NYIFF 2016

Tickets for all films: $15 general admission; $12 IAAC members

Festival Pass: $250 general admission; $200 IAAC members.
Includes all regular screenings and special events, Centerpiece and Closing Night screenings & parties.
Does not include Opening Night.

Wednesday, May 11, 6:00pm Theater 2, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Arshinagar - North America Premiere
Directed by Aparna Sen
Feature Narrative
Cast: Dev, Rittika Sen, Jisshu Sengupta, Waheeda Rehman, Kaushik Sen, Jaya Seal Ghosh, Roopa Ganguly, Swagata Mukherjee, Paran Bandhyopadhyay, Anirban Bhattacharya, Shantilal Mukherjee, Kamaleswar Mukherjee, Sankar Chakraborty, Aparajita Adya

Synopsis: Arshinagar is an imaginary neighborhood, which is terrorized by two rival gangs belonging to the Khans & the Mitras. Both families are in the real estate business and are sworn enemies. Both have their eyes on Arshinagar slum, which they dream of developing into luxury apartments or shopping malls. To this end, both Mitra and Khan consult a corrupt politician called Deendayal who accepts bribes from both parties and promises both that he will have the slum evacuated.

While the Khan and Mitra goons continue to engage in violent battles over acquiring the slum by fair means or foul, Bishwananath Mitra's son Ronojoy and Sabir Khan's daughter Zulekha happen to meet and fall in love at first sight. Aware of the consequences if their families come to know of their relationship, Rono and Julie conduct their love affair in secret.

About the Director:
Aparna Sen is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor who is known for her work in Bengali cinema. A leading actress of late 1960s,1970s,1980s. She has received eight "BFJA Award", five for best actress, two for best supporting actress and one for lifetime achievement award. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and nine international film festival awards for her direction in films. She was awarded the "Padma Shri', the fourth highest civilian award, by the government of India in 1987.

Wednesday, May 11, 6:15pm. Theater 3, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Lukka Chuppi (Hide and Seek) - North America Premiere
Directed by Bash Mohammad
Feature Narrative
India 2015, 1hr 49 min Malayalam (w/English subtitles)
Cast: Murali Gopy, Jayasurya, Joju George, Dinesh Nair, Shiju Kurup, Indrans , Asmita Sood, Remya Nambeesan, Muthumani

Synopsis: Lukka Chuppi maps the incidentsof one night when a group of college friends meet after 14 years along with their spouses.It delves into their lives as married couples. The night has many surprises in store,especially for the wives. They have met the serious and stressed-out family men,but not their jovial, laid-back selves. The film explores the true emotional needs of people and what it takes to discover them.

About the Director:
Bash began his design career in the advertising world where he has successfully conceived award winning print and television commercials for various multinational giants in India and abroad. After spending ten years in Advertising as a creative director, Bash Mohammed explored his creative edge by adapting his skill set into interior design. His eye for design detail and out of the box thinking has led him to designing interiors for major brands such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Coca Cola, Young & Rubicam, Vogue Cafe, GQ Bar to name a few. Bash Mohammed has been dreaming to direct his own feature film all his life and finally in 2015 he directed his debut Feature Film ‘Lukka Chuppi’.

Wednesday, May 11, 6:30pm. Theater 4, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Life in Metaphors: A Portrait of Girish Kasaravalli - New York Premiere
Directed by OP Srivasatava
Documentary
India 2015, 1hr 24min English
Cast: Girish Kasaravalli
2015 National Award Winner: Best Biographical/ Historical Reconstruction

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/137636394

Synopsis: LIFE IN METAPHORS journeys into the world of the master film maker, with an urge to understand the language, grammar and the core purpose of storytelling though the medium of cinema. Girish Kasaravalli is an internationally renowned Indian filmmaker, who has made highly acclaimed films such as Ghatashraddha, Thai Saheba, Dweepa and Gulabi Talkies…
Besides being famous for their simplicity and realism, his films are know for their insightful analysis of social-political undercurrents in the multi-textured and equally complex social fabric of India. All of his films are rooted in local culture and yet these films have travelled beyond the bounderies and have been hugely appreciated as “world cinema”. A down-to-earth approach to filmmaking has earned him the reputation of creating an unique langaugae of cinema, which excels in “culturing realism”.

About the Director:
OP Srivastava initiated setting up of a production house “ REELISM FILMS “ (www.reelismfilms.in) with the help of family and friends. Reelism Films made its first low-budget fiction film -MISSED CALL, in 2005 which till date has been screened at 15 International Film Festivals, besides representing India in Cannes 2007 and being declared as the Best International Feature Film at Red Sea International Film Festival, Israel 2008. He has also directed and produced a short film (based on Brain Cancer/Palliative Care) for an NGO titled –“a few days MORE”, which has been shown at various Film Festivals in India and abroad including Ladakh Film Festival and MAMI 2013.

Wednesday, May 11, 7:00pm. Theater 5, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Directors' First Films
Panelists:
Saeed Mirza, director "Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan"
Ruchika Oberoi, director "Island City"
Aditya Bhattacharya, director "Raakh Redux"
Nazhat Shaikh, Director Finance, National Film Development Corporation

Film festivals are an opportunity for filmmakers to share their latest works with a specialized audience before the films get wider play in theaters. At the New York Indian Film Festival we always balance our programming with latest works of renowned filmmakers as well as those by young first time directors.

This panel is part of the Directors' First Films sidebar presented in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation.

Wednesday, May 11, 9:00pm. Theater 2, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Island City - New York Premiere
Directed by Ruchika Oberoi
Feature Narrative
India 2015, 1hr 51min Hindi (w/English subtitles)
Cast: Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Sameer Kochhar, Uttara Baokar, Ashwin Mushran, Sana Amin Sheikh

Post screening Q&A with director Ruchika Oberoi and lead actress Tannishtha Chatterjee

Synopsis: The film follows three comic-dramatic stories set in Mumbai. The first one is about a middle-aged man who wins the office ‘Fun Committee Award’, which entitles him to a whole day full of fun. He is most reluctant to leave the safety of his cubicle but he has to. Prescribed fun modules have to be completed and non-compliance is not an option… The second story begins with a domineering pater familias, Anil, who is on life support. Seeking some relief, his family decides to buy a TV, which Anil had banned; now every night the family plugs into a popular soap whose hero is a man ideal in every way… The third one centres on Aarti whose repetitive existence is slowly making her more and more mechanical and numb. Deep inside ferments a disconnect and unease that she is unable to articulate to anyone. Then one day there arrives a most intimate letter and everything changes.

About the Director:
Ruchika Oberoi is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India. Island City, her debut feature film, premiered at Venice Days, 72nd Venice Film Festival, where it won her the FEDEORA Award for the Best Debut Director. The film has been screened at several film festivals including Stockholm, Tallinn Black Nights, Warsaw, Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing.

Wednesday, May 11, 9:15pm. Theater 3, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Rajkahini - North America Premiere
Directed by Srijit Mukherji
Feature Narrative
India 2015, 2hr 40min Bengali (w/English subtitles)
Cast: Rituparna Sengupta, Lily Chakraborty, Parno Mitra, Jaya Ahsan, Sudiptaa Chakraborty, Priyanka Sarkar, Sohini Sarkar

Post screening Q&A with director Srijit Mukherji

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru4G6EwhK9k

Synopsis: In August 1947, the British passed a bill regarding the partition of Bengal. Delving into the grim history of the Partition, Rajkahini is weaved around a border between the two nations that runs through a brothel housing eleven women. Bengal was broken up twice (1905, and then during Independence) - officially for demographic reasons and ease of administration - but actually, it was a strictly political move to curtail Bengal politics. The narrative follows the erection of the Radcliffe Line as the boundary between the newly formed nations of India and Pakistan. As both the Congress and the Muslim League battle it out in courtrooms as to which side of Bengal will get which territory, in another part of Bengal is a brothel, situated right in the middle of Debiganj and Haldibari districts, which is the home and the world to eleven women and two men. Begum Jaan (Rituparna) is the boss, while the other women work under her as prostitutes. Begum's faithful bodyguard is Saleem Mirza (Nigel Akkara), a Pathan, and Sujan (Rudraneel Ghosh) as their man-servant and entertainer. Begum Jaan is not concerned about Hindustan or Pakistan, her only concern is her business, which is running badly because of the partition and resulting riots.

About the Director:

Srijit Mukherji is an Indian film director, actor, screenwriter who predominantly works in Bengali cinema. He came to the limelight after directing his first feature film Autograph (2010) which was a critical and commercial success. He has made eight films, as of December 2015: Baishe Srabon, Hemlock Society, Mishawr Rawhoshyo, Jaatishwar, Chotushkone, Nirbaak and Rajkahini. His films have mostly garnered positive reviews from critics, and great audience response. His fifth film Jaatishwar won 4 national awards at India's 61st National Film Awards (2014). He has won the National Film Award for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for his sixth film Chotushkone at India's 62nd National Film Awards.

Special Event: Directors' First Films
Wednesday, May 11, 9:30pm. Theater 4, Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC.

Tiladaanam (The Rite, a passion)
Directed by K N T Sastry
Feature Narrative
India 2001, 89min Telugu (w/English subtitles)
Cast: H. G. Dattatraya, Jaya Seal, Brahmaji, Thanikella, Bharani, Attili Lakshmi, AVS, Annapurna

Synopsis: The film is a subtle inter-face of two different ideologies: of tradition and that of modern youth drawn towards extremism by a passion for serving the humanity. Subbaiah is a Brahmin living out of Tiladaanam, the meanest form of Brahmin duties. He ekes out his living in Hyderabad, by becoming a corpse-carrier, and earning very little. When the film opens he is told of the birth of a grandson. His daughter-in-law, Padma, is living with him, while his son has become a Naxalite. On the night the child is born, the son, Raghuram, makes a clandestine visit home. The anti-Naxalite squad enters Subhaiah’s house, and ransacks the little that he has. Raghuram escapes police firing and kills a policeman in the attack. Raghuram suggests that since he is not able to help the family, and since his father refuses to take any money, he ought to surrender to the police, so that Padma can live off the reward. The shock of his son’s surrender kills Subbaiah; Padma waits in vain for the reward.

About the Director:
K N T Sastry

K.N.T Sastry was born in 1948 in Andhra Pradesh, India. He is a director and writer, known for Kamli, (2006), Tiladaanam (2002) and Surabhi – Short Documentary (1999). The National award-winning film critic is also involved in documentary filmmaking. He scripted the award-winning Telugu film Daasi and documentary Ma Ooru and contributed to the Telugu section for the encyclopedia on Indian cinema brought out by The British Film Institute.