“Depuis qu'Otar Est Parti...” (Since Otar Left) | France-Belgium | 2003 | 103 Min | Georgian-French-Russian

Cast: Esther Gorintin, Nino Khomasuridze, Dinara Drukarova, Temur Kalandadze, Rusudan Bolqvadze, Sasha Sarishvili, Duta Skhirtladze, Abdellah Moundy, Mzia Eristavi
Cinematography: Christophe Pollock
Editing: Emmanuelle Castro
Screenplay: Julie Bertucelli, Bernard Renucci (Adaptation)
Producer: Yael Fogiel
Directed By: Julie Bertucelli

Synopsis
The one joy in the lives of a mother and daughter comes from the regular letters sent to them from Paris by the family's adored son, Otar. When the daughter finds out that Otar has died suddenly, she tries to conceal the truth from her mother, changing the course of their lives forever.

About the Filmmaker
Born in 1968, Julie Bertucelli studied philosophy before being trained as a documentary filmmaker at the Ateliers Varan in Paris. She has worked as an assistant director to a series of well-known directors including Otar Iosseliani, Krystof Kieslowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Emmanuel Finkiel and Rithy Panh. She then went on to direct a number of documentaries, all of which proved to be considerable successes. “Since Otar Left” is her first feature film. It won the Grand Jury Prize of the Critics’ Week at Cannes in 2003.

"Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei” (The Edukators) | Germany-Austria | 2004 | 126 Min | German

Cast: Daniel Bruehl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg, Burghart Klaussner
Cinematography: Daniela Knapp,
Editing: Dirck Oetelshoven, Andreas Wodraschke
Music: Andreas Wodraschke
Screenplay: Katharina Held, Hans Weingartner
Producers: Antonin Svoboda, Hans Weingartner
Directed by: Hans Weingartner

Synopsis
Jan, Peter and Jule are living out their rebellious youth, united in their passion to change the state of the world. Jan and Peter become ‘The Edukators’, mysterious perpetrators who non-violently warn the local rich their “days of plenty are numbered.” Complications follow when vulnerable Jule ends up falling for both young men. A kidnapping that was never meant to be brings the three young idealists face-to-face with the values of the generation in power.

About the Filmmaker
Hans Weingartner was born in Feldkirch, Austria. After studying physics, he earned a diploma as a camera assistant from the Austrian Association of Cinematography and went on to study neurosciences at the University of Vienna and the neurosurgery department of the Steglitz Clinic in Berlin. In 1997 he began postgraduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. His films include the shorts “Der Dreifachstecker” (1994), “Split Brain” (1997), and “Frank” (1999), and the feature “The White Sound” (2000). “The Edukators” was nominated for a Golden Palm at Cannes and has won a number of other awards.

“Dil Aur Dunya” (The Heart And The World) | Pakistan | 1971 | 135 Min | Urdu

Cast: Rangeela, Aasia, Habib, Sultan Rahi, Munawwar Zareef
Music: Kamal Ahmad
Directed & Produced by: Rangeela

Synopsis
Partly based on Charlie Chaplin’s “The City of Lights” Rangeela’s third film is about a poor blind girl who sells flowers at street corners to support her family. The tramp, disguised as a rich and handsome man, tries to help restore her sight and goes though trials and tribulations to raise money for the operation. In the process he is also thrown into jail. On his release, the poor benefactor returns to the same spot and finds a flower shop being run by the same girl, who notices him and gives him alms.

About the Filmmaker
One of the most talented filmmakers Pakistan has ever produced, Rangeela was born Saeed Khan in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Beginning as a cinema billboard painter he went on to be a comic actor, writer, singer, director and producer. In a career spanning four decades, he acted in over 550 films and directed some well-known classics. He died on May 24 this year.

“Diya Aur Toofan” (The Lamp and the Storm) | Pakistan | 1969 | 150 Min | Urdu

Cast: Ejaz, Naghma, Nazir, Rangeela, Rani
Music: Kamal Ahmad
Directed &Produced by: Rangeela

Synopsis
Rangeela's directorial debut revolves around a newly married couple who fall foul of the local thugs. When the leader of the criminals sets his sights on the wife, the couple attempt to flee to the husband's brother in another town. However, the husband is beaten up and thrown out of a moving train. The wife seeks refuge with her kindly brother-in-law but earns the ire of her in-laws who doubt her character. When she becomes pregnant, all the accusations seem proved.

About the Filmmaker
One of the most talented filmmakers Pakistan has ever produced, Rangeela was born Saeed Khan in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Beginning as a cinema billboard painter he went on to be a comic actor, writer, singer, director and producer. He got his first break in films with a small role in "Jatti" (1958), but eventually acted in over 550 films in a career spanning almost four decades. Made with a modest budget and shunned by distributors, "Diya Aur Toofan" drew huge crowds at cinemas after Rangeela was forced to release the film himself.

Dubai Return | India | 2005 | 123 Min | Hindi

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Divya Dutta, Ritu Shivpuri, Razzak Khan, Vijay Maurya
Cinematography: Sanjay Baba Kapoor
Editing: Arjun Gourisaria
Sound Design: Dilip Subramaniyam
Music: Platinum V, Bandish Projekt
Executive Producer: Shahnaab Alam
Producer: Manya Patil Seth
Written & Directed by: Aditya Basu Bhattacharya

Synopsis
Ten years ago, Aftab Angrez made his debut as a hit-man with a high profile killing whose credit unfortunately went to someone else. Now he is back in Mumbai, and with the help of two long-lost gang-mates, out to regain his lost glory. But is fame and glory amongst one’s peers more important than mundane domestic bliss? A bitter-sweet tale about lovable losers, identity crises, dashed hopes and many misfired bullets.

About the Filmmakers
Aditya Basu Bhattacharya, the son and grandson respectively of legendary filmmakers Basu Bhattacharya and Bimal Roy, is a writer, director and producer who divides his time between Rome and Mumbai. His first feature, “Raakh” (Ashes, 1988) starring Aamir Khan, won three National Awards. His second, “Senso Unico” was made in Italy and was screened at a number of prestigious festivals. He has also directed several music videos and commercials.

Gilaneh | Iran | 2005 | 84 Min | Persian

Cast: Fatemah Motamed-Aria, Baran Kosari, Bahram Radan, Madjid Bahrami, Shahrokh Foroutanian, Jaleh Sameti
Cinematography: Morteza Poursamadi
Editing: Davoud Yusefian
Music: Mohammad Reza Aligholi
Screenplay: Mohsen Abdolvehab, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Farid Mostafavi
Executive Producer: Jahangir Kosari
Producer: Saeed Sa'di
Directed by: Mohsen Abdolvehab, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad

Synopsis
At the height of Iraqi missile attacks on Iranian cities in 1988, peasant woman Gilaneh’s son Esmaeil sets out for the battlefront, while her pregnant daughter is anxious for her deserter husband's safety. Gilaneh suffers the anguish of a distressed mother. Fifteen years later, Gilaneh has to take care of her handicapped son single-handedly, while Esmaeil anxiously waits for a traveller from the south.

About the Filmmaker
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad graduated in the field of film directing from Tehran University and joined Iranian TV in 1973, beginning her career as continuity girl and assistant director. Later on, she made a number of short documentaries and directed her first feature “Off The Limits” in 1988. Her subsequent films established her as one of the most influential women directors in Iran. Mohsen Abdolvahab was born in 1957 in Tehran. He graduated from IRIB College and began his film career in 1980, editing documentaries and short films. He has edited nearly 30 short films and has also made 23 cultural and commercial documentaries and docu-drama short films.

“Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi” (A Thousand Dreams Such As These) | India | 2005 | 120 Min | English-Hindi

Cast: Kay Kay, Chitrangada Singh, Shiny Ahuja, Saurabh Shukla, Yashpal Sharma, Ram Kapoor
Cinematography: Jacques Bouquin
Editing: Catherine D'Hoir
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Screenplay: Sudhir Mishra, Ruchi Narain, Shivkumar Subramaniam
Producer: Rangita Pritish Nandy
Directed by: Sudhir Mishra

Synopsis
Set against the backdrop of the immense political turmoil of the Emergency period in the 1970s in India, this is the story of Siddharth, Geeta and Vikram. Geeta is in love with Siddharth but politics is Siddharth’s first love and he eventually joins the Naxalite movement. Apolitical Vikram, on the other hand, unreciprocated in his love for Geeta, becomes a ‘fixer’ in the corridors of power. When he uses his connections to help out Geeta and Siddharth, he himself lands on the wrong side of the law. Geeta is then left with the choice of going with Siddharth or choosing the man who put his life on the line for her.

About the Filmmaker
A graduate of Delhi University, Sudhir Mishra began his film career assisting directors such as Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Kundan Shah and Saeed Mirza. His first feature as director was 1987’s “Yeh Woh Manzil Tau Nahin.” Since then, he has directed a number of critically praised films such as “Dharavi”, “Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin” and “Chameli.”

Holiday | India | 2005 | 110 Min | Hindi

Cast: Dino Morea, Onjolee Nair, Gulshan Grover, Nauheed Cyrusi, Kashmera Shah, Anahita Uberoi, Munmun Dutta, Pooja Arora
Cinematography: Anshuman Mahaley
Editing: Deven Murdeshwar
Music: Ranjit Barot
Screenplay: Mahesh Bhatt
Producers: Sujit Kumar Singh, Pooja Bhatt
Directed by: Pooja Bhatt

Synopsis
When Dr. Daksh Suri, his wife Nandini and their two daughters – Samara and Muskaan – embark on a month-long vacation to Goa, none of them have a clue that this holiday will change their lives forever… A coming-of-age story about an ordinary girl who becomes extraordinary simply by following her heart and learning to celebrate her ordinariness!

About the Filmmaker
An actor, director and producer, Pooja Bhatt began her career in front of the screen with her father Mahesh Bhatt’s film “Daddy” in 1989. She rose to further stardom with films such as “Sarrak”, “Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin”, “Sir” and “Zakhm.” She ventured into production in 1997 with the critically praised “Tamanna” and has since produced nine films. Her directorial debut, “Paap” premiered at the 3rd KaraFilm Festival. “ Holiday” is her second film as director.

“Il Ladro Di Bambini” (The Stolen Children) | Italy- France-Germany-Switzerland | 1992 | 114 Min | Italian

Cast: Enrico Lo Verso, Valentina Scalici, Giuseppe Ieracitano, Florence Darel, Marina Golovine Cinematography: Tonino Nardi, Renato Tafuri
Editing: Simona Paggi
Music: Franco Piersanti
Screenplay: Gianni Amelio, Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli
Producer: Angelo Rizzoli, Jr.
Directed by: Gianni Amelio

Synopsis
Policeman Antonio has an order to take two children (Rosetta and her brother Luciano) from Milan to Sicily to an orphanage. Their mother has been arrested for forcing 11-year-old Rosetta to work as a prostitute. As they travel through the bleak and beautiful landscape of southern Italy, a bond between the children and their escort develops. Nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and winner of the Grand Jury Prize among others awards.

About the Filmmaker
Gianni Amelio was born in the southern province of Catanzaro in 1945. His father left his family soon after his birth to move to Argentina. This loss of a father figure was to play a fundamental part in the poetics of his films. In 1978, his detective film “La Morte al Lavoro” (Death at Work) won the FIPRESCI Award at the Locarno Film Festival. “Colpire al Cuore” (Blow to the Heart, 1982), an extraordinary film on terrorism from the perspective of a father/son relationship, won him further plaudits and confirmed his place as one of contemporary Italy’s foremost auteurs.

“Io Non Ho Paura” (I’m Not Scared) | Italy-Spain-UK | 2003 | 108 Min | Italian

Cast: Giuseppe Cristiano, Mattia Di Pierro, Adriana Conserva, Fabio Tetta, Dino Abbrescia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijon, Diego Abatantuono
Cinematography: Italo Petriccione
Editing: Massimo Fiocchi
Music: Ezio Bosso, Pepo Scherman, Ennio Morricone
Screenplay: Francesca Marciano, Niccolò Ammaniti (adapted from the novel by Niccolo Ammaniti)
Producers: Marco Chimenz, Giovanni Stabilini, Maurizio Totti, Riccardo Tozzi
Directed by: Gabriele Salvatores

Synopsis
While playing outside one day, nine-year-old Michele discovers Filippo chained to the ground at the bottom of a hole. Michele witnesses town baddie Felice nearby and suspects something bad is happening. Michele is unsure who he should tell about his discovery, eventually spilling the beans to his closest friend. When Michele's parents learn of his discovery, they warn him to forget whatever he saw. But a bond has developed between the two boys.

About the Filmmaker
Gabriele Salvatores was born in Naples in 1950 but moved with his family to Milan, where he studied at the Accademia del Piccolo Teatro. He made his directorial debut in 1983 with a film inspired by a Shakespearean play. But it was “Marrakech Express” (1989) which marked his style and the main themes of his subsequent films – fellowship, the journey as a tribute to escape or as a defection from the pressure of history, the South of Italy as a possible way out. His film “Mediterraneo” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1991.

Kebab Connection | Germany| 2004 | 96 Min | German

Cast: Kida Ramadan
Cinematography: Hannes Hubach
Editing: Tobias Haas
Music: Marcel Barsotti
Story: Ralph Schwingl
Screenplay: Fatih Akin, Jan Berger, Anno Saul, Ruth Toma
Producers: Stefan Schubert, Ralph Schwingel
Directed by: Anno Saul

Synopsis
“Kebab Connection” is a crazily comedic tale of two fast food stands, a frustrated filmmaker, the coolest commercial of all time, intercul­tural love, forbidden romance and centuries-old rivalry. And we mustn’t forget the local mafia, either! The young Turkish hip-hopper, Ibo, wants to make the first German kung-fu film, so he practices by making an extremely successful commercial spot for his uncle’s kebab stand. Everything seems to be going his way until his girlfriend tells him she’s pregnant… Nominated for two German Camera awards.

About the Filmmaker
Anno Saul was born in 1963 in Bonn. He initially studied at the Jesuit College for Philosophy in Munich, followed by studies from 1985-1990 at the Academy of Television & Film, Munich. His films include: “Unter Freunden” (short, 1990), “Und Morgen Faengt Das Leben An” (TV, 1995), “Alte Liebe - Alte Suende” (TV, 1996), “Blind Date” (TV, 1997), “Zur Zeit Zu Zweit” (TV, 1998), “ Green Desert” (1999), and “Die Novizin” (TV, 2002), as well as numerous industrial and advertising films.

“Khalnayak” (Villain) | India | 1993 | 190 Min | Hindi

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff, Rakhee, Anupam Kher
Cinematography: Ashok Mehta
Editing: Waman Bhonsle, Gurudutt Shirali
Art Direction: Bijon Das Gupta
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Screenplay: Subhash Ghai, Ram Kelkar, Kamlesh Pandey
Directed & Produced by: Subhash Ghai

Synopsis
Criminal Ballu Balram escapes from jail putting senior cop Ram in distress and anguish. Ram’s fiancée Ganga, a policewoman herself, takes up the challenge to bring Ballu back to jail. She joins him as a gang member till Ballu realises her true identity and uses her for his own ends. But having fallen in love with her, he is faced with a dilemma when she is arrested for helping him. Nominated for 11 Filmfare awards, the film was a runaway hit along with its memorable song “Choli Ke Peechhe.”

About the Filmmakers
Born in 1943, Subhash Ghai is one of India’s leading directors and producers of mainstream cinema and is the CEO of content provider Mukta Arts. He is responsible for launching stars such as Madhuri Dixit, Meenakshi, Jackie Shroff, Mahima Chaudhry and Manisha Koirala. Beginning with “Kalicharan” (1976), he has directed a number of blockbusters, including “Hero”, “Karz”, “Ram Lakhan”, “Saudagar” and “ Taal.”

“Kirikou Et La Sorciere” (Kirikou and The Sorceress) | France-Belgium-Luxembourg | 1998 | 74 Min | French

Voices of: Theo Sebeko, Kombisile Sangweni, Antoinette Kellermann, Fezele Mpeka, Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole
Editing: Dominique Lefèvre
Music: Youssou N'Dour
Producers: Didier Brunner, Paul Thiltges, Jacques Vercruyssen
Written & Directed by: Michel Ocelot

Synopsis
In a little village somewhere in Africa, a boy named Kirikou is born. But he's not a normal boy, because he knows what he wants very well. Also, he can already speak and walk. His mother tells him how an evil sorceress has dried up their spring and devoured all males of the village except for one. Little Kirikou decides he will accompany the last warrior to the sorceress. Given his intrepidity he may be the last hope for the village.

About the Filmmakers
After studies in art, Michel Ocelot dedicated his whole career to animated films. He writes all his own screenplays and draws all the graphics for his projects. He has directed several films for companies as well as a number of short series and short films. For the last six years, he has been President of ASIFA, the International Association for Animated Film. “Kirikou et la Sorcière” was his debut feature. He is currently working on a new feature film set in medieval North Africa and Andalucia.

“Kubra Ashiq” (Hunchback Lover) | Pakistan | 1973 | 180 Min | Urdu

Cast: Rangeela, Nisho, Aurangzeb, Asif, Sawan
Music: M. Ashraf
Directed & Produced by: Rangeela

Synopsis
Based on Victor Hugo’s French classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the film stars Rangeela in the role of Quasimodo, the handicapped romantic unrequitedly in love with a beautiful girl. Flying high on the success of “Diya Aur Toofan”, “Rangeela”, “Dil Aur Duniya” and “Do Rangeelay”, Rangeela invested all his talent and fortune in the big budget “Kubra Aashiq”, which flopped spectacularly, leaving him broke.

About the Filmmakers
One of the most talented filmmakers Pakistan has ever produced, Rangeela was born Saeed Khan in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Beginning as a cinema billboard painter he went on to be a comic actor, writer, singer, director and producer. He got his first break in films with a small role in “Jatti” (1958), but eventually acted in over 550 films in a career spanning almost four decades. His directorial efforts yielded such blockbusters as “Diya Aur Toofan”, “Rangeela” and “Do Rangeelay” as well as such cult favourites as “Aurat Raj.” Rangeela died on May 24 this year.