From our Blighty friends

Sarah McKenzie,senior executive,export development,UK Film Council,reveals how the idea for the film festival came up. “Indian audiences appreciate cinema. Through this event,we hope to open up British films in India and show some recent works of the past 18 months,which have never been screened or discussed earlier.” Some of the movies that will be screened at the festival include Stephen Elliot’s Easy Virtue,Julian Jarrold’s Brideshead Revisited,James Marsh’s Oscar-winning Man On Wire and Armando Iannucci’s In The Loop. Additionally,movies by celebrated filmmakers like Danny Boyle,Sally Potter and Michael Winterbottom will also be a part of the festival.

Being held in collaboration with UK Trade and Investment,the Mumbai Film Festival,Book My Show,Reliance Media Works,Big Cinemas and Fame Cinemas,Sarah explains the choice of the peculiar title From Blighty,With Love. “Well,Blighty is an English term for Britain,deriving from the Hindustani word vilayati. Since this fest is exclusively for India,we thought of giving it an Indian touch; hence the name.” Looks like Puneites are in for a major movie treat and that too,the vilayati way!