Bill Bennett retrospective in Mumbai

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By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 21.03.2011 (The Mid Day): The first Australian Film Festival of India (AFFI) 2011 kicks off in Mumbai on March 23 with a special retrospective of acclaimed director and producer Bill Bennet and some of the best features including award winning Samson and Delilah, Red Hill and Bran Nue Dae, each providing a unique viewpoint of indigenous Australia.

“We are looking at distributing Australian films through social networking sites to a whole new audience of vibrant, interested, international and well connected Indian audience”, Festival co-director and film entrepreneur, Peter Castaldi, told Midday.

“We are looking at Online distribution so people have the choice to watch a film when and where they want”, says Castaldi, who fell in love with India during his first visit in 2003.

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Melting pot of cultures

0 Comments read Arts, Entertainment & Lifestyle, Diaspora
Nilgiri’s Ajoy Joshi inspiring children to cook. Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 20.11.2010 (The Hindu): In a country where sushi, laksa, and pizza are a gourmet’s everyday delight, Indian cuisine is attracting a growing fan base with more Australians traveling to India and Indians migrating DownUnder.  

The just released India Cookbook published by Phaidon Press comes at a juncture when Australians, eager to experiment with spices and ingredients, are seeking easy to cook recipes.

The book, designed in Sydney and printed in Italy, is a collection of a 1000 recipes written by Indian author and recipe columnist, Pushpesh Pant, and is interspersed with images of dishes photographed in London.

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Spinning a new kind of yarn

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Mike Hall.

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 11.11.2010 (The Sydney Morning Herald): Few business editors would contemplate becoming an entrepreneur, but six years ago Mike Hall stepped out of a 20-year career as a journalist to launch a design-led textile business catering to the high end of the market.

“When I started out, I couldn’t tell the difference between silk and cotton, but now I can hold my own in a conversation about weft and warp, empire lines and stitches per inch,“ says Hall, whose company Jasmine Hall wholesales home textiles and fashion.

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