Literature, Illusion, Film, Frame, Television and Theatre India LIFFT INDIA®, LIFFT INDIA FILMOTSAV-World Cine Fest, Lonavla and LIFFT INDIA AWARDS popularly known as Lifft India Filmotsav {not for profit} established in 2017 by its Founder Mr. Riju Bajaj and Co-Founder Dr.Anamika Sharma under the aegis of "M/s Riju Bajaj Media & Entertainment" RBME® to promote and bring best of the films, television and new media content by independent, student and professional film makers from across the globe to be showcased in Lonavla and around the world.
In a span of less than 3 years, Lifft India Filmotsav-World Cine Fest has become a Movie Marathon which showcases back to back more than 100 films amounting to 100 hours of world cinema, 20 hours of live events in just five days and hands out over 40 awards categories.
LIFFT INDIA® is a Global Touring festival of literature, illusion, information, film, frame, television and theatre awards to be originating from and held annually in Lonavla, a tourist destination of India near Mumbai & Pune.
Lifft India Filmotsav also hosts Q&A, Conversation Session and Master Class Session with participant and eminent film makers and actors to help in growing the knowledge of film making amongst the new and budding film enthusiasts. Lifft India extensively explores marketing possibilities to help independent, student and professional film makers to market their films and future projects.
Lifft India is amongst the very few festivals in the world which has integrated the mix of all the possible genre, mode, style, format of film making meant for theatrical release, television, VOD service, Online Player etc. under one roof to boost the exchange of ideas and possibilities between the various film makers who attend the festival.
The FIRST EDITION of Lifft India Filmotsav-World Cine Fest that opened on 1st sept 2017 at Fariyas Resort, Lonavla was dedicated in memory of Late Mr. Om Puri. Lifft India Filmotsav 2017 allowed entry to children to view films for only the children’s film category. All other film categories were screened for only adults {18+ age group}. This made Lifft India the only film festival that encourages children to participate in an international film festival along with professional film makers in a competition category. The attempt here is to create a platform for young and new budding film makers and actors. The cine fest concluded with Lifft India Awards 2017 on the 5th sept 2017. About 87 films from over 20 countries were screened at the first edition of Lifft India Filmotsav which was attended by Govind Nihalani, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajit Kapoor, Vipin Sharma, Pia Benegal, Mangesh Joshi, Chitranjan Giri, Meeta Vashishth, Leslie Lewis, Vidya Shah, Kunicka Sadanand, Shekhar Sen, Tripurari Sharma, Danish Hussain, Vani Tripathy Tikoo, Leena Yadav, Omkar Kapoor and Avinash das to name a few.
Many Lifft India Awards are named in memory of some legendary film personalities of their times such as Ismail Merchant Award for best producer, Khemchand Prakash Award for best music, V.K.Murthy Award for best cinematography, Sameer Chanda Award for best production design, Renu Saluja Award for best editing and Om Puri Award in conjunction with Om Puri Founadation for best actor.
Lifft India also has a Film Club and traveling/ Sattellite film festival known as Lifft India Kaarvaan to achieve the best outreach and promotions for the films that are part of Lifft India. It will benefit filmmakers with enhanced exposure to diverse audience. The officially selected films will be screened at professionally equipped banquet halls at the luxury hotel to provide and achieve best world class experience. Lifft India Filmotsav-World Cine Fest, Lonavla is a travelling boutique film festival that will be hosted in commercial theatres and Luxury Hotels only.
Lifft India also strives to promote theatre and stage actors, painters, still photographers, authors, script writers, singers, and dancers. The international theatre festival known as LIFFT INDIA NATYOTSAV integrated with the FILMOTSAV {film festival}. SAHITYOTSAV & CHITROTSAV will also be organised in due course of time.
Lifft India promotes the concept of Green Film Festival by adopting to be fully digital, paperless, zero waste, recycling and all other possible means of being eco friendly to achieve Green Film Festival status.
In July 2018, Lifft India Filmotsav presented a short feature 'The Re-Bell' starring Vivaan Shah, Shruti Bhardawaj and Jenifer John. The film marked establishment of Lifft India Repertory to continue presenting new films and series etc. to be produced under RBME. Fallen In Love is the first film presented by Lifft India Repertory.
Lifft India is proud to be associated with Vista India {Netflix preferred VOD aggregator} to help film makers market their films on digital platform. Mango Dreams is the first feature film to have been premiered in March 2018 by Netflix due to this association.
Lifft India also plans to uplift the art & cultural activities by incorporating them as part of the festival and by also establishing training institutes that will impart knowledge of over all global arts & culture along with training in film, media folk forms and theatre.
GREEN FILM FESTIVAL :-
MISSION
Being a Green Festival, Lifft India uses the strength and outreach of films to bring public into global awareness about importance of ‘Zero Waste’ and ‘Go Green’ concepts to restore and retain the environment from being destroyed. Lifft India is amongst the first film festival to introduce the concept, category and culture of Green Film/Environment Film in the Indian film festival circuit which includes films on nature, natural resources, environment and wild life.
Being a major tourist destination, Lonavla requires to be protected from letting its environment and forest life from being hampered and save its green belt and water bodies. Film, Art and discussions with relevant and compelling action steps provide a catalyst to inspire all to change attitudes and habits.
International filmmakers are given the much needed opportunity to screen their new works in Lonavla and other parts of the world to increase awareness about their view points and films to encourage young people to participate by creating content and events to inspire the next generation of filmmakers., environmental leaders and green advocates.
GOALS
Spread awareness about the menace of Dengue and Malaria along with other airborne disease that result from poor waste management and lack of basic cleanliness in the parts of Lonavla town that needs immediate attention
We keep our use of paper materials to a bare minimum and that too by using recycled paper and no glue or staples. Materials such as guest passes, signage, banners and décor are reusable from one year to the next.
We encourage sponsors & supporters to spread their messages through our electronic materials and on-screen at the events to reduce the need for paper promotional materials eliminating the need for paper handouts.
Lifft India supports filmmakers to increase the impact of their stories. Lifft India provides a participatory space for this network of documentary film professionals to thrive.
On Annual basis, Lifft India shall honor films and filmmakers for their Green Films, which gives winners additional industry recognition for their work.
LIFFT INDIA promises to put best efforts & arrangements to screen the selected films in best and professionally equipped and of commercial quality Banquet Halls at the venue.
Lifft India Filmotsav is a travelling boutique film festival that will be hosted in Luxury Hotels only.
LIFFT INDIA FILMOTSAV also provides a platform to young and experienced painters, still photographers to put up their works on exhibition in our gallery during the festival dates.
Authors can also send their books and screenplays to be considered for book launches and reading of extracts from their works by our guest artistes.
Stage actors ignite the stage with their performance of short solo plays.
Dancers and Singers perform during the opening and closing ceremony on Voluntary basis.
LIFFT INDIA FILMOTSAV in a unique festival of cultural carnival iced with a film festival where films are awarded on merit by the specially appointed Lifft India Jury.
The SECOND EDITION of Lifft India Filmotsav was held at Fariyas Resort, Lonavla from 6th December to 10 december 2018. The films were carefully selected and judged by the panelists such as Ram Gopal Bajaj, Dolly Thakore, Pia Benegal, Gyan Sahay, Atul Tiwary, Shefali Bhushan, Parag Chhapekar, Suhail Tatari and Riju Bajaj. The honoray advisory board includes eminent film and theatre personalities like Leena Yadav, Aseem Bajaj, Anand Vardhan, Jayant Deshmukh, Feroz Zahid Khan, Sidhharth Anand Kumar and Chokkas Bhardwaj. The Lifft India Awards were declared on 10th Dec 2018. The complete list of winners is available on www.lifftindia.com
In january 2021, Lifft India Academy will be launched, in Lonavla, with training in acting for films and theatre. The acting department is in collaboration with Ram Gopal Bajaj Acting Studio-RGBAS.
Mr. Ram Gopal Bajaj is an eminent professor of teaching in acting in National School of Drama, Delhi(1977-2001). He is regarded to be among the finest acting teachers in India.
He has also been Director of prestigious National School of Drama, Delhi (1996-2001)
The admissions for the classes are open now. The academy provides hostel facility also.
For further details please visit https://lifftindia.com/?page_id=27004
The film submission/entry for the 3rd Edition of Lifft India Filmotsav-World Cine Fest opened on 1st january 2019 and the festival was held from 12th Dec to 16th Dec 2019 at Fariyas Resort, Lonavla. The Lifft India Awards 2019 were declared on 16th Dec 2019.
The THIRD EDITION of the festival in 2019 was attended by Ravi Rai, Abhiram Bhadkamkar, Deepak Dobriyal, Meeta Vashishth, Vikas Sharma, Sushmita Mukherjee, Rituparno Biswas, Taranjit Kaur, Inaamul Haq, Rajesh Touchriver, Manoj Mishra, Meganti Venu Benerjee, Vinod Mankara, Omkar Kapoor, Jayant Gadekar, Sandeep Sawant, Luke Keny, Danish Husain, Vidya Shah, Bahzad Khoviesi, Ghorban Najafi and Solmaz Etimad and many more.
The complete list of winners is available on our facebook page and www.lifftindia.com
Due to COVID-19 PANDEMIC, the 4th edition of the festival will be held as an 'ONLINE' Festival without live event and without live screenings in the year 2020.
The film submission/entry for the 4th Edition of Lifft India Filmotsav-World Cine Fest will open on 1st July 2020 and the Lifft India Awards 2020 will be declared 'ONLINE' on 25th Dec 2020.