Sony Pictures Sets Shony Panjikaran and Lada Guruden Singh as Heads of Indian Film Business

Naman Ramachandran Indian media and entertainment company Eros Media World is entering the Saudi Arabian market via a partnership with Riyadh-headquartered Arabia Pictures Group (APG).APG, a content production outfit, focuses mainly on the MENA region. Eros and APG will explore strategic and business opportunities in the film production, technology, and Web3 spaces, exclusively catering to the Indian entertainment industry.

Nearly 50 years ago, Littlefeather attended the Oscars in Brando’s place after the actor decided to boycott the ceremony out of protest for the portrayal of Native Americans in the entertainment industry. When Brando was named the winner of the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in “The Godfather,” Littlefeather gave a speech on Brando’s behalf declining the honor with a mix of applause and jeers, with presenters Raquel Welch and Clint Eastwood making dismissive jokes about Brando and Littlefeather’s actions later that evening. “You made a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity,” Academy President David Rubin wrote.

Naman Ramachandran Prolific Indian studio Applause Entertainment is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a flourishing streaming slate, several films, an ambitious expansion model and a doubling down on investment.The company is led by CEO Sameer Nair, a pioneer of Indian television with previous stints at Star TV, NDTV Imagine, Turner General Entertainment, and Balaji Telefilms.On the film front, Applause’s Hindi-language “The Rapist,” by Aparna Sen, won the prestigious Kim Jiseok award at Busan in 2021. Next up is a film by actor-director Nandita Das, whose last film “Manto” was at Cannes.

Will Smith has been keeping a low profile since his much-publicised Oscars altercation in March.MORE: Chris Rock makes huge career announcement after Will Smith Oscars altercationHaving recently returned home to LA after spending time in India, the King Richard star was pictured out and about on Saturday with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.The dad-of-three was all smiles as he stopped for some food at Nobu in Malibu, in photos published in Daily Mail.VIDEO: Will Smith makes public apology to Chris Rock following Oscars slapHe kept a low profile dressed in a navy baseball cap, which he teamed with a navy polo shirt, pants and sneakers.MORE: What happened to Will Smith amid the Oscars slap? All we knowMORE: Willow Smith's extreme appearance sparks reaction from fansAt the end of July, Will issued an emotional apology on social media where he addressed the Chris Rock slap at the Oscars for the first time.The Men in Black star took to Instagram with his first post in months and appeared on camera to answer questions from fans about the life-altering moment in March. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars back in MarchThe video began with words that read: "It's been a minute.

Bollywood legend Aamir Khan is set to debut his version of the hit film Forrest Gump, with some differences specially designed for Indian audiences.

Welcome back to another edition of International Insider. This week, you’ve got me, Jesse Whittock, taking you through the big stories from beyond the U.S. shores.

A dark comedy dealing in the disturbing subject matter of domestic violence is taking audiences by storm in India and beyond.

Naman Ramachandran The Indian government has approved an audiovisual co-production treaty with Australia, designed to promote joint production of films between the two countries.While details are currently scarce, producer contributions from the two countries can vary from 20% to 80% of the final total cost of the jointly produced work.“Australia has emerged as a preferred destination for shooting of Indian films. India is fast emerging as a major content hub for filmmakers looking for new projects.

Tom Hiddleston is getting back into character!

Indian Matchmaking host Sima Taparia doesn’t believe the Netflix series lives up to the reality of the system, as she returns to matchmake clients around the world for series two. ‘Aunty Sima from Mumbai’ is back and this time around, she’s reuniting with a few old faces like Pradhyuman Maloo and Nadia Jagessar as well as new ones as she matches biodatas and sets up some dates. Along the way, there’s dating fails, meeting-the-families on a first date, and wish-lists that cover everything under the sun from Taco Bell lovers to man-buns.

patka and cuts his hair.Screenwriter Atul Kulkarni’s decision to speak about the possibility of unity in India, or at least to see one’s enemies as people with similar hopes and fears, stands as the most compelling narrative transformation in “Laal.” To that virtuous ideological end, Brother Muhammed (Manav Vij), a Muslim fighter Laal saves from dying, replaces Lieutenant Dan. Their interreligious friendship illustrates the film’s message of tolerance.Those most familiar with the original Best Picture winner will likely catch themselves searching for its best remembered elements, including the scene where Gump receives a medal from President Lyndon B.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Minions: The Rise of Gru” has been given a mainland China theatrical release date of Aug. 19, 2022.

Marta Balaga Tom Hardiman’s feature debut “Medusa Deluxe,” which premiered at Locarno on Saturday, has already seduced multiple international distributors with its mixture of humor, grief and competitive hairdressing.Now Warsaw-based New Europe Film Sales has sealed further deals for the unusual murder mystery in Spain (Elastica Films), Benelux (Filmfreak), Scandinavia and the Baltics (NonStop Entertainment), Variety has learnt in exclusivity.As previously reported, A24 has acquired North American rights to the film, produced by Emu Films with the support of BFI, BBC Films, and Time Based Arts.MUBI holds the rights to U.K./Ireland, France, Latin America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, India and Southeast Asia. “The buyers are excited about ‘Medusa Deluxe’ because it’s a quirky, original piece of cinema which can appeal to younger audiences, especially since A24 and MUBI will lead the way on global marketing,” said New Europe Film Sales CEO, Jan Naszewski.Hardiman, a self-confessed hairdressing aficionado, has joined forces with celebrity hairstylist Eugene Souleiman in order to show a community struggling with tragic loss yet still striving for perfection.“There is this cathartic moment at one point, two people genuinely caring about each other, and you have this hairstyle with a boat on the top.

A New Zealand-based platform where fans track, review and share lists of movies old and new is an increasingly influential marketing tool for specialty film with budgets tight and audiences harder to reach.

Naman Ramachandran A landmark report spearheaded by Ormax Media and Film Companion, and supported by Amazon Prime Video, has revealed an abysmal state of affairs in the on- and off-screen representation of women in India.The report, in collaboration with the Producers Guild of India and Active Telugu Film Producers Guild, streamers Hoichoi, SonyLIV, Voot and ZEE5, and studios Clean Slate Filmz, Dharma Productions, Emmay Entertainment, Excel Entertainment, Purple Pebble Pictures, RSVP and Sikhya Entertainment, analyzed 150 theatrical films, streaming films and series released in 2021 across eight Indian languages.Key findings of the report, titled O Womaniya! 2022, include:• Women have low representation behind-the-camera. Only 10% head of department positions (HODs) across key divisions (production design, writing, editing, direction and cinematography) are held by women.

Netflix has entered into a multi-year creative partnership with Indian filmmaking duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, who will develop and produce upcoming projects for the streamer through their D2R Films production banner.

Naman Ramachandran Tel Aviv-based Ananey Studios, part of Paramount Global, has signed a deal with Indian content producer Abundantia Entertainment to develop an Indian remake of the hit Israeli live-action teen drama, “The Hood” (“Schuna”).The original series, created by Giora Chamizer (Netflix’s “Greenhouse Academy”), is set in The Hood, a dingy cluster of low-income housing, where blue-collar families live, located in the middle of one of the richest districts. Kids in The Hood regularly prank the rich community’s snobbish teens, while the mayor constantly tries to get rid of the The Hood altogether.

Manori Ravindran International EditorMUBI has acquired the third and final instalment of Lars von Trier’s “The Kingdom” trilogy.The distributor, producer and streamer has snapped up the medical horror for North America, U.K. and Ireland, Latin America, Turkey and India.