Hum Panchi Ek Daal Ke, a short nine-minute duration film from India has been chosen for the 61st Cannes International Film Festival. The Festival is to be held from May 14 to 25, this year

Despite hopes that the business would pick up on Day 2, it remained as sluggish as Day 1, compared to the market in the years gone by. There was a pervasive wave of disappointment among the exhibitors in the Riviera and Palais about business being slack. That said, many market attendees were hopeful of the weekend!

iDream Productions' Jajantaram Mamantaram received quite a phenomenal response (especially from the bachcha party) when it released five years back. Now, the makers are all set to make a sequel to the film which starred Javed Jaffrey in the lead role.

Mahesh Bhatt's "Jannat", a movie about match fixing, is being released when the country is in the grip of cricket fever. Sameer Kochar, who plays an important role in the film and also hosts Indian Premier League (IPL) on TV, says it has come out at the right time.

A lot is happening on the world cinema and Hollywood front at Cannes 2008, but a few quick pointers on what Day 1 held for the Indian film community specifically.

The slump continues! The two new releases haven't really quenched the thirst of the industry. At least BHOOTHNATH fared slightly better, but JIMMY was panned by almost everyone who watched it.

Entertainment and communications firm Percept Limited Tuesday announced a joint venture with retail major Future Group to launch 'Bollywood Retail' that aims to cash in on the Hindi film industry, the biggest entertainment phenomenon in India.