September 28, 2007

Change of plans?

Folks, I just received in my inbox the latest press release from SAIFF about the Lifetime Achievement Award the festival is giving to Shabana Azmi. She's being honored on opening night, before the Loins of Punjab Presents showing.

That's not news, but this is: the press release says that Shabana ji "will not be able to accept her award at the festival in person due to scheduling conflicts."

I had been operating on the assumption that she would be there, as SAIFF originally announced, and as she was in the U.S. as recently as the day before yesterday - I just figured she'd stay till next week. For those of you who were planning to attend the festival, sorry for the bad news! I'll keep you posted if I find out more.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I sitll look forward to this event but this announcement makes me mad as well as disappointing me. Last year SAIFF cancelled both its opening and closing events.

So I figure it's them, though one does not know for sure. Anyhow this is a bad move, damaging to good will as far as I am concerned.

Filmi Geek said...

Interesting to hear about SAIFF's problems last year.

I have no guesses on whose end the scheduling snafu occurred - but I'm bitterly disappointed. And I have to be a grownup - if Shabana ji is not going to be there, I can't really justify the trip and the time off from work, just to see the movie. So, no Loins of Punjab Presents for me - not this time around. :(

Anonymous said...

I feel deeply disappointed too. How come they announce things without checking with her first? What's wrong with them? Or she said yes first and changed her mind? I don't think so. Well, in any case, I'll most probably take my nephew to the park and play with him.

Filmi Geek said...

It's irking me that I'm still getting emails from SAIFF trying to sell the outrageously expensive tickets to their VIP party. Perhaps if they hadn't misled people with respect to one of their VIP guests ...

Anonymous said...

Yeah, these people are not serious. I may sound childish but I am so freaking disappointed!! I still don't know what I'll do about attending.
ANGELES