Director Carlton Chase has signed with bicoastal Neue Sentimental Film USA (NSF-USA) for exclusive representation in the U.S. and Canada. He comes over from bicoastal Morton Jankel Zander….New York-based brand/corporate identity firm 1919, under the aegis of CEO Nick Wollner, has entered into a strategic partnership with Link Entertainment, the Manhattan-headquartered commercial production house headed by executive producer Ann Egbert and partner Johannes Loutsch….Executive producers Ian Hunter and Kitty Overton have launched Good Films, a New York house which opens with directors Nick Rafter and Andrew Walton….Doug Wedeck, co-founder/former partner in New York-based rep firm Single Bid, has joined bicoastal EUE/ Screen Gems as executive VP. He will report to and work closely with EUE/Screen Gems CEO George Cooney in growing the com-pany’s holdings, which include several commercial production shops….Carolyn Mandlavitz has joined The Blue Rock Editing Company, New York, as postproduction supervisor. She will manage the company’s finishing divisions, Blast Digital and Epoxy Finish….Rick Hassen has joined visual effects and design shop A52, Los Angeles, as managing director; he had previously been executive producer at Sea Level, Venice, Calif. Additionally, Darcy Lesley Parsons has been upped from producer to executive producer, and former freelancer Scott Boyajan has joined the staff of A52 as a senior producer….Element 79 Partners is the moniker for the recently launched Omnicom Group agency in Chicago, which is headed by president/CEO Brian Williams and chief creative officer Dennis Ryan….Richard Crispo, formerly VP/creative director at DDB Chicago, and Mike Fazende, who had served as partner/creative director at Ogilvy & Mather, Dallas, have been named principals/creative directors at Publicis in Mid America, Dallas. They will report to Publicis in Mid America, Dallas president/creative director Ted Barton….
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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