PARIS:
Rising stars will compete against established Hollywood names for the limelight at this year’s Cannes film festival, with Robert Pattinson, Zac Efron, Kristen Stewart and Shia LaBeouf all appearing in highly anticipated movies, reported Reuters.
They will rub shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman, as well as some of the great names in directing, at the worlds biggest and most glamorous cinema showcase.
David Cronenberg, Ken Loach and Michael Haneke headline the pick of 22 international film-makers vying for the Palme d’Or award at the 65th edition of the world’s top cinema showcase from May 16 to 27.
Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, who herself never walked the Cannes red carpet, was chosen as the face of this year’s filmfest in a tribute 50 years after her death. Palme d’Or-winner Nanni Moretti of Italy heads the jury, with help from eight jurors including the actor Ewan McGregor and fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Indie films show Cannes the other Bollywood
A trio of Indian films are bringing a new Indian cinema to the film festival.
Dealing with corruption and coal mafias, impotency and the porn industry, the films in this year’s line-up are part of a burgeoning, alternative Bollywood that departs from commercial song-and-dance hits so popular at home.
“Indian cinema is coming of age. We are ready to interact with film-makers from across the world,” said Anurag Kashyap, who has a hand in two of the productions showing at Cannes. Kashyap directed the longest-running entry in the festival, Gangs of Wasseypur, a five hour and 20 minute film he describes as “a Bollywood-influenced gangster epic”. The film follows three generations of coal and scrap-trade mafia gangs in a suburb in east India who are obsessed with traditional Hindi cinema.
Meanwhile, Kashyap is also excited about his other production, Peddlers, which is running in the other main sidebar section at Cannes, Critics’ Week. Directed by Vasan Bala, the Mumbai-based movie “takes on subject matters which are normal and everywhere but still considered taboo in cinema,” Kashyap said. The producer caters to Indian cinephiles who want something other than the typical action-packed, romantic, comedy musical.
His thoughts were echoed by Ashim Ahluwalia, director of “Miss Lovely”, the third Indian film screening at Cannes.”I would love to see more individuality, more unique films. And for sure, less ‘stars’ and less predictability,” he said.
(With additional information from Reuters)
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2012.
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