The 14th edition of the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) will spotlight British filmmaker of Indian descent Gurinder Chadha and hold a Retrospective of her documentaries.

Chadha will be in attendance at the screening of her acclaimed film Bhaji on the Beach on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. The film is about a group of women of Indian descent who take a trip together from their home in Birmingham, England to the beach resort of Blackpool. The women vary in ages from mid-teens to old, and initially have little in common. But the events of the day lead them to better mutual understanding and solidarity.

Festival Director Aseem Chhabra said, “I have been a fan of Gurinder Chadha since I saw her “Bhaji on the Beach” 20 years ago in New York City. Soon after I discovered her four documentaries, made while she was a journalist. In all of these works and her subsequent films, including the worldwide hit “Bend it Like Beckham,” Gurinder explores the Asian Indian immigrant experiences in Britain, laced with humor, pathos and a lot of introspection. Her works are iconic representation that speak about immigration, living in the Diaspora, and the meaning of loss. We are thrilled to be able to show “Bhaji” and mark its very significant milestone and to have Gurinder with us to speak about her works.”

The festival will be held from May 5 – May 10, 2014 in New York City.

Following films will be screened as part of the Gurinder Chadha Documentary Retrospective:

ACTING OUR AGE (1992, Color, 30 minutes, UK, English)
This humorous and thought-provoking film documents the residents of a South Asian home for the elderly in Britain. Director Gurinder Chadha assists the residents in directing their own video. The result is an examination of politics, ageism, and cross-cultural communication in contemporary British society. Interview subjects range from people on the street to Members of Parliament. The film ends with the triumphant screening of the group’s film.

I’M BRITISH BUT…(1989, Color, 30 minutes, UK, English)
This unique look at Asians in Britain offers first-hand views of second generation Asians, adding archival footage and invigorating Bhangra and Bangla music–traditional Punjabi songs updated with hip-hop and house music influences. From Manchester rooftops to lfast and the Welsh hills, Asians discuss the importance of expanding “Britishness” to include all kinds of cultural identities. They present different view-points on the roles that race and cultural identity play in their own lives and in British society as a whole.

A NICE ARRANGEMENT (1990, Color, 11 minutes, UK, English)
Set in the London home of an Indian family on the morning of their daughter’s wedding, this film is a wry depiction of one of the most central of Indian traditions — the arranged marriage. As the young Hindu bride, Meena, changes into her bridal sari, her divorced friend, Sita, helps with her clothing and her resolve. Together, the two women examine their different life choices — Meena’s decision to marry the “perfect” choice for her parents both clashes with and compliments Sita’s choice to end her marriage.

WHAT DO YOU CALL AN INDIAN WOMAN WHO IS FUNNY? (1994, BW, 19 minutes, UK, English)
What do you call an Indian woman who’s funny in 20th Century Britain? A British performer? A Black comedienne? An enigma? This humorous and comedic documentary, brings the laughs and dreams of four Indian women cabaret performers while posing the questions: What is comedy and who defines it? Is it culturally specific, or can anyone enjoy the joke? Who makes it into the mainstream and why? Does comedy always have to come from a white perspective in Britain to be taken seriously? What — ultimately, do you call a funny Indian woman?