Dehati Disco, trailer launch: Ace choreographer Ganesh Acharya debuts as leading man They chose International Dance Day to release the trailer of the film Dehati (Rural) Disco at the deserted and decrepit Golden Tobacco cigarette factory, in suburban Vile Parle, Mumbai, which stopped production of their Panama brand decades ago, and the place, which was a landmark once upon a time, now constitutes vestigial remain. Dance has always been the heart of our Indian cinema. We have seen several ic...

  I had to do a double-take when I saw the headline yesterday: GEN ART TO CLOSE ITS DOORS AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS. The Gen Art organization, which organizes networking and exhibition events for film, music and fashion in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and several other cities, is closing its doors? After what was an amazingly successful New York festival just two weeks ago? Well, the news apparently is true and joins a wave of bad news for specialized events around the USA (and p...

The 15th edition of the GEN ART FILM FESTIVAL came to a rousing ending on Tuesday night with the NY Premiere Screening of MERCY, a morality tale starring Scott Caan set in the shark-infested waters of Los Angeles, followed by the announcement of the award winners for this year's event. The Acura Grand Jury Award for Best Feature went to Tatiana Von Furstenberg and Francesca Gregorini’s “Tanner Hall” with both directors on hand to receive their award. The Acura Grand Jury Awar...

  "I am not a celebrity, but I play one on television", actor Adrien Grenier wagged from the stage at the School of Visual Arts Theater last night after the presentation of his documentary film TEENAGE PAPARAZZO at the Gen Art Film Festival in New York. Grenier, best known for his role as young movie star Vincent Chase in the Hollywood buddy comedy ENTOURAGE, has had his own run with the paparazzi, the aggressive photo hounds who are desperate to catch an unposed photo of cel...

  Most American indie films don't have budgets to attract big stars or show off spiffy special effects. However, what they do have and are arguably much better at than the Hollywood studios, is the ability to offer stories that are more personal and more "real" and which relate to their audiences in a special way. Endings don't always need to be happy, conflicts don't always need to be tied up and emotions don't need to be well mannered in an indie film. In this sense, they a...

  The Gen Art Film Festival, a kind of mini Sundance, opens tonight with the East Coast Premiere of HappyThankYouMorePlease, the directorial debut of actor Josh Radnor. The film will screen at the 1500-seat Ziegfield Theater in Manhattan, one of the last of the grand movie palaces left in New York. Radnor, best known as an actor, is pulling a Woody Allen with this debut film....writing, directing and starring. The fact that the film won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Fes...

  Some might say that the most prized award given at the Sundance Film Festival is the public prize. Winners of the Audience Award, as opposed to winners of the juried competitions, tend to indicate an innate audience appreciation that speaks volumes to film distributors and critics. In that light, tonight's Opening Film at the 15th Gen Art Film Festival is bound to be a crowd pleaser. HappyThankYouMorePlease is the directorial debut of actor Josh Radnor, best known for his role o...

  It has been a decade and a half since Gen Art, the nationwide networking organization devoted to art, fashion, music and movies, first launched a New York-based film festival to highlight works from emerging American independent artists. But different from other festivals of a similar stripe, the Gen Art concept was quite simple: seven films shown over seven nights with audience members invited to an after-party at a hot club or restaurant each evening. This winning formu...

David Miller’s MY SUICIDE was the major winner at the 14th Annual Gen Art Film Festival, which concluded its weeklong celebration of new American Independent cinema on Tuesday evening with the screening of the Closing Night Film FINDING BLISS. The drama about an alienated teenager who chronicles his isolated high school existence through the lens of a camera won a cash award of $10,000 from the Festival’s lead sponsor Acura. The film’s lead actor Gabriel Sunday was also honored with the ...

March 26-----One of the more intriguing film festival events on the circuit opens next week in New York. The Gen Art Film Festival (April 1-7) returns to the Big Apple with its crowd-pleasing concept in tow. Not only do attendees have a chance to see previews of some of the more intriguing independent films, each ticket also includes a post-screening party where audiences can hobnob with industry reps, film personalities and the teams behind the films that are screening. This open access, as o...

Friday, April 11--------The 13th Annual Gen Art Film Festival Presented by Acura wrapped an exciting week with the U.S. Premiere of THE TAKE, an intense policier directed by Brad Furman and starring John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez. The film opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles today. A packed audience attended the Closing Night Screening at the newly dubbed Visual Arts Theater, recently purchased by the School of Visual Arts. Director Brad Furman was visibly moved by the strong audience ...

 Friday, April 4-----The 13th edition of the Gen Art Film Festival kicked off festivities on Wednesday night with the East Coast Premiere screening of DIMINISHED CAPACITY, a family drama starring Matthew Broderick and Alan Alda. The Festival continues through next Tuesday, showcasing one feature film and accompanying short film per night, followed by a party at some of New York’s most trendy nightspots. On the eve of the Festival, I interviewed Jeff Abramson, Head of the Film Division for Gen...

 Wednesday, April 2------One film/one party…..it’s a formula that has served the Gen Art Film Festival well during the last dozen years. Well, the film + party theme kicks off again this evening, as the 13th Annual Gen Art Film Festival begins a week-long showcase of the best of new American independent cinema. The Festival, presented by Acura, offers spotlight showcases seven features and seven shorts from emerging filmmakers, which are followed by seven premiere parties at some of New Yor...

 Thursday, April 19-----SHARKWATER, the eco-activist documentary by Canadian director Rob Stewart, took the Acura Grand Jury Feature Film Award, with a cash prize of $10,000,  at the Gen Art Film Festival Awards Ceremonies on Tuesday night.  The film has already won eleven major international awards, and opened theatrically earlier this month in its native Canada with a record-breaking opening weekend (beating out such high profile documentaries as the Oscar winning AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH an...

 Thursday, April 19-----SHARKWATER, the eco-activist documentary by Canadian director Rob Stewart, took the Acura Grand Jury Feature Film Award, with a cash prize of $10,000,  at the Gen Art Film Festival Awards Ceremonies on Tuesday night.  The film has already won eleven major international awards, and opened theatrically earlier this month in its native Canada with a record-breaking opening weekend (beating out such high profile documentaries as the Oscar winning AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH an...

Saturday, April 14-----When nature photographer and master diver Rob Stewart began his project to document the beauty of sharks in their natural underwater environment, little did he realize that his innate fascination would bring him into conflict with governments and organized crime who profit from the mass killing of these endangered animals. With shark fins prized as a delicacy and shark cartilage falsely promoted as a cure-all for disease and impotence, the illegal killing of sharks around...

Friday, April 13------If the theory that shitty weather is good for film festivals holds true, then the time is perfect for this year's Gen Art Film Festival. Although the calendar says mid April, Spring is decidely late this year, with massive rainstorms and temperatures well below normal bursting the bubbles of New Yorkers ready for the winter thaw. So, with the weather inclement, the heat generated from packed screenings and even more crowded after-parties are making this year's Gen A...

 Wednesday, April 11-----The Gen Art Film Festival, one of New York's most provocative and satisfying film events, roars into town this evening with the New York Premiere of CRASHING, directed by Gary Walkow and starring Campbell Scott (both of whom will be in attendance). The Festival, celebrating its 12th year, has the winning formula of presenting one film premiere a night, followed by after-parties at some of New York's trendiest night spots. CRASHING, which also stars Lizzy Capla...