RELIANCE ENTERTAINMENT AND AMBLIN PARTNERS’ FILM “ADOG’S PURPOSE” CROSSES US$ 175 MILLION (RS. 1,100 CRORE) AT GLOBAL BOX OFFICE RELEASES IN INDIATODAY

FILM MADE AT A MODEST BUDGET OF US$ 22 MILLION (RS. 140 CRORE)

Mumbai, 31st March 2017: Anil D. Ambani led studio Reliance Entertainment, and Steven Spielberg’s partnership venture, Amblin Partners’ film “A Dog’sPurpose”, is set to release in India today.

The movie is an American comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on the best selling 2010 novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron.

The film is about a dog that looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners. It turns out that human beings are not the only ones that have existential thoughts such as the meaning of life. Man’s best friend is also looking for purpose, hence the title A Dog’s Purpose. The caveat here is that these beloved canines are able to reincarnate into new bodies, sometimes switching breeds and genders.

A Dog’s Purpose, which released earlier this year in the US and China, has been a runaway success globally. The film has already crossed US$ 175 million (Rs. 1,100 crore) at the global box office, with China alone already contributing over US$ 75 million (Rs. 500 crore).

The movie is yet to release in several major international markets, such as UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Russia, etc.

Speaking about the film, Dennis Quaid, the actor, said, “Its such a fantastic story; I just had to do it. For me, it reminded of my first pet, Gertrude — that classic boy-dog experience," he shared, his voice breaking a bit. "I'm getting welled up again."

A Dog’s Purpose, besides being the first Hollywood film to release in India at the start of the summer, is a film for families and all ages, and will be enjoyed by parents and children alike.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES GOES ALL IN AT CINEMACON

The Studio’s 2017 Big Picture Presentation Featured

The Stars and Filmmakers Behind Its Upcoming Slate

BURBANK, CA, March, 29, 2017 – Warner Bros. Pictures had a full house of talent at this year’s CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas, showcasing the broad diversity of its upcoming slate.  Generating excitement throughout the Caesars Palace Colosseum, the Studio’s 2017 Big Picture presentation was highlighted by footage from each movie—some never-before-seen—and appearances from some of the stars and filmmakers behind the films.

The show launched with a reel highlighting Warner Bros. Pictures’ legacy of entertaining the world for more than 90 years.  Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, came to the stage to welcome the exhibitors and thank them for their great support in delivering the Studio’s films to a global audience.  

Remarking on the Warner Bros. event, Kroll said, “In today’s dynamic marketplace, one thing holds true: the strength of our partnership with the exhibition community.  It is always great to come to CinemaCon to share our slate with the people who connect our films with moviegoers the world over.  We are grateful to all the actors and filmmakers who came in to support their films and the Studio, and who added so much fun, excitement and star power to the day.”

Show host Maria Menounos then took the stage, and kicked off the film presentation by introducing one of today’s most acclaimed and successful filmmakers: Christopher Nolan, the director/writer/producer of “Dunkirk.”  After sharing some insights about the much-anticipated epic action thriller, Nolan presented the film’s stunning prologue, which was met with enthusiastic cheers and applause.

Then, as darkness enveloped the stage, Menounos set the mood for a dual reel previewing two upcoming horror thrillers from New Line Cinema: “Annabelle: Creation,” marking the return of the demonically possessed doll from “The Conjuring”; and “It,” bringing Stephen King’s bestseller—and infamous villain Pennywise—to the big screen for the first time.  The terrifying footage sent several jolts through the auditorium, producing screams and making some noticeably jump in their seats.

The scares continued with a chilling new trailer from the suspense thriller “Unforgettable,” which was introduced by first-time director Denise Di Novi, joined onstage by the stars of the film, Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl.

Switching gears, comedy took over as actor Ed Helms and director Lawrence Sher, who lensed the “Hangover” films, reminded the audience of the duo’s shared connection to Caesars Palace and then presented an early look at their new comedy “Bastards” (from Alcon Entertainment), in which Helms stars with Owen Wilson.  Also apropos to the CinemaCon site, the casino-set comedy “The House” (from New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures) was hilariously set up on tape by stars Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.  Both pieces generated raucous laughter.

Menounos also introduced footage from the romantic drama “Everything, Everything” (from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures), based on the hugely popular YA bestseller of the same name; as well as a new trailer for the suspenseful action thriller “Geostorm,” starring Gerard Butler.

CinemaCon’s Male Star of the Year, Charlie Hunnam, was greeted by loud applause when he took the stage to reveal an action-packed new trailer from Guy Ritchie’s epic reimagining of the Excalibur story, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” (from Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow).  Hunnam stars in the action adventure’s title role, opposite Jude Law.

The presentation of “Blade Runner 2049,” the long-awaited sequel to the seminal science fiction classic “Blade Runner,” wowed the entire audience.  Director Denis Villeneuve, and two of the film’s stars, Jared Leto and Ana de Armas, showed a special reel featuring footage from the film interwoven with B-roll, along with interviews with the filmmakers and cast—including Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford—talking about the lasting impact of Ridley Scott’s original 1982 feature and offering hints of where the new film (from Alcon, distributed domestically by Warner Bros.) will take today’s audiences.

Warner Bros. Pictures has built a globally successful animation franchise in the LEGO® universe, beginning with “The LEGO Movie,” followed most recently by “The LEGO Batman Movie.”  A look at the latest film assembled by Warner Bros. and LEGO System A/S, “The LEGO NINJAGO® Movie,” delighted the audience.  Immediately following, two of the film’s voice stars, Dave Franco and Justin Theroux, kept everyone laughing with a funny exchange about making the fun-filled action adventure.

The event’s thrilling finale showcased three hugely anticipated films from the DC cinematic franchise, which is a cornerstone of Warner Bros.’ slate.  Diving in, Jason Momoa, who stars in the title role of “Aquaman,” took center stage to share a glimpse of what’s in store in the undersea Super Hero’s first standalone feature, starting production later this spring under the direction of James Wan.

A taped greeting from Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, introduced director Patty Jenkins and actor Chris Pine, who stars opposite Gadot in the film.  The two introduced extended sequences from “Wonder Woman,” which brings the iconic Super Hero to the screen in her first standalone film.  The never-before-seen footage included several breathtaking action scenes, which generated tremendous buzz and left the attendees wanting more.

And they got it.  Following a preview of the epic Super Hero ensemble action adventure “Justice League,” director Zack Snyder was joined onstage by Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher, who star, respectively, as Batman, Superman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg.  

Snyder and cast then closed the successful show, wishing everyone a great rest of the convention.

Bollywoo curates Baahubali 2, The Conclusion inspired collection in association with India’s finest designers

Six designers to design clothing, apparel and accessories inspired by blockbuster     Baahubali: The Conclusion!

Mumbai, 29^th March, 2017:  BollyWoo is all set to launch the new collection inspired by the most awaited film Baahubali 2, The Conclusion. 1800 products inspired by films like Shivaay and Tum Bin 2, Roy, Main Tera Hero and many more, have already paved their way into movie lovers’ homes in past one year. Now as a giant leap, with a team of six artistically talented designers, BollyWoo has now ventured into the southern cinema, to launch the apparel and accessories of mega blockbuster Baahubali 2: The Conclusion!

The grand showcase of the collection will be revealed through an interesting fashion show, with the lead star cast of the movie Baahubali 2, the Conclusion, Tammanah and Rana Daggubati will be walking the ramp on April 7^th, 2017.

This collaboration will showcase the work of six creative designers – quirky Mrinalini Gupta, original Yogesh Chaudhary, flamboyant Anupama Dayal, Saurabh Kant Shrivastav, graceful Sailex and for footwear the ever creative Aparijita Toor. Each designer with their creative minds will weave a diverse palette of the audiences, with each designer’s creations revolving around one emotion like romance, heroism among others.

BollyWoo aims at bringing connect between reel and real life. The ensemble will be priced at an affordable range, with the upper limit of cost of the items available is four thousand and will be available on their website from the 9^th of April, 2017 and at Pernia’s pop up online portal.

Kyoorius Creative Awards – Advertising Jury Unveiled

The 4^th edition of the prestigious Kyoorius Creative Awards is here, celebrating creative communication excellence in the fields of Advertising, Digital and Media. The jury panel for the Advertising category has been unveiled. The category will be assessed by two jury panels, each of which will judge a number of sub-categories.

The Advertising Jury 1 will judge the Press Advertising, Outdoor Advertising, Writing for Advertising, Art Direction for Advertising and Radio Advertising categories. 

Prasoon Joshi, Chairman of McCann World Group (Asia Pacific) will take on the role of foreman for the Advertising Jury 1 panel. Joshi is an award winning lyricist, screenwriter and the creative mind behind the award-winning Coca-Cola campaign, ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’. He is one of the few ad-men who have been a recipient of the Padma Shree Award.

The panel also includes creative geniuses like Sonal Dabral (Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra), Santosh Padhi (Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu), Ashish Chakravarty (Chief Creative Officer, Contract India), KV Sridhar (Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Hyper Collective), Sajan Raj Kurup (Founder and Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia) and Swati Bhattacharya (Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka).

The Advertising Jury 2 will judge the categories Film Advertising, Film Advertising Craft, Craft for Advertising, Branded Content and Entertainment, Direct Marketing and Activation and Colors Awards for Social Impact. 

The role of jury foreman for this panel will be carried by Gerry Human, Global Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather. Not only is he the driving force behind campaigns like Philips’ ‘Breathless Choir’ and Dove’s ‘Camera Shy’, but he also held the position of O&M London’s Executive Creative Director, during the most awarded period in the agency’s 65-year history.

This panel will also comprise Amer Jaleel (Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Mullen Lintas), Josy Paul (Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO), Gigi Lee (Chief Creative Officer, TBWA), Senthil Kumar (Chief Creative Officer, J. Walter Thompson South Asia), Raj Deepak Das (Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett India, South Asia) and Raj Kamble (Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Famous Innovations).

Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder and CEO of Kyoorius, said, “Both Prasoon and Gerry have won multiple awards in their career and have worked on some of the world’s most famous brands. Both bring unique perspectives to the jury panel and their insights will ensure that the best ideas rise to the top. It’s an honour to have such highly regarded authorities as Prasoon and Gerry guiding the judging procedure to ensure that all the work is evaluated fairly. Our selected jurors represent the best talent in the industry, across a range of creative disciplines, and they will be tasked with determining the future path of creative communications.”

The Open Jury Sessions will be held between May 11^th and 13^th, 2017 at the Ecole Intuit Lab, Mumbai. Kyoorius is happy to invite people from the industry and media to attend the jury sessions, to learn and benefit from the discussions and the entries displayed. 

The Kyoorius Creative Awards ceremony will be held on Friday, June 2^nd 2017 at the DOME, NSCI in Mumbai.

HOTEL SAHARA STAR OBSERVES EARTH HOUR ON 25TH MARCH 2017

~ An initiative to encourage people to conserve energy as responsible citizens~

Mumbai, March 2017: The entire team of Hotel Sahara Star and its guests came together to celebrate the Earth Hour on 25^th March 2016 between 8:30pm to 9:30pm. Addressing the mitigating climatic change and spreading the awareness of protecting the environment, the hotel participated in the Earth Hour, a global World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) initiative. The hotel turned off the lights in most of the back-of-the-house areas and dimmed the lights in public areas and restaurants including neon signage. Resident guests too participated by turning off the lights in the guest rooms. Even the restaurants had dim lighting. The guests present at the restaurants enjoyed candle light dinner during this hour.

There are several cities and villages that are deprived of electricity and as responsible citizens it is our duty to conserve energy so that these cities and villages can be lit up. Hotel Sahara Star estimated that turning off the light for an hour can save up to 1000 units of electricity which is equivalent to providing lighting energy requirement for 100 city residents for 24 hours. The team members of the hotel spread the word by educating the guests about the cause and informed them to switch off the lights and air conditions of their room before stepping in to the restaurants. The restaurants offered organic menu to the guests along with green cocktails. Guests enjoyed the different experience of enjoying a dim lit ambience with a guitarist playing soulful music.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Rajesh Mohan, General Manager of Hotel Sahara Star and Aamby Valley City said, “Hotel Sahara Star is always ready to support such initiatives. As responsible citizens of the society, we need to take care of the environment for a better tomorrow. Extending support to such an event gives a good feeling as it gives light to other cities or villages who are deprived of the energy. We also encourage other green programmes like building greener hotels, using 100% ecofriendly machines.”

The Earth Hour participation is a small part of Sahar Star’s efforts towards building a happy and safe environment. In addition to this, Sahara Star has identified and implemented ways to reduce wastage, eliminate practices that are hazardous to environment. The Hotel follows best practices like energy-saving light bulbs and biodegradable cleansing materials, water restrictors and sewage treatment facilities for preventing water pollution.

It is important that younger generation takes such initiatives and spreads awareness in the society.

Two Decades of HARDtalking: BBC’S flagship interview programme celebrates 20th anniversary Special interview with Sir Ian McKellen

Mumbai, Wednesday March 27^th 2017: BBC World News’ legendary interview show HARDtalk will be marking 20 years of asking the questions that matter with a raft of dedicated content, it was announced today.  

The cornerstone of a week of programming will be a special edition of the half hour programme, as presenter Stephen Sackur interviews legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen, in front of an audience in the BBC’s historic Radio Theatre in London (recording Monday April 3^rd for broadcast on Tuesday 4^th April).

HARDtalk launched on BBC World News on March 31^st 1997, with award-winning journalist Tim Sebastian at the helm. The first ever guest was the acclaimed British actor and film director, Richard Attenborough. The late writer and theorist Edward Said, journalist Irma Kurtz, yachtsman Pete Goss and the late raconteur Quentin Crisp rounded out HARDtalk's first week.

Since then there have been more than 4500 guests willing to sit in the HARDtalk hot seat, from international political leaders to entertainers; from corporate decision-makers to ordinary individuals facing huge challenges or finding themselves on the news agenda.

With up to four shows a week, the team, based in the BBC’s New Broadcasting House in London, strive to find interesting voices as well as holding those in power to account. And the list of past guests is both impressive and extensive, covering all corners of the globe. Nelson Mandela, Donald Trump, Nina Simone, Angelina Jolie, Benazir Bhutto and Robert Mugabe have all appeared.

The main presenter of HARDtalk is Stephen Sackur, one of the BBC's most respected journalists. Before joining the programme in 2006, he worked as a BBC correspondent in the Middle East, America and Brussels. Other presenters include renowned presenters Zeinab Badawi and Sarah Montague.

Commenting on the secret of HARDtalk’s longevity and popularity Editor Carey Clark said:

“We always have our viewers in mind. They expect us to ask the difficult questions and we don’t shy away from that. In a world that is increasingly coloured by misinformation and conjecture this is a show that holds those in power to account and gets to the heart of the matter.”

Presenter Stephen Sackur added: “HARDtalk is a unique interview show and I think people see taking part as a badge of honour. Where else do you get half an hour of one-on-one serious, in-depth Q and A to make your case? And it’s not about sound bites or political posturing, nor is it a platform for celebs to plug their latest book. It’s intelligent talk. Most guests know and understand that, and it’s when guests are up for it that HARDtalk works well.”

Alongside the Sir Ian McKellen edition, BBC World News and BBC.com is showcasing a raft of content from April 3^rd.  It will include two special programmes asking current and former presenters what HARDtalk has meant to them, looking back at the highs and lows, and asking what the changing media landscape means for news media in the future. Plus in the coming months the HARDtalk team will delve into the programme’s extensive archive and showcase the best interviews from the past two decades, as well as content on BBC.com and social media.

HARDtalk is broadcast on BBC World News, the BBC’s commercial international TV news channel, weekdays at 9 am, 2 pm and 8 pm IST and also on BBC World Service Radio. For more on HARDtalk and to see clips of previous guests visit bbc.com/hardtalk

Stephen and Carey are available for interview.

A fashionable end to the Max Design Awards 2016-17

Mumbai turned into a fashion Mecca with 15 budding shortlisted designers putting forward the most magnificent show at the Max Design Awards 2016-17 Grand Finale that took place at Sophia College. The finale event, which was judged by esteemed panel of jury members including Fashion Designers Ms. Priyadarshini Rao, Mr. Varun Bahl and Mr. Nachiket Barve along with Executive Director - Max Fashion Mr. Vasanth Kumar, Vice President Design - Max Fashion Ms. Kamakshi Kaul and Project Head Mr. Marc Robinson, was a fitting ending to the contest, celebrating some of the best and the brightest talents in the country's Fashion and Design Ecosystem.

MAX gave students with a passion for fashion design, the opportunity to showcase their skills, meet fashion industry stalwarts, and network with each other. The program that started in January 2017, witnessed over 350 entries from Pre-Final and Final Year Fashion Design students across selected and/or accredited fashion designing institutes of India. Students were asked to submit their designs based on theme ‘The Dark Side.’

The 15 shortlisted participants out of the 350 plus entries, were given a budget and timeframe of a month to produce garments as per their sketches, for the grand finale. The show was a visual delight and the participants made it even more delightful with their unique array of looks representing ‘The Dark Side’ through western, fusion and Indian lines. The grand finale of Max Design Awards 2016-17 was nothing short of a celebration and it was lively and impactful to witness the creations and imaginations of the budding talents.

Final Winners are –

ANKIT KAJLA (NIFT, Bangalore), RISHIKA GUPTA (Pearl, Delhi) and TUSHAR JHA (NIFT, Mumbai).

Award for Best Ramp Appeal went to NAYANIKA BHARADWAJ (NIFT, Mumbai)

The Gratification for top 3 contestants includes internship with renowned designers of the Jury Panel, Cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- each and Photo Shoot with a renowned photographer which will be featured in the leading fashion magazine ELLE India. One winner will get a chance to be a part of Max Spring Summer’18 collection.

Speaking on the occasion VASANTH KUMAR, Executive Director, Max Fashion said, “It has been such a fantastic experience for MAX to host the Max Design Awards, this being the 3rd year. Our aim is to democratize fashion and give an opportunity to the young budding talents to showcase their work. Industry linked projects give these participants a platform to showcase and develop their work and spring board their career in the fashion industry. Such live projects- a ramp show, are vital in equipping participants with the experience needed to thrive in the Fashion industry.

About Max Fashion

Max is the leading fashion brand offering customers a one stop shop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family. Max, a fashion brand of Landmark Group has pioneered the concept of ‘Latest fashion at great prices’ in the country, thereby offering the discerning shopper a vast choice with international fashion & quality. It offers apparel, footwear & accessories that are of the latest fashion trends. The store ambience offers an international shopping experience making shopping for the entire family an absolute delight. Globally Max has over 350 stores across 16 countries and in India, Max has more than 165 stores across 60 cities.

For more information on the event log on – www.maxdesignawards.com

Lack of cinema screens, piracy, high ticket prices at multiplexes & new movies on TV reducing the number of footfalls in cinemas houses

MUMBAI, 23 March 2017. Lack of cinema screens, piracy, high pricing of tickets at multiplexes and new movies being broadcasted on television three months after release have reduced the number of footfalls in the cinemas considerably and was making it difficult to raise the market share. However, the emergence of digital platforms has opened new vistas for monetization for movies.

This was the unanimous view of the panellists at the session on ‘Bollywood in trouble? Will Hollywood and Regional take over? Is Indian Cinema in any kind of trouble?’ on day three of FICCI FRAMES 2017.

Mr. Sameer Nair, Group CEO, Balaji Telefilms, said that regional cinema was being aggressively promoted by state governments by way of various sops but this was not a threat to Bollywood in any way. He added that one way of raising the dipping footfalls could be raising the TV viewing window of new movies to six months.    

Mr. Nair said that the genesis of falling cinemagoers was the lack of screens in the country and high price of tickets. He added that the Bollywood was aware of the fact that the audience for Hollywood movies was increasing and giving a tough competition to Hindi cinema and models were being worked upon to maintain a balance.    

Mr. Venky Mysore, CEO, Red Chillies Entertainment, said that the challenge for Bollywood was to increase its market which was now constricted. There was a need for change in the business model of Bollywood and it was taking place gradually and the shift was visible. Mr. Myosre said that piracy was one of the biggest threat to the film industry and Bollywood stakeholders needed to come together to resolve the issue.

Mr. Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, said that Hollywood was localizing its content better and a at faster pace than Bollywood was globalizing itself and Hindi movies needed to do the crossover to raise its market share. There were operational problems and increasing economic pressure were some of the issues that Bollywood was grappling with. He said that there was no incentive for consumers to go the cinema halls and the multiplexes’ high prices had moved a chunk of audiences away. He added that studios have been closing down and the fundamentals of film economies had to be enhanced. The strategic players will remain in the business who could play their strategic asset on digital platforms and broadcast it.

Speaking on overcoming the issue of piracy, Mr. Suresh Babu, President, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, said that strong trade bodies were needed to combat piracy and committed and passionate producers and stakeholders were needed to push the agenda, which was lacking in Bollywood. Piracy can be reduced but the cause needed champions and good leaders who could take the fight ahead.   

Mr. Babu said that audiences were being alienated by multiplies as they were removing a certain type of cinema for which there was an audience base. He added that in Telugu film industry, irrespective of the budget of the movie, the publicity in newspapers remained similar for all films and the same was done for television promotion to the extent possible, which kept the marketing cost in check allowing all kinds of cinema the same visibility.  

The session was moderated by Mr. Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios.

In the era of digitization, integrated newsrooms and industrypartnerships is the way forward for newspapers

MUMBAI, 23 March, 2017: The Indian print media has long enjoyed a strong readership base and a handsome share of the advertising budget. However, with the advent of disruptive technologies and internet, the traditional business model of newspapers needed to adapt to the new ecosystem. The stakeholders in the domain today discussed the effects of digitization on newspapers and relevance of newspapers in this changing scenario at a session on ‘Indian Print - Looking inward to profitability’ on day three of FICCI FRAMES.

Mr. Rishi Darda, Editorial & Jt. Managing Director, Lokmat, said that English newspapers were under stress and needed efficient management of resources to remain in business and added that regional papers were showing encouraging signs and their market share was increasing. Mr. Darda said that digitization was the way forward and integrated newsrooms were a must now in this phase of evolution that newspapers were facing. Technology needed to be employed for leveraging partnerships in the industry, he added.

Mr. Ashish Pherwani, Partner, Advisory Services – Ernst & Young, said that the print media has been profitable and a reliable and compelling proposition with efficient distribution networks delivering newspapers to your doorstep. But with disruptive technologies at play, human resources and environmental issues, the industry was facing stressful times. He added that the change in the mind set of journalists was needed with respect to digital platforms and human resources had to be trained accordingly.

Ms. Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Media, said that newspapers still enjoyed 35-40% of advertising expenditure whilst  the share 20 years ago was almost 70%. Newspapers were still considered as credible and people in the age group of 30-40 years read them but the readership was declining for English papers whereas vernacular papers were showing a rise in their readership.

Dr. Bhaskar Das, President and Chief Growth and Innovation Officer, Zee Unimedia Limited, said that the newspaper industry will see a slump and only the top players in the sector would enjoy their share in the market in future. He added that there was a need for consolidated backend and user connectivity should be built and collaboration across the industry should be looked at.

Mr. Raj Chengappa, Group Editorial Director, India Today, said that news distribution has been taken over by internet and the web but the newspapers still had credibility. With the readers being bombarded with news from all quarters, newspapers were considered as reliable and credible sources of information and content was the king. He added that digital platforms could help in putting out breaking news and newspapers could be looked at for understanding the subject matter with in-depth analysis.  

Mr. Pradyuman Maheshwari, Editor-in-Chief & CEO, MxMindiapvt Ltd, moderated the session.

BAF Awards for animation, gaming and VFX presented at FICCI FRAMES

MUMBAI, 23 March, 2017:  The BAF Awards for animation, gaming and VFX categories and Critics Awards were given away at glittering ceremony here atFICCI FRAMES 2017.

ANIMATION CATEGORY ENTRANT ENTRY TITLE Short Film - Student [International]

 MoPA Garden Party Short Film - Student [Indian] DSK International Campus - Pune Little Love Bites Promo Film [International] Riki Production Center LLC, Art Pictures Studio LLC | Smeshariki LLC Kikoriki. Legend of the Golden Dragon Promo Film [Indian] Nestle India | Paperboat Design Studios Pvt Ltd Superbabies Ad Film [Indian] Vivi5 Animation Art Design Studio YK Organic Myntra Short Film - Professional [International] Studio Eeksaurus Productions Pvt. Ltd. Tokri The Basket Short Film - Professional [Indian] Studio Eeksaurus Productions Pvt. Ltd. Tokri The Basket Episode [International] Aum Animation Studios Pvt LTD Ande Pirki Episode [Indian] Aum Animation Studios Pvt LTD Ande Pirki Film [International] Turtle In Motion Studios Pvt Ltd The Shonku Diaries- A Unicorn Adventure Film [Indian] Turtle In Motion Studios Pvt Ltd The Shonku Diaries- A Unicorn Adventure

GAMING CATEGORY ENTRANT ENTRY TITLE Mobile and Tablet Game: 

Sports [Indian] Cosi Games Pvt Ltd Pele Soccer Legend Mobile and Tablet Game: Puzzle [International] Reliance Games The BFG Game Mobile and Tablet Game: Puzzle [Indian] Xigma Games Rubek Mobile and Tablet Game: Action / Adventure [International] Glu Mobile Deer Hunter Classic Mobile and Tablet Game: Action / Adventure [Indian] Glu Mobile Deer Hunter Classic Mobile and Tablet Game: Arcade / Casual [International] Love Handle Developers LLP Twisty Board Mobile and Tablet Game: Arcade / Casual [Indian] Love Handle Developers LLP Twisty Board Mobile and Tablet Game: Other Genres [International] Holy Cow Productions Bad Dream Brigade.

 FICCI BAF AWARDS 2017 WINNERS LIST FICCI BAF AWARDS 2017 WINNERS LIST GAMING CATEGORY ENTRANT ENTRY TITLE Mobile and Tablet Game:

 Other Genres [Indian] Csharks Games Pulimurugan PC, Console & Hand-held Game [Indian] Apar Games Scribbled Arena Student Game [International] DSK International Campus Pune Tremor Student Game [Indian] DSK International Campus Pune Tremor.

VFX CATEGORY ENTRANT ENTRY TITLE Short Film - Student [International]

 ISART Digital Invasion Day Short Film - Student [Indian] Jain University Unbelieveable Tutting Ad Film [International] Nomad Films | FutureWorks Media Dano Milk Ad Film [Indian] Whitescript | Famous Digital Studios Pvt. Ltd. Finolex Fan Promo Film [Indian] Zee Format Factory | Paperboat Design Studios Pvt Ltd Phantasmagoria Episode [Indian] Swastik Productions | One Life Studios Karamphaldata Shani Film [International] Marvel Studios | Framestore Doctor Strange Film [Indian] Redchillies.VFX Fan Shot of the Year [Film] [Indian] Cinestaan Film Company|Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures|Prana Studios Miryza New Entry in Animation New Character of the Year Most Popular Show of the Year Animated Character Voice of the Year Case Study of the Year Mrs. Meghna Joshi Special Contribution to the AVGC Sector Lamput - Vaibhav Studios Ravi Velhal, Intel Prasad Phadke, Autodesk 

Challenges and opportunities in the digital world spelt out; need for partnerships to create a digitally empowered society

MUMBAI, 21 March, 2017: At the session on ‘Connecting the Unconnected - Upgrading technology and infrastructure to the last mile’ at FICCI FRAMES 2017, Mr. J. S. Deepak, India’s Ambassador Designate to the WTO, outlined the challenges and opportunities that the telecom sector and the digital world faces, especially in terms of data connectivity. 

He said the pace of internet subscription in India is growing by leaps and bounds and there is a need to realise that that with every 10% increase in internet digital connectivity, the GDP grows by a full percentage point. 

Mr. Deepak said that only 18% of the rural households in India are digitally literate and therefore there is need to leverage this, else the asymmetry of information would lead to a digital divide. 

He said that at present the access to content is restricted to 300 million people as it is created in English. Content was not being available in local languages and the divide was magnified by lack of connectivity of local bodies. 

The Digital India vision of the Government, he said, sought to create a digitally empowered society. The aim was to provide broadband connectivity in all the 2500 gram panchayats. Once accomplished, it would lead to increase in demand and step up the flow of investments. 

He underlined the need for partnerships between industry and consumers,  between industry and government and between telcos themselves to make the Digital India programme truly transformative. 

Other experts who shared their perspectives on the topic were Mr. Himanshu Kapania, Managing Director, Idea Cellular Ltd., Mr. Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, India Cast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd; Mr. Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India and Ms. Ranjana Narwane, Industry Capacity Lead for communication Media & Technology, Accenture Technology. The session was moderated by Mr. Neeraj Roy, Managing Director & CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

Maharashtra IG, Police (Cyber) gives a clarion call to industry to collaborate with enforcement agencies to combat piracy & counterfeiting

MUMBAI, March 21, 2017, At the session on ‘Decoding the pirate economy in interconnected world: From Noise to Action’ at FICCI FRAMES 2017, Mr. Brijesh Singh, Inspector General of Police (Cyber), Maharashtra Police, in a special address said that the Government of Maharashtra was creating a unit to specifically deal with issues of digital infringement of IP. He urged the industry to come forward for this initiative and was in favor of developing a PPP model.

Mr. Singh said that Maharashtra would soon have its own Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) which would enable efficient and faster action on computer security incidents. Giving a clarion call to the industry, he added that it was time for stakeholders to collaborate with the enforcement agencies to combat piracy and counterfeiting.

Alluding to various types of policing, Mr. Singh said that problem-oriented policing was best-suited to the needs of the Indian society. He was in favor of stakeholders reaching out to the enforcement agencies with studies related to issues and their after effects and suggest measures for course correction. He added that the industry should also look at financing such initiatives and collaborate with the government agencies.

In his keynote address, Mr. Rajiv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, DIPP, said that piracy and counterfeit were being used as a source for terror-funding and legislation alone could not fight it. There was a need for the government, industry and enforcement agencies to come together and work towards changing the mindset of the society by creating awareness about its ill effects. This, he said, would go a long way in developing the next generation which would then recognize the importance of IP.

Mr. Aggarwal said that laws were in place for IP protection, the need was to implement them. To this end, technology could be leveraged to bring about meaningful and effective solutions with the help of the industry. He added that anti-piracy campaigns were being carried out effectively in various states and the stakeholders with the government needed to find administrative measures to substantially reduce the problem of piracy and protecting IP.

Speaking about specialized cells to reduce instances of piracy and counterfeiting, Mr. Aggarwal said that with the Maharashtra Government creating a dedicated cell, it was a step in the right direction. He added that there was a need for running awareness drives in schools where students could be sensitized on this issue. Besides, he suggested that in movie theatres one-minute clips could be run showcasing the damaging effects of piracy and counterfeit.

The panelists included Mr. Raj Kumar Akella, Chairman, Anti-video Piracy Cell, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Surrender Mann, Senior Vice-President, Legal, Star India Private Limited; Mr. Bharat Dube, CEO, Strategic IP Information Pte. Ltd.; Mr. Sujeet Jain, Group General Counsel, Viacom18 and Mr. Kulmeet Makkar, Chief Executive Officer, The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Limited. The session was moderated by Mr. Uday Singh, Managing Director, Motion Pictures Association India