Indian director Mira Nair, whose film Monsoon Wedding won top honours at the Venice Film Festival, will head the jury of the Berlin film festival in February 2002, the organisers of the annual event said on Wednesday.

Nair's Salaam Bombay about children in the red light district won the Camera d'Ore in Cannes in 1988.

There are 20 films in the main competition for the Golden Bear awards at the Berlinale, the first major festival each year which runs from February 6 to 17. The festival is considered to be one of the world's top events after Cannes.

Merchant-Ivory receive New York State Awards

Filmmakers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory received the 2001 New York State Governor's Arts Awards which recognise the best of the arts community and celebrates outstanding individuals and organisations in their field.

The ceremony was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, with actress Rosie Perez as master of ceremonies and hosted by Governor and Mrs George E Pataki. Celebrity presenters included Natasha Richardson, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte.

Merchant and Ivory have been making films for over 40 years now. Some of their classics include A Room With A View, Howard's End and The Remains of the Day. Merchant's latest directorial venture, The Mystic Masseur, will be screened at the forthcoming Bombay Film Festival.

December Bonanza

December will be a virtual bonanza for cine buffs. 13 films are slated to hit theatre screens across the country in the last month of the year.

December 7th finally sees the Abhishek starrer Shararat hit the screens while the 14th of the month will have Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Sunny Deol's Maa Tujhe Salaam, Padmalaya's Aamdani Athanni Kharcha Rupaiya and the Govinda-Preity Zinta starrer Khullam Khulla Pyar Karega.

Four other films are slated to release on the 21st -- Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, Yeh Mohabbat Hai, Vadh and Little John, and four more on the 28th - Pyaasa, Raaz, Pitaah and Kasam Se.

Moksha in trouble

Ashok Mehta's Moksha which has been in the making for more than four years is in trouble again. VCDs of the film are being circulated in the market even before the film has been released.

Moksha starring Manisha and Arjun Rampal will hit the silver screen on November 30.

Compiled by: Vivek Fernandes
Design: Imran Shaikh