Gautam Rode Turns Santa Claus This Christmas

Actor Gautam Rode, who is currently seen in Kaal Bhairav Rahisya, is one of the few actors of our industry who is extremely active towards social causes.  An initiative which he had started with a music video, 'Helping Hands,' Gautam continues to work with street children as well as orphanages to do his little bit.  Now this Christmas we hear that Gautamis turning Santa Claus as the actor is hosting meals across the city, taking children from various orphanages out for a meal as well as showering them with gifts. 

When we spoke to Gautam he revealed, "While in the past I have visited the orphanages, this time we took special permission to take the children out.  It was Pankhuri's idea as she felt that the kids would feel all the more special if they could dress up and go out instead of remain in the same environment when we visit them.  While I was trying my best alone earlier, after Pankhuri's come in to my life she not only joins me but she is equally involved in trying to make a difference and help those who are in need.  And the need is not necessarily monetary in this day and age but rather of love, care and time.  I realize whenever I spend sometime with the children, that for me if its so therapeutic, it hopefully also energizes them, motivates them and gives them some positivity as well as a smile to end their day with." 

Shilpa Shetty Kundra attends the Global Gift Gala with Eva Longoria Bastón in Dubai

Shilpa Shetty Kundra is all about making a difference in the lives of people. The actress turned entrepreneur and philanthropist recently attended the Global Gift Gala hosted in Dubai along with Eva Longoria Bastón, Deepak Chopra and Huda Kattan among others. The evening promised to be a glittering fusion of celebrity and philanthropy. Launched by philanthropist Maria Bravo the Global Gift Gala Dubai, in association with the Global Gift Foundation, aims to elevate the well-being and lives of children and families.

Returning to Dubai for the sixth time, the black-tie event was held at Dubai’s Grosvenor House, on December 13. The star-studded affair featured a gala dinner and auction of both luxury goods and experiences.

Funds raised at this charity event will go towards UAE-based charity Dubai Cares and the Global Gift Foundation, which seeks to help underprivileged children around the world.

A source reports, “Among one of the four Indians in this high-profile event, Shilpa Shetty Kundra attended as a special guest for the high-impact charity gala. Having been a part of several fundraisers, she has been known for her philanthropic work. Apart from donating the earnings from a celebrity game show she was part of, to rebuild an orphanage, Shilpa invested in improving the lives of the underprivileged, with the Shilpa Shetty Foundation that provides shelter and education to orphans. She has also taken several children's homes under her wing, underwriting the cost of running them.”

When contacted said  Shilpa Shetty Kundra, "I am happy to lend my voice to charities that attempt to help underprivileged kids. Eva invited me via a common friend, and it was great meeting her. I hope we are able to achieve what the charity has set out to."

Karanvir Bohra's Daughter Bella THINKS Her Daddy Lives In Salman Khan's House!

Bigg Boss is approaching its final leg & it'll only get tougher. The contestants had a breath of fresh air this week as Bigg Boss celebrated the family week. It was an emotional upheaval as respective family members of the inmates paid them a visit inside the house.

It was the kids that stole the show, especially Karanvir and Teejay's twin daughters. Karanvir's 2 year old Bella won the hearts of the audience with her sweet smile & her unconditional love for daddy cool. The highlight of the show was Bella doing well in a quick test where Teejay asked her capitals of different countries.

They infant took social media by frenzy with viewers tweeting in huge numbers for Bella. It broke everyone's heart as the twin daughters began to cry when they had to exit the house & say goodbye to Karanvir.

As per a source close to the show, 'The kids were uncontrollably crying once outside the house as they were separated from Karanvir. Bella kept calling out Salman Khan's nam repeatedly as she thinks that her daddy lives in Salman Khan's house'

This afternoon, Teejay put up an adorable video where little Bella is seen leaving her house with a bag wearing her shoes & claiming to go to 'Salman Khan House'. 

This video will definitely lift your day & make you smile.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrPkXa4l_9D/

If Salman is listening we are sure he too will have a smile on his face, isn't it? 

3rd International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao unveiled in splendour

The 3rd International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao was unveiled with a grand opening ceremony at the Macao Cultural Centre at 7 p.m. on 8th December. Held from 8th to 14th December, the Film Festival presents over 50 spectacular films for the audiences under the theme “A New Avenue to the World of Films” once again. Held for film industry professionals at home and abroad, the IFFAM Industry Hub will also unfold tomorrow (9th December) for the next three days.

About 800 personages marked their presence on the red carpet and gathered at the opening ceremony including Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Alexis Tam; Executive Chairman of the China International Culture Communication Center and Honorary Advisor of the 3rd IFFAM, Long Yuxiang; Director of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and President of the 3rd IFFAM Organizing Committee, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the two Executive Vice Presidents of the 3rd IFFAM Organizing Committee, namely, President of Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association (MFTPA), Alvin Chau and President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian, as well as internationally-acclaimed film directors, film stars and film industry professionals from around the world. Hong Kong TV show hosts Jerry Lam and Scarlett Wong are the hosts of the opening ceremony tonight. 

Star-studded opening ceremony 

The opening ceremony was graced by prominent figures from the circle of films including Director of Copenhagen Pix Film Festival, Jacob Neiiendam, Director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Tiina Lokk, Director of Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley, Artistic Director of Chicago International Film Festival, Mimi Plauché, Director of Busan International Film Festival, Jay Jeon, Creative Director of Mumbai International Film Festival, Smriti Kiran, and director of the film series “Along with the Gods” and IFFAM Ambassador of the year, Kim Yong-Hwa. Film stars including Talent Ambassador of the year – winner of the Oscar for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, Nicolas Cage, as well as celebrities including Hu Bing, Niu Liyan, Lin Po-Jui, Chen Hung-Chien, Wang Xuebing, Irene Wan, Kathy Yuen, Wilfred Lau, Jeana Ho, Jing Ci, Hanna Chan and others marked their glamorous appearance on the star-studded red carpet swarmed by over 100 journalists for coverage, filling the occasion with hustle and bustle.

In her address at the opening ceremony, Director of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and President of the 3rd IFFAM Organizing Committee, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, remarked that being a member of the city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macao is resolute on the path to become a world centre of tourism and leisure. IFFAM will fully capitalize on the city’s competitive strengths and deliver the best in its role, to make an impact for Macao’s film, cultural and creative and tourism industries with an incessant momentum to move towards a sustainable future. She added that the Organizing Committee aspires to forge IFFAM into an East and West cultural exchange platform across borders and generations.

Opening performance features locally-composed songs 

The opening performance of the 3rd IFFAM is a musical created by a team of local talent. Macao singers Kane Ao Ieong and Josie Ho gave their best performances in the musical. The story revolves around a boy named Wa Jai, who was born and raised in Macao. Deeply in love with films since as a child, he dreamed to become a film director and tell the story of Macao in films to show to audiences around the world. One day, a mysterious girl suddenly came to him, giving him every encouragement he needed for his pursuit of the dream. The scene of the musical was then transported to the opening ceremony, where the characters presented the posters of all the films screened in this year’s IFFAM and the short films of Local View Power. 

Following the musical, the opening ceremony was officiated by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam; Spouse of Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Winnie Fok; Executive Chairman of the China International Culture Communication Center and Honorary Advisor of the 3rd IFFAM, Long Yuxiang; Director of the Propaganda and Culture Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Wan Sucheng; Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and Information of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Zheng Xinyou; Jury members of IFFAM, Mabel Cheung, Paul Currie, Tillotama Shome, and Danis Tanović; Talent Ambassador Nicolas Cage; MGTO Director and President of the 3rd IFFAM Organizing Committee, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; MFTPA President and Executive Vice President of the 3rd IFFAM Organizing Committee, Alvin Chau, and Artistic Director of IFFAM, Mike Goodridge, among others. 

IFFAM Ambassador Kim Yong-Hwa, Talent Ambassadors Nicolas Cage and Lim Yoon A were presented tokens of appreciation by the Organizing Committee during the opening ceremony.

Opening film “Green Book” radiant with splendour

Adapted from a true story, the Opening Film “Green Book” starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali was directed by Peter Farrelly. The film revolves around a story between an Italian-American bouncer and a black pianist on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Southern United States in the 1960s. The film highlights their friendship amid the looming threats of racism, a social issue confronted by people back in the old days. Aside from winning the People’s Choice Award in the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, the two actors are considered as highly potential candidates for the Oscars for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in 2019. In addition, the film garnered 5 nominations for the 76th Golden Globe Awards, to be held next year, proving its extraordinary talents. 

Confluence of entertainment, interchange and trade talks 

54 remarkable Chinese and Western films are screened through IFFAM’s various sections including Competition, New Chinese Cinema, Gala, Flying Daggers, Best of Fest, Director’s Choice, Special Presentations and others besides during the opening and closing evenings. 14 film entries of Local View Power are also presented to the audiences.

Starting tomorrow (9th December) until 11th December, the IFFAM Industry Hub will be attended by over 240 film industry professionals from 31 countries and regions. As part of the IFFAM Industry Hub, the Macao Forum will offer a lively platform for multilateral exchange among worldwide film industry professionals, facilitating active sharing of viewpoints among participants on designated topics. On the other hand, the IFFAM Project Market will bring together 14 new film projects in search of investors, distributors or partnerships. A judging panel will select winners of the Best Project Award (top award), Creative Excellence Award, Best Co-production Award and Macao Spirit Award among the film projects, to be presented in the Project Market Awards Ceremony on 11th December. The IFFAM Industry Hub has also launched a programme of Work-in-progress Presentations this year, inviting filmmakers to present their film projects which are completed or close to completion, helping them to seek partnership opportunities for their film projects with regard to post-production and so forth. 

This year, IFFAM offers full support once again to Local View Power, a programme organized by the Macao Cultural Centre. 14 outstanding film entries of Local View Power are divided for three public screening sessions at the Theatre of the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre.

RSVP and Roy Kapur Films bring Golden Globes nominated Ivanhoe Pictures on board for Priyanka Chopra starrer ‘The Sky is Pink'

Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Siddharth Roy Kapur’s Roy Kapur Films have brought in Golden Globes nominated Ivanhoe Pictures, producers of the recent blockbuster Hollywood romantic-comedy Crazy Rich Asians, as a co-producer and co-investing partner for their much anticipated Hindi language family drama, The Sky is Pink (tentative title).

The Sky is Pink is written and directed by National Award winning filmmaker Shonali Bose and is based on the true life story of the young motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary and her parents. It marks Priyanka Chopra’s much awaited comeback to Bollywood after her appearance in a leading role in ABC’s Quantico, and she is also a co-producer on the film. Alongside Priyanka, the film stars actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Dangal and Secret Superstar sensation Zaira Wasim in lead roles. While Zaira plays the role of Aisha, Priyanka and Farhan play her parents in the movie.

The film’s music is scored by ace music composer Pritam and the lyrics will be penned by the legendary Gulzar.

The project is already in production, with shoot schedules in Mumbai, London and New Delhi completed earlier this year. A brief schedule in the Andamans is planned for January, and the film is slated to release mid-2019.

"We have produced a variety of content for the Indian market and it is wonderful to collaborate with such highly regarded partners as RSVP and Roy Kapur Films on this compelling film," Ivanhoe Pictures President and CEO John Penotti said. “Ronnie and Sid’s understanding of Indian audiences is beyond compare and I am sure that this is the start of a long association.”

"We are incredibly excited about forging this alliance with Ivanhoe and are looking forward to taking this wonderfully moving and inspiring story to audiences worldwide," said Ronnie Screwvala.

Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “This is the perfect coming together of complementary strengths. Partnering with Ivanhoe will help us leverage their strong distribution prowess in non-traditional markets for Indian films, while in turn this collaboration strengthens their association with the Indian film industry.”

Roy Kapur Films (RKF) is a film and digital media production house founded by producer Siddharth Roy Kapur. RKF produces movies and digital content across scales and genres and has various noteworthy projects in the pipeline. Siddharth Roy Kapur is also the President of the Producers Guild of India and has been consecutively featured on Variety's list of most influential leaders in entertainment.

RSVP is Ronnie Screwvala’s production house that has set itself up to make entertaining and substantive movies. Producer Ronnie Screwvala believes in presenting content-driven films and is focused on delivering films backed by power packed performances by talented actors and directors. RSVP has an exciting slate of films to release over the next 12 months.

Ivanhoe Pictures is a Los Angeles, New York, and Beijing-based motion picture and television financing and production entity. Ivanhoe develops, produces, and acquires content for a global audience, and now has local-language production deals in India, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Latin America, Vietnam and Indonesia.

In March 2017, Ivanhoe merged with the Los Angeles-based production/finance company Sidney Kimmel Entertainment to create SK Global; a new entity that produces and finances film and television projects globally. The venture-backed and co-founded by Sidney Kimmel (Jones New York) and Robert Friedland (Ivanhoe Mines), is led by President John Penotti, who has led companies including GreeneStreet Films, Ivanhoe Pictures, and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. SK Global has retained the labels “Sidney Kimmel Entertainment” and “Ivanhoe Pictures” in their respective markets.

Past Ivanhoe projects include the enormously successful comedy Crazy Rich Asians, a co- production with Warner Bros. from director Jon Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) and starring Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh, which has grossed over $235M to date worldwide, the South Korean hit The Wailing from director Na Hong-jin, which remains the second highest- grossing opening weekend for Fox in Korea behind Avatar; and the popular Hindi-language horror series Ghoul for Netflix India. They have been nominated for Golden Globes in two categories- Best Film and Best Actress.

Ivanhoe’s upcoming projects include the Spanish-language feature La Caja developed in partnership with Mexico City-based Lucia Films; an upcoming adaptation of Ryan Graudin's best selling young adult action-adventure novel The Walled Cityset in China's fabled Kowloon City; and a slate of features developed for audiences in Indonesia.

Additionally, Ivanhoe has established a number of key partnerships to produce local- language films for global audiences, including a deal with Blumhouse Productions to develop local-language genre content in India.