TOP 20 FILMS TO WATCH AT 15th MFF 2013
The 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival; the premier film festival of the country organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image, an initiative by Reliance, will be commencing from the 17th to 24th Oct’13, screening 200 movies from over 65 countries.
The 15th Mumbai Film Festival gives you a sneak peak of the top 20 films to be premiered this year.
1. The Fifth Estate by Bill Condon
Producer: Steve Golin, Michael Sugar
Screenplay: Based on the book Inside Wikileaks and the Guardian book Wikileaks
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis
A dramatic thriller based on real events, The Fifth Estate reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century’s most fiercely debated organisation.
Drawing on Domscheit-Berg’s memoir Inside WikiLeaks as well as a 2011 exposé by British journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding, screenwriter Josh Singer chronicles the friendship that underpinned the whistleblower organisation’s formative feats of information activism (targeting entities including Swiss private bank Julius Baer, the Church of Scientology, and the British National Party) that would end in acrimonious estrangement following WikiLeaks’ publication of nearly 750,000 United States military logs and diplomatic cables — the largest leak of official secrets in American history.
Festivals and Awards:
BAFTA/LA Britannia Award, 2013
2. Inside Lelwyn Davis by Ethan and Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, ScottRudin
Screenplay: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Director of Photography: Bruno Delbonnel
Editor: Roderick Jaynes
Music: T Bone Burnett
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac
A week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, some of them of his own making.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival (Grand Jury Prize), 2013
Telluride Film Festival, 2013
3. Girraffada by Rani Massalha:
Producer: Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Bettina Brokemper, LionelloCerri
Screenplay: Rani Massalha, Xavier Nemo
Director of Photography: Manuel Teran
Editor: Carlotta Cristiani
Cast: SalehBakri, RoschdyZem, Ahmad Bayatra, MohamadBakri, Laure de Clermont
Yacine is the veterinarian of the only zoo remaining in the Palestinian West Bank. He lives with his ten- year-old son, Ziad, who has a special bond with two giraffes. The young boy is the only person able to communicate with them. When the female giraffe is killed in an air- raid, Ziad accompanies his father on amissiontostealagiraffefroman Israeli zoo and smuggle it back into Palestinian territories.
Festivals and Awards:
Toronto International Film Festival (2013)
4. The Selfish Giant by Clio Barnard
Producer: Tracy O ́Riordan
Screenplay: Clio Barnard
Director of Photography: Mike Eley
Editor: Nick Fenton
Music: Harry Escott
Cast: Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder
Young Arbor and his best friend Swifty are excluded by the children in their school and treated as outsiders in their own neighbourhood. When the two boys meet Kitten, a local scrap dealer, they begin working for him as scrap collectors using a horse and cart. However, Kitten begins to favor Swifty over Arbor, driving a wedge between the boys.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival (Label Europa Cinemas Award, 2013)
Karlovy Vary Film Festival (2013)
5. Sheild of Straw by Takeshi Miike
Producer: Naoaki Kitajima, Misako Saka, Shigeji Maeda
Screenplay: Tamio Hayashi
Director of Photography: Nobuyasu Kita
Editor: Kenji Yamashita
Music: Koji Endo
Cast: Takao Osawa, Nanako Matsushima, Tatsuya Fujiwara
The powerful multi-billionnaireNinagawa puts an irresistible price on the head of the man he believes to be his granddaughter’s killer. Realising he has become a target for millions of people, Kiyomaru turns himself in at the Fukuoka Police Station. Four officers are dispatched to bring Kiyomaru back to Tokyo, risking their own life, but now there’s no telling how many assassins lie in wait on the long journey.
6. Qissa by Anup Singh
Producer: Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper
Screenplay: Anup Singh
Director of Photography: Sebastian Edschmid
Editor: Bernd Euscher
Music: BéatriceThiriet
Co-Producer: Nina Lath Gupta, Bero Beyer, ThierryLenouvel
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tillotama Shome
Set in post-colonial India, Qissa tells the story of Umber Singh, a Sikh, who is forced to flee his village due to ethnic cleansing at the time of Partition in 1947. Umber decides to fight fate, he builds a new home for his family. When Umber marries his youngest child Kanwar to Neeli, a girl of lower caste, the family is faced with the truth of their identities; where individual ambition and destinies collide in a struggle with eternity.
Festivals and Awards:
Toronto International Film Festival, 2013 (NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film)
Busan International Film Festival, 2013
7. Taak Jhaak by Rituparno Ghosh
Producer: Arindam Chaudhary
Screenplay: Rituparno Ghosh
Director of Photography: Avik Mukhopadhyay
Editor: Arghya Kamal Mitra
Music: Sanjoy Das and Raja Narayan Deb
Cast: Jaya Bachchan, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, RaimaSen, Dipankar Dey
Chitra and Sanjay live in matrimonial bliss and are planning their annual vacation. Everything seems to be in place except the sunglasses that must go in her travel bag. These sunglasses help her see what her eyes can’t. They equip her with a strange and powerful sense to probe beyond the surface of human nature. When she wears her sunglasses, Chitra can picture what the other person is thinking. She cannot just read, but see, their thoughts and actions. Interesting as it may sound, this boon soon becomes a bane. Initially, it is an exciting device for mischief. After a point, the Pandora’s Box opens up.
8. 60 Going on 12 by Frédéric Proust
Producer: Hélène Cases
Screenplay: Frédéric Proust
Director of Photography: Denis Gaubert
Editor: Louise Decelle Music: Laurent Petitgand
Cast: François Berléand, Patrick Chesnais, Anne Consigny, Florence Thomassin, Elise Lhomeau, AymenSaïdi
Charles and Pierrot are inseparable. When Charles takes early retirement, it seems the world is their oyster. They can spend even more time together. Their motto is simple: “Make the most of life and have fun!” Their lively imaginations fill their days with many adventures, while the women in their lives keep a close, tender and sometimes anxious watch.
Festivals and Awards:
Champs-Élysées Film Festival (2013)
Films De Festival Du Monde (2013)
My French Film Festival (2013)
9. Gloria by Sebastián Lelio
Producer: Juande Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Luis Collar, Jorge Moreno
Screenplay: SebastiánLelio, Gonzalo Maza
Director of Photography: BenjamínEchazaretta
Editor: Soledad Salfate, SebastiánLelio
Cast: Paulina García, Sergio Hernández, Coca Guazzini, Antonia Santa María
After her children leave her, 58-year- old Gloria has no desire to spend her days and nights alone. To make up for this emptiness, she rushes head- long into a series of singles’ night parties. Her futile attempts end when she meets Rodolfo,a 65 year- old divorcee, who is obsessed with her. His dependence on his ex-wife and children force Gloria to engage with her age and reality.
Festivals and Awards:
Berlin Film Festival (Prize of Ecumenical Jury, Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas, Silver Bear-Best Actress), 2013
San Sebastian International Film Festival (Film in Progress Award), 2012
10. Brave Miss World by Cecila Peck
Producer: Cecilia Peck, Inbal B. Lessner, MottyReif
Director of Photography: Uri Ackerman, Tamara Goldsworthy
Editor: Inbal B. Lessner
Music: Hans Zimmer, Ben Harper, Martin Tillman,Natalie Maines
Cast: LinorAbargil, Joan Collins, Fran Drescher
LinorAbargil, an Israeli beauty queen, was raped two months before being crowned Miss World in 1998. Ten years later, she’s ready to talk about it – and to encourage others to speak out. Now a globe-trotting victims’ advocate, Linor encourages people to stand against sexual violence by putting an end to their silence. She travels to speak with teens in South Africa, where girls are statistically more likely to be raped than educated. She visits Princeton and UC Santa Barbara, where women describe a campus culture that fails to take assaults seriously. From Rape Crisis Centers to Hollywood’s living rooms, Linor is met with emotional support. Yet when she attends a celebrity rape trial that hits too close to home, she suffers a breakdown. In searching for something to ease her pain, Linor’s life takes a dramatic turn.For victims of sexual assault, the journey toward wholeness never ends; still, LinorAbargil continues her unflinching efforts to keep the nightmares at bay.
Festivals and Awards:
Athena Film Festival, 2013
Sarasota Film Festival, 2013
Cleveland International Film Festival, 2013
Dallas International Film Festival, 2013
AFI DOCS, 2013
Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, 2013 – Best Documentary & Best of Fest Awards
Woodstock Film Festival, 2013 Chicago International Film Festival, 2013
11. Jeune & Jolie by Francois Ozon
Producer: Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
Screenplay: François Ozon
Director of Photography: Pascal Marti
Editor: Laure Gardette
Music: Phillipe Rombi
Cast: Marine Vacth, Géraldine Pailhas, Frédéric Pierrot, Fantin Ravat, Johan Leysen
17-year-old Isabelle has her first sexual encounter during the summer holidays at a resort in southern France – an episode that is just the beginning of this story about a sexually inquisitive girl. After returning to Paris, she begins to earn money through encounters with various older men. Her mother and stepfather give Isabelle absolute freedom, and have no idea of her secret activities. Yet everything changes when one of her clients dies in bed, and the police and a psychologist become involved.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival, 2013
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 2013
12. Blue is the Warmest color by Abdellatif Kechiche
Producer: Vincent Maraval, AbdellatifKechiche, BrahimChioua
Screenplay: Julie Maroh (graphic novel), AbdellatifKechiche and GhaliaLacroix
Director of Photography: Sofian El Fani
Editor: Camille Toubkis, Albertine Lastera, Ghalia Lacroix, Jean-Marie Lengelle, Sophie Brunet
Cast: LéaSeydoux, AdèleExarchopoulos
Adèle is a sensitive fifteen-year-old student when we first meet her. She is, essentially, an ordinary kid, until she realizes that her sexual desires turn more towards her own gender than the boys who ask her out. After meeting a blue-haired stranger, the confident and assertive Emma, Adèle soon finds herself tentatively visiting gay bars, and, shortly thereafter, wrapped in the arms and legs of her new lover, enjoying the delights of first love. As Adèle and Emma move beyond their high-school years and move in together, they discover the complications of a more mature relationship.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival (Palme D’Or, FIPRESCI Prize), 2013
Toronto International Film Festival ,20
13. Le Passe (The Past) by Asghar Farhadi
Producer: Alexandre Mallet-Guy
Screenplay: AsgharFarhadi, MasoumehLahidji (adaptation)
Director of Photography: Mahmoud Kalari
Editor: Juliette Welfling
Music: Youli Galperine, Evgueni Galperine
Cast: Berenice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet, Elyes Aguis, Jeanne Jestin
Ahmad deserts his French wife Marie and two children to return to his homeland. After four years he returns to Paris from Tehran to finalise his divorce. During his brief stay, Ahmad discovers the conflicting nature of Marie’s relationship with her daughter Lucie. Ahmad’s efforts to improve this relationship soon unveil a secret from their past.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival (Best Actress), 2013
Durban International Film Festival (Best Screenplay), 2013
Norwegian International Film Festival (Andreas Award), 2013
14. The Liberator by Alberto Arvelo
Producer: Ana Loehnert, Winfried Hammacher, AlbertoArvelo
Screenplay: Timothy J. Sexton
Director of Photography: XaviGiménez
Editor: Tariq Anwar
Music: Gustavo Dudamel
Cast: Edgar Ramirez, MaríaValverde, Danny Huston, Erich Wildpret
There is arguably no single figure as important to the story of independence and democracy in the Americas as Simón Bolívar (1783- 1830). The Venezuelan military and political leader played a critical role in ushering Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Ecuador toward autonomy in the wake of Spanish domination. History has long cemented Bolívar’s status as a visionary, but even during his lifetime, he was commonly known by his people as “The Liberator.” The film captures Bolívar’s quests and military campaigns that covered twice the territory of Alexander The Great as he liberated South America.
Festivals and Awards:
Toronto Film Festival, 2013
15. Don Jon by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Producer: Ram Bergman, Nicolas Chartier
Screenplay: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director of Photography: Thomas Kloss
Editor: Lauren Zuckerman
Music: Nathan Johnson
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore
Jon Martello Jr., is a bartender in New Jersey. The phantasmatic pleasure he derives from internet porn far surpasses his encounters with real women. That is, until he meets sassy Barbara Sugarman who proves a rare challenge to his powers ofseduction.
Festivals and Awards:
Toronto Film Festival (2013)
16. Fandry by Nagraj Manjule
Producer: Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navlakha
Screenplay: Nagraj Manjule
Director of Photography: Vikram Amladi
Editor: Chandan Arora
Cast: Somnath Avgahde, Suraj Pawar, Kishor Kadam, Chaya Kadam, Sakshi Vyavhare
Jabya, a boy like several others of his adolescent age, is born in a Kaikadi (untouchables Dalit) caste. He has fallen in love with a girl, his classmate in school, named Shalu. Incidently, Shalu is a girl from higher caste. Jabya’s deep rooted inferiority complex, almost genetic, about his looks, his personality, his caste, his stunning poverty and above all his traditional hereditary source of livelihood prevent him all the while from expressing his soft feelings toward his long cherished love, Shalu. This is a story of Jabya’s constant battle between his aspirations and the inferiority complexes within him.
17. IloIlo by Anthony Chen
Producer: AngHwee Sin, YuniHadi, Anthony Chen
Screenplay: Anthony Chen
Director of Photography: Benoit Soler
Cast: Koh Jia Ler, Angela Bayani, Yeo Yann Yann, Chen Tian Wen, Peter Wee, Pamela Wildheart.
During the Asian recession of the late ‘90s, a Filipino maid Teresa looks to find a better life in Singapore where she lands a job in a family of three. There Teresa’s friendship with the young boy Jaile ignites the mother’s jealousy. The relationship between the maid and the son develop, until they form a bond and Teresa becomes a part of the family.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival (Golden Camera), 2013
18. La Jaula De Auro by Diego Quemada-Diez
Producer: Inna Payán, Luis Salinas, Edher Campos
Screenplay: Lucía Carreras, GibránPortela, DiegoQuemada-Diez
Director of Photography: Maria Secco
Editor: PalomaLópezCarillo, Felipe Gómez
Music: Jacobo Lieberman, Leo Heiblum
Cast: Ramón Medína, Brandon López, Rodolfo Dominguez, Carlos Chajon, KarenMartínez
Three teen friends, Juan, Sara and Samuel, leave the Guatemalan slums they inhabit in the hope of a better life in the United States. On their journey through Mexico they meet Chauk, a Tzotsil Indian, who does not speak Spanish and has no official documents. The title of the film comes from a Mexican ballad of the same name about the despair of those who have succeeded in crossing the frontier but find themselves in a “golden cage” as a cheap labour force with no right to permanent residence.
Festivals and Awards:
Cannes Film Festival (Nomination for Un Certain Regard), 2013
19. The Rocket by Kim Mordaunt
Producer: Sylvia Wilczynski Story: Kim Mordaunt
Screenplay: Kim Mordaunt
Director of Photography: Andrew Commis
Editor: Nick Meyers
Music: Caitlin Yeo Cast: SitthiphonDisamoe, LoungnamKoisainam, ThepPhongam, BunsriYindi, SumritWarin, Alice Keohavang
Laos: A boy (Ahlo, 10), who is believed to bring bad luck, is blamed for a string of disasters. When his family loses their home and are forced to move, Ahlo meets the spirited orphan Kia (9) and her eccentric uncle Purple: an ex- soldier with a purple suit, a rice-wine habit and a fetish for James Brown. Struggling to hang on to his father’s trust, Ahlo leads his family, Purple and Kia through a land scarred by war in search of a new home. But bad luck seems to follow Ahlo, and in a last plea to prove he’s not cursed, Ahlo builds a giant explosive rocket to enter the most lucrative but dangerous competition of the year: The Rocket Festival. As the most bombed country in the world shoots back at the sky, a boy reaches out to the heavens for forgiveness.
Festivals and Awards:
Berlin Film Festival (Best Debut Film, Crystal Bear, 2013)
Tribeca Film Festival (Audience Award, Best Actor, Best Narrative Feature), 2013
20. The Butler by Lee Daniels
Producer: Lee Daniels, CassianElwes, Buddy Patrick, LauraZiskin
Screenplay: Will Haygood (article), Danny Strong
Director of Photography: Andrew Dunn
Editor: Joe Klotz Music: Rodrigo Leão
Cast: Forest Whitaker, David Banner, Michael Rainer Jr., LaJessie Smith, Mariah Carey, Vanessa Redgrave
The American historical drama is loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen. African-American Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the WhiteHouse, witnessing the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events that affect this man’s life, family, and American society.
About Mumbai Film Festival: The 15th Mumbai Film Festival, a Reliance Entertainment initiative and supported by the Dept. of Culture, Government of Maharashtra is organized by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) – a Trust comprised of Indian film industry stalwarts, which was founded in 1997 by late filmmaker Shri Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Noted filmmaker Shri Shyam Benegal heads the body that consists of film directors including: Ramesh Sippy, Sudhir Mishra, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, renowned actresses Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan, actor-director Amol Palekar and Farhan Akhtar lyricist, writer and director Amit Khanna.
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Venue: Liberty Cinema, Metro Big Cinema, Marine Lines as the main festival venues and Cinemax, Versova as the satellite venue.
