UTV Motion Pictures storms film festivals worldwide

Media News

New Delhi, August 17, 2009

UTV’s movies have traveled the length and breadth of the globe making their presence felt across the most prestigious film festivals in the world. From Italy to Shanghai, from Moscow to New York, movies from the UTV stable have been creating buzz. The latest news from the festival market is that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi-6, a co-production with ROMP; and Anurag Kashyap’s Dev.D will see a special screening at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival. Even their forthcoming film – Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s your Raashee? a co-production with AGPPL, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

UTV Motion Pictures continues to create films that are critically acclaimed, box office hits and reach out to a global audience.

Ashutosh Gowariker’s forthcoming romantic comedy What’s Your Raashee? will have its world premier at the Toronto Film Festival on the 19th of September as a matinee at the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto. The stars of the film Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra along with director Ashutosh Gowariker and producers Ronnie Screwvala and Sunita A. Gowariker will be in attendance for this gala presentation at the festival. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi-6 and Anurag Kashyap’s Dev.D will each see a special screening at the prestigious 66th Venice International Film Festival in the ‘Out of Competition’ section. Organized by La Biennale di Venezia, the Festival will be held on the Venice Lido from 2nd to 12th September 2009.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO, UTV Motion Pictures says: "The Venice & Toronto International Film Festivals are two of the most acclaimed film festivals in the world and it is indisputably acknowledged as the artistic pinnacle for a film to be screened in them. Receiving a platform there for not one but three of our films is a rare honor. Ashutosh Gowariker (for What’s Your Raashee?), Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (for Delhi-6) and Anurag Kashyap (for Dev.D) are three of India’s most talented directors and we are honored to have collaborated with them to create these great films."

UTV Motion Pictures’ foray into new markets like Taiwan and Italy last year was led by the presence of its movies at widely attended film festivals in these countries. Many of UTV’s critically acclaimed titles have been traveling the festival circuit including Jodhaa Akbar, A Wednesday, Welcome to Sajjanpur, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, and Mumbai Meri Jaan. Welcome to Sajjanpur was recently screened in competition for the Beyond Mediterranean section at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, Italy and is also to be screened at the Indo-American Arts Council’s MIAAC Film Festival to be held in New York, at the Fukuoka International Film Festival in Japan in September and the Indian Ocean Film Festival at Reunion Islands.

A Wednesday starring the powerhouse duo of Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher has also become a regular on the festival circuit. The film was selected for the Shanghai International Film Festival in the competition section for ‘Asian New Talent Award’ and has also been selected for the Bollywood & Beyond Indian Film Festival in Stuttgart, along with Mumbai Meri Jaan.

Fashion for which Priyanka Chopra swept many awards and accolades, was screened at the Moscow International Film festival and the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PIFFF) in Korea. Fashion has also been invited to the Kaohsiung Film Festival to be held in Taiwan this October.

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar was recently screened at the Barcelona Asia Film Festival in Spain as part of the official selection, and was also screened at the Panorama section at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Jodhaa Akbar has also been invited to the Helsinki International Film Festival in September. Jodhaa Akbar, A Wednesday, and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye were screened as part of a special exhibition at The New India at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, with the stars Naseeruddin Shah (A Wednesday) and Abhay Deol (Dev D.) present at the event to introduce their respective films.

Anurag Kashyap said, "UTV is the future of Indian Cinema. They are making films that have real international potential in terms of content and not just face value. Their films are changing the world’s perception of Indian Cinema."

According to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, "I think it’s the new version of the movie that has trick for which we had even undertaken some fresh shooting. Being invited for screening at the Venice International Film Festival is the first sign towards the acceptance of this version, which is wonderful. Infact I got a call from the organizers mentioning that they are looking forward to the movie and they are interested in screening it more than just once which is very encouraging. I’m sincerely looking forward to the response at the festival for this version of the film."

Ashutosh Gowariker said, "It is very rare that a filmmaker finishes a movie and there is a prestigious festival just around the time of the release. We are very fortunate that What’s Your Raashee? Will be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where I believe that there are 64 countries showcasing their movies, and audiences numbering 300,000 are going to be there. So I’m looking forward to attending and getting the first international reactions and responses to What’s Your Raashee? a romantic comedy with 13 songs."

For further information, please contact:

UTV Motion Pictures

Esha Kak

Tel: 40981685

Email: esha.kak@utvnet.com