NEW YORK: Cinema Beyond Boundaries wrapped its weekend of programs at the SVA Theatre in New York City on Saturday September 29 with educational sessions redefining the world cinema for film enthusiasts.
The two-day conference was attended by filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar from East and well-known panelists, including film director Micheal Canzoniero and Dan Fogler, music composer Wayne Sharpe, director and producer Vladan Nikolic and actors Reshma Shetty and Ajay Naidu.
Other panelists were Aroon Shivdasani, Reeves Lehmann, chair, BFA Film and Video Department, and Tanuj Chopra with moderators Anna Swanson and Vishesh Sharma.
The weekend film conference started with a beautiful performance on guitar by Bhrigu Sahni (grandson of actor Balraj Sahni) followed by a discussions on how to view films, the music of films and how to score a movie; a presentation by SAG-AFTRA explaining their position in the industry, the importance of unions and how to finance films; and a discussion with Madhur on Bollywood and Indian Cinema as a whole. It ended with an impromptu gig by Bhrigu dedicated to Madhur, with Wayne Sharp in the audience.
There was a session on composing by Wayne Sharpe where he demonstrated how to create live music. The session was moderated by Simon Taufique. The panelists shared their experiences in their careers thus far, and their views on the current direction of films. Filmmaker Vladan discussed technical and procedural aspects of film production.
A session on crossover actors like Reshma, Ajay Naidu and casting director Jennifer Peralta-Ajmenia conveyed how both hard work and being at the right place contribute to success, and the challenge of regional barriers.
On Sunday there were presentations ranging from how to get involved with independent filmmaking, and how to be a producer, to how to cast actors with chemistry, and what to expect from film festivals the dos and don’ts for filmmakers.
The last panel of the weekend brought a comparison of American and Indian cinema and produced a general outline of what is expected within each industry.
Madhur said, “Indian films have high emotional content to relate with the audience.” Dan and Michael shared how the west appreciated songs and dances but were happy to see that independent filmmaking tried newer concepts too.
They all shared how the film industry in both the east and west had problems of the same nature, and just how complicated the filmmaking business is in the west. Madhur mentioned how Indian cinema had limited audiences compared to Hollywood as English has a larger reach, but that even then cinema knows no boundaries.
The session lived up to its title Cinema Beyond Boundaries as guest panelist Michael Canzoniero said, “It is important to develop a dialogue between eastern and western cultures as there is a lot to learn from each side. All in all there is truly only one type of cinema, and that is World Cinema.”
The event was presented by Molecule Communications, whose founders brother-sister duo Ajay Shrivastav and Kiren Shrivastav intended to inform audiences on the inside workings of the industry from contracts and unions, to first hand experiences of actors, directors, screenwriters and producers from different kind of cinema starting with Indian and American cinema.
Based in both Mumbai and New York City, Molecule Communications is a respected resource within the entertainment industry that bridges East and West, fostering international dialogue and facilitating collaborations among artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and industry professionals.
It aims to connect people to global opportunities related to India’s history and the global community through film – Bollywood being at the forefront – catering entertainment within India and to the entire sub-continent of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and expanding to Afghanistan, Canada, United States, and South America.
PM Swamy
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