DIFF announces 16 projects for regional filmmakers

Plus: Kareena Kapoor surprised at movie flop; gun violence in PG-13 films has tripled; Priyanka Chopra on her role as Mar Kom

Swedish House Mafia's Axwell at TomorrowWorld Electronic Music Festival in September. Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images
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Swedish House mafia's DJ Axwell will headline the Sandance line-up at Atlantis, The Palm, in Dubai on December 31. The four-time Grammy-nominated producer and remix star is behind dance music's most recent smash hits, including Don't You Worry Child (featuring John Martin), Save the World and In My Mind. Both his 2013 singles Center of the Universe and the latest release I Am also went straight to No 1 on Beatport. Axwell will be joined by other top acts that will be announced at Sandance on Friday. Tickets cost from Dh395 from www.timeouttickets.com. – The National staff

Kareena is surprised that her movies with Saif flopped

The Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor said she was surprised that her movies with her husband Saif Ali Khan had failed to make waves at the box office. The actress, who was in Indore to promote her forthcoming movie Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, said she had no problems with it, as Saif Ali Khan was her hero in real life. Kapoor told reporters that she hoped that this would not lead to any change in her life. She said that in the 1990s, lead actresses were not given roles they can get today and added that although male actors dominate the film industry, the types of roles actresses choose depends on themselves. Gori Tere Pyaar Mein is out in the UAE on November 21. — IANS

Violence in PG-13 films has tripled since 1985, says study

Gun violence in PG-13 movies has more than tripled since 1985, the first year that the rating went into effect, a team of researchers claims in a study published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Apparently, PG-13 movies feature more gun violence than their R-rated counterparts, which are aimed at more mature audiences, the study by researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center and Ohio State University found. “Even if youth do not use guns, the current research suggests that because of the increasing popularity of PG-13 rated films, youth are exposed to considerable gun violence in movie scripts. The mere presence of guns in these films may increase the aggressive behaviour of youth,” the study said. — The National staff

Priyanka Chopra: I share the same story as Mary Kom

The actress Priyanka Chopra, who is playing the five-time world boxing champion Mary Kom in a forthcoming biopic, says she shares a slice of life with the legendary sportswoman, reported DNA. “Her story is the same as that of mine. I, too, struggled when I came in the industry and cried alone. It is basically the story of every girl who has a dream,” Chopra said. The film is about Kom, who was born to landless farmers in Manipur and rose to make her mark as a boxer. “What fascinates me about her is that I wanted to tell the story of the real Mary Kom,” the actress said, adding that the story about a female sportswoman has never been told through film in India. — The National staff