Pan Nalin: Last News

Naman Ramachandran U.K. and India-based production company Civic Studios is presenting “Just Like Her Mother,” a series exploring the women’s rights movement through an intergenerational story, at India’s Film Bazaar co-production market. Venice Film Festival winner Ruchika Oberoi (“Island City”) is in talks to direct.

Naman Ramachandran A panel of film industry veterans at Film Bazaar highlighted both opportunities and challenges facing independent Indian cinema, particularly in distribution and theatrical exhibition. During a discussion moderated by Rajeev Masand, COO of Dharma Cornerstone Agency, panelists addressed the complex ecosystem required to sustain independent filmmaking in India.

Naman Ramachandran The inaugural Tasveer Film Market has unveiled over 40 projects selected from more than 300 submissions across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the U.K., the U.S., Canada and Australia. The initiative, positioning itself as a new hub for South Asian and diaspora filmmakers, is set to launch as part of the 19th Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle. Notable talents presenting projects include Radhika Apte (“The Sleepwalkers”), the Cannes-winning “Joyland” team of Apoorva Charan and Saim Sadiq, Sarvnik Kaur (“Against the Tide”), Q (“Garbage”), Nabeel Qureshi (“Na Maloom Afraad”) and Hania Chima (“Laal Kabootar”).

Naman Ramachandran “Second Chance,” the directorial debut of Indian filmmaker Subhadra Mahajan, has been picked up for international sales by Thailand-based Diversion ahead of its world premiere at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film is set to debut on July 2 in the festival’s Proxima Competition section. The film tells the story of Nia, a young woman from the city who returns to her family home in the western Himalayas after a decade-long absence.

Naman Ramachandran Pan Nalin, producer and director of Indian Oscar-shortlisted film “Last Film Show,” has boarded Subhadra Mahajan’s debut feature “Second Chance” as an executive producer. Mahajan previously served as assistant director on Nalin’s “Echo of Eco,” “Angry Indian Goddesses,” “Beyond the Known World” and “Last Film Show.” “Second Chance,” now in the final stages of post-production, was launched at India’s Film Bazaar co-production market in 2020, and has participated in labs and development programs including Film Independent Global Media Makers Program 2022, the Cannes market co-production day 2021 and Produire Au Sud Kolkata. The film follows city girl Nia who visits her family home in the western Himalayas after a decade, in the dead of winter, alone.

India has selected the survival thriller 2018 from filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.

Naman Ramachandran S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR” was the big winner at India’s annual National Film Awards with six honors, while actor R. Madhavan’s directorial debut “Rocketry” won best film.

Naman Ramachandran India’s official entry to the 2023 Oscars, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” and Rima Das’ acclaimed 2017 festival favorite “Village Rockstars,” are amongst the films screening at the inaugural Nirvana – Festival de la Culture et du Cinema Indiens. Taking place in Saint-Tropez May 26-28, the festival will also screen Shubhashish Bhutiani’s 2016 Venice winner “Hotel Salvation” and Rajat Kapoor’s “RK/RKAY” (2022). On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the director’s cut of the international version of Ketan Mehta’s freedom fight themed “The Rising” (2005) will be screened. Indian filmmakers Sundaram Tagore, Deepa Sahi, Surina Narula and Sanjay Bhutiani will speak at a roundtable on Indo-French cinema.

EXCLUSIVE: Shochiku has acquired Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show (Chhello Show) for Japan and has set a theatrical release on January 20. Last Film Show is among the 15 films shortlisted for International Feature Oscar and the first Indian title to make the cut in 21 years. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today revealed the 15-film shortlist of movies that will advance to the nominations process for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. As we have previously reported, this is a year without a hands-down front-runner, and all of the movies in our preview have made the cut. See the full shortlist below.

Could blockbusters rule at this year's Oscars?It certainly seems possible after an advance shortlist revealed on Wednesday that Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water are all in the running. Pop stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna also got one step closer to getting Oscar nominations.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 95th Oscars, including documentary feature, international film, makeup and hairstyling, score, original song, sound, visual effects and shorts.Alejandro González Iñárritu´s "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths" was along the 15 films shortlisted in the international film category, one of the most competitive. The category also includes already decorated films like "Holy Spider" (Denmark), "All Quiet on the Western Front" (Germany), "Saint Omer" (France), "Corsage" (Austria), "EO" (Poland), "Return to Seoul" (Cambodia), "Decision to Leave" (South Korea), "Close" (Belgium) and "Argentina, 1985" (Argentina).

After its well received premiere at Tribeca Festival in June last year, Pan Nalin’s love letter to cinema Last Film Show went on to capture the hearts of festivalgoers all over the world. Starring newcomer Bhavin Rabari, it tells the story of Samay, a country boy whose life is changed forever during a trip to see a Bollywood movie with his family. Soon after, Samay befriends the projectionist at the cinema and begins to play truant, causing a rift with his overbearing but well-meaning father.

Naman Ramachandran “Last Film Show” (“Chhello Show”) India’s contender in the Oscars international feature category, will release across India on Oct. 14. Cashing in on the fact that it is in contention at the 95th Oscars, the distributors – Roy Kapur Films in partnership with PVR – are pricing previews on Oct. 13 across 95 Indian cinemas at INR95 ($1.16). The partly autobiographical drama takes director Pan Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief U.S distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films president Peter Goldwyn has weighed in on the backlash to India’s selection of its competitor for this year’s best international film race at the Oscars, calling candidate “The Last Film Show,” which it will release in North America, “a really strong contender.” Directed by Pan Nalin (“Samsara,” “Valley of Flowers”), the Gujarati-language film is the story of a nine-year old boy pursuing his dreams in cinema. It debuted at the Tribeca Festival in 2021 and has since played fests in Palms Springs, Seattle and Mill Valley. “Last Film Show” will have its commercial release in Gujarat, India on Oct. 14, 2022, giving it the necessary qualifying theatrical run in its home territory.

Naman Ramachandran Entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has signed Indian filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli. Rajamouli’s “RRR,” starring NTR Jr and Ram Charan, has been making waves around the world since it released in March and has collected some $150 million, making it the fourth highest grossing Indian film of all time. The Hindi-language dubbed version of “RRR,” a film originally made in the Telugu-language, is the only non-English-language film to trend globally for 10 consecutive weeks on Netflix.    Another film by Rajamouli, 2017’s “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” is the second highest grossing film of all time in India with $278 million. Next up for Rajamouli is an as-yet-untitled film staring Mahesh Babu, which he has described as a globe-trotting action-adventure. The film will commence production in the spring of 2023.

Naman Ramachandran After world premiering at Tribeca and travelling the world since, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” (“Chhello Show”) is coming home to India, with Siddharth Roy Kapur’s Roy Kapur Films set to distribute it across the country. The partly autobiographical drama takes Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether. The film follows nine-year-old boy Samay, whose life turns upside down after watching his first movie. He passionately falls in love with films against his father’s wish. Samay strikes a deal with Fazal, the projectionist, who will let him watch movies for free in exchange for eating the contents of his lunchbox. Their food-for-films deal turns into an endearing friendship, but heartbreaking choices lie ahead.

Naman Ramachandran A trio of global festival favorites — Pan Nalin‘s “Last Film Show,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki‘s “No Land’s Man” and Gurvinder Singh‘s “Crescent Night” (“Adh Chanani Raat”) — will open the 11th edition of the BMO International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA), Toronto (Aug. 11-21).

Wilson Chapman editorThe Indian Film Festival Los Angeles has announced the programming lineup for its 2022 edition, which includes Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” as a gala presentation.The festival, which spotlights films made about the Indian diaspora from filmmakers of Indian heritage, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year with a return to in-person screenings for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the festival, 10 feature films and 16 short films will be screened, including a world premiere and two North American premieres.“Reflecting on IFFLA’s 20 years, we find ourselves overjoyed by the range of incredible talent we have discovered and celebrated, introducing numerous emerging and established voices to Los Angeles,” IFFA executive director and founder Christina Marouda said in a statement.

Liza Foreman Indian helmer Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” walked off on Saturday with the top prize, the Golden Spike, at the 66th Valladolid Intl.