Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Jio Studio, Hotstar, Dharma Productions amongst the 40 buyers heading to the 4th edition of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star’s Word to Screen Market

  The Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star is hosting the fourth edition of its flagship property – the ‘Word to Screen Market.’ The event will be hosted on 23rd September 2019 in Mumbai along with stalwarts from the publishing world as well as the content creation industry.

Word to Screen Market is a first of its kind platform in India, where publishers and the literary community engage directly with content creators to option stories for films, TV and digital. In its fourth year, the market takes a big format leap that will enable the authors and content creators to have more face time with each. The books lists up for optioning this year dive into not only the frontlists of publishing houses but also their backlists, that are rich with undiscovered gems. Through the Word to Screen Market, MAMI sets out to push the boundaries of Indian content, each year, by celebrating literature as a potent muse.

Smriti Kiran, Artistic Director, MAMI – “The market needed a reboot. The thing with pioneering initiatives is that you have to be nimble and consistently ahead of the curve. When we launched the market we were certain that these two industries need to come together. The goal post for us has shifted now. The fifth edition of the market will not be restricted to a day but will be year-round. We are planning workshops and knowledge sessions making our engagement deeper to propel the staggering response we have got from both worlds.” 

Launched in 2016, the Word to Screen Market has seen multiple success stories. Apart from forging successful relationships, the books that have been optioned out of the market are Indira by Sagarika Ghose, The Spectacular Miss by Sonia Bahl, How I Became a Farmer’s Wife by Yashodhara Lal, Cold Truth by Nikhil Pradhan, Killing Ashish Karve by Salil Desai, The Murder of Sonia Raikkonen by Salil Desai, 3 and a Half Murders by Salil Desai, and The Masala Murder by Madhumita Bhattacharya.

A total of 21 publishers will be participating in this edition of the Word to Screen Market including some of the biggest in the country like HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Juggernaut Books, DC Books, Westland Publications, and Rajkamal Prakashan. There will also be 40 Buyers and 24 authors including New York-based award-winning author Manreet Sodhi Someshwar (of ‘The Taj Conspiracy‘ fame), Amazon #1 Bestseller Sundari Venkatraman, Jagran-Nielsen Bestselling authors Satya Vyas, Nikhil Sacchan, Nilotpal Mrinal, Divya Prakash Dubey and Shashank Bharatiya. Also, in attendance will be bilingual bestsellers Pankaj Dubey and Anukriti Upadhyay, Salil Desai (of the Inspector Saralkar Series), Sanchit Gupta, Batul Mukhtiar, and several other new voices from the literary world.

Stories will be presented to over 40 content creation companies among which are some of the world’s significant production houses like Jio Studio, Netflix, Aamir Khan Productions (AKP), Disney India, Amazon Prime Video, Roy Kapur Films, Pritish Nandy Communications, Dharma Productions, Equinox Films, Junglee Pictures, Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Key highlights of the Word to Screen Market 2019 are as follows:

1. A Market List that has the exciting titles published across various languages which will be sent to buyers beforehand.
2. The list has both the frontlist and backlist titles of the publishing companies which offers us a wide range. Opening of the backlist also means increased opportunities of giving a new lease of life to an old or classic title.
3. Apart from the Market List, there will also be a Publisher’s Choice List of over 40 select titles comprising of the publisher’s choicest narratives that are being presented at the market.
4. Empowering one-on-one meetings between authors, publishers, producers, and filmmakers, so that there is direct interaction between the change makers from both the literary as well as the film world.

“These are the best times for a storyteller. There is an unquenchable thirst for riveting stories across mediums, and we are constantly going back to our bookshelves and bookshops in search of magic that narratives deeply rooted in Indian sensibilities hold. The fourth edition of Word to Screen Market, therefore, is not just a B2B event where both book and cinema communities will just be gauging and figuring each other out. This will be a shared space where storytellers from both the communities will come together to explore opportunities from the vast literary wealth that we have in our country, and the real winner of this Market hopefully will be no one but the end target consumer – our readers, viewers and audience.” said Anu Singh Choudhary, Consultant and Expert, Publishing Industry Word to Screen Market 2019 at the occasion.

The Wedding Junction Show unveils wedding wear treats at the grand curtain raiser in Mumbai

~ Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla unveiled their new Bridal Collection ‘Asal Brides’ ~

~ Celebrity stylist Ami Patel revealed ‘Brides by Ami~

 The Wedding Junction Show, the much awaited annual wedding exhibition is back with its 2019 edition. In its 4^th season, the show witnessed launch of the much awaited bridal line by designer duo, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Asal by Abu and Sandeep Bride for the budget- savvy bride. Celebrity stylist Ami Patel also launched Brides by Ami, a platform to get all your wedding wardrobe needs curated by the best, at the grand curtain raiser held in Mumbai on 30^th August.

The curtain raiser provided a delicious sneak peek into Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s upcoming ‘Asal Brides’ collection at The Wedding Junction Show and was a visual feast for the audience. Asal Bride is designed for the 21st century woman with all the hallmarks of Abu Sandeep being present in this joyous debut wedding collection. The bridal range was a glorious mix of colour, meticulous embroideries and craftsmanship. The stunning Bollywood actress, Nora Fatehi gave a preview of the collection at the curtain raiser event held today evening.

Excited about launching the new collection at fourth season of The Wedding Junction show, Abu and Sandeep said, “No two brides are the same. And every wedding is unique. Asal Bride is our vision for the woman who aspires to a dream ensemble. We have played with classics and infused them with new life. Because beauty is forever but must always be revisited and made new again.”

On unveiling the ‘Asal Brides’ collection, Nora Fatehi said, “I am extremely thrilled to be unveiling Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s Asal Brides collection. The collection is absolutely stunning and offers great value-for-money. I have personally been a big fan of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s work for years now and it gives me immense pleasure to be donning their latest collection. I wish them all the very best on this collaboration with The Wedding Junction Show”

The fourth season of The Wedding Junction Show also launched revealed ace stylist, Ami Patel’s venture, Brides by Ami which is a platform to get all your wedding wardrobe needs curated by the best in the country. From finding the perfect outfit or pairing it up with stunning jewelry, wedding shopping will no longer be a task under the guidance of Ami Patel herself.

The grand exhibition of the fourth season of The Wedding Junction show will be held on 18^th-19^th October at Sofitel, Mumbai and will see slew of designers, jewelers, wedding planners, photographers, bakers and other exhibitors showcasing their collections, hence making it one of the most-sought after wedding exhibitions in the country.

Art and fashion are two fields of ongoing innovation and creative expression. Akshita Gandhi was the only Indian Artist who showcased massive installations, lightboxes and artworks, paired with beautifully written sonnets at The New York Fashion Week, a week full of glam and allure.
Akshita collaborated with the ingenious Frank De Bourge, a visionary curator of indispensable nonchalant, free-formed styles at the New York Fashion Week, 2019, Akshita designed and engineered a colossal coalescence of light boxes and angel wings, delivering a striking art piece to exhibit at this grand show. The art piece was printed on black leather jackets made by Fashion Designer, Frank De Bourge, resonating multicultural awareness and individuality.
The name of the show was Let There Be Light!‘ which conceptualized the resplendency of an artist’s soul. It captured it’s raw essence, highlighting an artist’s transient existence. Timeless art is created by boundless artists who keep exploring and seeking different dimensions, which fires their imagination to create.

EbixCash to be the Associate Sponsor for LMIFW SS’20

 The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) is pleased to announce EbixCash as the Associate Sponsor for Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2020.  The event will be held from October 9^th to 13^th at National Stadium, India Gate, and will see EbixCash, the Indian subsidiary of Atlanta-based multinational Ebix, participating for the first time.

SatishSapru, Vice President – Marketing, EbixCash said, “FDCI is a pioneer in the fashion industry has led the way for the industry for decades while creating fashion events that converge, top designers, fashion aficionados and buyers in one place. EbixCash today has emerged as a pioneer in the field of finance, travel, and insurance while converging functionalities, diverse entities, providers, banks, travel providers, insurers and consumers in one place while transacting $15 billion-plus in gross merchandise value sales. It was but natural for EbixCash to team up with FDCI to promote our respective causes, in a symbiotic manner. We are excited to be using the FDCI platform to promote our various consumer-targeted services like EbixCash travel, forex, cabs, insurance, remittance, healthcare, and payment solution services.”

“EbixCash is very well known in the remittances businesses, being the lighthouse of the digital cash concept with a network covering 5,500 cities. We are thrilled to have them as the Associate Sponsor for this season. There is harmony between what FDCI offers and EbixCash does; both help businesses grow, so this is an association with similar goals,” said FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi.

Inspired by various facets in the life of a woman
As a tribute to the modern Indian woman and the many facets of her personality- this festive season Titan Raga announces the launch of ‘Facets Collection’ – a range of 12 exquisite watches crafted to help you dazzle in this festive season. Infusing modern designs with exquisite craftsmanship, these watches embody various elements of contemporary design including Swarovski crystals, Mother of pearl, rose gold plating with a plethora of geometric forms on the dial and strap.
Facets by Titan Raga is a modern take on the signature style of the brand. The collection is a striking amalgamation of fluid shapes and fine materials capturing the nuances of a multi-faceted personality. It resonates with the aspirations of today’s woman thereby offering a variety of texture blends with an assortment of colours to form beautiful pieces of artistry. The watches are available in elegant hues like Deep Plum, Prune, Rose Gold and Gold,unified with specially designed Swarovski
crystals, making it a perfect accessory for this festive season. With the launch of Facets, Titan Raga is also introducinga brand new plating colour, forest green in the watch industry. For those who like a fine blend of femininity and class can opt for symmetrical or asymmetrical dial design with a combination of contemporary solid metal strap or bracelet pattern.
To add a grandeur touch to your style,you can choose a round dial with mesh-top paired with freely floating Swarovski crystals available in rose gold and deep plum plating. For divas who prefer a touch of sophistication in their look can choose a fine combination of dual colour plating on a bangle shaped construct.