Director Tim Abshire has signed with Backyard Productions, Venice, Calif. He had previously been repped by now defunct Shelter Films….Editor Jim Haygood, a founder of Superior Assembly Editing Company, Santa Monica, is joining Spot Welders, Venice, Calif., in March. Haygood recently wrapped cutting on director David Fincher’s feature, Panic Room….Tabletop director David Wynn-Jones has joined Hollywood-headquartered creative services company Aspect. As part of the arrangement, Wynn-Jones will be available to helm spots via Aspect’s Level 7 Productions, also in Hollywood….Santa Monica-based Storyville Pictures has added directors Deb Hagan, Mark Ellensohn and Steve Bruni….Mixers Glenn Navia, Henri Perotti and Bill Smith, and music director Andrew Knox, have joined New York-based HSR Studios. The foursome come over from Superdupe Recording, New York….Debbi Landon has been named executive producer of Santa Monica-headquartered HUM Music+Sound Design and its SubZero subsidiary….Topping the feature cate-gory at the American Society of Cinematographers 16th Annual Outstanding Achievement Awards was Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, for his black-and-white photography of the Coen brothers’ The Man Who Wasn’t There. The Coen brothers—Joel and Ethan—are repped as spot directors by bicoastal Villains ….The industry is mourning Richard Henry, a DP with a long career in the spotworld, who died of heart failure at the age of 56. His survivors include two sons, Alexander and Lucas Henry….
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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