The directors have been set for the next three installments in BMW’s "The Hire" Internet film series, which will be produced by bicoastal RSA USA. The filmmakers are Tony Scott (whose feature filmography includes Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Crimson Tide, Days of Thunder, Top Gun), John Woo (Windtalkers, Mission Impossible II, Face/Off, Broken Arrow) and Joe Carnahan (Narc; Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane). RSA succeeds bicoastal Anonymous Content as the production company on the Web-based shorts, which will again center on a central character known as "The Driver," played by Clive Owen. Fallon Minneapolis continues as the ad agency, with RSA USA’s Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and managing director Jules Daly serving as executive producers. The three new shorts are slated to debut in October…..Paul Grimshaw has joined The Orphanage’s commercial and music video division, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as VP/executive producer. Grimshaw formerly served as exec producer at Industrial Light+Magic Commercial Productions (ILMCP), which closed in June. Well known for its feature effects pedigree, digital studio The Orphanage has successfully diversified into spots and music videos. The San Francisco-based Grimshaw will work closely with John Benson, executive producer for The Orphanage in Los Angeles, to further extend the shop’s spot reach….Santa Monica-based editorial/design/animation studio Revue has opened under the aegis of executive producer Tatiana Derovanessian. Rick Lobo, who comes over from FilmCore San Francisco, is staff editor. Another editor is expected to join Revue imminently. Derovanessian had been a senior producer at Cosmo Street Editorial, Santa Monica….Fire/Inferno artist Ernie Camacho has joined Avenue, Santa Monica. He comes over from Bob ‘n’ Sheila’s Edit World, San Francisco….Kate O’Neill has become a staff visual effects artist at Black Logic, New York, after having worked regularly at the shop as a freelancer.…Formerly with the New York office of bicoastal/international Attik, producer Danielle Amarai and senior designer John O’Callaghan have come aboard Charlex, New York.…Agent Jackson, Santa Monica, has become a bicoastal music shop with the opening of a New York studio….
India’s Official Oscar Entry, Which Failed To Make The Cut, Tops Bollywood Awards Show With 10 Wins
The film that was submitted as India's official Oscar entry but failed to make the final list of nominees has swept the International Indian Film Academy Awards, which recognize outstanding work in the country's film industry.
Director Kiran Rao's critically acclaimed "Laapataa Ladies" — renamed "Lost Ladies" for its Oscar campaign — emerged as the biggest winner at the 2025 IIFA Awards, bagging 10 wins, including best picture and best direction.
The 2023 comedy is about two veiled brides who are accidentally swapped during a train ride, and tackles issues of patriarchy and gender roles, a shift from decades of male-centered mainstream Indian movies.
"It's a rare privilege to win an award for a film like 'Laapataa Ladies.' It's been a wonderful night. It's a rare privilege to make a film like this," Rao said in her acceptance speech.
Rao's film — a rare departure from most Bollywood films, which typically feature song-and-dance routines, violence and melodrama — also won in categories for best story, best screenplay and best actress in a leading role.
The annual ceremony of IIFA began in the western city of Jaipur on Saturday and concluded Sunday.
Indian cinema's most recognizable names took part in the glitzy event and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Shahid Kapoor were among those who performed at the ceremony. The event was hosted by veteran director and producer Karan Johar and actor Kartik Aaryan.
The awards show also presents an opportunity for Indian celebrities to showcase their fashion, and this year was no exception. Notable figures such as Madhuri Dixit, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor Khan displayed their fashion choices on the green carpet.
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