Mumbai gets its own art-house theatre in Bandra - FilmBay
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FilmBay in Bandra will be a dedicated space for screening alternative cinema.
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 25, 2015)
For several years, this two-storied structure on Bandra's Carter Road
was only used sporadically by the neighbourhood's residents for annual
Holi parties. The BMC who owned the over 7000 square feet space, has now
leased it to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) for 30
years. The NFDC, along with top Bollywood filmmakers, is now turning
this place into a film hub, dedicated to inide cinema. FilmBay, modelled
on the lines of the IFC Center in New York, will exhibit alternative
cinema and host other film-centric events.
The creative director is Kiran Rao. Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Rohan Sippy and film-critic Anupama Chopra make up the advisory panel. There are plans to revamp the structure, the cost of which will be borne by NFDC.
"It'll be dedicated to alternative cinema which often struggles to find spaces for exhibition," said Kiran, who presented Ship of Theseus. "When I came to Mumbai in 1998, I realised that there are no spaces in the city for independent movies. This can be demoralising for an indie filmmaker. For the past few years, I've been on the hunt for a nice space. Now, along with NFDC, we've found it."
Starting December 1, FilmBay, which can accomodate over a 100 patrons, will be open all days of the year and host five shows a day. There's space for a cafeteria, a film library, a research centre and the rooftop will be converted into a meeting place for directors and cinema-enthusiasts for post-screening discussions. The programming will also include children's cinema. NFDC is actively working towards a digital archive of world-cinema titles to be screened at the venue.
"The template is similar to the British Film Institute (BFI). From workshops and master-classes to premieres of indie films, if a director is facing exhibition problems, FilmBay will screen it if the film is of exceptional artistic value," says Kiran.
NFDC MD Nina Lath Gupta says that tickets will be nominally priced and they'll be open to memberships too. "FilmBay is part of NFDC's larger vision. The idea is to ensure that a different type of cinema becomes commercially acceptable to us," she said.
MEANWHILE...
Bag it
On March 14, Aamir Khan brought in his 50th birthday with family and select friends who had driven down to a resort In Lonavala for the weekend. They returnmed home with memento bags commemorating AK's golden jubilee run. Wife Kiran Rao has one too, and it was on display at FilmBay.
The creative director is Kiran Rao. Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Rohan Sippy and film-critic Anupama Chopra make up the advisory panel. There are plans to revamp the structure, the cost of which will be borne by NFDC.
"It'll be dedicated to alternative cinema which often struggles to find spaces for exhibition," said Kiran, who presented Ship of Theseus. "When I came to Mumbai in 1998, I realised that there are no spaces in the city for independent movies. This can be demoralising for an indie filmmaker. For the past few years, I've been on the hunt for a nice space. Now, along with NFDC, we've found it."
Starting December 1, FilmBay, which can accomodate over a 100 patrons, will be open all days of the year and host five shows a day. There's space for a cafeteria, a film library, a research centre and the rooftop will be converted into a meeting place for directors and cinema-enthusiasts for post-screening discussions. The programming will also include children's cinema. NFDC is actively working towards a digital archive of world-cinema titles to be screened at the venue.
"The template is similar to the British Film Institute (BFI). From workshops and master-classes to premieres of indie films, if a director is facing exhibition problems, FilmBay will screen it if the film is of exceptional artistic value," says Kiran.
NFDC MD Nina Lath Gupta says that tickets will be nominally priced and they'll be open to memberships too. "FilmBay is part of NFDC's larger vision. The idea is to ensure that a different type of cinema becomes commercially acceptable to us," she said.
MEANWHILE...
Bag it
On March 14, Aamir Khan brought in his 50th birthday with family and select friends who had driven down to a resort In Lonavala for the weekend. They returnmed home with memento bags commemorating AK's golden jubilee run. Wife Kiran Rao has one too, and it was on display at FilmBay.
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