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Tulsi floors the firangs... | |
... As the first Indian jury member at the Monte Carlo television festival | |
Kunal Shah | |
Smriti Irani now has another major milestone behind her. She was the first Indian jury member at the 45th Monte Carlo International Television Festival held last month. The jury consisted of representatives from Poland, Japan, England, Lebanon and India. It was headed by Krzysztof Zanussi, an acclaimed European director and Vice President of the Polish Director's Association. The telefilms jury was headed by Walter Hill, Hollywood's premier action film director (48 Hours, Last Man Standing, Streets of Fire, and Undisputed. He also co produced Alien and co wrote its sequels Aliens, Geronimo, etc.) Just back from the festival, Irani says, "The festival was launched in 1961 by His Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco with the aim of encouraging and recognising television as an exceptional means of bringing cultures together and enhancing their respective knowledge. In 1988 Prince Albert II was named honorary president of the festival (incidentally as of yesterday he has been declared ruler of Monaco)."She adds, "The awards are given for best television films, best mini series, and best television series in the drama, comedy, and news categories. Special prizes are given by UNESCO, Monaco Red Cross, International Red Cross, Signis Prize, and the URTI (the international grand prix for documentaries)." Speaking about her experience at the festival, Irani says, "I was the first Indian to be invited as a jury member in the mini series segment. It was a pleasure being a part of such a prestigious event. The only other Asian face was Masayoshi Zeniya (in my jury), a director producer from NHK Japan. The screenings began from 26th June and ended on the 29th. On the 25th of June, the jury's first engagement was the official dinner with Prince Albert. The opening ceremony was at the Grimaldi Forum on the 26th; the gala dinner and awards night was held on the 1st of July. Incidentally the best actor in a mini series award was given by me and I picked Paul Gross (who has earlier played the lead role in Due South, a Canadian weekly show that aired on Star World) for a film called H2O."Irani has more masala, "Desperate Housewives also debuted in Monte Carlo for the European audience on the 29th via a press meet and launch party. The casts of major television networks like Law and Order, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless were also present for the event. Eminent television journalists like Dan Rather and the host of 60 Minutes also made their presence felt at the event."She adds, "Today, when I look back, I realise I not only had the chance to explore and study international television programming but also make a case to David Tomatis, vice president of the festival, for the need to create awareness for the festival in India. My interaction with Prince Albert regarding how the television boom in our country has brought the world to our doorstep was enriching."Irani is back with many fond memories of friendships with Carol Drink Water, a celebrated theatre and television star, and Ibolya Fekete, a Hungarian film director who was the first recipient of the Satyajit Ray Award. Clearly the bahu has stepped over the threshold of Shantiniketan. | |
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