Happy New Year 2008

Contrary to popular opinion, I spent Christmas and New Year's Eve wrapped in a quilt watching reruns of blockbusters on HBO. My nose is as red as that of Rudolph - if not bigger - and when people clapped, slapped and generally behaved inappropriately at the stroke of midnight, I had been fast asleep for over an hour.

Have been lazy this year and my blog has been resuscitated in fits and spurts - but if I do make any resolution for 2008, it's just that you will see my blog fit, fine and active more often.


Toe Knee Unplugged wishes all its readers a smashin' New Year.

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival Short Film Contest

Are you a filmmaker under 25? Just the right person for the Short Film Competition at the 10th Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai (February 2-10, 2008).

Only 20 films are being screened at the 9-day event, so the sooner you submit the better your chances.

All you have to do is make a short film titled TEN.

Duration
1 min - 5 mins
Format
DVD only
Deadline
January 26, 2008
Submissions
Brinda Miller, Millernium, 665, Cadell Rd, Next to Dadar Catering College, Dadar West, Mumbai - 400 028
Inquiries
Smriti Garach 09819242246
Jethu Mundul 09820254429

Official Blog

Focus on India at Annecy animated film fest

India is the country in focus at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France (9 - 14 June 2008) and Market (11 - 13 June 2008).

Indian animation will be showcased through special programmes, premieres and numerous events.

Interested? Film studios, production companies and creatives can submit films (features, short films, TV series, graduation films) for selection at Annecy 2008 by contacting: Laurent Million at laurentmillion@annecy.org

But do remember these deadlines
- 15 January 2008
Film submission (shorts films, features, TV and commissioned films, graduation films)
- 15 March 2008
Submission and reception of feature films

"The Annecy festival will be a huge platform for the Indian animation industry to showcase its talent, technology, services and post-production facilities," Mohamed Bendjebbour, head of French film and TV office in India told The Times of India.

An Indian pavilion will be set up at the Market giving industry visitors the opportunity to find out about artistic techniques and production from India.

Wanna join the Indian delegation - contact:
Mickael Marin at mickaelmarin@annecy.org
Stéphane Loison at stephaneloison@annecy.org

Official website

Viagra for Impotent Cars

Well, I spotted this masterpiece at an automobile workshop near my house. Needless to say, I doubt if any "imported" car ever did make it to ARA Motors. How did they propose to "ripair" the "impotent" car anyway - giving it Viagra?

And I thought I was bad at spellings.

December 2007 Blog Mela - Nominate Now

Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for the December Blog Mela being hosted here on January 2



Blog Mela Rules
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-31 December, 2007 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on December 31 will be featured
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

How to Nominate
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com

Check out previous Blog Melas
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007

November 2007 Blog Mela

Chronicus Skepticus wonders if all 33 million Hindu gods are deaf

Krish Ashok comes up with a Facebook mini-feed for the Mahabharata

Falstaff explores why a crowded Starbucks is better than an empty one

8 by 52 battles dengue and is thankful to be alive

Great Bong reports on the killing fields of Bengal

Jabberwock may just find Blogspot is his new employer

The Compulsive Confessor addresses all the boys she loved before

Mitali Saran is sleeping with the enemy

Suchitra Krishnamoorthi tries hypnosis to quit smoking

Sidin Sunny Vadukut is feeling nostalgic about growing up in the Middle East

That's all for now. The Blog Mela returns later this month. Keep watching this space for nomination guidelines. But before leaving, do please vote for the best post in the November 2007 Blog Mela.

Check out previous Blog Melas
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007

The best of November 2007 Blog Mela
	Chronicus Skepticus
	Krish Ashok
	Falstaff
	8 by 52
	Great Bong
	Jabberwock
	The Compulsive Confessor
	Mitali Saran
	Suchitra Krishnamoorthi
	Sidin Sunny Vadukut
	None of the posts were that good
pollcode.com free polls

Hello Delhi - Am back from Goa

Back from a hectic fortnight in Goa. No, I didn't spend time on the beach. Was cooped up watching flicks at Panaji's INOX multiplex. And with good reason.

The 38th International Film Festival of India was on - with 176 films from 46 countries screened by the time the 11-day event wrapped up.

And with most of Bollywood giving it a miss, watching films was a pleasant affair. Why? Well, the absence of tinseltown celebrities meant I could focus my attention on watching films. See official blog.

And here's some of the stuff I wrote -

"Elizabeth" director inspired by cockroaches tale

Jesus Christ gets an evil twin in fantasy film

Goa's bell boys inspire U.S. director's Hindi film

Bollywood shorts on AIDS to get YouTube release

Goa stirs colonial memories in Portuguese filmmaker

Taiwan film triumphs at global Indian film festival

The Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival

Filmmaker Navdeep Singh's thriller "Manorama Six Feet Under" won the Best Film honour at the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival in New York last week.

"This award certainly means a lot and both Ketan (producer) and me feel like on top of the world. There is a deep sense of satisfaction to know that your piece of art is recognized by prestigious International Festivals," Singh said in a press release.





The film festival was attended by over 8,000 people with over 50 films screened in Manhattan and Jersey City over five days. Here's the list of winners -

Chandrika Tandon Best Film Award
Manorama Six Feet Under

Indira Mahindra Best Director Award
Rituparno Ghosh for Dosar

Nationwide Actor Award
Danny Denzongpa for Frozen

Dina Kothari Best Actress Award
Konkona Sen Sharma for Dosar

Best Documentary Award
India Untouched directed by Stalin K

Best Short Award
Shanu Taxi directed by Vasant Nath

Verizon People's Choice Award
Love Story by Amit Gupta

Special Jury Award
Frozen directed by Shivajee Chandrabhushan

(For more details on films screened as part of MIAAC, click here)

If Rembrandt painted Homer Simpson

Link via Reddit