream a film, you should make it.? We understand that a lot of people who dream about it, somehow do not get a platform to make and showcase their filmmaking ability.

This concern is what turned into the concept of Asia?s largest film making challenge ? India Film Project (IFP). Ahmadabad based Ritam Bhatnagar, the man behind the initiative who also dons several other roles of being a producer, distributor and an entrepreneur, shares some excerpts in an interview about the project.

Read on...

Tell us about the idea behind IFP.

India Film Project (IFP) began as a simple idea where we wanted filmmakers to meet and make a film, as an activity over the weekend, in just 50 hours. The basis behind this initiative was to provide a platform to thousands of budding filmmakers and technicians, thereby helping them showcase the talent.

We are currently in the fifth edition, but initially when we conceptualised it, we thought it would be a one-time event. The response we have received in our previous editions has helped us grow year after year.

Can you share the experience from previous editions?

In the first edition, the idea was to spread the word and bring together the talent we discovered across Ahmedabad. We found from our research that Ahmedabad had a lot of filmmaking talent. During the registrations, we expected around 200 entries, but were surprised to receive 600 entries in total. We realised that there was a massive talent pool in search of a platform. Thus, the project was planned year after year with increasing number of entries. In the third edition, IFP went national and that?s when we knew what they all were looking for.

What is special about this edition?

This year, the event has gone international. We are proud to have received around 640 entries from 182 cities and 18 countries, and we are expecting around 15,000 filmmakers this year. We work hard on deciding the theme every year, so as to make the films interesting.

'There is a Twist in the End? is the theme we decided this year. The participants were asked to submit their entries with a compulsory element of dance.

Have you received any support from the film industry?

We are pleased that the industry has been very supportive. Every year we have been lucky to get renowned members from the movie business. This year too, we have critically acclaimed jury from the film industry on board, which includes the famous filmmaker Ketan Mehta, Onir (from Anticlock Films), Guneet Monga of Lunch Box fame and film critic Raja Sen.

Tell us more about your association with Gujarat Government.

The success we have seen with this event made us believe that the event could be very unique to the state of Gujarat. Surprisingly, the response we received from the government was also the same. We were told that the government was looking for an initiative that becomes an identity for the state. Further, the winners will be given an opportunity to shoot an ad film for Gujarat Tourism, which according to us, is a big opportunity for any filmmaker.

What prizes do the winners get every year?

The team at IFP do not believe in cash awards. We have always wanted to give them an opportunity to work on a big project, so that they create a mark and the event holds a big place in their career. This has helped the participants to take up film and ad making as a career. Many are now associated with certain production houses too.

The selection of the winners would happen on different criteria, most importantly content, concept and writing. The winners this year would be registered as wild card entries at IFFI, Goa. Other prizes would include gadgets and few film making projects too.

More details about the event can be found here: http://indiafilmproject.co/#

It?s that time of the year again when Mumbai decks up like a new bride and Mumbaikars rejoice in festive fervour to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. And that means that even the media industry, which otherwise works 24x7 be it rain or shine, are allowed to take a tiny break. They make the most of it by taking this opportunity to reconnect to their roots in the city and join in the season?s flavour.

Exec Lifestyle caught up with five media professionals from distinctive fields in Mumbai to find out their plans for the day, what they anticipate the most on Ganesh Chaturthi and their favourite Puja hubs in the city.

Find out more?

Samir Kochhar (Actor and Max?s Extraaa Innings T20 host)

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival of fun and celebrations with family. Since childhood this day is meant for a get together of everyone who come to our beautifully decorated home for the worship of the Ganesh Idol. The yummy modaks have always remained a highlight of this day for me. My favourite Ganesh Puja in the city has to be at the Girgaum Ganesh Pandal, off JSS Road. We've been going there since childhood, so there are fond memories attached to that place. Also the fervour and celebration at this Pandal are quite grand and beautifully done, which add to the festive feel in the city.

Josy Paul (BBDO India chairman and chief creative officer)

Lord Ganesha has been an intricate part of my life. I always look for different artistic renditions and impressions of Ganesha ? like I saw this beautiful creation made with the hibiscus flower. I like listening to the Ganesha aarti song - "jaidev jaidev jai mangal murti? and have been religiously playing it in the morning. In the evening, I walk from Worli to Bandra (about 8 kms) on my way home from work, just to feel the energy in the air ? I stop at different points to feel the vibrations at various street side Ganapati mandals.

When it comes to my favourite Puja in the city, it's the Ganapati Mandal in Mumbai Central in the colony that I grew up in. It takes me back to the time I was in school. It's so nostalgic. On the final immersion day, I go out and embrace the crowd. The frenzy and collective excitement of the city gives me so much energy it just increases my love for Mumbai and the people.

Rohan Rane (9x Jhakaas programming head) 

Ganpati is completely family time.The preparations being a week in advance where we decorate our Ganpati mandir with lights and colourful decorations. On the other hand, my mom makes the most delicious modaks as "Naivadhya" - an offering to lord Ganesh.

My morning begins with Ganpati puja with my family and relatives followed by singing aarti. Once the aarti is over, it is the time to relish the most sought after modaks. After a lavish calorie full lunch of shrikhand puri, we set out for Ganesh darshan at friends and relatives place. This is the time when the entire family comes together for prayer and celebrations. We thoroughly bond, pray and enjoy the festival.

Samir Saraiya (That?s Personal CEO and founder)

Being in Mumbai and not participating in Ganesh Chaturthi is a shame. Therefore, I take a step back from work and enjoy the occasion with friends, families and all my office colleagues. We hold a puja in our office, which is where most of my time goes in. It is fun to plan, prepare and spend a different day with my employees and hang out with them not like a boss but as a friend. The highlight of my Ganesh Chaturthi has always been Dance Ganesha. It?s a unique way in which Ganesha Visarjan is celebrated in Breach Candy. I have been a regular at the event without fail every year.

Anooj Kapoor (Sab TV senior EVP & business head)

It is amazing how the entire city comes alive on these ten odd days. I cherish the atmosphere of the festival and have been actively taking part in it, be it in family or at our society. I don't often go Pandal visiting during the puja, but visit my friends who host pujas at their home. I look forward to the various cultural activities that are organised by our society and try to contribute to it as much as possible, maybe in organising skits for kids and other fun activities. This year too I will be heavily engaged in cultural activities and the day after the puja, I will be hosting a dinner party at my place for the entire society as part of the celebrations

On that note, Indiantelevision.com and Exec Lifestyle wishes readers a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Ganpati Bappa Morya!

The past year saw several home grown film festivals and workshops going down memory lane and revisiting the past to celebrate 100 glorious years of Indian cinema. Celebrate Cinema 2015, an annual initiative by Subhash Ghai?s Whistling Woods International, took a refreshing approach to cinema. Rather than looking back, the the festival was a true harbinger of Indian cinema?s future.

Be it emerging trends in storytelling, new technologies used for filming, or addressing an entire generation of YouTube filmmakers -- the three day event was successful in addressing a myriad of topics associated with cinema and its future avatar through 147 different workshops and seminars.

One of the key ideas that this year?s event stressed upon is the future of cinema with respect to ?Digital India? or the growing digitisation of creative content. From workshops on mobile filmmaking and YouTube to providing guidance in using social media to fund and market one?s creative content, the workshops addressed several key issues of the new generation filmmaker.

With the increasing stress on learning ways to cater to the ?digital? audience, how different will be the future of cinema? ?Not much,? comes the simple answer from director Subhash Ghai, who is also the founder of Whistling Woods International. ?Even with the obvious advent of digital platforms like YouTube, DailyMotion etc for video content, cinema will continue to retain its five star charm, even as a classic. Watching movie on an iPhone is like peeking into a palace through the keyhole. Big screen has its own appeal and I don't see it going away anytime soon. What I do see is a drastic segregation of the two extremes - very tiny screens and the big screen theatre,? says Ghai.

And it is for this reason that Ghai emphasises on the storytelling aspect of filmmaking, rather than losing oneself in keeping up with technology. ?Technology will continue to change and upgrade itself, and you can't keep running after it. What matters is the content and what you churn out using the technology. I personally recommend film enthusiasts to attend script writing workshops. As and when companies produce new technology, they also train technicians to use it. But a company can't produce talent or artist,? points out Ghai.

Having said that, Ghai admits the need to groom this generation's filmmakers so that they can make maximum use of the resources available to them, including the digital platform. The producer - director has acted on it by inviting YouTube to open its first ever ?Space? in India at Whistling Woods. ?We are blessed to have YouTube onboard with us and have their Spaces on Whistling Woods campus. It is also a huge responsibility to see to it that the opportunity reaches out to all the creatives out there. Give them facilities, production houses studios and the means and knowledge to make quality content and nurture their ideas,? shares Ghai.

Keeping in line with that, representatives from YouTube Space also conducted workshops with enthusiastic YouTube creators on how to utilise the Space, that will launch by the end of this year. The third day saw YouTube head of content operations Satya Raghavan and popular YouTuber Tanmay Bhat from All India Bakchod (AIB) address the future prospects of creating content for just digital through an interactive session. Given the diversity of topics touched by the event, Ghai credits his young team for having accomplished such a feat. 

Day one of the event witnessed over 2000 students interact with industry stalwarts including Farhan Akhtar and Mahesh Bhatt, while day two gave way to numerous contests and workshops throughout the day including mobile filmmaking, seminar on YouTube, costume designing and more. There was no shortage of celebrity sightings at the event either, with the entire cast of Hero attending the day two activity. Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra too entertained questions from a room full of film enthusiasts. Celebrities who attended the event include Shrirang Godbole, Manisha Korde, Ashmaki Acharya, Louis Banks, Nikhil Advani, Sooraj Pancholi and Sonu Nigam, among others.

By Jigar Ganatra

RP ? Sanjiv Goenka Group owned music label Saregama India has launched a new mobile app for music lovers. The Saregama Classical App was launched in Mumbai with blessings of the country's legendary classical musicians from the country - Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Jasraj, Gulzar Saab, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Ajay Pohankar, Amaan and Ayan Ali Khan.

The Saregama Classical app launch event was a grand affair and began with the legendary sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan and Ayan performing Rabindranath Tagore?s famous ?Ekla Chalo Re? and ?Raag Bhairavi.?

This is a one-of-a-kind and first mobile application, which makes Indian classical music available on the digital platform for download on iOS and Android platforms. The library consists of 8000+ musical works, 400+ artists and 50 radio stations across Hindustani, Carnatic and Fusion music, and is available in 172 other countries.

Saregama India managing director Vikram Mehra said that the app is for all those who enjoy classical music, and not only for those who are have technical knowledge about it. ?Research shows, with the decline of CDs ardent music lovers in India and across the globe find it difficult to discover and consume music by their favourite artists. Hence we decided to launch this unique app both for music connoisseurs, as well as those who want to be exposed to classical music. From the first recording of Ustad Bismillah Khan?s shehnai to fusions by Amaan and Ayan Ali Khan, the app encapsulates, through its radio stations, loads of anecdotes about artistes, instruments and ragas which will surely appeal to the Smartphone savvy music lover,? he said.

Talking about the associations and promotional strategies, Mehra said, ?We will be associating with a lot of concert halls across cities, as the target audience and visitors includes a lot of concert and music lovers, including youngsters too. Further, we have both ambitious targets and marketing budget to promote the application.? According to Mehra a lot of requests come from the market and customers themselves, and the app updates will be catered depending on their needs.

The Saregama Classical App is available for free on a seven-day trial period, post which a cost of Rs 99 would be applicable per month on activating the app. Saregama made this a paid app as not everyone values things available for free. However, Saregama has made sure that a discount of 33 per cent is available to those who opt for the annual plan. Several payment options have also been designed for the app.