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Few people had as complicated a relationship with Mother’s Day as Anna Jarvis did with the holiday.

Despite her tireless campaign to get the holiday recognized by the United States government, Jarvis ended up denouncing the institution she created, bankrupting herself as she fought against its perceived commercialization. How did that happen?

The roots of Mother’s Day — at least Jarvis’s involvement — date back to the 1850s. Her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, organized work clubs of mothers in their home state of West Virginia for a variety of causes. When the Civil War broke out, Jarvis senior shifted...

The Valedictory function of the 7th Filmsaaz 2014, an annual International Film Festival of documentaries and short films, organized by University Film Club, Aligarh Muslim University, concluded last Wednesday. The film festival (9th-12th March), which saw a huge participation (150 entries), ended with a grand award ceremony.

The first two days saw the screenings of the shortlisted films from across the world. The eminent jury consisted of names such as film critic Anuj Kumar, celebrity blogger, film reviewer, journalist, TV show host and author of The Adventures Of An Intrepid Film Critic, Anna M. M. Vetticad and last but not the least filmmaker, Dr. Parvez Imam.

The notable winners included Whistling Woods International’s Maula Baksh De, actor S.M. Zaheer, The Last Delivery from Oman and the Dr. Indu Bala Singh directed Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar.

National Award winning director (and actor), Tigmanshu Dhulia, was the chief guest, who along with the Amu Pro-Vice chancellor,...

His Wife

Director: Michel Spinosa

Writers: Agnes de Sacy, Michel Spinosa

Producer: Patrick Sobelman

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Yvan Attal, Charlotte Gainsbourg

English speaking audiences perhaps know French director Michel Spinosa better for his screenwriting credits, which include two films directed by Gilles Bourdos, the rather awkward Afterwards (2008), and the celebrated Renoir (2012). However, Spinosa has a trio of his own directorial efforts under his belt, including the excellent 2007 psychological thriller/character study, Anna M., which features a stupendous performance from Isabelle Carre. We’re thrilled to see him back with his return to the director’s seat and starring real life couple Attal and Gainsbourg.

Gist: Gracie, a young Tamil woman living near Madras, has been having behavioural disorders since the day she was married. The memory of her French friend Catherine, who died in unresolved circumstances, seems to be haunting her. Catherine’s grieving ex-husband, Joseph, decides...

The Talent Family: Bourdos Abandons Genre for Elegant Biographical Period Piece

A summer signifying the encroaching end of one artist and the birth of another within one of France’s most famous families is the subject of Gilles Bourdos’ latest film, Renoir, based on the biographical novel penned by the great grandson of Auguste Renoir, Jacques (himself a notable cinematographer and photographer). A pastoral portrait that often reaches a resplendence with its moving images that evokes the works of its famed subject, this marks an aggressive change of pace for Bourdos, who has thus far seemed most interested in adapting mystery thrillers for the screen (and to middling effect, at least judging from his 2008 English language debut, Afterwards). Managing to avoid the clichés associated with lofty biopics, this straightforward rendering smartly focuses on a slight passage of time and isn’t driven by any overtly dramatic scenarios.

Set on the...

Mumbai Mantra, the media and entertainment division of the Mahindra Group, is  collaborating with Sundance Institute for the inaugural Mumbai Mantra Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2012. Eight feature film projects have been selected through a rigorous evaluation process of submissions from Indian screenwriters from around the world . These Screenwriting Fellows will have the opportunity to work intensely on their feature film scripts with the support of Creative Advisors (established Screenwriters and Directors) in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking. Through one-on-one story sessions with the Creative Advisors, the Screenwriting Fellows will engage in an artistically demanding process that offers indispensable lessons in craft, a fresh perspective on their work and a platform to fully realize their material.This year.s Screenwriting Fellows who will go through an immersive five day workshop (March 11-16) at a Club Mahindra Resort are: .    Charudutt Acharya (Sonali Cable Centre).    Shonali Bose & Nilesh Maniyar (Margarita,...

Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters’ Lab 2012 announced eight feature-film projects for its inaugural edition. Anusha Rizvi and Mahmood Farooqui’s Opium and Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar’s Margarita, With a Straw are two of them.

The selected 8 Screenwriting Fellows will get an opportunity to develop their works under the guidance of Creative Advisors at a workshop for 5 days from March 11-16, at Club Mahindra Resort in Lonavala.

The selected 8 projects are:

• Charudutt Acharya (Sonali Cable Centre)

• Shonali Bose & Nilesh Maniyar (Margarita, With a Straw)

• Vikas Chandra (Toothache)

• Rajnesh Domalpalli (Avani)

• Prashant Nair (Umrica)

• Anusha Rizvi & Mahmood Farooqui (Opium)

• Ajitpal Singh (Manjhi)

• Kartik Singh (Public School).

The group of Creative Advisors include Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams), Marcos Bernstein (Central Station, Foreign Land), Michael Goldenberg (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Contact),Asif Kapadia (The Warrior, Senna), Shekhar Kapur (Bandit Queen, Elizabeth), Kasi Lemmons (Talk to Me, Eve’s Bayou), Anjum Rajabali (Rajneeti,...

• A trio of actors in Isabelle Carre (Anna M.), Marina Hands (Lady Chatterley) and James Thierree (Vatel) have scored a top-lining acting gig in Claude Miller's next feature which will be filmed on both sides of the Atlantic. The production to be set up for sometime in 2010 is titled Voyez comme ils dansent (Watch While They Dance) and is loosely based on Roy Parvin's short story "Menno's Granddaughter", this follows a woman who travels from Paris to a small town in Canada, where her ex-husband has just died. After falling ill she has to seek help from her ex's widow, the woman he left her for, and they develop an uneasy friendship. Variety reports that Patrick Godeau (La fille coupée en deux) will produce. Miller has had some luck stateside having his last two pics La petite Lili (2003) and Un secret (2007) find distribution via First Run and Strand respectively.

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Happy Birthday

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PARIS -- Abdellatif Kechiche's immigrant drama The Secret of the Grain continued its winning streak with the prize for best film of the year at the Etoiles d'or de la presse (Golden Star Awards) Monday night in Paris.

Kechiche also won the award for best director and best screenplay for his film, and saw lead actress Hafsia Herzi walk away with the best female newcomer prize.

Pathe's Jerome Seydoux and Francois Ivernel were also crowned with Golden Stars for Secret, named best producer and best distributor respectively.

Oscar favorite and Golden Globe winner La Vie en Rose star Marion Cotillard had to share the spotlight with Anna M.'s Isabelle Carre for the best actress award. Mathieu Amalric took home the best actor prize for his role as paralyzed Elle editor Dominique Bauby in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parannaud won the best first film award for animated political satire Persepolis and Barbet Schroeder's Terror's Advocate was named best documentary.

99 Francs actor Jocelyn Quivrin shared the best male newcomer prize with his Romance of Astree and Celadon co-star Andy Gillet.