Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film Sati Sulochana directed by Y. V. Rao was the first talkie film in the Kannada language. It was also the first film starring Subbaiah Naidu and Tripuramba, and was the first motion picture screened in the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom. The film was produced by Chamanlal Doongaji, who in 1932 founded South India Movietone in Bangalore.
Partho Sen-Gupta is an independent film director and screenwriter. He is an Australian and French dual citizen, of Indian origin. He has a post-graduate degree in Film Direction from the FEMIS.
The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the instance and with the support of UNESCO, Paris.
Tannishtha Chatterjee is an Indian actress and director best known in the west for her performance in the British film Brick Lane (2007), the film adaptation of Monica Ali's best selling novel of the same name for which she was nominated best actress at the British Independent Film Awards. Her other notable roles have been in Academy Award-winning German director Florian Gallenberger's film Shadows of Time, Road, Movie with Abhay Deol, Dekh Indian Circus, for which she won the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention and Marathi film Doctor Rakhmabai for which she has won the Best Actress Award at RIFF and PIFF. In 2019 she directed her first feature film Roam Rome Mein.
Ram is an Indian film director, who works in Tamil cinema. After assisting Hindi directors Rajkumar Santoshi and working under Balu Mahendra, he made his directorial debut with Kattradhu Thamizh (2007), which fetched him strong critical acclaim. His second film Thanga Meengal (2013) also won critical praise and three National Film Awards. He released his next film Taramani in August 2017 which was critically acclaimed and a box-office hit. His fourth film Peranbu starring Mammootty was premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam in January 2018, which was also critically acclaimed.
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara is a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter and producer.
Shilpi Marwaha is a well known name in the Delhi Theatre Circuit, having worked as a theatre artist and activist for the past decade. She gained prominence through her activism through street theatre during the "anti corruption movement" in Delhi and the protests held at Rastrapati Bhawan, where she took the forefront in raising her voice against the horrific 2012 Delhi Gang Rape case also known as the "Nirbhaya" or "Damini" case. She has also worked in mainstream cinema in the Bollywood film, Raanjhanaa as Rashmi, Abhay Deol's sister, directed by Anand L. Rai in 2013, Bhoomiyude Avakashikal, directed by T. V. Chandran, "Widow of Silence" as Aasiya directed by Praveen Morchhale in 2018 and "Chhapaak" directed by Meghna Gulzar in 2020. She has been awarded first Sarla Birla Award for her contribution to theatre,AAS Excellence Award 2016 for her active participation in women empowerment initiatives, DCW award from Delhi Commission for Women and 'Devi' award from Indian Express Group for her contribution in women empowerment through theatre.
Vipin Vijay is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He received his post-graduate degree in filmmaking from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute SRFTI, Calcutta. He received the Charles Wallace Arts Award for research at the British Film Institute, London, 2003. Vipin is the recipient of "The Sanskriti Award" (2007) for social & cultural achievement. His works are made under independent codes and defy any categorisation eluding all traditional genre definitions and merge experimental film, documentary, essay, fiction all into one.
Lisa Takeba is a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Burning Birds is a 2018 Sri Lankan adult drama film written and directed by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara and co-produced by Pushpakumara and Antonin Dedet. It stars Anoma Janadari and Samanalee Fonseka with Mahendra Perera and Shyam Fernando. The music was composed by R. Abaji and Philip David Sheppard. The film was premiered in the main competition of the 21st Busan International Film Festival in 2016.
Sound of Silence is a 2017 Indian film in Hindi, Pahari and Tibetan. The film is directed by Malayalam film director Bijukumar Damodaran, commonly known as Dr. Biju. The film premiered at the 2017 Montreal World Film Festival. The film won an award for Best Director at the 2017 Kolkata International Film Festival in the Indian Film Competition category.
Half Widow is a 2017 Indian drama film directed by debutant Danish Renzu and written by Renzu and Gaya Bhola. The film tells the story of a woman from Srinagar in Kashmir, who tries to find her husband who is abducted by the Indian army. Jointly produced by Bhola and Renzu, the film stars Neelofar Hamid, Shahnawaz Bhat, Mir Sarwar and Haseena Sofi. Because there are no theaters in Kashmir, the film was screened at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre. The title of the film refers to the namesake term used for Kashmiri women whose husbands have disappeared mostly in custody of security forces in the Kashmir conflict. The film's official trailer was released in May 2017. The characters in the film talk in Urdu, with some Kashmiri. The film received a favourable review on Cineblitz. The film was released theatrically on 6 January 2020 in India.
Manta Ray is a 2018 drama film written and directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng. It is Aroonpheng's first feature film, following his graduation from Digital Film Academy. The film had its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2018 and received the award for the best movie in Orizzonti/ Horizon Prize selection. Aroonpheng also received the Silver Pyramid at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival. The film stars Aphisit Hama, Wanlop Rungkamjad and Rasmee Wayrana in lead roles. The film focuses on the political theme of Rohingyas in a poetic way. French composers Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry, working as a duet under the name Snowdrops, created an original score for the movie and had been part in the sound design. Thai cutting-room ace Lee Chatametikool was also involved in the project.
Praveen Morchhale is the winner of India's 65th National Film Awards 2017 as well as ICFT-UNESCO GANDHI Medal 2018 winner film director, producer and screenwriter, who works in Indian cinema. Morchhale is hailed by critics as an important filmmaker of the Indian new wave.
Rajee Samarasinghe is a Sri Lankan filmmaker and visual artist. His work explores a wide array of topics including the Sri Lankan Civil War, his family, and the deconstruction of documentary and narrative film.
Pebbles is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by debutant P. S. Vinothraj. The film was produced by Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara under the Rowdy Pictures banner. Featuring music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, the film had cinematography handled by Jeya Parthipan and Vignesh Kumulai and was edited by Ganesh Siva.
Hong Eui-jeong is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer. She has won the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best New Director, Best New Director at the Asian Film Awards, Buil Film Awards and Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and Best Director at the Baeksang Arts Awards for her feature directorial debut in indie crime drama film Voice of Silence (2020).
Jorge Thielen Armand is a film director, screenwriter and producer. He studied Communications in Concordia University in Montreal, and later, with Rodrigo Michelangeli, founded the Canadian-Venezuelan film production company La Faena Films. He has directed two feature films, La Soledad and La Fortaleza, and the short film Flor de la Mar. All three films have received positive reviews from critics.
wMunnel (transl. Sand/Soil) is a 2023 Sri Lankan Tamil language drama film written, directed and produced by Visakesa Chandrasekaram. The film was screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and opened to positive reviews from critics.
