The 2018 edition of the New York Indian Film Festival will pay tribute to two Indian film industry icons who passed away in the last few months: Hollywood/Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor, and India’s first female superstar Sridevi.

Kapoor’s tribute will comprise of two masterpieces, “Shakespeare Wallah” and “Heat and Dust,” while to honor Sridevi’s memory, NYIFF will showcase the film which marked the actress’ 2012 return to Bollywood, “English Vinglish,” shot primarily in New York City.

The festival, which will run from May 7 to 12 at the Village East Cinemas in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, will also screen “Autobiography of a Princess,” starring Indian American author and chef Madhur Jaffrey.

The 18th annual festival will open with the U.S. premiere of Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film, “Nude,” and close with the New York premiere of veteran NYIFF director Hansal Mehta’s biopic on Islamic fundamentalist Omar Saeed Sheikh, “Omerta.”

This year’s centerpiece slot will be occupied by Miransha Naik’s Konkoni film, “Juze,” which will be making its North American premiere at the fest.

In “Nude,” after her husband abandons her and her 12-year-old son for another woman, Yamuna is left with no choice but to move to Mumbai for survival. The job she finds is to be a nude model at an art school. She will do everything to fulfill her dream to help her son lead a successful life in the future. But fearing society, she keeps her profession a secret.

“Omerta,” starring Indian actor Rajkummar Rao, posits the question of what it means to be a fundamentalist, why does someone pick up a gun with the intent of killing in return for an afterlife in paradise.

“Juze” is set in Boribmol, a village in Goa with a large immigrant population, which is ruled by an abusive, thuggish bully, Juze, known as the ‘Slum Landlord.’ His appetite for violent intimidation keeps his immigrant workforce submissive, but Santosh, a 16-year-old boy, is not intimidated. As events build to a breaking point, Santosh’s passive resistance evolves into determination to confront Juze and finally achieve freedom from fear.

For complete lineup and more information, visit: www.iaac.us/nyiff2018