Always have fun filming with friends? Are you a film-maker at heart? If yes, then the following get you thinking for sure.

The ACT- A Centre for Theatre- and Tharangam Cultural Centre, along with C-hed, the cultural wing of the Corporation is organizing a short film festival titled ‘ Contemporary Dreams ‘ starting on the 30th of November and going on till the 3rd of December in ‘ namma Kochi’. The event will be presided over by eminent names in the film and theater industry and will give all you budding film-makes an excellent chance to meet and interact with them. Film-making is an art, which needs a lot of time, patience and perseverance. But above all, the right directions, provided by the best in the field will only help you become the best, So don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the masters themselves.

And thats not all. Along with short films, there would be documentaries which would be screened, and after a day full of serious thinking and discussions, you have the music nights that will get u grooving.

The selected best short film will win a prize of INR 15,000/- The best documentary shall be awarded prize money of INR 10000/-

Nad participation is quite a simple procedure. If you have a short-film or documentary which you would like to send for selections, just make a DVD and along with INR 500/- as the registration fee, send the DVD to

Programme Director,

ACT- A Centre for Theatre,

38/610, Mother Teresa Road,

Anchumana, Edapally, Kochi-24.

The entries must be submitted by the 25^th of November 2011.

The Rotary Club of Cochin Metropolis is organizing  an international short film festival SCRIPT 2011 on January 28th and 29th here at Fine arts hall.

Short films from all across the world will be considered for awards in this event . Short films dealing with issues that are of global relevance will be the candidates.  This is the first time in India an international short film festival is being organized. Around 4000 people including rotary members are expected to attend this big event .

Around 150 movies from the following categories have been selected for the competion . The categories are
Category 1: Corporates
Category 2: Filmmakers
Category 3: Voluntary Organizations
Category 4: Students
There will be separate competitions and recognitions for each category. There will be separate screenings, awards and cash prizes for each category.

For more information contact :

Festival Office
Script 2011, c/o “Chemmeens House”,
28/92, Concrete Lane,
Panampilly Nagar,
Cochin 682 036.
Ph: +91 484 2315535, +91 484 2315536

The Narnians are back with the 3rd version “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3D)“. The movie released yesterday and is running @ Cinemax Cochin.

Watched the movie yesterday itself and before getting into the review, would like say how i felt about the movie in just 3 words — ” a total disappointment”

So now its review time..

The movie from the very first series itself sticks to the book and the same this time too. The speciality of the movie for this time is that, its it 3D !!!

• 3D : The 3D was very disappointing. No highlights for the 3D enjoyment. The only shot were I was able to recognize the 3D was during the snowfall. The movie would have been more enjoyable in 2D itself.

• Visuals : Narnia gave great visual treatment to it fans through the previous 2 chapters, but unfortunately this time there aren’t much !! Many scenes in the movie looked like scenes of a television serial and was boring !!

• Graphics : Comparing the previous 2 Narnia movies, the graphics works of Narnia 3 is poor. Since the movie is released in 3D and no graphics work .. what should I say !! bad !! very bad !!

• Background Score : The background score is ok but not upto the mark.

All in total about the movie, its juz ok.. From my view, I enjoyed the previous 2 versions especially Prince Caspian !!

My Rating : 2 / 5 ( Fan Rating :  2.5 / 5)

Funeral wreaths at the ready, for Harry Potter is bowing out. The record-breaking film series, adapted with a stentorian reverence from the JK Rowling bestsellers, totters towards the exit door at the end of a nine-year, seven-picture marathon, as its total running time nudges 20 hours and its inhabitants age before our eyes.

Yes, it really is dark times for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). The lighthearted and fun moments of their childhood at the idyllic Hogwarts of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone have been replaced by a fraught with peril search for survival in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I. Director David Yates has been handed the wand for this, his third HP adventure, and like his previous efforts in The Half-Blood Prince and Order of the Phoenix, he has had no problem casting a dark spell over the franchise. Working with a screenplay by Steve Kloves, who has adapted all of the J.K. Rowling books except Order of the Phoenix, The Deathly Hallows is about the search for the Horcruxes that Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) needs to complete his resurrection.

The seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s mega-zillion-dollar series was so hefty that director David Yates and writer Steve Kloves divided the story in two, with the finale arriving in July. Hopefully “Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ feels more tightly plotted than “Half-Blood Prince,” which thrived on lighthearted cheer that’s virtually absent from the latest and mostly humorless installment.

The movie, in other words, belongs solidly to Mr. Radcliffe, Mr. Grint and Ms. Watson, who have grown into nimble actors, capable of nuances of feeling that would do their elders proud. One of the great pleasures of this penultimate “Potter” movie is the anticipation of stellar post-“Potter” careers for all three of them.

So coming to the movie. Well I was very to get a chance to watch the movie on the very first day of the release ( well its been a long term plan of getting tickets for the first day itself ). The movie is simply great and mind-blowing ( especially for the fans ). Even though the movie wasn’t in 3D, there a were a lot of scenes which gives the 3D feeling and if the movie was in 3D yo… the movie would be rocking more further. Really love the way how the movie started !! The sync between the flash backs with the present scenes were good. Visual scenes, especially the countryside scenes are awesome !! The movie is made more rich in graphics and yea loving it well !! The way which the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is taken,  keeps us more interested in watching / discussing the next and coming final movie : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ” Part 2

To be fair to “Deathly Hallows,” the filmmakers have tried hard to fill the proceedings with battles and chases and debilitating curses. Genuine filmmaking excitement, however, is harder to provide. One look at the most visually striking part of the film, a vibrant and involving animation sequence supervised by Ben Hibon that tells the Deathly Hallows origin story, demonstrates more vividly than any review could exactly what this film has been missing.

My Rating : 3 / 5 ( For a fan it can be 3.5 or 4 )

The movie is currently showing at Cinemax Cochin and Srihar Movies Cochin

Step Up 3D is the very first dance film to be shot in 3D and its a real treat for its fans. The film got released on September 6,2010 and me and my friends were eagerly waiting to its release in Cochin,Kerala. After the wait of 2 months the movie released in Cochin at Sridhar Cinemas and Cinemax Cochin and we watched the movie @ Cinemax Cochin.

Well not dragging any more further lets get into the review.

Step Up 3D has no right whatsoever to be a good movie, and yet here we are anyway, calling it the best film in the Step Up franchise. Step Up 3D is a good movie. Of course, Step Up 3D isn’t just a superhero movie, it’s a superhero team movie. The movie is not an instant classic, but a genuine celebration of music, dance, filmmaking, and yes, even 3D, and their power to entertain. The movie do have its flaws, but for once a movie in this commercially successful but critically maligned franchise actually overcomes its idiosyncrasies, rather than succeeding in spite of them.

Some of the dancing was fun, but some dance number relied on dancers facing the screen directly and reaching arms out into the audience. The dancing also felt slowed. Though Chu said that this was a tactical choice to help the audience keep eyes focused through 3D lenses, I wonder why they didn’t just film the dancing fast and then slow it down? Even slow motion would have been more impressive.

Was the movie better in 3D? Undoubtedly, but in surprising ways. The Director made the most of the 3-D technology, cleverly using foreground elements, complex choreography and an enhanced lighting scheme to make the most of the process while diminishing its more negative effects in the movie. There are distractingly silly nods to a gimmick made throughout the film in the form of Moose popping CGI bubbles and a preposterous bit of product placement for Icee in a big romantic scene, but the movie always settles quickly back in to what it’s best at: beautiful dance moves. There’s a number I particularly liked where they used Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows” as an elaborate James Bond-styled tango of espionage. The music fit the scene perfectly, the lyrics less so, but this is one of those films where listening to what people say comes secondary to the way they move, and in this context there’s nothing wrong with that. There were a number of scenes simply walking around New York City, hanging out by the East River or on the rooftops, and these moments were much more alive and scenic thanks to the 3D filming. I think 3D could honestly have a place in a real drama, or at least a genre outside the normal horror and sci-fi realm.

Step Up 3D is perfect summer entertainment: sunny and entertaining, without any of the unnecessary melodrama that sank the previous films in a bog of their own ambition. This is lighthearted filmmaking that deserves to be praised, even if it doesn’t belong in the upper echelon of the dance (or superhero) genres.

Very important thing to share / notice : Watch the movie in 3D else don’t watch it. If you want to enjoy and move along with the movie, then watch it only in 3D ..!!!!!

My Rating : 5.5 / 10 ( Rating as a fan person : 6.5 /10)

With not much plans in mind for yesterday evening me and my friend Ranjith were planning to watch “Pranjiyettan” once again. Going through the timings of movie shows in Cinemax Cochin, Ranjith noticed the movie schedule for “Cocktail”. Remembering the script work of Anoop Menon in “PakalNakshatrangal”, with no second thoughts we decided to watch “Cocktail” @ Cinemax Cochin. The movie very much impressed us very much and worth watching. Moreover, our  meet with actor Jayasurya and actress Samvritha took our joy to more heights.

Now let me come to the review.

#iLike :

———

1. Intro Music and visuals : Good

The intro music and visuals were simple and clean and very impressive. The intro score was very synced with the intro visuals. From the intro visuals to entry of the film really had a great flow and was very good.

2.  Young Couples – Anoop Menon and Samvritha : Excellent

Anoop Menon and Samvritha really resembled the young “love married” couples. The dialogues between each other had no artificiality. It had the flow how the young generation couples who talk and behave. Lovely!!!!

3. Dialogues – Simple and Clean : Excellent

The dialogues in the movie was very simple and clean. Really reflected the talks of normal people. Dialogues of Jayasurya “wow”, very simple and clean for his role and very very impressive. Dialogues of the company head nice. It reflected the talk of a person who had his higher studies abroad. Dialogues of the people at colony, very much to the local slang and style.

4. Scenes : Impressive

Really loved the way which the scenes were shot. The scene at the supermarket where Samvritha talks in the mobile phone and leaves her child behind was shot in a very natural way. Especially the way which Vallarpaadam was shot very impressive. Shot at the colony was also good. Shots inside the office, home, restaurant etc good. The lodge scene in which Jayasurya tries to take on Samvritha infront of Anoop Menon, reall great. Nice work Jayasurya!!

5. Songs and background Music: Good

The songs were impressive. Loved the lyrics and its music. Background really need to mention : great work. The background score of Jayasurya was awesome and it also synced with other background music when mixed together.

5. Suspense : Kudoos (no words to say)

The suspense was rocking. The movie was about to end, I tried to predict the suspense (which normally was correct every time), but it took the round off. Twist from what the we would expect when the movie was about the end. Really hats off for that work.

6. Story : Great

The story reflected very much to the life of the present generation couples. Hats off for choosing the particular theme and working out well.. And as Anoop Menon said ” This is a story in 2010″

#Suggestions and #Dislikes or #Flaws :

Well, I really have no dislikes  to mention. I enjoyed the movie through out. Well suggestions/flaws yea, but for that I need to catch the very simple things else there is nothing to mention

1. The scene @ KFC Gold Souk Cochin, even though the KFC display pic at the entry was covered, it was still visible (blurred) at screen.
2. I would suggest to have lyrics of the song played in a colony  in Hindi or Tamil instead of Malayalam .
3. A shot in the colony the camera was shaking very much, could have avoided a bit.
4. Would suggest to avoid the last scene and try something another, because it highlights a big flaw “a project lead not knowing fellow worker’s suicide attempt” … But none noticed it..

My rating : 8.4 / 10 (could give a 9 but considered even the minor flaws and the last scene)

One day of Mat and Nat at Fort Kochi. They woke up with early morning yoga and ended with a display of traditional Kathakali dance…An awesome Video on the culture and heritage of Kerala from Fort Kochi

Another Amazing video from the Matt and Nat onto india series about Kalri payattu, Mango tree restaurant and Engineering in Fort Kochi

Matt Campagna (Matt ) and Anastasia Tubanos (Ann) from Torronto Canada visited Fort Kochi last december and they made this amazing video on Ayurveda and Cooking in Fort Kochi. They also visited some other places in Fort Kochi and those videos are added as another post