Cinema
It's a 'Dream Run' to Florida film fest!
Bangladeshi short documentary film ‘Dream Run’ has been nominated for the Joel Sotolongo Micro Film Award at The 2022 Treasure Coast International Film, Music, & Art Festival in Florida.
The film has been directed by Mohammed Tawhidul Ahsan, who worked with many foreign filmmakers before making his directorial debut.
Team 'Dream Run' also includes Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Joy as director of photography, Joao Ramos as the editor and Meghna Agnihotri as the producer.
Read: Roni Bhowmik’s New Short Film ‘Chakrakar’ released by Vivo
The film is based on the lost rickshaw art of Bangladesh. The film portrays the history and struggles of the artists who paint and decorate rickshaws.
Prior to 'Dream Run', Ahsan worked in the short film ‘Human’ directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film premiered at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York in 2014.
In 2018, Ahsan worked in a television movie, titled ‘Uncivil Servant’, directed by Dawn Natalia, which won the Florida Film Gem Award at the Treasure Coast Film Festival in 2020.
Read “Moviegoers and media friends helped save Star Cineplex’s original branch”
Ahsan has also worked as an artistic director and 360-degree filming director for the Virtual Reality Implementation project of the prestigious Bangabandhu Military Museum.
Bangladeshi documentary movie 'Dream Run' is scheduled to be screened at Regal Cinema 14, Jensen Beach, Florida, US, on Friday.
“Moviegoers and media friends helped save Star Cineplex’s original branch”
Introducing Bangladeshi audience to world-class movie experience in 2004, Star Cineplex, the first multiplex chain in Bangladesh, celebrated its 18th anniversary yesterday.
The multiplex brand started its journey on October 8, 2004 with its maiden branch in the Dhaka’s Bashundhara City Shopping Mall.
To celebrate 18th anniversary, Star Cineplex organised a gala event on Saturday night at its SKS Tower branch in Mohakhali, which was joined by an ensemble cast of celebrities and media personalities.
Popular actors and directors including Chanchal Chowdhury, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Saimon Sadik, Sumon Anowar, Chayanika Chowdhury; the entire team of the upcoming film ‘Damal’ featuring Siam Ahmed, Bidya Sinha Saha Mim, Shariful Razz, Rashed Mamun Apu, director Raihan Rafi; the team of ‘Operation Sundarban’ including Roshan, director Dipankar Dipon; Star Cineplex produced and National Award-winning film ‘No Dorai’ famed actress Sunehra Binte Kamal and others joined the celebration with Star Cineplex.
“We started our journey 18 years ago with a dream that has now become a reality — that audiences will return to the theatres. Our first two years were spent making people realise what we are offering: the Dolby Atmos surround system, the high definition screens and more. Eventually, the moviegoers gave us their support and we are amazed to observe the love we got from our audiences, filmmakers, artists, journalists and other associates over these years,” Star Cineplex parent company ShowMotion Limited Chairman Mahboob Rahman Ruhel said at the event.
Sharing his gratitude, he told UNB that Star Cineplex is forever indebted to movie lovers, associates and the local media for a particular reason.
"We struggled from the very beginning but things got out of control during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our halls were closed for such a long time, we could not pay our rent to the Bashundhara City authority and as a result, we announced the closing of that branch as we received an eviction notice. The way our beloved moviegoers and media friends helped us at the time, it was unbelievable and that eventually saved the original branch," Ruhel told UNB.
At the event, he announced that the Cineplex authority is already coming up with new branches in major cities and after the commercial and critical success of ‘No Dorai’, Star Cineplex is set to produce 4 new films.
“We initially had a dream that within 18 years, we would have 100 screens — but due to circumstances, we could not open more than 18 screens. That is going to be changed in the coming days, as we are opening new screens almost all over the country. We are very thankful to the government as new theatre entrepreneurs have become eligible to get low-interest loans, which will eventually help the industry grow more,” Star Cineplex chairman said.
Cineplex authority congratulated the teams of ‘Poran’ and ‘Hawa’ at the event. The latter has broken Cineplex’s highest-grossing record of all time, according to Ruhel.
The ceremony ended with cutting cake with the stars, celebrating the 18th birthday of the first Bangladeshi multiplex chain. This was followed by the screenings of two Hollywood films at Star Cineplex — ‘The Woman King’ and ‘The Free Fall.’
Apple to release Will Smith's 'Emancipation' post-slap
After holding “Emancipation” in limbo following Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in March, Apple will release the actor's next big project this December.
In the fallout of Smith's smack of the comedian, the fate of “Emancipation” — a $120 million runaway slave thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua — had been uncertain. One of Apple's most high-profile productions yet, the film had once been expected to be an Oscar contender this year. But an awards-season rollout of a film headlined by Smith, whom the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years, has obvious complications.
Nevertheless, Apple TV+ said Monday that it will debut “Emancipation” on Dec. 2 in theaters and begin streaming it Dec. 9.
Over the weekend, Apple and the NAACP held the first screening of the film in Washington as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Legislative Conference. Smith attended the screening and spoke on stage.
The release of “Emancipation” will pose the biggest test yet of how eager moviegoers are for a movie headlined by Smith, an actor who has generated more than $6.5 billion in worldwide box office. Still, the brief exclusive run in theaters will also mean “Emancipation," like Apple's best picture-winning “CODA,” will be seen primarily in homes.
Regardless, the streamer isn't shying away from its star. A black-and-white profile of Smith's face, with a chain around his neck, adorns the movie poster.
In the film, Smith plays a man named Peter who escapes from slavery in Louisiana. It was inspired by the 1863 photos of a man known as “Whipped Peter" that first appeared in Harper's Weekly showing a Union Army medical exam of a mutilated man. The film had originally been planned to shoot in Georgia before Fuqua and Smith moved the production to New Orleans in response to Georgia's then-newly enacted laws restricting voting access.
“Emancipation” was shot in the summer of 2021. Until the slap, its release had been expected in 2022. Smith resigned before he could be banned by the academy, but remains eligible for an Oscar nomination.
"My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” he said.
Since his, Smith has largely stayed out the public eye. In late July, he gave his most extensive comments about the incident in a video posted to social media in which he apologized to Rock, who had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith's wife.
New Releases: Top 10 South Indian Movies to Watch in October 2022
In recent years, a bunch of South Indian films have outshined Bollywood's big-budget mainstream Hindi movies in both ratings and earnings. The Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries are enthralling the cinema world with great films in terms of unique story-telling, eye-catching visuals, and superb acting performance. Holding this legacy, South Indian film industries are releasing quality films every month. Let's take a look at the upcoming South Indian movies in October 2022.
10 Most anticipated South Indian Movies releasing in October 2022
Swathi Muthyam | Telugu Romantic Comedy
Varsha Bollamma and Ganesh Bellamkonda are the main stars of this Lakshman K Krishna-directed film. The movie tells a young man's story about celebrating life, falling in love, and his growing views on marriage. He is naive and pure at heart.
Surya Teja Musunuru did the cinematography, while Mahathi Swara Sagar created the music. The film editing was done by Navin Nooli. Suryadevara Naga Vamsi produces the film under the banner of Sithara Entertainments.
The movie will premiere on October 5, 2022.
Read Star Cineplex's Awesome Autumn gives moviegoers chance to win trip to Maldives
GOD Father | Telugu Political Action
It is a remake of the 2019 Malayalam film Lucifer, which is being helmed by Mohan Raja. Salman Khan, Nayantara, Puri Jagannadh, Satyadev Kancharana, and Chiranjeevi will star different roles in the movie.
S. Thaman composed the music, and Nirav Shah was in charge of the filming. Ram Charan, R. B. Choudary, and N. V. Prasad produced the movie under Konidela Production Company and Super Good Films.
The movie Godfather is slated for release on October 5, 2022, which also happens to be Vijayadashami.
Read Misha Sawdagor makes his OTT debut with ‘Jodi Ami Beche Firi’
Borrder | Tamil Spy Thriller
This movie was directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam and produced by Vijaya Raghavendra under the name All in Pictures. Arun Vijay, Regina Cassandra, and Stefy Patel are all featured in the movie.
The theme of the movie is patriotism, and it has a military setting. Rajasekar handled the cinematography, and Sam CS composed the soundtrack. The movie was supposed to open in theaters on November 19, 2021. However, the release date has been postponed because of the flooding in Chennai. The current release date is October 5, 2022.
Read This is what Nuhash’s Hulu project is about
The Ghost – Killing Machine | Telugu
For his forthcoming film The Ghost, King Nagarjuna is back again in the fierce action. The movie portrays an extremely skilled and lethal agent who can turn into an unstoppable "Killing Machine" when he becomes enraged.
Sonal Chauhan, who plays an Interpol agent, will appear in the movie alongside Nagarjuna. Furthermore, Gul Panag and Anikha Surendran have glorified the major casts of the movie.
The Ghost's screenplay and direction are both by Praveen Sattaru. The movie was made by Suniel Narang, Puskur Ram Mohan Rao, and Sharrath Marar under the auspices of Northstar Entertainment and Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP.
For the movie, Saurabh and Bharatt composed the soundtrack. The film's release date, which is set for October 5, 2020, has already been announced by the producers.
Read “RAB freed Sundarbans from robbers and inspired a quality film”
Kasethan Kadavulada | Tamil Heist Comedy
The movie title means ‘Only money is god’. R. Kannan is the film's producer and director. It is a remake of the 1972 Tamil film which was in the same name. The movie stars Priya Anand and Shiva. Other actors include Yogi Babu, Manobala, Urvashi, Karunakaran, Thalaivasal Vijay, Sivaangi Krishnakumar, and Pugazh.
The storyline of the film centers a man who is planning to steal money from his stepmother with the help of two other individuals. Raj Pratap composed the music, and Prasanna Kumar handled the photography. The movie is slated to hit theaters on October 7, 2022.
Read 'Beauty Circus’ & ‘Operation Sundarban’ set the ball rolling for Bangladesh film industry
Sardar | Tamil Spy Action
This movie is being written, produced, and directed by P. S. Mithran. S. Lakshman Kumar has produced the film under Prince Pictures banner. The movie stars Karthi in a dual role as the title character. Other significant roles have been played by Raashii Khanna, Munishkanth, Rajisha Vijayan, Laila, Chunky Panday, and Murali Sharma.
Yuvan Shankar Raja, who had previously been Mithran's go-to composer, is replaced as the music composer for the movie by G. V. Prakash Kumar. George C. Williams serves as the film's cinematographer. Ruben made the edits, and Dhilip Subbarayan choreographed the stunts. The film will premiere in theaters on October 24, 2020.
Read ‘Illegal immigrants’ stealing jobs in India's Bollywood?
Champion | Kannada Thriller
The movie’s premiere is set for October 14, 2022. Shahuraja Sindhe is directing the film. Its storyline tells the story of a small-town child who overcame all of life's challenges to become successful.
Shivam Productions, Shivanand S. Neelannavar, and Lahari Music are the producers of this suspenseful movie. Sachin Dhanpal, Aditi Prabhudeva, Sunny Leone, and Suman will star in this film. Pradeep Rawat is another well-known actor who was brought on board for Champion.
Read “Many thought my decision to quit job for acting was a mistake”
Shabari Searching For Ravana | Kannada
The movie's screenplay was written by Chetan Keshav. Naveen Shetty and Viday Sagar Chinta directed the film.
In spite of a few small romance and emotional storylines, this movie is mostly a suspense thriller with a heroine-centric theme.
The lead actresses in the film are Rachita Ram and Archana Kottige. Anoop Seelin was the music composer, Vishal Kumar Gowda shot the film, and Naveen Shetty made the edits. The movie was produced by Kiran Kumar under the production companies KK Production, and ATM Studios. The film's premiere is scheduled on October 2, 2022.
Read UNESCO Mondiacult 2022: Bangladesh lauded for creating Bangabandhu International Award
Rorschach | Malayalam Psychological Thriller
This film was written by Sameer Abdul and directed by Nisam Basheer. The main character in the movie is Mammootty. Sharafudeen, Grace Antony, Kottayam Nazeer, Jagadish, Sanju Sivram, and Bindu Panicker round out the film's ensemble cast. The film was made by Mammootty himself under the name of Mammootty Kampany.
Midhun Mukundan took care of the music composition of the film music, while Nimish Ravi was the head of cinematography. The release date for Rorschach is October 13, 2022.
Read Shehzad Khan Bir is their son, confirm Shakib Khan & Bubly
Marthanda Varma | Malayalam Historical
‘Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma-The King of Travancore’ is the full title of the film. The famous Bahubali antagonist star Rana Daggubati is coming back with this historical drama in the titular role. This project is his debutant work in the Bollywood industry.
The movie will prominently feature the grandeur of Marthanda Varma, a well-known king of Travancore who lived in the 18th century A.D. Peter Hein coordinated the stunts for the movie, which was directed by K. Madhu. The movie's sound will be handled by Oscar winner Resul Pookutty. M M Keeravani, best known for his work on the Bahubali series, will write the soundtrack. The movie is going to hit the theater on 25 October 2022.
Read Nuhash Humayun: I want to experiment, make mistakes
Bottom Line
So far, we have discussed 10 South Indian movies expected to release in October 2022. It can be expected that some of these latest South Indian Films can join the ranks of the past blockbusters from the same industry. As the South Indian cinemas are entertaining the film enthusiasts worldwide quite successfully, it's only a matter of time to dominate the entire Asian glamor world.
Star Cineplex's Awesome Autumn gives moviegoers chance to win trip to Maldives
Star Cineplex has brought an autumn offer for the moviegoers, giving them a chance to win Dhaka-Maldives-Dhaka travel tickets.
Those who will watch movies at Star Cineplex from October 1-31 will get Dhaka-Maldives-Dhaka travel tickets through a raffle draw, the multiplex chain said in a media statement Thursday.
Private carrier US Bangla Airlines will provide the tickets. However, Star Cineplex will not arrange accommodation for the winners.
Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, Senior Manager (Media and Marketing) of Star Cineplex said: "We often hold various events and announce seasonal offers to encourage the audience to watch movies. Last June, we announced the winners of our 'Crazy Summer Offer' and the first prize winner got a chance to stay at Sayeman Beach Resort in Cox's Bazar for one night with return air tickets."
"We have many such events throughout the year and this trend will continue in the future."
Star Cineplex started its journey in 2004 at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in the capital's Panthapath.
Now it has branches at Shimanto Shimanto Shambhar in Dhanmondi, Sony Square in Mirpur, SKS Tower in Mohakhali and Bangabandhu Military Museum in Bijoy Sarani in the capital. Two more branches are under construction outside Dhaka in Chittogram and Bogura.
Misha Sawdagor makes his OTT debut with ‘Jodi Ami Beche Firi’
Misha Sawdagor, famous for playing villain roles in Bengali films, is now debuting on OTT platform with Chorki’s limited series ‘Jodi Ami Beche Firi’.
Tanim Parvez directed series will stream on Chorki on Thursday. Director Tanim will make his debut on OTT platform.
Misha has played the role of a corrupt engineer who gifted his girlfriend a flat to balance his extramarital affair hidden from his wife. But unfortunately he gets stuck in the elevator of that building around which the story revolves.
Read: Misha re-elected president of Bangladesh Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti
“As I’m claustrophobic my body literally starts shaking when I go to basement, dark places or get on elevators so was a bit tensed when I heard the story revolves around an elevator. But managed to complete the shooting well anyway,”said Misha while sharing his shooting experience.
About working in OTT for the first time Misha said “The experience working with Chorki was definitely different as it happens when we meet new people and go to new places.”
"Chorki has already established its place in audience’s eyes so I kept that in mind from the very beginning and tried to use my seriousness in playing the role as much as possible," he added.
Read This is what Nuhash’s Hulu project is about
The story is amazingly based on human psychology and the character he played was realistic, said Misha.
“The character will not feel imposed rather as if it is extracted from real life people around you. There are also many messages for audience in the story,” he said.
Besides actor Misha Sawdagor, the ‘Jodi Ami Beche Firi’ series includes Bijori Barkatullah, and Dilruba Hossain Doyel.
Read Rayhan Rafi’s new film ‘Nisshash’ to be released on Chorki
This is what Nuhash’s Hulu project is about
Nuhash Humayun has revealed the name of his Hulu project. Incidentally, this is the first Bangladeshi content to be featured on Hulu, an American OTT platform.
What is Nuhash’s Hulu project called?
The young filmmaker revealed on his verified Facebook profile that the Hulu project is called “Foreigners Only”.
“I am so so proud of the incredible work my team has done,” Nuhash wrote in the Facebook post.
When will it air on Hulu?
“Foreigners Only” is going to be aired on Hulu this Halloween, in October.
Nuhash produced the short as an episode of Hulu and 20th Digital’s “BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN”.
Read: Nuhash Humayun: I want to experiment, make mistakes
What is “Foreigners Only” about?
The short apparently takes a jab at some apartments in Dhaka’s Gulshan, Banani areas that are only rented out to foreigners.
Nuhash wrote: “…why is this a big deal? Why do we value the bideshi, the foreign...sometimes more than ourselves?”
“FOREIGNERS ONLY asks these questions and more. And we might not like the answers,” he added.
The Hulu short will not be released in Bangladesh right now, Nuhash wrote.
Read Anonymous Content, CAA take Nuhash Humayun onboard
Earlier in an interview to UNB, Nuhash spoke about the Hulu content.
He said, "Hulu has produced some exclusive content on the occasion of Halloween this year, and one of those projects is made by me. It will air on Halloween in October. It's a single content, and nothing to disclose more than that at this moment. After the official announcement of Hulu, everyone will know the details.”
Speaking on being associated with Hulu's project, Nuhash said, “After evaluating some of my works, they gave me this project. When I went to Hulu's office in Los Angeles, I was a bit nervous. However, the meeting was quite positive. They appreciated all my plans, and that raised my confidence.”
The content was produced in both Bangla and English, with Nuhash serving as both the director and screenwriter.
Read ‘Moshari’ wins Atlanta Film Festival Jury Award
Nuhash got signed by the Hollywood agencies Anonymous Content and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) earlier this year. Through these two agencies, he got connected with Hulu.
“RAB freed Sundarbans from robbers and inspired a quality film”
Outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has said that “Operation Sundarbans” is winning over audiences since its release on Friday.
“Despite being a two hours and 21 minutes long film, it has managed to keep the audience invested. The film is receiving positive reactions from moviegoers as it’s packed with action, adventure and suspense. VFX, sound quality, actors’ performances – altogether ‘Operation Sundarbans’ scores high,” the IGP said.
Benazir Ahmed said this after watching “Operation Sundarbans” at Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City mall on Friday afternoon.
“Our RAB troops and officers have also done a great job. In a number of ways, scenes of the operation have been highlighted. After watching the movie, audiences will better understand our officers’ acumen and efficiency,” he commented.
Also read: PM declares Sundarban robber-free
Referring to the story of “Operation Sundarbans”, Benazir Ahmed said that RAB started the operation with the aim of restoring peace in the Sundarbans, known as a sanctuary for robbers. “Peace and security were ensured in the Sundarbans through the skillful and smart operation of the officers and troops. We planned to present that success story to the nation through ‘Operation Sundarbans’,” he said.
“However, it is not possible to highlight the success of RAB with just one film, and I think this film partly shows RAB’s many successes. After planning to make the film, I asked filmmaker Dipankar Dipon to go to the Sundarbans, stay there, talk to locals including the bhawali, honey collectors, fishermen and write the script. Dipan followed the instructions.”
“The Sundarbans was a sanctuary for robbers for nearly 40 years after independence. RAB has been able to free the Sundarbans from them as well as inspire a quality film,” he said.
The IGP said, “Earlier, when I worked on ‘Dhaka Attack’ with Dipan, I was the Police Commissioner. And while planning ‘Operation Sundarbans’, I was the DG of RAB. At the time of the film’s release, I am serving as the IGP.”
Also read: 'Beauty Circus’ & ‘Operation Sundarban’ set the ball rolling for Bangladesh film industry
Rab’s Legal and Media Wing Director, Commander Khandaker Al Moin; RAB's Legal and Media Wing Deputy Director, Major Raisul Azam; producer Arun Chowdhury; Chayanika Chowdhury, actress Tanjika, filmmaker SA Haque Olike, actress and director Hriday Haque, Raihan Rafi and artists of “Operation Sundarbans” were also present on the occasion.
Nuhash Humayun: I want to experiment, make mistakes
Several young filmmakers are now taking Bangladeshi content to the international arena, and Nuhash Humayun is one of them. With drama projects such as ‘Hotel Albatross’, the short film ‘700 Taka’, web series ‘Pet Kata Shaw’, his recent short film 'Moshari' and his upcoming project for the international OTT platform Hulu, Nuhash's career is gaining momentum towards global success.
After the success of 'Moshari' at two 'Oscar qualifying’ film festivals (HollyShorts Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival), audiences in Bangladesh have been wondering where and when to see the film, and answering that question, Nuhash told UNB that the short film is going to be available for Bangladeshi viewers in October.
Regarding the work plan and experience, he said, "Interest of our viewers always sparks inspiration for any content creator. I have been blessed with that interest and our audiences might not have to wait too long for ‘Moshari’, which I hope everyone will be able to see in October.”
Read:'Beauty Circus’ & ‘Operation Sundarban’ set the ball rolling for Bangladesh film industry
“Working on this project has been really different for me. To succeed, I had to wait ten years. The idea for the plot first came to me ten years ago, but at the time there was no support since I dared to experiment with such fiction. I still needed a lot of creative support when I started developing ‘Moshari’, but I managed to finish it. Additionally, I've received a lot of reaction from audiences abroad. Now I’m eagerly waiting for Bangladeshi audiences’ reaction.”
The news that Nuhash Humayun has created content for the international OTT platform Hulu broke the local internet, while the conversation regarding ‘Moshari’ was still going on. The completed content, which features numerous well-known Bangladeshi actors, is already in Hulu’s pipeline; however, due to the embargo till the official promotion from Hulu, Nuhash is currently keeping a lot of information about the project private.
'Beauty Circus’ & ‘Operation Sundarban’ set the ball rolling for Bangladesh film industry
Bangladesh film industry has taken off again after Eid, with the Friday release of the much-awaited ‘Beauty Circus,’ and ‘Operation Sundarban’.
Jaya Ahsan-starrer Beauty Circus, directed by Mahmud Didar, has been released simultaneously at 19 halls across the country.
Director Mahmud started filming the movie with the participation of 200 circus artistes of Naogaon and Manikganj and some 2,000 villagers in 2017 by setting up a circus pendant and arranging a rural fair.
Apart from Jaya in lead, actors Ferdous Ahmed, Touquir Ahmed, ABM Sumon, Gazi Rakayet and Humayun Sadhu are in the cast of the film.
Also read: Jaya Ahsan-starrer ‘Beauty Circus’ hits theatres Sept 23
Meanwhile, the star-studded film 'Operation Sundarban' directed by Dipankar Dipon was released in 33 cinema halls across the country.
The film, produced by the RAB Welfare Cooperative Society Limited, showcases the Rapid Action Battalion's (RAB) historical and breathtaking operations against the pirates of the Sundarbans.
Popular actors like Riaz Ahmed, Siam Ahmed, Nusraat Faria, Ziaul Roshan and Darshana Banik are in the cast of the film.
Also read: 'Operation Sundarban' mesmerises audience at star-studded premiere
The film is one of the most anticipated one of this year as it's based on the wild setting of the Sundarbans and the dark side of its pirates.
The commendable narrative of the film complements the remarkable action-packed performances of the actors.