| |
|
|
Namesake (Narrative Feature)
117 mins, 2006, English/ Bengali, US Premiere
Screening: Wednesday, Nov 1, 7pm - AMC Lincoln Square (68th Street and Broadway) - Anthology
Festivals/Awards: Toronto Film Festival, Tellurid Film Festival
Cast: Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Kal Penn, Jacinda Barrett, Zuleikha Robinson, Glenne Headley, Brooke Smith
Synopsis: THE NAMESAKE is the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta to New York evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. Though parents Ashoke and Ashima (Irrfan Khan, Tabu) long for the family and culture that enveloped them in India, they take great pride in the opportunities their sacrifices have afforded their children. Paradoxically, their son Gogol (Kal Penn) is torn between finding his own unique identity without losing his heritage. Even Gogol’s name represents the family’s journey into the unknown. ••Helmed by the Academy Award®-nominated Mira Nair, THE NAMESAKE is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. The film’s screen adaptation was penned by Sooni Taraporevala, with whom Nair previously collaborated on MISSISSIPPI MASALA and the Oscar®-nominated SALAAM BOMBAY!
Director: Mira Nair
Accomplished FilmDirector /Writer /Producer Mira Nair was born in Bhubaneswar, India in 1957. Educated at both Delhi University and Harvard University, Nair began her artistic career as an actor before turning her attention to film. She found incipient success as a documentary filmmaker, winning awards for So Far From India and India Cabaret. In 1988, Nair’s debut feature, Salaam Bombay!, was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won the Camera D'Or (for best first feature) and the Prix du Publique (for most popular entry) at the Cannes Film Festival as well as 25 other international awards. Nair’s next film, Mississippi Masala, an interracial love story set in the American South and Uganda, starring Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury, won three awards at the Venice Film Festival including Best Screenplay and The Audience Choice Award. Subsequent films include The Perez Family (with Marisa Tomei, Anjelica Huston, Alfred Molina and Chazz Palminteri), about an exiled Cuban family in Miami; and the sensuous Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, which she directed and co-wrote. Nair directed My Own Country based on Dr. Abraham Verghese's best-selling memoir about a young immigrant doctor dealing with the AIDS epidemic. Made in 1998, My Own Country starred Naveen Andrews, Glenne Headly, Marisa Tomei, Swoosie Kurtz, and Hal Holbrook, and was awarded the NAACP award for best fiction feature. Nair returned to the documentary form in August 1999 with The Laughing Club of India, which was awarded The Special Jury Prize in the Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels 2000. In the summer of 2000, Nair shot Monsoon Wedding in 30 days, a story of a Punjabi wedding starring Naseeruddin Shah and an ensemble of Indian actors. The film opened to tremendous critical acclaim and commercial success and went on to win the Golden Lion at the 2001 Venice Film Festival and receive Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Punching at the Sun (Narrative Feature)
83 mins, English
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 6pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: 2006 Sundance Film Festival, 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, Winner Best Narrative – San Francisco Asian American Film Festival.
Cast: Misu Khan, Nina Edmonds, Hassan El-Gendi, Ferdusy Dia, Kazi Rahman, Taran Singh, Mohammad Mirza, Rana Quraishi, Farhad Asghar, Raymond Vasquez, Keyonn Sheppard
Synopsis: Punching at the Sun is a crackling, emotionally-charged dream ride through the streets of Elmhurst, Queens. It is a tale of rage and redemption as seen through the fiery eyes of Mameet Nayak: a headstrong Indian teen lost in the shadow of his brother's death.
Director: Tanuj Chopra
Chopra’s projects have taken him from India to Manhattan. His short film, Butterfly, won three best film awards in addition to playing at over 20 festivals across North America, Europe, India and Pakistan. His other films Uljhan and Bade Bahiya (Big Brother) have also played in a number of festivals around the country. |
|
|
Necessary Illusions (Narrative Short)
20 mins, 2005, Italian; French; English Subtitles, NYC Premiere
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 6pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Official Selection at Torino Film Festival, Recipient of the Visionary Award at the Washington DC Independant Film Festival.
Cast: Anup Sugunan, Timothy Sean, Freddie Johnson, Jarred Clowes, Rob Foran.
Synopsis: Shaira Keirostami enters an airport expecting routine travel. However, things have changed since 9/11. This movie's title is a nod to controversial author Noam Chomsky.
Director: Fayeque M. Rahman
A self-proclaimed’Euro-Mutt’, Rahman's venture into film making is marked by his film "Necessary Illusions" which won the visionary award at the Washington DC International Film Festival. His follow-up, also starring Anup Sugunan as the lead,’What Shadows Hide’ is a powerful story about events closer to home. |
|
|
Lucky (Narrative Short)
20 mins, 2005, Zulu/English/Tamil
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 6pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: 77 festivals 22 awards. Includes, Berlin, Edinburgh, AFI, Clermont Ferrand.
Cast: Joy Mwandla, Muthul Naidoo.
Synopsis: Lucky is an AIDS orphan desperate to leave his rural Zulu village for the bright lights of Durban. He is full of excitement and hope but Lucky has to learn about life the hard way, not through school or education but through an unlikely bond with a racist Indian neighbour.
Director: Avie Luthra
Luthra has directed a number of award-winning short films over the last ten years.He won BBC’s Dennis Porter award in 2001, and Channel 4’s Northern Soul award in 2000. He is listed in Screen International's "Stars of Tomorrow" 2004. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
View From a Grain of Sand (Doc Feature)
82 mins, English
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: A view from the grain of sand is a thirty-year journey by 3 Afghan women. Shot over the three years, a doctor, teacher and social acivitist tell how their lives were violently affected by wars of international making and three different regimes in Afghanistan.
Director: Meena Nanji
Meena Nanji has been working in film/video for the last 10 years. Her experimental work that explores issues of cultural hybriditiy and representation has been recognized by the NEA, Rockerfeller Foundation, and Women in Film Foundation among others and has also won numerous awards internationally. |
|
|
Toba Tek Singh (Narrative Short)
18 mins, 2005, Urdu, English, Punjabi, Hindi, NYC Premiere
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2, 6pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: New York Asian American International Festival, 2005, 22nd VC Filmfest, The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2006, 7th CrossRoads Film Festival, Jackson, MadCat Film Festival 2006, Bite the Mango festival 2006
Cast: Midhat Kazim, Omair Rana, Imran Siddiqui, Adeel Ansari, Zahid Qureshi, Usman Raja, Ali Imtiaz
Synopsis: It is 1947. The newly created governments of India and Pakistan wish to exchange lunatics. Bishan Singh, a Sikh lunatic in Pakistan, wants to know whether his hometown, Toba Tek Singh, has gone to India or Pakistan. No one seems to know. Based on the classic short story by Manto, Toba Tek Singh is a search for an identity in a world gone suddenly mad.
Director: Afia NathAniel
Ordinary people have extraordinary stories to tell ”, says Afia Serena NathAniel. A poet-writer-mathematician- computer scientist-copywriter-activist, Afia is Pakistan’s first independent female filmmaker from a minority background. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Umrao Jaan (Narrative Feature)
2006, Hindi
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Aishwarya Rai, Shabana Azmi, Sunil Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan.
Synopsis:"Luft hai kaun si kahani mein…
Aap beeti kahun ki jag beeti"
"What story will more absorbing be…
How fared the world in which I lived
Or what fate hath held in store for me."
- Umrao Jaan Ada
The real wealth of a people is their culture and literary work, which reflects the times, the place and the people.
One such work was Mirza Hadi Ruswa¹s Umrao Jaan Ada. Ruswa was a teacher in mathematics, science, philosophy & Persian. Ruswa was born in 1857 in Lucknow and his parents died when he was 16 years old. ŒRuswa¹ means a person without reputation. After going through the book, many literary minds felt that Ruswa could have named it 'Kahani Avadh Ki' or 'Sham-e-Avadh', because it is a vivid depiction of life in Avadh. But then , 'Sham-e-Avadh' or 'An Evening in Avadh' means 'mehfils'of song and dance and gatherings of poets and the literati -- a veritable celebration of life…And any such evening would be inconceivable without the presence of Umrao Jaan Ada.
A courtesan and a poetess in her own right, Umrao Jaan was a name to be reckoned with in any description of life in Avadh. If Lucknow was the heart of Avadh, Umrao was the heart beat.
When she first came to Lucknow, she was Amiran, the eight year old daughter of a lower middle class family. Her father was a Jamadar at the 'Bahu Begum ka Makhbara' in Faizabad. A pious and simple man, he gave evidence in a case against Dilawar Khan, a habitual offender. Dilawar was sentenced to jail for ten years. After finishing his sentence Dilawar came out , only to kidnap little Amiran , cart her to Lucknow and sell her to a kotha owned by the astute Khanum Sahib. This was the vengeance and a few rupees as bonus. "Let her suffer a death worse than a death," he said.
A kotha in that age, especially that of Khanum was not only a cultural hub known for excellence in performing arts but also a temple of learning the art of living. As an inmate of the kotha , little Amiran benefited the most. Khanum gave her the name 'Umrao' , Bua Hussaini brought her up in style, Maulvi Sahib imparted education, Khan Sahib initiated her into the world of music while the great Kathak Acharya made her feet move to rhythm. In the company of Bismillah, Khurshid and Gauhar Mirza, Umrao developed varied skills including poetry. The pen name 'Ada' was ample proof of the proficiency in writing and presenting poetry that she went on to acquire.
Graduating in years, Umrao became a rage in Lucknow. A beauty that was stunning, a manner that was enticing and words that were soul stirring, made the name of Umrao Jaan mean sheer joy of watching and listening.
Stepping into youth, she had to seek the love of her life. His name was Nawab Sultan. With the whole of Avadh at her feet, Umrao craved for Sultan's company. Somewhere deep inside her being, she had a dream of a husband, a family and a home. She chased her dream from one end of the rainbow to the other.
Would she realize her dream ever? Would she come face to face with Amiran once again? They say the child in you never dies…Just as hope never dies…
Director: J.P. Dutta
When grandiose vision and splendorous creativity meet incessant passion and single mindedness of purpose, it creates a synergy that is seldom seen. And yet it is this very synergy that is not only manifested in every J.P.Dutta
film, but in fact forms a hallmark.
Maverick, Auteur, Visionary, Technical genius, Master film maker, are only some of the tag words that follow the name J.P.Dutta. He took the worlds on either side of the cinema screen by storm with his very first directorial venture Ghulam in 1985. The technical brilliance , visually compelling frames and arresting look were backed by strong socio-economic content & high emotional quotient.
The commendable standard that he set for himself did not bow down to the law of gravity with the films that he went on to direct. Yateem (1989), Hathyar (1989), Batwara (1989) & Kshatriya (1992) firmly entrenched J.P.Dutta as one of Hindi Cinema¹s sparkling originals which were a diminishing breed. Firm in his convictions, uncompromising in his ideals, sure about not following the trodden path & fearless in expressing himself, he ended up altering audience perceptions forever.
His banner J.P.Films, was flagged off on 30th March 1993.With the three films that were to follow under his baton, J.P. Dutta not only re-created history but also created it. Border (1997) a hard- hitting & sensitive film that saluted the unflinching valour of soldiers, created box-office hysteria, won numerous awards & went down in the history of Indian Cinema as one of it proudest moments. J.P. Dutta who was known for the masculinity & machismo prevalent in his films strangely emerged the one who touched on the aspect of the agony experienced by the women & families of the soldiers as they stood on the tight rope of life & death. The necessity and urgency of peace could not have been signified better than in this film.
His next film Refugee (2000) was significant for its endeavor of showcasing the Œnothingness¹ associated with geographical boundaries as love proved universal. After Border J.P.Datta did not fathom making another war film. But following the Indo-Pak Kargil war when J.P.Dutta met many war heroes & was sensitized first- hand to the bravery of the martyred, he could not puncture his fervoured feeling of honouring their valiance and emphasizing on the sheer futility of war. And his labour of love LOC-Line of Control illuminated the silver screen. Such has been the impact of LOC and Border that J.P.Dutta has been acknowledged as the Supremo of war-based films.
Indeed ,there is no missing the overwhelming passion and painstaking detail that is rampant is every J.P. Dutta film. Not surprisingly he has also written and edited most of the films directed by him.He has a penchant for large canvases with a feeling of endlessness and ruggedness & mostly prefers shooting in sprawling outdoors. Seldom has he felt magnetized towards the synthetics of sets. His films have mainly been shot in unexposed locales of Rajastan, Gwalior & Agra as well as the Rann of Kutch and he has given them a look that only he could have . Needless to add that though his films are shot beautifully, one can see, feel and even experience the human emotions of the characters in his films shimmering all the way through, and that is what makes a J.P.Dutta film a heart- wrenching experience.
However diverse have been the subjects that J.P. Dutta has tackled, they are unified by one common thing the triumph of the human spirit. His latest venture Umrao Jaan is no exception .Though in many other ways it is a film unique from any other directed by him- A biopic, with a female main protagonist & a complete musical . Of course in terms of detailing, finesse, visual appeal & strong emotions, Umrao Jaan bears the J.P.Dutta stamp all the way.
Choices are arguably often the most difficult challenges a human being faces. A cinema lover is often faced with choices. Art film or Commercial? Content or Form? Socially relevant or entertaining? For the masses or the classesŠ? J.P. Dutta¹s films spare one of making these choices as they comprise a heady mix of them all. No mean achievement for someone who is in the craft of film-making for the sheer love of it. Who stoically follows his heart & never the trend. Who always works by instinct & never by manipulation . A man with gutsŠ. A man who follows his gut...... What better way to describe J.P.Dutta?
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Kabaddi Cops (Doc Short)
25 mins, 2005, English
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Kabaddi Cops is the remarkable story about a determined group of Canadian police officers from the Toronto area who take up a 4000 year old sport from India called kabaddi, in order to bond with the local South-Asian community.
Director: Greg Cote
Self-taught, with no formal schooling in the arts, this former police officer and private investigator enjoys capturing images and turning them into films. Kabaddi Cops is Cote’s second short documentary. His first film, ‘ Where There’s Smoke’, won two awards in March 2005 at the Dawson City International Film Festival. |
|
|
The Séance (Narrative Short)
6 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Rick Pisarro, Tom Cappadona
Synopsis: When we open the door to the other side, it can reveal a great many things.
Director: Arun Vaidyanathan
Popular for his engaging interviews with leading South Indian movie stars, Vaidyanathan has written, directed and hosted more than 50 shows for Raj TV in India. He is known for his short films ‘ As you wish’, ‘Br(a)illiant’ and ‘Stinking Cigar’as well as the Tamil short film “ Thaniyoru Manidhanukku” , that was screened at three film festivals including IAAC, New York. |
|
|
Flower girl (Narrative Short)
12 mins, 2005, Only Music, NYC Premiere
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: London Film Festival - 2005, Pusan Film Festival - 2005, IFFLA (Los Angeles) - 2006
Cast: Samara Chopra, K. Ramaswam, Kapila Vatsyayan, Pakhi Sen
Synopsis: Flower Girl has been adapted from a beautiful Indian folk tale. The Flower Girl lives in a forest with her grandmother and sister. She has the magical power to transform herself into a flowering tree that bears the most irresistible aromatic flowers. But one day a wealthy official falls in love with her beauty and fragrance. Determined to possess her, he exploits her gifts. Washed away in a storm, destitute on the flowing river, she is lovingly rescued and healed by her younger sister and her friends, to whom she passes on her magical gifts.
Director: Rajan Khosa
Khosa's directorial debut "Dance of the Wind" opened at the Venice Film Festival and won multiple awards at Rotterdam, Chicago, Nantes and London film festivals. Known for the screenplay “ SATORI” , Khosa’s “Wisdom Tree ” received the National Award in India. His recent film "Flower Girl" was made for the World Expo 2005 at Aichi, Japan. |
|
|
Singing Pictures: Women Painters of Naya (Doc Feature)
34 mins, 2005, Bengali w/Englishsubtitles, NYC Premiere
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Material Culture and Archaeology Prize, International Ethnographic Film Festival of the Royal Anthropological Institute, UK, 2005, Athens InternationalFilm & Video Festival, Ohio, 2006, Society for Visual Anthropology/American Anthropological Association Conference, San Jose 2006
Synopsis: For generations, the Patua (Chitrakar) of West Bengal have been painters and singers of stories depicted in scrolls. Recently, group of women from Naya revived this dying practice and formed a collaborative where they candidly discuss issues of Islam and birth control, victimization of women, female education, poverty and work, religious tolerance and intolerance, and depict some of these ideas in the scrolls. Their stories attest to what it means to be a woman in Bengal and India today, demonstrating how a small group of determined women can empower themselves by adapting an ancient art to new conditions.
Directors: Brittany Gravely for Ákos Östör, Lina Fruzzetti, Aditi Nath Sarkar
Anthropology professors Fruzzetti and Östör have co-directed films such as Seed and Earth (1994) and Fishers of Dar (2002).While Fruzzetti is the author of ‘Women, Orphans, and Poverty’, Östör has authored monographs such as the Play of the Gods and Vessels of Time. Co-director Sarkar is the author of numerous articles about the Patua tradition of West Bengal and a co-producer of the documentary, Future of Our Cities: Calcutta |
|
|
Un posh teli yeli wan posh (You Will Get Your Bread Only if the Forests Last) (Doc Short)
14 mins, 2005
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2 - 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Profiling the destructive impact that militancy, violence, and terrorism have on the Kashmir environment, this film also depicts how simple village people brave militants’ bullets to protect their forests and land.
Director: Aaradhana Kapur
Kapur has a post-graduate degree in International Relations & Mass Communications. An established film director who specializes in social/developmental communication, she has researched, produced, directed and scripted films, public service messages and docu-features on myriad issues. Her endeavor is to create communication that builds bridges and breaks barriers. |
 |
Dharini (Narrative Short)
21 min, 2006
Screening: Thursday, Nov 2, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Sakina Jaffrey
Synopsis: When a tragic accident changes her life forever, Dharini struggles to redefine her understanding of nature's forces.
Director: Anupama Pradhan
Anupama is a recent MFA graduate in Directing from the American Film Institute. A Fulbright scholar in Kathak, she began her career with a love for storytelling through live performance that quickly expanded to include film. Anupama has written and directed several short films, including the Sloan-award winning Dharini. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
All Roads Lead to Here (Narrative Short)
5 mins, 2005, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: San Francisco Asian American FF, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Artwallah, DC Asia Pacific Film Festival, 3rd-I Film Festival, Calgary ImagiASIAN Film Fest, Seattle Indie South Asian Film Festival, Bumbershoot Film Festival
Cast: Gurpreet “ The Table Guy” Chana and Jugular “ The Human Beat Box ”
Synopsis: Gurpreet “The Tabla Guy ” is sent back on a mission from the far east to the west to assassinate Jugular “The Human Beat Box” but their intentions are clouded by an evil conductor. This visually and acoustically fascinating video was produced for Bravo Fact, a foundation to promote and stimulate unique forms of expression in Canadian music.
Directors: Richie Mehta & Stuart Mclntyre
Mehta’s short films ‘System of Units’, ‘All Roads Lead to Here’ and ‘Amal’ have played at many leading international film festivals and have won awards in Japan, Los Angeles, Germany and Toronto. Mehta and Editor/Director McIntyre, who partnered for ‘All Roads Lead to Here’ are currently working on a feature-length adaptation of AMAL. |
|
|
Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam (Doc Feature)
50 mins, 2005, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: WOMEX UK, MOFFOM Prague, World Performing Arts Festival, Lahore.
Cast: William Dalrymple
Synopsis: As Muslim extremists dominate the headlines, William Dalrymple explores the world of Sufism and its message of tolerance and peace. Moreover they use music as a way of getting closer to God. From the Whirling Dervishes, to the ecstatic vocals of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this eye-opening documentary is musically powerful and visually rich. Filmed in Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, India and Morocco.
Director: Simon Broughton
Simon Broughton was a documentary and music director at the BBC till he went freelance 10 years ago. He films range from The Music of Terezin, about composers in the Jewish ghetto during WWII, to Breaking the Silence, about the return of music to Afghanistan after the Taliban. He is also editor of the world music magazine Songlines. |
|
|
Anamika-Her Glorious Past (Doc Short)
21 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: The Devdasis are known as "The Lovers of the Lord." In ancient Indian tradition, young girls who were trained in the classical art forms were chosen to be married to God and the temple. These women were highly respected as patrons of the arts and for their status in society. They would never be the victims of widowhood. The film explores the glorious past of the Devdasi tradition in India
Director: Pavitra Chalam
A graduate student at New York Film Academy, Chalam made her film debut with ‘Bus’, when she represented India in the Youth Initiative for Peace in Pakistan."Anamika" marks the beginning of her quest to understand the transformation of the Devadasi tradition, from the revered patron of the arts to the fallen woman of today. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
HIDING DIVYA Centerpiece Sneak Peek(Narrative Feature)
88 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3, 6pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Madhur Jaffrey, Pooja Kumar
Synopsis: Upon the death of her uncle John, Palini "Linny" Shah (33) returns home with her daughter Jia (16) to attend his funeral. Estranged from her mother Divya Shah since her teenage pregnancy, Linny, until now, has resisted being pulled into painful memories of her mother's mental illness during her youth. Upon arriving at her childhood home Linny discovers that she is entitled to an inheritance of $20,000, but she must wait two weeks before she can collect. Otherwise penniless, Linny has no choice but to wait it out at her mother's home. The two women, Divya and Linny, fall into their old routine of concerned mother and rebellious daughter. But soon things go from ordinary to extraordinary as Divya exhibits signs of serious mental illness. Jia tries to gain an understanding of her grandmother's illness, while Linny tries to shelter her daughter from it. Soon the dynamic of disappointment and mistrust that is ever present between Divya and Linny replicates itself between Linny and Jia. With the help of an old family friend, Ravi Das (35), Linny begins to accept the responsibilities of being a daughter and as a consequence learns what it is to be a mother. In taking on her past, Linny discovers her future.
Director: Rehana Mirza
Mirza, who is currently an MFA Candidate in Playwriting at Columbia University, is also a Leopold Schepp Scholar, an LMCC Artist Grant Recipient, and a member of the Ma-Yi Writer's Lab. She has many film direction and screenwriting projects to her credit and is best known for her play, ‘ Barriers’ and her script, ‘Quarter Life Crisis’. |
|
|
Gandhi at the Bat (Narrative Short)
11 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3, 6pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Delfin Labao,Lee Perkins, David Ross Paterson
Synopsis: Gandhi at the Bat is a newsree-style account of the little known (and totally fictional) incident when Mohandas K. Gandhi pinch-hit for the New York Yankees in 1933. Based on a short story by Chet Wiliamson that originally appeared in the New Yorker in 1983, Gandhi at the Bat is a faifthful recreation of a 1930s-style newsreel. The 110minute movie includes over 75 effects shots, done by the directors themselves which transform the actual shooting location (a minor league ballpark in Bakersfield, California) into a faifthful recreation of Yankee Stadium as it was over seventy years ago.
Director: Stephanie Argy/Alec Boehm
Argy and Boehm have recently completed the short film, ‘Scene’, and are in pre-production on their first feature, a caper movie set in 1937 called ‘Red Machine’. While Argy has written for movie trade magazines and websites, Boehm has worked as a cameraman on numerous commercials, short films and a feature documentary.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Nina's Heavenly Delights (Narrative Feature)
94 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3, 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Art Malik, Laura Fraser, Shelley Conn, Ronny Jhutti, Veena Sood, Raji James, Rita Wolf, and Elaine C Smith.
Synopsis: Nina's Heavenly Delights, the feature film debut of Pratibha Parmar is a virant highly original comedy that is a sizzling combination of family, food and surprises. The film is an exhilarating love story where Scottish humour meets Bollywood spectacle. Nina Shah is feisty young woman who left home under a cloud. She returns to the family owned Indian restauarnt following the death of her father. Her return brings many surprises and a meeting with Lisa, a charismatic young woman who now owns half the restaurant. With courage and enormous vitality Nina fights to keep the family business and fulfill her father's secret wish of winning the 'Best of the West' curry competition...and find the divine taste of love in this spicy, mouth-watering feel-good comedy.
Director: Pratibha Parmar
Parmar, who owns a film production company, is an award-winning producer and director. She has made music promos for Morcheeba, Tori Amos, Ghostlands and Midge Ure and has directed and produced‘ Warrior Marks’. Her films have been exhibited widely at international film festivals and broadcasted on television in many countries. |
|
|
Twins of Mankala (Doc Short)
11 mins, 2006, English/Kikuyu
Screening: Friday, Nov 3, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Twins Of Mankala" compares a routine day of twin eight-year old Kenyan girls living in Massachusetts and another, born and raised in Kilo, Kanya. The film looks at the environments that will shape the children as they grow up. "Twins Of Mankala" is a profound examination of culture and place through the eyes of Kenya youth living on opposite sides of the world.
Director: Jason Dasilva
DaSilva’s film "Olivia's Puzzle", qualified for the Academy Awards in 2004, after screening at over 30 festivals and winning various awards. "A Song For Daniel" and "Twins Of Mankala" also premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and were screened nationally on PBS. His feature film, "Lest We Forget", premiered at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam in 2004. |
|
|
Pria (Narrative Short)
12 mins, 2004, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: WorldFest Houston (Platinum Remi - Romantic Comedy), Sprockets Toronto (Audience Choice Award), World Wide Short Film Fest, YorktoNarrative Short Film and Video Festival (Nominated Golden Sheaf Award), Goyang Film Festival Korea, Los Angeles Indian Film Festival, Washington DC Asian Pacific Film Festival, NBC Comedy Shorts
Cast: Natasha Chandel
Synopsis: To meet the boy of her dreams, a 15 year-old South-Asian girl tries to lose her accent by imitating lines from her favorite movies.
Director: Theodore Bezaire
A founding member of The Dot Film Company, Bezaire functions mainly as a writer and director. He holds a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Windsor and a diploma from the C.I.L.E.C.T. affiliated Advanced Television and Film Program at Sheridan College. |
|
|
Davy and Stu (Narrative Short)
14 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Friday, Nov 3, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Winner, CINE Golden Eagle Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking, Grand Prize, Rhode Island International Film Festival (Alternative Spirit), Semifinalist, Action/Cut Short Film Competition, Honorable Mention, Provincetown Intl. Film Festival, Honorable Mention, Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival. 2006 - Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, 2006 Hamptons International Film Festival (Student Award), NewFest International (New York City), Canadian Film Centre Worldwide Shorts Film Festival (Toronto), Provincetown International Film Festival, Honorable Mention, Southside International Film Festival, Philly International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Reeling at Gay Games VII (Special Showcase), Rhode Island International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival (Nova Scotia), Reel Affirmations LGBT Festival (D.C.), Seattle International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Action/Cut Short Film Competition Finals, Image/Out Rochester LGBT Intl. Film Festival, Winner,
Cast: Travis Walters, Nicholas Cutro
Synopsis: Based on Anton Dudley's internationally acclaimed play. As the sun sets over a swampy Scotland bog, two boys meet in the darkness as part of a nightly ritual. But are they there for the same reasons? Part character study, part love story, DAVY & STU is a heartwrenching look at the intensity of adolescent romance and forbidden love.
Director: Soman Chainani
Chainani, the recepient of the prestigious FMI Fellowship for excellence in writing and directing,is a MFA filmmaker at Columbia University in New York. He has worked alongside Mira Nair at the acclaimed director's production company, Mirabai Films, during post production on Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon, and development of Nair's upcoming film, The Namesake. |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Vanaja (Narrative Feature)
111 Mins, 2006
Screening: Friday, Nov 3 - 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/ Awards: Toronto Film Festival 2006
Cast: Mamta Bhukhya, Urmila Dammannagari, Ramachandriah Marikanti, Krishnamma Gundimalla, Karan Singh, Bhavani Renukunta, Krishna Garlapati, Prabhu Garlapati
Synopsis: Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than fort walls, VANAJA explores the chasm that divides classes
as a young girl struggles to come of age. Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) is the 14 year-old daughter of a poor, low caste fisherman, struggling with dwindling catches and mounting debt. When a sooth-sayer predicts that she will be a great dancer one day, she goes to work in the house of the local landlady, Rama Devi (Urmila Dammannagari), in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance while earning a keep.
Director: Rajnesh Domalpalli
Rajnesh Domalpalli comes from Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh in South India. He spent his childhood in small rural towns associated with dam construction projects where his father worked as a civil engineer for the government. After completing his B. Tech in EE from the IIT Mumbai in 1984 and an MS from SUNY, SB in 1986 he worked as a Computer Engineer in California's Silicon Valley before deciding to take up Film at Columbia University in New York and graduating with an MFA in 2006. "Vanaja" is not only his first Feature but also his Thesis at Columbia. Rajnesh loves writing, and feels that it is the greatest challenge in making a good film. While at the IIT, he had dabbled in penning short stories during his spare time, and one of these, "The Dowry" was eventually picked up and broadcast by BBC's World Service in Sept 1984 and Aug 1989. College was also where he was introduced to South Indian classical music on the veena, before following it up with several years of training in the vocal tradition. Rajnesh's other passions are photographing with friends in the California Sierras and wildlife. He currently splits his time between Hyderabad and New York. |
|
|
The Morning Fog (Narrative Short)
22 mins, 2006, English, World Premiere
Screening: Friday, Nov 3 - 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Ira Dubey, Vivek Gombar
Synopsis: A Bombay girl fantasizes about seeing a tiger in the wild. When she runs off on a school safari trip, she is betrayed and left to fend for herself in the dangerous jungle. To survive, she must unravel the secrets of the wild where an elusive tiger roams and ancient mysteries abound.
Director: Aminta Goyel
Currently working on a feature screenplay on the Indian Diaspora, Goyel is interested in exploring themes of identity in the multi-cultural fractures of modernity. She has directed numerous plays and short films and has a BA from Cornell and an MFA from USC. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Belly Full of Dreams (Narrative Feature)
90 mins, 2005, Telugu
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: IFFLA, Berlin Film Festival, Cannes, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Cairo Film Festival.
Cast: Sai Kumar, Shiva Kumar, Shriya Saran, Evv Naresh, TAnikala BharAni, Surya
Synopsis: As the narrative alternates between the puppet world and the real world, we follow Ramu in his travails, exploring both his physical and emotional journeys as he confronts a corrupt system that is threatening to destroy the Nation. Bruised and battered he struggled, but never gave up-his will so strong that it broke the universe from its slumber. The universe conspired to help and sends forth a tooth fairy; to unleash her magic, to set right a broken System and to revive the sagging Belly of the puppet Know-it-all. A magic so beautiful, that it made true the little boy’s dream.
Director: Prakash Kovelmudi
Kovelamudi comes from a family of filmmakers instrumental in re-defining the nature of Telugu films in South India. “ A Belly Full of Dreams ” which strives to transcend language and cultural barriers is his first feature film as writer/director. |
|
|
Sita Sings the Blues - 2 episodes (Narrative Short - Animation)
8 mins, 2006, English, BAnishment! - New York Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Sita Sings the Blues is a feature-in-progress combining the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, the 1920's blues vocals of Annette Hanshaw, and classically informed but modern Animation. The 6 musical segments completed thus far have been edited into this "Mini-Sitayana." With music, humor, and a range of Animation techniques, Sita Sings the Blues aims to show how the genius of the Ramayana transcends societies and generations, and is as relevant today as it was 3,000 years ago.
Director: Nina Paley
Nina Paley first ‘encountered’ the Ramayana while living in Trivandrum, Kerala, in 2002, and hasn't been the same since. In addition to making independent Animated festival films, Nina teaches Animation at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. |
|
|
Horn Ok Please (Narrative Short - Ani)
9 mins, 2005
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: HORN OK PLEASE follows a momentous day in the life of a hapless Bombay taxi driver who strives to earn enough rupees to buy the air-conditioned car of his dreams…As the day progresses, his goal seems within reach; however the traffic, the exasperating passengers and the pre-monsoon heat take their toll as he starts to show signs of weakness..
Director: Joel Simon
The founder of an animation studio in Belfast, Simon has produced children animation series and short films like Second Helpings and Horn Ok Please. His documentary, Ciderpunks won him several awards for best animation at film festivals worldwide. |
|
|
Chakachak (Narrative Short - Ani)
4 mins, 2005, Music
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Chakachak is the animated sequence from a larger feature project. Fast paced and furious, this animated sequence is a child's thoughts attempting to understand the damage human beings are causing to the environment and its consequences.
Director: Chetan Sharma
Chetan started early in life when he joined Ram Mohan at 15, where he worked under Gayatri's direction on a 20-minute film for CFSI. Animagic, based in Mumbai, was established in 1997 by Gayatri and Sumant Rao along with Chetan Sharma and has been involved in making one fascinating animation among another. |
|
|
Boond (Narrative Short - Ani)
5 mins, 2005
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards:: Nova Cinema Indian Film Festival, Brussels, Belgium in Oct., 2005, Won 1st prize in the Student Animation category of IDPA award for excellence, 2005, Won a Silver Conch Award, in Film and Video Competition (International Section) of Mumbai International Film Festival' 2006
Synopsis: An entire life is encapsulated in a drop that forms to perish on to the earth and rejoin the water from which it originated. The film depicts the nostalgic memory of the person and shows death as a loss. Boond is a tribute to a friend who succumbed to lung cancer.
Director: Kavita Singh
Singh studied animation film design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad before joining Star News in Mumbai, India. In 2004, she directed an animated film on water pollution for the Films Division, Government of India. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Riding Solo to the Top of the World (Doc Feature)
94 mins, 2005, English, US Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - Noon
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Best Documentary - Mumbai International Film Festival; National Critics Award - Mumbai International Film Festival; Best Documentary - History/Biography SIGNS Film Festival, Kerala
Synopsis: Riding Solo To The Top Of The World is the unique experience of a lonesome traveler, who rides his motorcycle from Mumbai to one of the remotest places in the world capturing moments of beauty, pain, love, hardship, self doubt and spiritual triumphs as a one-man film unit.
Director: Gaurav Jani
Jani assisted the noted film maker Ram Gopal Verma but soon quit commercial films to make ‘his kind of films’. With no experience of operating a professional camera nor recording sound, he set off on a solo motorcycle journey. Riding Solo To The Top Of The World is his debut film. |
|
|
Clear Cut, Simple (Narrative Short)
13 mins, English
Premiere (WORLD/US/NYC): NYC (East Coast Premiere)
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - Noon
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Angelus Awards Nominee
Cast: Rob Teper & Navid Negahban
Synopsis: When a young U.S. Army officer receives news from his commander that his trusted Iraqi interpreter is allegedly an insurgent, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. As the clock ticks towards a raid on his Iraqi friend's home, he must decide who to believe and what to do. Based on a true story.
Director: Vineet Dewan
Hailing from India, the Middle-East, England and both American Coasts, Dewan (Yale '02, USC Cinema '07) has always been a foreigner; he looks at the world slightly differently. He is a winner of the Huston Directing Award, the Bush Cinematography Award and the MMPA National Diversity Award. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Podokkhep "Footsteps" (Narrative Feature)
93 mins, 2006, Bengali, NYC Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Selected at the Vancouver International Film Festival
Cast: Soumitra Chatterjee, Nandita Das, Sweta Dutta, Tota RoyChowdhury, Shabitri Chatterjee, June Maliah
Synopsis: At the end, the only love which lasts is the love that has accepted everything, every disappointment, every failure and every betrayal, which has accepted even the sad fact that in the end there is no desire as deep as the simple desire for companionship.
Director: Suman Ghosh
Ghosh studied film at Cornell University, New York, where he also received a Ph.D in Economics. He has previously directed and produced a documentary on Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, titled “ Amartya Sen: A Life Reexamined” which was screened at many venues worldwide. “Footsteps ” is his debut feature film. |
|
|
Solitude (Narrative Short)
2 mins, 2006, English, NYC Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Lisa Raimondi, Sasha Douglas, Zarina Nares, Jahanara Nares, Koko Raimondia, Nathalia Meer, S. Ashraf Meer
Synopsis: A woman is running in a forest. Footfalls and breath. She sees another runner on a parallel path. They start to race, the other runner becoming younger and younger as they do. The woman pushes herself harder. As she emerges from the forest, she hears a child's giggle. She sees herself at 2. A smile of recognition.
Director: S. Ashraf Meer
Ashraf Meer is a filmmaker, writer, Animator and designer, and founding member of the directing collective, Mass Republic. Since 1991, Ashraf has been making short film/video pieces on his life as an American-born Muslim, of Indian origin. Ashraf lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children. |
|
|
Weaning (Narrative Short)
15 mins, 2004, Danish
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival; Women in the Director’s Chair, Chicago; Chicks with Flicks Film Festival (winner, best film), New York; San Diego Girl Film Festival (winner, jury award); Seattle International Film Festival; Female Eye Film Festival
Cast: Signe Glæsel, Lars Lippert, Sigurd
Synopsis: A nursing mother is weaned by her eight-month old son.
Director: Gitanjali Kapila
After being awarded a production grant from the Danish Film Institute, this Columbia University graduate created ‘WEANING’, which was recently screened at the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival. Kapila is now working on a feature length script of ‘Double Happiness’, produced as a staged reading by Chicago ScriptWorks and Silk Road Theatre Project in June 2006. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Dombivli Fast (Narrative Feature)
110 mins, 2005, Marathi
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 2:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Sandeep Kulkarni, Sandesh Jadhav , Shilpa Tulaskar, Doshyan Wach
Synopsis: Unable to bear the rampant corruption and lawlessness around him, Madhav Apte, a righteous, cultured and educated man decides to take matters into his own hands. In an effort to cleanse society of its ills, Madhav finds himself on the wrong side of the law with his wife and children affected and cops on his trail.
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Director Nishikant Kamat makes a stunning debut with this gritty, realistic depiction of a lower middle-class Mumbai family placed in hostile circumstances. |
|
|
I am Bombay (Doc Short)
27 mins, 2006, Hindi/English/Marathi, World Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 2:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: NYU Graduate Film Festival, 2006
Synopsis: Using six-degrees-of-separation, the film moves from one character to the next, glimpsing the city of Mumbai through the contrasting perspectives and lifestyles of a slum dweller and a film star, an upper class housewife and an artist, a street vendor and a dance choreographer.
Director: Preeti Mankar
Mankar is a documentary filmmaker with an MA from NYU. "I Am Bombay" is her first feature-length production. Other films include "An Arranged Marriage" and "LES" - a visual portrait of Manhattan's Lower East Side. She grew up in Mumbai, India, and now lives in New York. |
|
|
Bombay Skies (Narrative Short)
21 mins, 2006, English, World Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 2:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: The list award for best short by the Los Angeles Film School
Cast: Rajat Kapoor, Amit Salounke, Rita Rani
Synopsis: American born Anjali runs off to India with dreams of becoming a movie star in Bombay. Her father goes after her vowing to bring her back, but when a little street boy takes him on a journey through the streets of Bombay in search of his daughter, he ends up reviving memories from the past, re-encountering a dream long lost, and falling in love with the city he once called home.
Director: Rita Rani
Rita graduated from UCLA with a performing arts degree and recently finished training at the Los Angeles Film School. She won the 2003 Images award at the Filmi Film festival in Toronto for her body of work as an actress and has produced several short films, among them, 'Behind the Curtain' starring Peter MacNicol which has travelled to many festivals worldwide. Her journey as an artist began at a very young age and continues as an actress, writer, and director. "Bombay Skies" is her thesis film for The Los Angeles FIlm School.
Awards: The List Award for Best Short by www.FilmmakerInterviews.com and Selected for The Los Angeles Film School Industry Screening. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
DOR by Nagesh Kukunoor
2006, Hindi (no subtitles), US Premiere
Screening: Saturday Nov 4, 6pm
Cast: Ayesha Takia, Shreyas Talpade, Gul Panag
Synopsis: Dor is the story about love, loss, friendship and ultimately redemption.
It is a tale of two women from two different worlds. Zeenat is an independent, self-assured young woman from Himachal Pradesh. She is a young and headstrong and has lived her life on her terms. Her strength of character is evident from how she lives alone, chooses to marry for love, and is ready to go to any lengths to save her husband's life, against all odds.
Meera is a simple and conventional girl who lives by the strict traditions of her Rajput roots. She is a sweet, innocent woman who is content with what life has given her… a loving husband and a joint family. She never questions her existence in the patriarchal settings of Rajasthan, even after the life as she has known changes drastically on her husband's death.
In ways that neither Zeenat or Meera can perceive their worlds are about to collide. A life-changing piece of news reaches both women at the same instance and sets into motion a series of events that will change their lives forever.
One of these women will hold the power of life and death in her hands. One will be helpless at the hands of fate. One of these women has everything to fight for. One of them has nothing to lose.
Director: Nagesh Kuknoor
Director's note: Sometimes an idea leaps out at you and a story writes itself. This is how it happened with Dor. After an intense crazy week, the first draft of Dor came pouring out. But like all stories told from the heart the quantity of time didn't matter.
My drive was to make a visually arresting film. In a country with so many unseen, locations, I wanted to pick the right background to set the stage for this dramatic story, or stories if you will, because the challenge was to tell it from two different points of view. Both stories run on a parallel track and keep the audience engrossed at the same time.
With the most incredible team I've ever worked with, Dor has been my most satisfying film. I hope you feel the same way. |
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
Yours Emotionally!
83 Mins, English
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Premjit, Jack Lamport, Pratik Gandhi, Iravati Karnik, Ikhlaq Khan, Ajay Rohilla, Abhay, Ashwin, Mansoor
Synopsis: Ravi & Paul, two friends from Leicester, end up attending a gay party in the small Indian town of Shimoga. A genteel dreamer Ravi instantly falls in love with Mani - a dark & handsome local working man. Ravi and Paul also meet an older male couple, Murthy & Anna, now in their sixties. Although Ravi can't let go of his newfound love, Mani cannot overcome the vast gap that exists between them. Mani is under constant pressure to get married to a woman. When Ravi asks Mani to accompany him to UK, Mani shows very little willingness. Ravi seeks Murthy & Anna's help, but the couple hide behind words of wisdom and express inability to bring Ravi & Mani together. Tension brews between Ravi & Paul due to sexually charged Mani and the situation highlights some nasty cracks in their friendship... Mani throws in a surprise at the farewell meeting that Ravi's asked for...Interspersed with flashes of semi-surreal situations - presented through exciting dream sequences - Yours Emotionally! unfolds a brightly painted canvas that explores contrasting values within Indian & Western gay sub-cultures.
Director: Sridhar Rangayan
Rangayan, an engineer by training, has several documentary films on various social issues to his credit. He has also been associated with some feature films, like “Papeeha ” directed by Sai Paranjape and “ English, August” directed by Dev Benegal. He is a social activist and has been involved in gay and other gender issues for several years. His previous film on issues of sexual orientation, “The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aina), ” dealt with cross-dressing drag queens. But it was banned by the censor board in India, who felt it had too much of vulgarity. “ They even said that I had not treated the theme with ‘understanding,’” he says. |
|
|
Two Men in Shoulder Stand
20 Mins, English
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Manu Narayan AND Karam Puri
Synopsis: On a beach in South India, a male couple, Sarath and Hassan, one HIV+ and one negative, do yoga together as a means of maintaining health in the absence of medical treatments. Their yoga becomes a means of expression of their love for each other as they search for a moment of transcendence.
Director: Paul Knox
TWO MEN IN SHOULDER STAND marks writer/director Paul Knox's filmmaking debut. His play, KALIGHAT, based on his experiences working in Mother Teresa's homes in Kolkata, was produced by the Indo-American Arts Council and published by the New York Theater Experience. His GEHRI DOSTI, 5 Short Plays with a South Asian Bent ;-) premiered at Harvard University and was also produced by Circle East in NYC. A CO-recipient of the United Nations Society of Writers' Award for his cultural exchange work with the Russian Academy of Theater Arts, he is also a founder of the Tides Foundation - India Fund, which supports LGBTQ efforts in South Asia. |
|
| |
Modern Day Arranged Marriage
5 Mins, English
Cast: Debargo Sanyal,. Poorna Jagannathan
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 - 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: When Rajesh and Suna arrange to meet at a cafe, will it just be coffee on the menu or can it be marriage?
Director: Rehana Mirza
Mirza, who is currently an MFA Candidate in Playwriting at Columbia University, is also a Leopold Schepp Scholar, an LMCC Artist Grant Recipient, and a member of the Ma-Yi Writer's Lab. She has many film direction and screenwriting projects to her credit and is best known for her play, ' Barriers' and her script, 'Quarter Life Crisis'. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Dubai Return (Narrative Feature)
130 Mins, 2005, Hindi with English subtitles
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: IFFI (International Film Festival Goa, 2005, Kara Film Festival, Karachi, 2005, Osian's Cinefan, New Delhi, 2006
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Divya Dutta, Razak Khan, Ritu Shivpuri, Vijay Maurya
Synopsis: 10 years back Aftab made his debut as a hit-man.. the credit for this job, unfortunately, went to someone else ! Aftab returns from Dubai desparate to set the record straight and regain his 'lost glory' with the help of his gang-mates Khilji and Johny. Dubai Return is a bittersweet tale about lovable losers… of identity crises, dashed hopes, misfired bullets. and bad biryani
Director: Aditya Bhattacharya
Started his career as a photographer. His debut film, RAAKH (Ashes won him three national awards. He is perhaps the only Indian Director who has made a film in Italian, (SENSO UNICO) acclaimed for its cinematic excellence. DUBAI RETURN is his third full length feature film for which he has collaboratively written the screenplay and dialogues. |
|
| |
Mausi (Narrative Short)
7 mins, English/Hindi, Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 8:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Mausi focuses on a working class family where guns, drugs, food and a nagging relative make it a difficult household. But Mausi just might surprise her family by putting together the most unlikely romantic partners.
Director: Sarba Das
Das graduated from NYU's Tisch School of Arts with a Masters in Film. She was among the eight filmmakers selected to participate in the IFP/LA 2005 Directors Lab and is the winner of the 2006 Richard Vague Production Fund Award for Alumni (New York University's Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts). |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Of Such Times: The Modern Indian Woman- Reflections and Journeys (Doc Short)
31 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: What and who is the 'Modern Indian Woman?' What is her quintessence? At times there seems a gap between women even 15 years apart, each often unsure of the other and her concerns. "Modern" is often perceived as brash. As styles of expression and presentation change, one assumes
a corresponding change in the basic fabric of a generation; in their intent, their motives, in what drives them to action. Perhaps this assumption has reason. Yet perhaps its time women know the minds of other women.
Director: Vandana Kohli
Trained in film editing at the Film and Television Institute (FTII) in India, Kohli has won awards and accolades, including the RAPA award for Best Director, ‘Into the Abyss: A Film on Major Depression’. |
|
|
The House on Gulmohar Ave. (Doc Short)
30 mins, 2005, English, US Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4, 8:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: The Open Frame Film Festival 2005, KARA 2005, International Film Festival, Karachi 2005, 9th International Short & Independent Film Festival, Dhaka 2005, TRI Continental Film Festival 2006
Synopsis: The House on Gulmohar Avenue traces the personal journey of the filmmaker through the ideas of identity and belonging. The film is set in a part of New Delhi called Okhla, where four generations of the filmmaker's family have lived. An area that is sometimes also called Mini Pakistan.
Director: Samina Mishra
Samina Mishra is a documentary filmmaker and media practitioner based in New Delhi. Her work includes The House on Gulmohar Avenue, a film about identity, Home and Away, a multimedia exhibition and Hina in the Old City, a non-fiction book on the Walled City of Delhi for children. |
|
|
Barrel Children (Doc Short)
26 mins, 2006, Trinidadian English/ Standard English Subtitles, NYC Premiere
Screening: Saturday, Nov 4 – 8:30 pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Nominated for 2006 NYWIFT Scholarship, Official Selection RIIFF 2006, Official Selection Kairi Festival Trinidad 2006, Official Selection IAAC NYC 2006.
Synopsis: Ricardo, Chablis, and Ronnie Belmontes have been living in Trinidad for over ten years with their uncle, Seeraj, while their mother Maya works as a nanny in the United States in order to support them. “ Barrel Children” takes an intimate look at a family separated by migration.
Director: Cara Elmslie Weir
Weir’s interest lies in making films that explore the complexities in everyday situations. She has a Masters degree in Documentary Film from City College of New York, and has worked within various sectors of the arts, including graphic design, teaching youth media classes, and public television programming. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
American Blend (Narrative Feature)
100 mins, 2005, English
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Best Director and Best Achievement filmmaker award at the Riverside International Film Festival, USA, Mami International Film Festival
Cast: Anupam Kher, Dee Wallace, Ranjit Chowdhry, David Oyelowo
Synopsis: 'American Blend' is about the coming together of people.A cultural explosion of a cross-cultural,part-Indian,part-American family in LA,their trials and tribulations,and their ultimate coming together in a colourful, musical,wonderful blend of both cultures.
Director: Varun Khanna
The writer & director of two feature films, ‘Beyond Honor’ and ‘Spice of Life’, Khanna was once chosen as an upcoming director in the US during a national search for theater talent. In 1996, he moved to California to write and edit television news magazine weekly broadcasts on the International Channel, KSCI, WPXN, and KTSF. |
|
 |
Independence Day (Narrative Short)
9 mins, 2006, English, World Premiere
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, Noon
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Roopashree Jeevaji, David Bianchi, Vito Morte
Synopsis: A young Muslim woman is struggling with her daily mundane chores at a bakery owned by her authoritarian father. She meets a wanton young man who brings both pleasure and turmoil infused in a hotbed of virulence of her father. She is conflicted between the American dream of independence with the conservative rearing of her faith. The pressures force her to face obstacles that will forever change her life.
Director: Nabila Lester
The daughter of a theater director and opera singer, dramatic design is in Lester’s blood. She has developed her style as a graffiti post-modernist designer and works as a set designer. She is also enrolled at USC in the Masters in Production program. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
A Vagabond Day (Narrative Feature)
90 mins, 2005, Marathi
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, Noon
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Director: Vijay Patkar |
|
|
Retirement Rehearsal (Narrative Short)
24 mins, 2003, English
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, Noon
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Daamen Krall, D. Ann Nadeau, Elliot Grey, Marija Thomas
Synopsis: Retirement Rehearsal is a dramatic comedy about a man forced into early retirement. The film follows an emotional and sometimes amusing relationship between a husband and wife as they cope with the adjustment of beginning a new phase of life together - the golden years.
Director: Anisha Pattnaik
Currently packaging her passion project Final Boarding, Pattnaik has assisted in the making of ‘Leela’, and was hired to direct a French-American independent feature, Between the Lines. She has a MFA degree in directing from the AFI and developed her skills as a writer at UCLA. |
|
|
The Last Dance (Narrative Short)
15 mins, 2005, English, NYC Premiere
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, Noon
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Montreal World Film Festival (2006 selection), Bollywood and Beyond World Film Festival, Stuttgart, International Film Festival of Kerala, Mumbai International Film Festival, Pune International Film Festival. Awards - Special Jury Award - 0110 Digital Film Festival, French Embassy Award.
Cast: Silloo Mahava, Bomi Dotiwala
Synopsis: We all grapple with loneliness, we all wear masks, we all need fairy wings to make our wishes come true. Meroo is 65. She has just found love. She has just lost it.
Director: Akshay Roy
Roy worked as an assistant director on Nair’s 'The Namesake' and 'Vanity Fair', Mehta’s 'Water', Greengrass’s 'The Bourne Supremacy', and Akhtar’s'Lakshya'. His short film, ‘The Last Dance’was selected at the Indian Film Festival of LA, the Montreal World Film Festival, Stuttgart, the Mumbai and Pune International Film Festivals among others. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
My Bollywood Bride (Narrative Feature)
95 Mins, English/Hindi
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Jason Lewis, Kashmira Shah, Gulshan Grover, Sanjay Suri,
Synopsis: In this “fish out of water” Bollywood romantic comedy, Sex and the City’s Jason Lewis as Alex finds romance in a totally different city. Alex fell in love with the girl next door. Trouble is, the ‘girl’ is a Bollywood superstar and ‘next door’ is Mumbai, India.
My Bollywood Bride tells the story of Alex, a handsome author, who meets and romances Indian beauty Reena whilst she is on vacation in California. As their romance unexpectedly blossoms, Reena finds herself torn between her feelings for Alex and her Indian family values and obligations. Unable to see a way to combine these two contrasting aspects of her life, Reena abandons their whirlwind romance and returns home without saying goodbye.
Alex is devastated and, armed with no more than a dream to chase and Reena’s first name, takes the first flight to Mumbai, a teeming city of 25 million… He’s nearly overwhelmed by the task of finding his love in the hullabaloo of the city. But, with the help of an excitable, over-the-top rickshaw driver and some of Reena’s friends, Alex just might have a chance of winning her back.
Director: Rajeev Virani
Virani is a San Francisco-born ad-film maker turned director. He is currently directing the Rahul Bose-scripted 'The Whisperers', a psychological drama involving two strong-willed men pitted against each other in the confines of a room. |
|
| |
O:O pm (Narrative Short)
15 mins, 2004, Hindi
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Dadhi Pandey, Murari, Ravi Kale, Ravi Sanghvai, Seema Adhikari.
Synopsis: 0:0 PM follows the lives and professional struggles of two friends who work as post-mortem servants. Life goes on, and while one is confined to the home, the other keeps his daily routine only to face the horrifying truth of where the profession can lead to
Director: Surendra Hiwarale
Surya has been associated with two well-known film Directors Sreeram Raghavan on his award winning film ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ and Ram Gopal Varma on his musical ‘Naach’. As Chief A.D., he recently finished a film called Mr. Ya Miss. 0:0 PM is his first attempt at Director, Writer and Producer. |
|
|
1001 Auditions (Narrative Short)
21 mins, 2006, English, World Premiere
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Pooja Kumar
Synopsis: "After years of dead-end auditions and struggling for ten years, Meera is ready to give up life in N.Y. Once hailed as the “next big thing her career has stagnated and she is heading towards no-where-land. The options she thought would always be there seem to have quietly slipped away. But still, Meera won’t go down without a fight and decides to make one last attempt. Follow Meera through the hilarious triumphs and humiliating defeats on her last day of auditions where she runs the gauntlet: confronting dismissive casting directors, lecherous producers, and the success of her former friends. Later that night, unable to sleep and reflecting on her life, she reminisces about the conversation she had as a child with her mother about Karma and her dream to become an actress. Will she give up her dream or decide to do her Karma without the thought of risk or reward?
Director: Arun Singh
A chemist by training, Singh wrote two screenplays while working on his novel. Later, he studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy and attended Screenplay writing classes at the famous Gotham Writers’ Workshop in New York. “ 1001 Auditions ” is his first short film that he wrote, directed, and produced. |
|
|
Sirah (Narrative Short)
17 mins 23 secs, 2005, English
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Courthouse, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Sirah a young Muslim girl must chose between a world she wants to be a part of and the world she is brought up in
Director: Cristine Spindler
Spindler first joined forces with the film industry and the FSU Film School in 2002 as an actor. Knowing she wanted to be on the other side of the camera however, she chose to do a Master of Fine Arts in Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts. She hopes to make great movies with great filmmakers someday. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
I for India (Doc Feature)
70 mins, 2005, English
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Sundance 2006, Visions du Réel 2006 - Regards Neufs, Best documentary - Karachi International Film Festival, Best documentary - Asian Festival of First Films, Silver award - Film South Asia, Charles C. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award, Full Frame Documentary Festival, Jurys Honourable Mention - Mumbai International Film Festival, It's All True, Melbourne International Film Festival, New Zealand Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, Seattle Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of L.A, Cleveland International Film Festival, Asian American Festival, N.Y
Synopsis: In 1965 Yash Pal Suri left India for the U.K. The first thing he does on his arrival in England is to buy 2 Super 8 cameras, 2 projectors and 2 reel to reel recorders. One set of equipment he sends to his family in India, the other he keeps for himself. For forty years he uses it to share his new life abroad with those back home - images of snow, miniskirted ladies dancing bare-legged, the first trip to an English supermarket - his taped thoughts and observations providing a unique chronicle of the eccentricities of his new English hosts. Back in India, his relatives in turn, respond with their own 'cine-letters' telling tales of weddings, festivals and village life. As time passes and the planned return to India becomes an increasingly remote possibility, the joy and curiosity of the early exchanges give way to the darker reality of alienation, racism and a family falling apart. A bitter-sweet time capsule of alienation, discovery, racism and belonging, "I for India" is a chronicle of immigration in sixties Britain and beyond, seen through the eyes of one Asian family and their movie camera.
Director: Sandhya Suri
Suri studied documentary at The National Film and Television School. Her graduation film "SAFAR" received the Jury's special mention at Cinema du Reel and the award for Best Short Film at the British Film Institute's Imagine Asia festival. ‘I for India’ is her first feature length documentary.
|
|
|
Once More Removed (Doc Feature)
52 mins, 2006, English
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: Once More Removed follows filmmaker Shundell Prasad’s journey as she travels three continents to trace her roots back to India. Filmed on location in New York, Toronto, Guyana and India, the film examines the massive Indian Diaspora, estimated to be over 20 Million people. The film explores the dark imperial rule over India when Indians were taken as indentured servants and cargoed throughout the world as commodity. In this darkness, Shundell’s forefather’s traveled to Guyana, in this film, Shundell retraces their migration from India and discovers the descendants of her forefathers, living in dire poverty, in almost forgotten areas of India, yet their spirit resonate and is a testament to the civilization they’ve inherited, a civilization that has kept the Indian Diaspora intact.
Director: Shundell Prasad
A NYU Tisch School of Arts graduate, Prasad recently completed her first documentary film, ‘Once More Removed: A journey back to India’. She has worked for HBO’s documentary division in NYC as well as other media outlets such as CNN, A&E, and the Wall Street Journal. |
|
| |
El Charango (Doc Short)
22 mins, 2005
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 2:30pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Synopsis: This short documentary is about a littler instrument, a large silver mine and the highest city in the world. El Charango is the second film by filmmaker/director Jim Virga and producer/editor Tula Goenka, the award winning team of Dancing on Mother Earth
Director: Tula Goenka
In her 20 years of experience, professor Goenka has worked on several award-winning documentaries as well as with leading directors such as Spike Lee and Mira Nair. In 2002, she produced and edited the PBS documentary, ’Dancing on Mother Earth’, which was screened in several film festivals, including the prestigious Smithsonian's Native American Film and Video Festival. Goenka also serves as the director of Syracuse University's annual South Asian Human Rights Film Festival.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Dansh (Narrative Feature)
103 Mins, Hindi
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 6pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Sonali Kulkarni, Aditya Shrivastava
Synopsis: Based on the conflict between the Mizo National Front [M.N.F.] and the Indian armed forces, DANSH unfolds in a single night. Mathew [Kay Kay] is the M.N.F. spokesman, an architect of the peace treaty signed by M.N.F. and the Indian authorities. Maria [Sonali Kulkarni], his wife, is a victim of the atrocities inflicted by the Indian army in the past. Old wounds begin to resurface when Dr. John Sanga [Aditya Shrivastava] enters their world. The doctor has seen his share of misery in the assassination of his father, the former D.I.G. of Mizoram, at the hands of M.N.F.
Director: Kanika Verma |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Men of Burden-Pedelling Towards a Horizon (Doc Feature)
75 Mins, 2006
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 6:00pm
Maya Deren, Anthology Film Archives
32 East 2nd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue) New York City
Festivals/Awards: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2006, Film Buro Baden Wurttemburg Bollywood and Beyond, Germany 2006
Synopsis: The film uncovers the story of disappearing cycle-rickshaw drivers holding on to a trade that has all but lost its value in Pondicherry, India, and provides definitive solutions that can forever change their lives.
Director: Raghu Jeganathan.
Born in Pondicherry, Raghu Jeganathan is a graduate of BITS, Pilani and later the University of Florida. Hailing from an advertising background, he has worked in Print, Radio and TV. He has written, directed & produced many short films and TV shows. Men of Burden, his debut feature-length documentary, is a collaboration with his three team members at Accessible Horizon Films, which is dedicated to making films for change.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Backwaters (Narrative Feature)
95 mins, English
Screening: Sunday, Nov 5, 6pm - Asia Society
Cast: Tamzin Outhwaite, Jason Flemyng, Gulshan Grover, Nicholas Irons, Sandra Teles
Synopsis: Andy (Nicholas Irons) is driving his pretty wife, TV soap-star Lili (Tamzin Outhwaite) home from a party at her brother Jason’s house, (Jason Flemyng). They have a serious car crash - Andy miraculously escapes unhurt but Lili is left wheelchair bound. Her career is ruined - she drinks to ease the pain. Six months later, their marriage in trouble, they fly to Southern India, where Lili hopes to benefit from the renowned Ayurvedic healing reatments found in the beautiful backwaters of Kerala. Private massages are arranged on their houseboat and after long daily sessions, a bitter and angry Lili, still blaming Andy for the accident, starts to show a slight but significant improvement. Andy’s writing career is going through a bad patch. Looking for inspiration, he takes long walks along the backwaters while Lili is occupied with her treatment. During one such stroll, he meets a stunningly beautiful local Indian girl. Inevitably, a lovers’ tryst begins and they start meeting in the afternoons. Returning to his houseboat from one such idyllic rendezvous, Andy discovers that his bad-tempered wife has disappeared. After a frantic search, the police find Lili’s lifeless body caught in a local fisherman’s net. Despite their differences, Andy is devastated by Lili’s gruesome fate. As nothing has been stolen from the houseboat he is immediately a prime suspect. The Police quickly hear about the couple’s continuous alcohol-fuelled bickering and that Andy is to be the beneficiary of Lili’s enormous life insurance policy. With his innocence now seriously in question, Andy is relying on his lover to simply confirm that they were together all afternoon, providing him with his critical alibi. When she refuses, he starts to realise that something weird is going on. ••The Inspector, reluctantly, has no choice but to charge him. Is he being framed? Who would do this to him? Andy does not understand. He must try to find out who really killed LilI.
Director: Jagmohan Mundhra
Mundhra is best known for his films: Kamla, Bawandar, Provoked, Backwaters, Night Eyes and Improper Conduct. His film, Bawandar won several international and national awards including Best Picture in following film-festivals: San Jose, Bermuda, Houston, Zanzibar and Karachi and best actress for Nandita Das in Santa Monica, and Best Music for Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt in Karachi. It also won the V.Shantaram award for cinematic excellence for best regional film, best actor, best actress, best cinematography, best director and best editor. In 2002, his film, Kamla was invited to be screened at the prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center as a part of a retrospective on the career of Shabana Azmi. Similarly, Bawandar was screened by the Brooklyn Museum of Art and was also screened at the South Asian Film Festival in NYC organized by the Indo American Art council. |
|
| |
|
| |
<< Back to Screening Schedule |
|
