New York Indian Film Festival 2019


19th Annual NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL
May 7-12, 2019


SCREENING SCHEDULE
 
Regular tickets $20, Student and Seniors Citizen (ID Required) $10
Opening Night or Closing Night tickets $35,
Student and Seniors Citizen (ID Required) $20
All Films Festival Pass available
Click here
   
SIR
SIR
SIR
Opening Night
Tuesday May 7, 2019 @ 6.00 pm, Auditorium 1
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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SIR
2018 | India | 99 mins | Hindi | English | Marathi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Rohena Gera
Cast - Vivek Gomber, Tillotama Shome


Post Screening Q&A with director Rohena Gera

Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h36-Hkno6QQ

Synopsis: Ratna works as domestic live-in help with Ashwin, a man from a wealthy family. Although Ashwin seems to have it all, Ratna can sense that he has given up on his dreams and is somewhat lost… On the other hand, Ratna who seems to have nothing, is full of hope and works determinedly towards her dream. As these two worlds collide and the two individuals connect, the barriers between them seem only more insurmountable.

Rohena GeraAbout the Director: Rohena Gera is an Indian director, screenwriter and producer. After studying at Stanford University, and Sarah Lawrence in the U.S.A, Rohena worked as a screenwriter for Indian cinema. She also worked on non-profit campaigns promoting peace and equality. 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' her micro-budget documentary screened at the Mumbai Film Festival. 'Sir' is her first feature film.

Social Media Handles: https://mk2films.com/en/film/sir/

Reviews: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/354426/

AWARDS
Cannes Film Festival – Winner
Mill Valley Film Festival - Winner
World Cinema Amsterdam – Winner
Braunschweig International Film Festival - Winner
Cabourg Romantic Film Festival - Winner
AFI Fest – Nominee
Film by the Sea International Film Festival - Nominee
Minsk International Film Festival - Nominee
Oslo Films from the South Festival– Nominee
São Paulo International Film Festival– Nominee
Warsaw International Film Festival – Nominee

  Feature Film
BHONSLE
BHONSLE
BHONSLE
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 6:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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BHONSLE

2018 | India | 128 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Devashish Makhija
Cast – Manoj Bajpayee, Santosh Juvekar, Ipshita Chakraborty Singh, Virat Vaibhav


Post Screening Q&A with producers Abhayanand Singh and Saurabh Gupta

Synopsis: In tumultuous Mumbai, at a time when scheming Maharashtrian politicians use violence to rid the state of North-Indian migrants, a terminally-ill lone wolf Maharashtrian cop Bhonsle, retired against his will, finds himself forging an unlikely companionship with a 23 year old North-Indian girl and her little brother, while the raging conflict destroying the world around them reaches his doorstep, giving him one last battle worth fighting for, but it might just be too late.

Devashish MakhijaDirector Bio: Devashish Makhija has researched and assisted on 'Black Friday' (dir. Anurag Kashyap) and has written numerous screenplays, notably Anurag Kashyap's 'Doga'; has had a solo art show 'Occupying Silence'; written Tulika's bestselling children's books 'When Ali became Bajrangbali' and 'Why Paploo was perplexed'; a Harper-Collins collection of short stories 'Forgetting' and the forthcoming book of poems 'Disengaged'. 'By Two', a story by him in the omnibus 'Mumbai Noir', has been adapted into a feature length film to be directed by him next year. He has written and directed the multiple award winning short films 'Taandav', 'El'ayichi', 'And then they came for me', 'Don’t cry for Rahim LeCock' and 'Absent', the full length feature film 'Ajji (Granny)' and the forthcoming 'Bhonsle'.

Chippa
Chippa
Chippa
Chippa
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 6:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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CHIPPA
2018 | India | 90 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Syed Safdar Rahman
Cast – Sunny Pawar, Masood Akhtar, Chandan Roy Sanyal


Post Screening Q&A with director Syed Safdar Rahman

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/293076697

Synopsis: When Chippa is handed a letter from his father whom he does not remember, the little boy decides to leave his pavement abode and find out more. Unfortunately, the letter is written in Urdu so he needs someone to read it for him. A fight with his grand aunt (with whom he lives) confirms his initial intention. At the stroke of midnight, Chippa grabs a bag full of knick-knacks, and heads out to discover the city and its street nightlife, while trying to discover the connections to his father. Chippa is a coming of age tale, told through a single night in the winters of Kolkata. While the story at its core is gritty, the film is seen through Chippa's eyes, full of magic, wonder and enchanting conversations.

Safdar RahmanDirector Bio: Safdar Rahman is a filmmaker based in Calcutta and Mumbai. After directing plays in school and college, Safdar landed up as a school teacher in Delhi. Consequently, he founded and ran an education and arts non-profit called Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. In 2014, he started working with the maverick film company, Oddjoint, where he has worn many hats before recently partnering with his wife Celine to found Travelling Light. 'Chippa' is his first cinematic directorial venture.





Social Media Handles:
http://www.chippathefilm.com/
www.facebook.com/chippathefilm
www.instagram.com/chippa.thefilm

Review:
https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/chippa-movie-review-a-magical-
childrens-film-with-notes-on-modern-day-kolkata-and-adulthood-5470651.html

URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 1
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL AND CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA
Present
URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
2019 | India | 138 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Aditya Dhar
Cast - Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Mohit Raina, Ronnie Screwvala


Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiYdjJo663Q

Synopsis: Following the roguish terrorist attacks at Uri Army Base camp in Kashmir, India takes the fight to the enemy, in its most successful covert operation till date with one and only one objective of avenging their fallen heroes.

Aditya DharDirector: Aditya Dhar; Is an Indian film director, lyricist, singer. He made his directorial debut in 2019 with the action film URI THE SURGICAL STRIKE which was based on 2016 Uri attack. The film gained positive response both from critics and audiences. The film grossed over 325 crores in worldwide box office collections, a resounding success as his directorial debut. Also, Aditya had been working as Assistant director to Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rohan Sippy, Vishal Bhardwaj etc. Dialogue writer and Associate Director with Priyadarshan and Lyrics Writer for Kabul Express, Sunday etc.

Reviews: https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/-uri-the-surgical-strike-helps-bollywood-improve-q1-box-office-collections-1554144816358.html

ROOTS
ROOTS
ROOTS
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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ROOTS
2018 | India | 107 mins | Tamil (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Anand Ravichandran
Cast - Nivedhithaa Sathish, Srilekha, Avinash Raghudevan, Gabrella Sellus, Mosakutty, Rathaakrishnan


Synopsis: Meera, an upcoming makeup artist, struggles to make it big in the film industry, harried by the demands of her profession and big city life. After her parent's death, the only family she has is her grandmother Krishnaveni who lives in a village. Krishnaveni earns her living by singing songs of mourning, Oppari, at village funerals, a famous village tradition. Meera hates her grandmother due to an old family conflict and stays away from her until one day when she is forced to leave her city and move to her grandmother's place. The film explores the relationship between Meera and her grandmother after years of separation, how they resolve their conflict and how Meera finds her roots within the rural life and its traditions.

Anand RavichandranDirector: Anand Ravichandran has written and directed several short films; international theatre plays and promo videos. In 2017, his short film 'Kuberanum Irandu Gundargalum' was awarded the Special Mention award out of 250+ entries at the Qube Moviebuff short film contest. He has also been a screenplay and scriptwriter for several Hindi and Tamil films.


Social Media Handles:
https://www.wishberryfilms.in/film/sap

Draupadi Unleashed
Draupadi Unleashed
Draupadi Unleashed
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 6.30 Auditorium 5
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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DRAUPADI UNLEASHED

2019 | USA | 1 hour 48 minutes | English
Directed by – Tony Stopperan
Cast - Salena Qureshi, Dominic Rains, Azita Ghanizada, Anna George, Taaha Shah, Saad Siddiqui, Pooja Batra, Anil Kumar, Melanie Chandra And Cas Anvar


Post Screening Q&A with director Tony Stopperan

Synopsis: Draupadi Unleashed is the story of a young girl's coming of age, in a male dominated world of 1930's British India. A romantic mystery rooted in mysticism that centers on sixteen-year-old Indira who finds herself torn between love and the duty to follow through with an arranged marriage and the manipulations of her powerful guru. Through her heartbreaking journey to self-discovery, long-held secrets are brought to light and Indira discovers the strength within herself to break free. Featuring a female-centric and entirely South-Asian cast, the movie showcases the inner workings of a very affluent, sophisticated, western-educated Indian family.

Director: Tony Stopperan is an award-winning actor, writer/director and producer from Sarasota,FL. His feature film producing credits include Kevin Smith’s Killroy Was Here currently filming, the 2016 Sundance Selection Dark Night, writer/producer of Paradise, FL(2015) and The Lucky 6(2014). He produced, wrote and directed two episodes of the streaming series Sugar with Dylan McDermott, and the Amazon FunnyOrDie series the Real Stephen Blatt with Justin Long. He holds an MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory and a BA in Drama from Trinity Western University.

HAMID
HAMID
HAMID
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 9:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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HAMID
2018 | India | 112 mins | Urdu (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Aijaz Khan
Cast - Talha Arshad Reshi, Vikas Kumar, Rasika Dugal, Sumit Kaul, Bashir Lone


Post Screening Q&A with director Aijaz Khan

Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSDwnGl4aeI

Synopsis: Hamid’s (8) father has gone missing. His mother Ishrat has turned indifferent towards Hamid and the entire world after the incident. Neglected and lonely, with a heart searching for answers, Hamid star gazes in the hope of meeting his father. The number 786 always bewildered Hamid. One day a teacher tells Hamid that this is God’s number. Using his father’s old mobile phone, after trying different combinations, he finally manages to connect to a person, who he is convinced is God. On the other side is Abhay, a hard-knuckled CRPF Jawaan. Hamid’s phone call, though surprising at first, intrigues Abhay who engages in humouring Hamid. These two, unknowingly and unintentionally, change each other’s world for the better.

Aijaz KhanDirector: Aijaz Khan’s debut film, 'The White Elephant' (2009) premiered at the prestigious International Film Festival of India. Travelling to more than 10 film festivals including New York Indian Film Festival and the UK Film Festival. Aijaz has been active in the advertising industry, directing and producing ad films, for over a decade. Most recently, Aijaz directed 'Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat', which was well received at the Box Office.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/yoodleefilms
https://twitter.com/YoodleeFilms
https://www.instagram.com/yoodleefilms/
https://www.saregama.com/yoodleefilms/hamid.html

  Shorts A
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 9:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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AAPKE AA JANE SE
AAPKE AA JANE SE
AAPKE AA JANE SE
AAPKE AA JANE SE
AAPKE AA JANE SE
2019 / India / 17 minutes / Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Shiladitya Bora
Cast: Manu Rishi Chaddha, Sunita Shyamsunder, Shloak Bhardwaj, Himani Soni, Mahesh Sharma, Lokesh Mittal


Synopsis: An under-appreciated, slightly emasculated father of two is going through the general humdrum of middle-class Indian life. Until one day, in front of many, he is unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight, making everyone around him see like never before.

Shiladitya Bora Director: A director, producer and distributor, Shiladitya started his film journey by conceptualising and setting up PVR Director’s Rare, the limited release banner of PVR Cinemas, India’s largest cinema company. He served as the first CEO of award-winning indie studio Drishyam Films and was instrumental in green-lighting Newton, India’s official entry to the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. Backed by over a decade of solid industry experience and an undying passion for the movies, Shiladitya is now spearheading Platoon One Films aiming to provide a class act in film production, marketing, distribution & syndication. His short film Aapke Aa Jaane Se will be making its world premiere at NYIFF 2019. He is set to make his feature directorial debut later this year with a Hindi romantic comedy set in Mumbai.

Social Media Link:
twitter.com/ShiladityaBora
twitter.com/PlatoonOneFilms
facebook.com/PlatoonOneFilms
  and
BATMI
BATMI
BATMI
BATMI
BATMI
2018 | India | 7 mins | Marathi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Indraneel Nighojkar
Cast: Rupali Bhave, Vikas Hande, Chinmay Patwardhan, Sayalee Phatak, Anupama Rajopadhye, Ria Bhat, Ajay Kale 


Synopsis: 'Batmi', translated to English, means ‘The News’. The film is about an incident that takes place in an Indian, middle class home, on a regular evening. It is a story that explores the incident in a single, continuous long take, as if being witness to it, as opposed to reading about it in a newspaper. It unfolds the complex dynamics of Society, A Home, Family Relationships, Friendships, Dreams, Time, Life, and Death. The film tries to give the viewer a first-hand experience.  Makarand, the father and Reema, the mother are in a relationship that is falling apart. Today they have broken into a fight because Makarand finds out that their son, Omkar, has failed in an exam. He blames Reema for letting Omkar take a ‘break’ without really understanding why he needed one. As their argument heats up, we explore the other spaces of the house, the family members, the apartment they live in, their neighbours and the effect of their fight.

Indraneel NighojkarDirector: The director of 'Batmi', Indraneel Nighojkar, is a young and passionate filmmaker from India with 'Batmi', being his second directorial short film. He has a bachelors degree in Media studies with a specialisation in Audio/Visual communication from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, India.
As a filmmaker he is deeply interested in understanding and telling human stories by exploring new ways of storytelling. He believes that in cinema, a story need not be told only through words, but should be explored through visuals, sound design, colour, costumes and art. Some of his favourite films are 'Turin Horse' by Bella Tarr, 'Tangerines' by Zaza Urushadze, 'Ivan’s Childhood' by Andrei Tarkovsky to name a few.
His first short film, 'Naad' (Passion/Obsession), was submitted as his college degree project. The film was critically acclaimed and won an award for best cinematography at a film festival in Pune, India but was not sent for international competitions due to technical reason.
Post that Indraneel has continued to work on various short films and feature film projects in India. He aspires to make feature films and change the way films or stories are imagined in India.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9436982/
and
DISTANT
DISTANT
DISTANT
2018 | India | 18 mins | Kannada (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Natesh Hegde


Trailer: https://youtu.be/hBg4QJ0y5I4

Synopsis: An old man searches for his lost cow as though searching for his very life,  whilst his drunkard son shows not the slightest concern.

Natesh Hegde Director: Natesh Hegde grew up in a small town in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and holds a Master’s in Journalism from Karnataka University, Dharwad. He previously directed the short film 'Kurli' (2007).
  and
JALEBI
JALEBI
JALEBI
JALEBI
2018 | U S A| 14 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Anshomaann Sharma
Cast: Anand Rao, Nirvana Sahwney, Swarajya Bhushan Sehajpal, Anshomann Sharma, Tirthabkar Das


Synopsis: Despite all the bitterness in our minds there is sweetness hidden somewhere deep within our hearts. When strangers from enemy countries meet in different part of the world, it leads to the wheel cart of emotions hidden deep down and brings out their true selves.

Anshomaann SharmaDirector: Anshomaann Sharma is a New Jersey based Actor/Singer/Editor and Director. This is his second short film, the previous short film 'Station' was also screened in NYIFF and it has also won the best Short film award in short film festival in NYC.  Anshomaann has acted in many short films, web series, feature films and also know for creating and singing mashup of bollywood songs.  As a day job Anshomaann works as Vice President in banking sector which is to the bill but his passion towards film world keeps him is what makes him happy, something for his dil.
and
MEAL
MEAL
MEAL
MEAL
MEAL
2018 | India | 11 mins | Bengali (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Abhiroop Basu
Cast: Adil Hussain, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee


Synopsis: Set in the backdrop of ongoing communal tension instigated by rival political factions, MEAL is an 11-minute story about one particular household.
The atmosphere in the house is clearly that of unease. A woman in the kitchen carrying a bruise underneath an eye stares into the distance until a pressure cooker whistle breaks her dead gaze. A man in another room restlessly stuffs arbitrary things into a suitcase, seemingly preparing to leave the house in a state of fury. A child in school uniform picks up broken remnants from a wall clock. Today happens to be the first day of Madhyamik and he is already late. Also present in the house is an ailing grandfather restricted to a wheelchair who bears witness to it all.
The house is in a state of disarray, reflecting the chaos and lovelessness of outside – where everyone is a victim and everyone a perpetrator in equal measure. Amidst all this, the family sits down for one last meal together.

Abhiroop BasuDirector: Abhiroop Basu is an award-winning Director and Screenwriter based out of Calcutta, India. A student of South Point High School and St. Xavier's College Calcutta, Abhiroop went on to study films at the prestigious Prague Film School in Czech Republic. Some of his award-winning shorts include 'Afternoon with Julia', 'The Paperman', and 'This is when we first met' which went on to win accolades overseas. His most recent work includes 'Meal' starring Adil Hussain (doing festival rounds) and 'Laali' starring Pankaj Tripathi (In Post Production).





Reviews:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/eleven-minutes-that-speak-volumes/cid/1664847
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies
/news/meal-adil-hussain-transforms-into-a-panic-stricken-common-man/articleshow/65632372.cms
and
MOKSHA
MOKSHA
MOKSHA
MOKSHA
MOKSHA
2017 USA | 15 mins | English
Directed by – Vick Krishna
Cast: Meera Narasimhan, Mohan Raman, Rachel Burnell, Ankush Nakshatharam


Trailer: https://vimeo.com/235101140

Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic world, a son is in a dire journey to fulfil his Mother's wishes. He must overcome this toxic environment and some unexpected foes.

Vick KrishnaDirector: Vick Krishna is self-taught filmmaker, editor. He is also a Meisner trained actor currently in New York. At a young age in Maryland, he started making videos with a camcorder and knew then that he wanted to do this for the rest of his life. In order to please his parents, he went to India to get a degree in Computer Science for three years dedicated to pursue his dreams in film when he returned. He continues this journey making his own films and acting in the indie world of this art.
and
SHIT ONE CARRIES
SHIT ONE CARRIES
SHIT ONE CARRIES
SHIT ONE CARRIES
SHIT ONE CARRIES
2018 | New Zealand | 13 mins | Gujarati (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Shuchi Kothari
Cast: Jaimini Pathak, Prakash Shah, Mahesh Ghodeswar, Jamin Dhiman, Rajimol Sajeev, Hiren Patel, Dharmeshbhai Gujjar, Parimal Hazra


Synopsis: Father and son face awkward intimacies when caregiving roles are reversed. Avi, a Silicon Valley engineer, returns to India to care for Dada, his father. Unlike the warmth Dada shares with professional caregivers, his relationship with his son is prickly. One afternoon when the usual attendant is unavailable, Avi must deal with Dada’s diarrhoea. Can Avi let go of his own crap to clean his father’s shit?

Shuchi KothariDirector: Shuchi Kothari is a Kiwi-Indian filmmaker from New Zealand. She has written and produced award-winning films ('Firaaq', 'Apron Strings', 'Coffee & Allah', 'Fleeting Beauty') that have screened at over 100 international festivals including Venice, Toronto, BFI, Telluride, Cannes and Busan.
She teaches Screen Production at the University of Auckland. Among other projects, she’s currently writing an animated feature screenplay set in Japan.
'Shit One Carries' is Shuchi’s fictional directorial debut.




Social Media Links:
http://www.shitonecarries.com
https://web.facebook.com/shitonecarriesfilm/
  and
SIBLINGS
SIBLINGS
2019 | India | 31 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Sheetal Menon
Cast: Sheetal Menon, Shivani Tanksale, Mohini Kewalramani, Sunil Shroff, Nakul Vaid, Rudraksh


Synopsis Diya and Nidhi – Two sisters living in an old colonial apartment with their grandmother and their comatose father. The coma was triggered by a brain haemorrhage and it’s been almost 18 months that he has been on a ventilator. The sister’s lives revolve around taking turns to take care of the father. So love, career – basically life has taken a backseat. Maintaining the father’s comatose lifestyle at home has proved to be an expensive proposition. The financial stress has taken a toll on both Diya and Nidhi. On a drunken night, the topic of pulling the plug on the father’s ventilator comes up. Though they both shrug it off initially; the coming days when the finance issues start escalating- the option of pulling the plug becomes a real one. Do the sisters actually go ahead with it forms the rest of the bittersweet story.

Sheetal MenonDirector: Starting her career as a supermodel and having done many print ads, commercials and music videos - Sheetal Menon forayed into films with her debut Hindi film “Brahm”. She followed it up with notable roles in “Shaitan” and “David” doubling up as an associate director on the former and the head of production on the latter. The experience she gathered being behind the camera sparked the story teller in her. The intital idea was to write and direct a feature. But the decision to do a ‘quickie’ short film, to try her hand at film making, turned out to be a year long affair which finally resulted in her maiden short film 'Siblings' which marks her debut as a writer and director.

  Feature Film
AAMIS
AAMIS
Wednesday May 8, 2019 @ 9:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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AAMIS

2019 | India | 108 mins | Assamese (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Bhaskar Hazarika
Cast – Lima Das, Arghadeep Baruah, Neetali Das, Sagar Saurabh, Manash K Das, Momee Borah, Chandan Bhuyan


Post Screening Q&A with actress Neetali Das

Synopsis: Nirmali, a married Paediatrician in her late 30s, leads a peaceful but lonely domestic existence in Guwahati, Assam. Her husband, a senior Doctor, spends most of his time doing relief work in surrounding areas, leaving her to take care of their son. One day, she meets Sumon, a young PhD student researching food habits in Northeastern India, who warms up to her in a manner she seems unaccustomed to. Suman's work exposes him to the belief that there's no kind of food that can be considered abnormal and Nirmali is drawn to this idea. The two quickly discover that they have a shared love for food - specifically, meat. Together, they bond over meals comprising unusual meats on platonic dates, although Suman longs for some sort of physical contact. As Nirmali's taste buds grow more adventurous, their relationship takes a dark and bizarre turn neither had anticipated.

Bhaskar HazarikaDirector: After completing his MA in Film & Drama from the University of Reading, Bhaskar worked intensively in Indian films, television, and documentaries for over a decade. His debut film 'Kothanodi' (2015) received the Post Production Grant from Asian Cinema Fund and had its World Premiere at Busan International Film Festival 2015. 'Kothanodi' has since travelled to festivals such as BFI London Film Festival, Jio MAMI Film Festival, Goteborg Film Festival and IFFLA amongst many others. 'Kothanodi' also received the National Award for Best Film in Assamese, 2016.
'Aamis' is Bhaskar's second feature film and was selected for the 2017 Asian Cinema Fund's Co-Production Market in Busan and the 2017 NFDC Film Bazaar Co-Production Market in Goa. It will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival 2019, where it will compete in the International Narrative Competition section.

Social media handles:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AamisTheFilm/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aamisfilm/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AamisTheFilm

SINDHUSTAN
SINDHUSTAN
SINDHUSTAN
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 6:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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SINDHUSTAN
2019 | India | 61 mins | English
Directed: Sapna Bhavnani
Cast - Leila Advani, Laj Badlani, Chaho Bhara, K.C Bhavnani, Sapna Bhavnani, Sundri Keswani, Haji Muhammad, Sunder Nachnaney, Jairam Rupani, Anila Sunder, Kamla Thakur, Dada Vaswani, Yogesh Waghmare


World Premiere
 
Post Screening Q&A with director Sapna Bhawnani

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY-6AGCrpz0

Synopsis: A decade ago, I was visiting India after living in America for 14 years. My body was considerably inked by then. One afternoon while lunching with my grandma, an inked woman herself, I found myself trying to cover my inked body. She caressed my ink and said, “Sapna, you’re so old fashioned. You know, when we first came as a human race, we all had our markings, we all looked like you. I’m happy to see to you are going back to our roots, your roots.” “What!” This entire time I was getting inked rebelling Indian culture and expectations of being and looking like an “Indian” woman.
This was the afternoon that changed me forever.
My documentary will include stories from India and Sindh (Pakistan) and mine, illustrating their journey on my skin. My legs, symbolising our journey and my feet, the lack of our roots. My body is already half tattooed and after this I will be complete and go back to my roots as my grandma said.

SapnaDirector: Sapna has naturally assumed poster-child status as a powerful female figure. She traverses mainstream success with just as much ease as she skirts the underground youth art & culture movement. Ageless, fearless and forever metamorphosing in her endeavours. Sapna has recently begun giving her celebrity-hood the voice of an activist.
Just recently Sapna was awarded the “IBelieve” award by Savvy Magazine and the “FemEmpowerment” Award by Zee Tv for her work with ex sex workers by starting a free hair academy called Path
Currently Sapna is writing a book for Harper Collins tentatively titled “Chapter One” and editing a documentary she has been working on for 5 years called “Sindhustan.”
Actor, spoken word artist, hair stylist, writer, director, producer- Sapna embodies it all as a visionary and change-maker. No matter how many times she evicts herself, the public always votes her back in!
The rest, like they say, is her story.

Social Media Handles:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Film URL: http://www.sindhustanthedocumentary.com/

Sponsored by Sadhu Vaswani Centers
 Sadhu Vaswani Centers

CHEGU
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 6:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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CHEGU
2018 | India | 94 mins | Bengali (with English subtitles)
Directed by - Nabamita Ghosh
Cast – Ishan, Aurnima, Sudipta Chakraborty, Ena Saha, Chandan Sen, Vinay Pathak


US Premiere

Synopsis: This is a story of an Indian teenager, Mansur who transcends from a footloose, reckless young boy to a revolutionary. Alam fancied Guevara to be a rockstar but when he discovers true Guevara, he undergoes radical changes and sets to bring reform.

Nabamita GhoshDirector: Nabamita Ghosh is an Indian Film Director. 'Chegu' will be her debut Feature Film. She is best known for her work in theatre groups in West Bengal. With 'Chegu' she will create a huge foot print in Bengali Cinema.







Social Media Handleshttp://krmoviez.com/chegu.html

THE SOUND MAN: MANGEST DESAI
THE SOUND MAN: MANGEST DESAI
THE SOUND MAN: MANGEST DESAI
THE SOUND MAN: MANGEST DESAI
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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THE SOUND MAN: MANGESH DESAI
2017 | India | 113 mins | English and Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by - Subash Sahoo
Cast - Uday Girkar – Younger Mangesh Desai


Post Screening Q&A with director Subash Sahoo

Synopsis: Mangesh Desai was a giant in the world of Sound Recording & Mixing who recorded and mixed most Bollywood films of his time. Apart from Bollywood, producers and directors from all over India approached him for mixing. His understanding of the craft and technique was unparalleled. The New York Times rated him among top 10 sound mixing engineers of the world.
Producers queued up at his door waiting for his mixing dates. Gulshan Rai, the producer of director Yash Chopra’s 'Deewar' and 'Kabhi Kabhi' lost faith in the films but Mangesh’s tips on re-shooting and re-editing made those cult classics a commercial success.
His dynamic range of work goes from the artistic extremes of Satyajit Ray and Shyam Benegal’s art films to Manmohan Desai’s commercial films. He could blend himself according to the needs of the subject, the film and the director.
Before being a gifted technician Mangesh Desai was a freedom fighter, a nationalist and a patriot. As a freedom fighter he fought the British with smuggled revolvers and self-made bombs. He died due to complications beyond human control. He was a legend by all its definitions.

SubashDirector: An electronics and communication degree engineer from FTII Pune and Post-graduation Diploma in Films Specialization in Sound. Subash worked in the Mumbai film Industry for almost 24 years and did Sync Sound Recording and Sound Designing for more than 110 films.


Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/The-Sound-Man-Mangesh-Desai-316645908922152/

Reviews:
https://www.filmcompanion.in/documentary-sound-man-mangesh
-desai-mumbai-film-festival-2018/amp/

https://asianmoviepulse.com/2018/11/the-sound-man-mangesh
-desai-2017-by-subash-sahoo/

https://scroll.in/reel/898919/unsung-hero-pope-of-sound-a-
documentary-resurrects-legendary-mixing-engineer-mangesh-desai

SALUTE
SALUTE
SALUTE
SALUTE
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 5
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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SALUTE

2018 | India | 140 mins | Punjabi, Haryanvi & Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Harish Arora
Cast - Nav Bajwa, Jaspinder Cheema


Post Screening Q&A with director Harish Arora

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcEqPQURAY

Synopsis: The movie is based on personal interaction with young war widows & inspired by true events of their lives. Instead of saluting these “Veeranganas”, they are targeted, misbehaved and sexually assaulted by their own relatives and society. Highlighting heart rending fact that the death compensation amount paid to the war-widows are extracted by black mailing them emotionally. No one appears to understand their agonies and helplessness. Through this feature film, we want to spread this strong message of love towards nation, society & family. These “veer narees” and their children deserve the love and respect from the society and A.W.W.A. (Army Wives Welfare Association) is always there to support them to live in the society with dignity. Through this feature film, we want to spread multiple strong messages of inter-caste marriage, drug/alcohol addiction, “Beti bachao, Beti Padhao”, women empowerment and love towards nation.

Harish AroraDirector: Born at Dujana, District Jhajjar (Haryana) on 12.07.1949, done Mechanical Engineering from Government Polytechnic, Jhajjar (Haryana).
Art / Cultural / Cinema activities
I was a born artist. During my school / college time, I had performed stage programmes in the various occasions / youth festivals and received various awards
Year 1964 to 1985
In year 1964, I have constituted a Ramlila Club in Dujana and remained as unopposed Chairman of the club till 1985. Apart from conducting Ramlila every year, I had played the key roles as Veer Haqiqat Rai, Veer Bhagat Singh, Pooran Bhagat, Bhagat Sur Dass (Bilwa Mangal), Sikandar Poras, Daanvir Karan & Veer Abhimanyu. Our club’s aim was to create awareness among the young generation to keep alive our heritage culture.
Year 1986 to 2003
In 1986 shifted to Delhi and to carry forward my journey of arts, I associate myself with Ashok Vihar Ramlila Committee till 2003. In 1989, I produced and acted the most popular Haryanvi Film “Zar, Zoru aur Zameen. My character role in film as "Chaudhary Pratap Singh" gave me a big fame and appreciations by then Chief Minister and Dy. Minister of Haryana and by all walks of society.
Year 2018 : I directed film “SALUTE” (Punjabi) and also performed the role of Brig. R.K. Singh.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/HarishAroraUsa/

SIVARANJANI AND TWO OTHER WOMEN
SIVARANJANI AND TWO OTHER WOMEN
SIVARANJANI AND TWO OTHER WOMEN
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 9:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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SIVARANJANI AND TWO OTHER WOMEN
Orig Title: Sivaranjaniyum innum sila pengallum
Director: Vasanth S. Sai
Cast: Parvathy Thiruvothu, Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli, Kalieswari Srinivasan
Language: Tamil (with English subtitles)
Production Country: India
Running Time: 2 hrs 3 mins


Post Screening Q&A with director Vasanth Sai

Festivals/Awards:
  • 20th Mumbai Film Festival 2018 - Special Mention: Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality
  • 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala 2018
  • 17th Pune International Film Festival 2019 
  • 40th Goteberg Sweden International Film Festival 2019  
  • 11th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2019 – Winner, Best Film – Asia Cinema Competition
  • 18th Tiburon International Film Festival 2019
  • 19th New York International Film Festival 2019
Synopsis:
You can’t keep a good woman down! That is the clear warning to men in this superb, heart-warming study of women in modern-day India, “Sivaranjani and Two Other Women”, which is based on three stories taken from prominent Tamil writers. In the first, a lazy husband gets emotionally and physically abusive with his wife. In a more affluent setting, an educated and successful daughter-in-law is denied her right to privacy by her extended family. While elsewhere, the hopes of an aspiring sports champion are crushed when she is married off into a modern middle-class family.
But all three women rise to these challenges with such energy and gusto that, by the end of the film, they will have you standing up to applaud and cheer them on.

Director’s Note:
The home, considered the safest space for women, is where the casual sexism and entrenched misogyny plays out in the everyday routines of countless women across the world. 'Sivaranjani and Two other women’ is a sensitive capturing of the micro awakenings of identity, space and self-worth when family dynamics, early marriage and pregnancy threaten to usurp the individuality of three different women.
The film is a tribute to their inner strength and courage against casual sexism and patriarchy.

Vasanth S SaiDirector: Vasanth S Sai is an Indian film director and screenwriter, working in the Tamizh film industry.
He began his career as a journalist and short story writer, before he began working as an assistant director to legendary Tamizh film Director K. Balachander on 18 films. He made his directorial debut with Keladi Kanmani (Listen, my dear). The film was a major critical and box office success. He followed it up, with Aasai (Desire), Rhythm, Sathum Podathey (Don’t make a Sound) and Visaranai Commission (Inquiry Commission), to name a few. He also has directed short films and documentaries. His newest offering 'Sivaranjaniyum innum sila pengalum' ('Sivaranjani and two other women') is based on the short stories of iconic Tamizh writers Ashokamitran, Jayamohan and Aadavan. To date, Vasanth S. Sai has directed a total of 14 feature films,15 short films and documentaries.

Link to Trailer (39 seconds):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQdx7vDg968&feature=youtu.be

Links to Reviews
Movie Crow – Sivaranjani and Two Other Women, Festival Column
Best of IFFK 2018- Episode 02- Sivaranjiniyum innum sila pengallum (Malayalam)
Best Tamil Films of 2018, Baradwaj Rangan
IFFK Audience Response, Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengalum Audience Response

  Shorts B
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 9:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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AWAKE 2019
AWAKE 2019
AWAKE 2019
2018 | India | 23 mins | English
Directed by – Atul Mongia
Cast: Ishika Mohan, Nicholos Brown, Reshmy Kurian, Suhaas Ahuja, Yudhishtar Urs


Synopsis: Sameera (35), upper middle class, successful photographer, is happily married to her husband Vikram (37), who is comatose! She seems very accustomed and normal in her circumstance. They live their lives happily like any other married couple. But all is not rosy as she slowly feels pressure from friends as well as her own desires that sometimes pull at her. 'Awake' is an intimate bittersweet drama that through the mundanity of an everyday relationship, explores the fine line between love and control.

Atul MongiaDirector: Atul Mongia is an Indian Casting Director, Acting Workshop Director, Writer and Filmmaker who lives and works in Mumbai, India. He started his career with Barry John (theatre director), training under him and later teaching at his acting school for two years in New Delhi. He moved to Mumbai in 2002 and briefly worked with Writer/Director Sudhir Mishra. He conducted independent acting workshops and made indie short films before being called to cast for Dibakar Banerjee’s 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha' in 2010. Atul has done casting for about 10 feature films and conducted acting workshops for about 50 feature films and digital series. In addition to being an assistant director on films like 'LSD' (2010), Atul was the associate director on 'Ragini MMS' (2011), 'Lootera' (2014) and 'Titli' (2016)

SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4155080/
and
BINNU: LIFE AND TIMES
BINNU: LIFE AND TIMES
BINNU: LIFE AND TIMES
BINNU: LIFE AND TIMES
2018 | India | 31 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Kanu Behl
Cast: Chetan Sharma, Anamica Kadamb, Suman Jain


Synopsis: Binnu has grown up hearing about his mother's first slap, 25 years ago; hit by his father merely for emerging from the same room as her own brother-in-law. Many years later, he leaves home. At a party, he sleeps with his Boss’ daughter, thinking he's fallen in love. Only to be rejected by her the next day. 
He falls into deep depression. In a new city, he roams the streets alone. Then engages himself in another romance. But something is not quite right. Slowly, a strange paranoia begins to engulf him. ‘Binnu Ka Sapna’ delves deep into a malignant mindset, trying to bare the ticking time bombs around us and illuminate the wicks that light them.

Kanu BehlDirector: After dabbling in radio, copywriting, acting and theatre, Kanu Behl studied at the Satyajit Ray Film and TV Institute, Kolkata, majoring in Film Direction. His first documentary, 'An Actor Prepares' landed in competition at Cinema du Reel. Next, he directed and produced three more docs for NHK Japan, ZDF and ARTE. In 2010, he co-wrote 'LSD' with Dibakar Banerjee. In 2014, his debut feature 'Titli' premiered at Un Certain Regard,Cannes.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://www.binnukasapna.com

Reviews:
https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/binnu-ka-sapna-
review-kanu-behls-wickedly-intelligent-short-film-is-rooted-in-
endless-empathy-for-the-ordinary-5948021.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news
/titli-directors-short-film-to-compete-at-clermont-ferrand-international-
short-film-festival/articleshow/67626552.cms

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/from-gully-boy-to-delhi
-crime-story-a-bunch-of-gritty-films-are-all-set-for-the-winter-festival-
circuit/article26088867.ece/amp/
and
EVENING
EVENING
EVENING
EVENING
2018 | India | 26 mins | Marathi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Anupam Barve
Cast: Pushkaraj Chirputkar, Sayalee Phatak


Synopsis: Blurring the lines between knowing someone all too well and not knowing them at all, open wounds and closely tied knots, 'Evening' is a simmering encounter between two former lovers. The question is - Is there ever such a thing as closure?

Anupam BarvéDirector: Anupam Barvé is a filmmaker and film educator based in Pune. He holds a BA in Performing Arts from the University of Pune and a MA in Directing: Film and TV from the University of Westminster, London. He is the recipient of ‘Scholarship to outstanding Performing Artistes’ by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India for research and practice in the field of Theatre.
He has recently finished producing and directing a web series in eight parts based on stories around sexuality and self-efficacy for a Pune based NGO.
His previous work has showcased and received critical acclaim at film festivals and competitions worldwide like London Asian Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival and LUMS Film Festival, Lahore. His film “Fresh suicide” was, nominated for the Golden Palm Tree Award at IFFI, Goa and has won various awards at Pune Short Film Festival. He has also won Best Director at Smita Patil Film Festival, Pune for his film “So What! Transitioning Positively”.
His feature film screenplay “The Shadow Lines” was also selected at NFDC’s Screenwriters’ Lab and Film Bazaar held at Venice Film Festival and International Film Festival of India in 2012.
and
FOOL FOR LOVE
FOOL FOR LOVE
2018 | India | 14 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by - Satarupa Sanyal
Cast – Anurag Kashyap, Ritabhari Chakraborthy, Agastya Verma


Trailer: https://youtu.be/glwND65EAx4

Synopsis: 'Fool For Love' is a tribute to Pulitzer Award winner playwright Sam Shepard who passed away in July’2017. The film title is same as his play 'Fool for Love’ but our story is completely different, though the structure is inspired from the screenplay of the same.
It narrates the story of an Anglo Indian couple Allan and Beatrice(Bittu). Beatrice who lives in one of the Christian dominant areas of Mumbai, India is visited by her husband one night after almost two years of disappearance.
Bittu has carried baggage of emotions and spent days with emptiness and void without him. She feels she should finally let go of all that. Allan on the other hand just wants to be with his wife.
What follows is a night of passion, anger, romance, emotions and brawls of this couple, whose fate cannot be decided by themselves.
Their love story is bleak, poetic and surreal yet real just like Shepard’s plays.

Satarupa SanyalDirector: Satarupa Sanyal is a multi-talented personality, she is known as an Actor, Director, Producer, Writer, Singer, Lyricist, Poet. She took interest in film acting since 1985 when she was a student . She took part in the lead role of a Doordarshan play title 'Sukh' directed by Santoo Basu in the year 1985 where she has the opportunity to work with Smt Saraju Devi and Ajit Bandopadhyay . 
In 1985 acted in a Hindi Film based on Tagore short story titled "Aparichita", under the direction of Utpalendu Chakrabarty for Doordarshan National Network. Anupam Kher, Abhishek Chatterjee, Abhijit Sen and Pallabi Mehata were her co artistes in this film. 
In 1986 , she acted in "Uttaradhikar" a film on communal harmony produced by Films Division,directed by Amar Bhattacharjee.In 1987 ,she acted in the lead role of a highly acclaimed telefilm for Doordarshan Kolkata titled "Bikalpa" based on the story of Narendranath Mitra ,directed by Utpalendu Chakrabarty.
After that she has acted in "Sukher Jonne", "Prasab" and "Bhanga Aiyna" and after that she left acting and she got involved in film production works. She worked as an Assistant Director & associated script writer to Utpalendu Chakrabarty for seven years
She takes part regularly in various social activities, debates, elocution, seminars. She also worked as external examiner for Jadavpur University (West Bengal) and Assam University (Silchar, Assam) in Mass Communication. For the President award for All Indian Radio, she worked as a Jury in the year 2001. Now she is one of the Honourable member of Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board).
Since 1981 a Bengali Quarterly little Magazine name "Aa" had been published under her Editorship. She also contributes short stories, poem, essayers regularly for the leading periodicals and magazines. ANU was her own short story published in "Sananda", the leading Women’s magazine from Kolkata (India)

Social Media Handles:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9358916/

Reviews:
https://www.thedigitalhash.com/large-short-films-fool-for-love-
shows-anurag-kashyap-at-his-emotional-best/

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news
/fool-for-love-an-ever-relevant-story-of-illusions-of-love/articleshow/67944297.cms

https://www.femina.in/bengali/celebrity/tolly/anurag-
kashyap-acts-in-film-produced-by-ritabhari-1473.html
and
FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA
FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA
FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA
FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA
FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA
FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA
2018 | Canada | 15 mins | English
Directed by - Rahul Chaturvedi
Cast – Balinder Johal, Precious Chong


Synopsis: 'Forbidden Tikka Masala' is a coming-of-old-age story that follows a devoutly religious vegetarian who finds a new lease on life after mistakenly eating chicken at her retirement party.

Rahul ChaturvediDirector: Rahul Chaturvedi is an Indo-Canadian filmmaker. He won the Reel Asian Pitch Competition in 2016 with his short film story, 'Forbidden Tikka Masala'. He was also selected as one of ReelWorld Film Festival's Emerging 20 Filmmakers in 2017. Prior to making his own film, Rahul was assisting Bollywood director Sardar Talukdar on multicultural shows set in Toronto.
Rahul was inspired to write 'Forbidden Tikka Masala' after witnessing the struggles of aging women in the South Asian diaspora trying to adjust to the fast paced and often fragmented life in a new culture and the loneliness this brings.

SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7594458/
https://www.facebook.com/forbiddentikkamasala/
https://www.instagram.com/raincatchermedia

Reviews:
https://thecinemawala.com/2018/12/09/the-cinemawala-shorts-
review-forbidden-tikka-masala/
and
MAYA
MAYA
2018 | India | 19 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Vikas Chandra
Cast: Kirti Kulhari , Alka Amin, Naveen Kasturia


Synopsis: Maya returns from office and finds that her mother has gone missing. In panic, she calls her ex-boyfriend for help, the one she had just broken up with. During the search for her mother that ensues, Maya is forced to question herself - why do we end up hurting the ones we love the most.

VikasDirector: Vikas is a screenwriter & director based in Mumbai, India. Having grown up in a small town in Eastern India, he strayed from his family ethos and joined the unconventional “movie business”, driven by a desire to tell the stories of his milieu, his world. His latest works are available on Amazon India & Voot India.
He is a Sundance Screenwriters’ Lab (India) Fellow (2012) with a political thriller set in 1976 Delhi. Was also a Finalist at Film London’s feature film scheme, Microwave International: Shakespeare India, with an adaptation of 'The Merchant of Venice' (2015).
Was Associate Creative Producer & Script Supervisor on acclaimed Indian director Dibakar Banerjee’s 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy', a neo-noir set in 1940s Calcutta. Was also Executive Producer on Dibakar’s segment in 'Bombay Talkies' (2013), an anthology film celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema.
Wrote, produced & directed the unique collaborative short film PROJECT 11. The film was shot in 11 cities with 11 co-directors. Premiered at Puchon Fantastic Film Festival 2012 in South Korea.
Was named as one of the Top 50 young filmmakers in India at the 1st Indian edition of Berlinale Talent Campus in 2001. Directed a slew of TVCs & shorts. Written for UTV Bindass, Bloomberg, SABTV, Cartoon Network & Star India.

SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES
https://www.facebook.com/mayatheshort/

Reviews:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2019/mar/02/
maya-is-about-politics-in-relationships-says-vikas-1945588.html
and
Only Yours
Only Yours
Only Yours
ONLY YOURS
2019 | India | 5 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by - Yashasvi Juyal 
Cast – Voice of Shyam Sundar Dabral 


Synopsis: Anand, moved out of his hometown in 1955 in search for a better future. He couldn’t convince himself from not writing a third letter to his wife when he didn’t receive any answer of his two previous letters. A visual poetry made out of the final letter written by Anand to his wife and found by his Grandson two months after his death in 2019.

Yashasvi JuyalDirector: Yashasvi Juyal, Born in Uttarakhand, India, is an Indian Independent Filmmaker and a dancer. He started his film journey in 2015 by winning the special jury award for his documentary, Kekda in Mumbai film festival.
He has, ever since, directed and edited various experimental short films and documentaries which have participated and won awards in various film festivals under the banner of Silvercord films, A film and a community building company based in Uttarakhand of which he is the founder and the artistic director.
Director's filmography : 'Confident in being confused', (short documentary) (2016), The bond behind the 'Jam', (short documentary) (2017), I stammer when I talk, short documentary (2018),  'ARevolT', (short documentary).

Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013892343950

CAT STICKS
CAT STICKS
CAT STICKS
CAT STICKS
Thursday May 9, 2019 @ 9:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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CAT STICKS
2019 | India | 94 mins | Bengali, Hindi and English (with English subtitles)
Director: Ronny Sen
Cast - Tanmay Dhanania, Sumeet Thakur, Joyraj Bhattacharya, Saurabh Saraswat, Rahul Dutta, Raja, Sounak Kundu, Kalpan Mitra, Soumyajit Majumdar, and Sreejita Mitra


Post Screening Q&A with director Ronny Sen

Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZfDsRpQPXk

Synopsis: On a rainy night in Calcutta a group of desperate addicts chase brown sugar, but the permanent intoxication they seek proves elusive. 'Cat Sticks' weaves their stories into a chiaroscuro, traverses with them through states high and low, spaces real and unreal. A relentless downpour plays backdrop to lives balanced on the precarious heights of addiction. Some of them seek a release, while others do not seem to want the night to end.

Ronny SenDirector: Ronny Sen (b. 1986, Silchar) is a film director, writer and photographer based in Calcutta. His debut feature film 'Cat Sticks' world premiered in the competition section at Slamdance Film Festival, 2019 where it won the jury honourable mention. He has previously directed television documentaries for BBC. He started his career as a photographer and has made two artist books, 'Khmer Din' (2013) and 'End of Time' (2016). He was invited to be an artist in residence in Japan by The Japan Foundation in 2013 and in Poland by the Polish Institute in 2016. He received the Getty Images Instagram Grant in 2016 for his work in Jharia coal mines which were shown in his debut solo exhibition in 2018 titled, 'Fire Continuum' at gallery Tarq in Mumbai. His works are included in the permanent collection of the Alkazi Collection of Photography.

Social Media Handles: https://www.instagram.com/catsticks/?hl=en
Reviews: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/05/interview-with-ronny-sen/

The Flight
The Flight
The Flight
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 6:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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THE FLIGHT
2018 | India | 83 mins | Bengali (with English subtitles)
Directed by - Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Cast - Chandan Roy Sanyal, Parno Mittra, Sudipto Chatterjee


Post Screening Q&A with lead actor Chandan Roy Sanyal

US Premiere

Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-SKBb2slik

Synopsis: A village mechanic dreams of flying. After discovering the crash site of a World War II Japanese plane, Bachchu Mondal decides to rebuild it. His project doesn’t go unnoticed by the ghosts that haunt the place, all victims of broken dreams. Authorities begin their investigation of Mondal as a life-threatening series of bizarre events that conspire.

Buddhadeb Dasgupta Director: An ex- economics professor, an illustrious Bengali poet and writer, Buddhadeb Dasgupta is an internationally celebrated master filmmaker, considered to be India’s foremost today. His signature style rests as much on the visual poetry of his films as on the socially relevant themes he highlights. He delves into several different layers of “reality” and creates a world un-presumed. Dasgupta have won numerous national and international awards, accolades and honour from the most prestigious organisations worldwide in the last forty years of his filmmaking career. Winner of Best Director’s award from Venice International Film Festival for his Masterpiece 'Uttara' ('The Wrestlers'), he has been programmed for Masters’ of World Cinema section of Toronto International Film Festival for seven times and has won the prestigious Golden Athena, Life Time Achievement award from Athens International Film Festival. Dasgupta has been the chairman of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata, Government of India for two terms and is a part of the present Academy Award Jury Board. His filmography boasts on internationally acclaimed masterpieces like 'Duratwa' ('The Distance'), 'Grihajuddha' ('The Crossroads'), 'Bagh Bahadur' ('Tigerman'), 'Phera' ('The Return'), 'Charachar' ('In Shelter of the wings'), 'Uttara' ('The Wrestlers'), 'Mondo Meyer Upakhyan' ('Tale of a Naughty Girl'), 'Kaalpurush' ('Memories in the mist') and many more with the last work being 'Tope' ('The Bait') which world premiered in Masters of World Cinema, TIFF, 2016 and got a huge global credit. Urojahaj (The Flight) is his latest oeuvre.

Social Media Handles: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Off_(2017_film)
https://mubi.com/films/the-flight-2018

Reviews: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/flight-review-1156210

Photograph
Photograph
Photograph
Centerpiece
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 6.15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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PHOTOGRAPH
2018 | India | 109 mins | Hindi, English, and Gujarati (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Ritesh Batra
Cast - Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra


Post Screening Q&A with director Ritesh Batra

Trailerhttps://youtu.be/LwOGIlpPqek

Synopsis: A struggling Mumbai street photographer pressured to marry by his grandmother convinces a shy stranger to pose as his fiancée during a family visit. Despite vast cultural differences, the pair develops a surprising connection that challenges their worldviews in a wistful and funny romance from Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox).

Ritesh Batra Director: Ritesh Batra’s debut work 'The Lunchbox', was supported by the Sundance Institute and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated for the 2015 BAFTAS. He has since worked on 'Our Souls At Night,' starring Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, 'The Sense Of An Ending' with Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling, 'Photograph'  is his newest work. He has a passion for running, reading, and fountain pens. His favorite color is blue.




Social Media Handles: Facebook I Twitter I Instagram
#PhotographMovie

Kattumaram
Kattumaram
Kattumaram
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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KATTUMARAM

2019 | India | 73 mins | Tamil (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Swarnavel Eswaran


Post Screening Q&A with director Swarnavel Eswaran

Synopsis: 'Kattumaram' explores the gradual transformation of a conservative maternal uncle as he begins to accept his orphaned niece’s relationship with a woman. The film’s narrative revolves around the Tsunami-affected lives of middle-aged fisherman Singaram and his orphaned niece and nephew whom he deeply cares for. As Singaram works hard to provide for his family, he also tries to arrange a groom for his niece. But she rejects the many suitors he brings. Singaram soon learns that his niece is in love with her fellow female teacher. Ostracised by his community, Singaram tries to come to terms with his niece being a lesbian. In this process, he learns to empathize with the plight of the village barber, the transgender Alankaram.

Dr. Swarnavel Eswaran PillaiDirector: Dr. Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai is an Associate Professor in the Departments of English, and Media and Information at Michigan State University. He is the director of the documentaries 'Thangam' (1996) and 'Hmong Memory At The Crossroads'(2015). 'Catamaran' is his latest film which is looking for distribution and sales.

Bhoga Khirikee
Bhoga Khirikee
Bhoga Khirikee
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 5
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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Bhoga Khirikee
2018 | India | 122 mins | Assamese
Directed by – Jahnu Barua
Cast – Zerifa Wahid, Seema Biswas, Joy Kashyap, Sanjay Khargharia, Kasvi Sharma, Mohommed Ali Shah and Bishnu Khargharia.


Synopsis: In a rural village in Assam, life for Togor becomes full of strains after she marries Koncheng – a militant who has been constantly on the run. Her stubborn father refuses to acknowledge the marriage, despite constant pleading by her benevolent mother. Although she agrees to the ideology of people’s fight against all injustice, Togor is more worried about the uncertainty of life that exists around her, and has to tackle with injustice heaped upon her.

However Togor is hardly aware that the most unfortunate moment of her life is yet to come… when two army men arrive at her house on a routine search visit to enquire about Koncheng… All of a sudden life takes an unexpected turn for Togor.

JAHNU BARUADirector: One of India’s internationally acclaimed filmmakers, Jahnu Barua is a twelve-time National Award winner. Conferred Padma Shri (2003) and Padma Bhushan (2015), some of his notable films are Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (The Catastrophe), Firingoti (Spark), Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door (It’s a Long Way to the Sea), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara (I did not kill Gandhi), Konikar Ramdhenu (Ride on the Rainbow), Baandhon (Waves of Silence), Ajeyo (Invincible) etc. Currently, right after the release of Bhoga Khidikee (Broken Window), Jahnu Barua will begin work on Unread Pages – an Indo-US co-production between Easterly Entertainment and Hollywood’s Ivanhoe Pictures.

GOOD GUY BAD GUY
GOOD GUY BAD GUY
GOOD GUY BAD GUY
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 9:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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GOOD GUY BAD GUY

2018 | India | 79 mins | Tamil/ Kannada/ English (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Indu Krishnan
Cast – Indu Krishnan, Zakhir


Post Screening Q&A with director Indu Krishnan

Trailerhttps://www.indukrishnan.com/trailer

Synopsis: 'Good Guy Bad Guy' is the story of the engaging yet elusive Zakhir, a young recycler the filmmaker befriends in her native Bangalore and follows over five years. At once alone and part of a shifting circle of acquaintances and employers, Zakhir navigates urban precarity with a kind of enigmatic pragmatism, refusing steady employment for the freedom from obligation and reinventing his dreams when they fail to materialize. 'Good Guy Bad Guy' is a story of street life and celluloid fantasy, family and violence, tenderness and inconstancy.

Indu KrishnanDirector: Indu Krishnan grew up in India and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Delhi University. She subsequently took courses in Fine Art at Parsons School of Design and got a Masters in Media Studies at the New School for Social Research in New York. She is the recipient of numerous grants including the Rockefeller Intercultural Fellowship; Media grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, ITVS, New York State council on the Arts among others. She has worked for corporate and public television in the US and in between independently produced her own documentaries. She currently divides her time between Bangalore and San Francisco.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.indukrishnan.com/

Yours Truly
Yours Truly
Yours Truly
Yours Truly
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 9:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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YOURS TRULY

2018 | India | 84 mins | Hindi
Directed by SANJOY NAG
Cast – Soni Razdan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aahana Kumra, Mahesh Bhatt


Post Screening Q&A with director Sanjoy Nag

Synopsis:  As 57-year-old government employee Mithi Kumar finds herself on the brink of retirement from her mundane office job, she realises there’s just one thing she’ll miss about work- or rather her daily commute. It’s the voice of a stranger that she has been irresistibly drawn to; one she has felt a deep connection with amidst the everyday din of the railway station. That voice belongs to the station announcer- her invisible but constant companion as she goes to work every day.

Ever since the first time she heard his voice, she felt something stir in her- and over the last decade it began to feel as if he was speaking directly to her, as she began conjuring up her own images of him- even writing letters to him, sharing her deepest emotions with this stranger. As her days at work come to a close, Mithi searches anxiously for her imagined soulmate. Will she ever find him- and more importantly, is he for real? Yours Truly is a story about seeking connection and discovering how love can strike at any age- and in the most unexpected places.

Sanjoy NagDirector: Sanjoy Nag, born and raised in Kolkata, started out with documentaries before branching out to feature films. His debut feature 'Memories in March', was world premiered at the New Currents Section, Busan International Film Festival 2010 & won the Indian National Award in 2010 apart from featuring in the Indian Panorama, IFFI, Goa ‘2011; MAMI, Mumbai; Kerala IFF, Durban IFF, South Africa and numerous others across the globe. 'Parapaar', starring Rituparna Sengupta, Paoli Dam and based on a Moti Nandy novel was his sophomore feature, released in 2014. He has just completed his first Hindi feature 'Yours Truly' starring Soni Razdan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aahana Kumra & Mahesh Bhatt. 'Yours Truly' will have its World Premiere in the Windows on Asian Cinema section at the Busan International Film Festival 2018 before travelling to other Festivals and a release later in the year. Sanjoy is currently busy with the postproduction of his recent feature film 'Good Morning Sunshine' starring Revathy, Shweta Tripathi, Rituparna Sengupta, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Shabana Azmi.
Presently involved with the scripting of his feature film concept Starring Ranbir & Hrithik which was selected for the Asian Projects Market, Busan International Film Festival, 2016. A web series is also on the anvil.
An obsessive foodie and traveler, he dons the grease paint for exciting roles in films which have had their share of critical acclaim and commercial success.

MIDNIGHT DELHI
MIDNIGHT DELHI
MIDNIGHT DELHI
Friday May 10, 2019 @ 9:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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MIDNIGHT DELHI
2018 | India | 75 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Rakesh Rawat
Cast – Anshuman Jha, Mukesh Bhatt, Sahdev Raj Singh Hooda, Trushant Ingle, Mukesh Prajapati, Vinod Nahardih


Post Screening Q&A with director Rakesh Rawat

US Premiere

Trailer: https://filmfreeway.com/MidnightDelhi

Synopsis: 'Midnight Delhi' is a film exploring one cruel night of Delhi. It tells the entangled stories of several troubled souls, whose fates are sewn together carrying all the possible version of truth each version as real as the last one.  It says about how a little change in intent can bring out a completely different personality. Midnight Delhi is a night in search of fortunes, love and success, longing for hope and self-preservation, a night of chaos and judgment questioning the vulnerability and existence of reality.

RakeshDirector: Rakesh is an Indian Director and Cinematographer. Born and raised in Delhi. After completing graduation in journalism (2009), he did masters in Cinematography (2010-2012). He later moved to Mumbai and started working as a freelance Director. He founded 'Thoughtful Clown Films' in 2015 and produced/directed his first feature film 'Midnight Delhi' (2018) under the same banner.



Social Media Handles
https://www.facebook.com/MidnightDelhi/
https://filmfreeway.com/MidnightDelhi

Reviews
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/
bollywood/news/midnight-delhi-wins-honours-at-film-fest-in-
singapore/articleshow/66296544.cms

https://www.ibtimes.co.in/midnight-delhi-gets-thumbs-
audience-jury-singapore-south-asian-film-festival-783519

CHUSKIT
CHUSKIT
CHUSKIT
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 12:00 Noon, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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CHUSKIT
2018 | India | 90 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Priya Ramasubban
Cast - JIGMET DEWA LHAMO, MORUP NAMGYAL, SATYADEEP MISRA, SONAM WANGCHOK, YANGCHEN DOLMA


Trailerhttps://www.chuskit.com/trailer

Synopsis: Sprightly little six-year-old Chuskit’s dreams of going to school are cut short when, at the cusp of beginning school, she meets with an accident that renders her a paraplegic. The child who had once skipped through the steep slopes, icy streams and the stark Himalayan terrain is now confined to a life where she is entirely dependent on her family to move, even within the tiny house, as neither her home nor the school across the stream are equipped for someone who can't walk.

Despite all the hurdles life throws her way, Chuskit stays determined to go to school with her friends. Her biggest obstacle, though, comes from within her own home – her grandfather Dorje, who believes that she should accept her fate instead of fighting it. While Chuskit tries to find ways to go back to school, her grandfather, who spends the most time around her, tries to show her the path of religiosity and humility. Caught in between their struggle are Chuskit’s parents and her enterprising brother who want to respect the old-world traditions that Dorje stands for, but also want to keep Chuskit’s spirit alive. 

As life at home gets harder for Chuskit she finds hope and friendship in Dr. Ahmad, a visiting doctor who is in the village setting up a children’s clinic. Dr. Ahmad encourages her family to make Chuskit independent so she can stop being a burden on those around her. 

Eventually, Chuskit’s biggest ally in her fight becomes Dorje, who unexpectedly gets on her side when he realizes that not only do they share the quality of being strong-willed, but also that they both desire nothing more than leading a fulfilling life surrounded by their family. Chuskit then inspires Dorje to bring not just the family but her two best friends and then the whole village to work to get her to school.

Priya RamasubbanDirector: Priya Ramasubban is a reputed filmmaker who has travelled the world for over fifteen years making films for National Geographic, Discovery, History Channel and other major international broadcasters. She is a storyteller at heart and has the ability to deal with complex subjects in a nuanced way allowing for textured interpretation. She has written and directed 'Lost Kings of Israel' (National Geographic), 'Divine Delinquents' (National Geographic), several episodes on the long-running series 'Digging for the Truth' (History Channel), episodes on the series 'Into the Unknown' (Discovery Channel), episode on 'Monster Fish' (National Geographic) and several others notable productions.

Social Media Handles: 
https://www.chuskit.com/

Awards:
https://www.chuskit.com/accolades

SA
SA
SA
SA
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 12:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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SA

2018 | India | 111 mins | Bengali (with English subtitles)
Director: Arjit Singh
Cast: Pragun Singh, Srija Ghosh, Anindya Pulak Banerjee


International Premiere

Synopsis: 'Sa' chronicles a simple family from a village in West Bengal, in the aftermath of mass migration following the birth of Bangladesh. It is a story about life itself and its cycles of highs and lows. The birth of LALU brings great joy and hope but tragic circumstances leaves the father alone to raise the burgeoning family on his own. He sends LALU to his childhood friend, a venerated maestro of Indian classical music. LALU learns to associate his exploration of nature with the nature of music itself. Along the way, he picks up lessons on culture, religion and urban-rural divide and learn to live with a smile till the end - with the recurring belief that ‘everything is going to be all right.’

Arijit SinghDirector: Arijit Singh considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to train in Indian classical music for more than 20 years. His mainstream recognition however came from singing immensely popular songs for films in the Mumbai film industry. This left a feeling of deviation from his original choice of path. He believes that true art or motive finds a way to transcend itself from one medium to another. 'Sa' is an attempt to bridge those expressions of emotions from one art form to the next.

Social Media Handles:
www.sathefilm.com

Reviews:
http://bollyy.com/arijit-singh-turns-stunning-director-with-musical-bengali-film-sa/

Bulbul Can Sing
Bulbul Can Sing
Bulbul Can Sing
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 12:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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BULBUL CAN SING

2018 | India | 95 mins | Hindi and Assamese (with English subtitles)
Directed by - Rima Das
Cast – Pakija Begum, Arnali Das, Manoranjan Das, Banita Thakuria, Manabendra Das


Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DsjnhSR9ww&t=74s

Synopsis: In the atmospheric light of dusk and dawn, Rima Das portrays the lives of three friends on the threshold of adulthood. Poetic sensuality contrasts with authentic scenes of everyday life in their Indian village, where care-free youthfulness comes face to face with merciless reality. The story’s protagonist is Bulbul, whose voice fails her when she has to sing in front of people. Fear of failure and self-doubt also plague the fragile Bonny, and Suman, who does not fulfil the traditional male image. The experience of first love puts the three teenagers under the pressure of high expectations and strict moral codes. The relationship between love and suffering demands a lot of strength. Bulbul the nightingale begins to sing.

Rima DasDirector: Rima Das is a self-taught screenwriter, producer and director who also takes on the roles of cinematographer and editor for her films. Born and raised in a small village in Assam in northeast India, she is now based in Mumbai and Assam. She is the Managing Director of Flying River Films which supports local, independent filmmaking in the region.
Best known for making indigenous and realistic films with non-professional actors, her films have been striking a chord with people not just in India but across the globe. Her first feature 'Man With The Binoculars' ('Antarsrishti') premiered in the First Feature Competition at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2016 and at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.    
'Village Rockstars', Rima’s second feature film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2017, then travelled to more than 80 film festivals around the world. The film has received over 50 Awards including the National Film Awards as the Best Feature Film in India 2018 and Oscar entry from India 2019.
'Bulbul Can Sing', her third feature film had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2018, in the Contemporary World Cinema section. Followed by the Asian Premier at Busan International Film Festival and its European premiere at Berlin International Film festival (Generation 14 section) 2019. The film won Golden Gateway Award for best film in Mumbai Film Festival, Best actor at Singapore Film Festival.  Rima Das is also nominated for Best new director Asian Awards for Bulbul Can Sing 2019.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8659050/

Reviews:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/bulbul-can-sing-1142136
https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bulbul-can-sing-busan-review/5133102.article
https://www.filmcompanion.in/bulbul-can-sing-movie-review-rima-das
https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/02/film-review-bulbul-can-sing-2018-by-rima-das/

KIA AND COSMOS
KIA AND COSMOS
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 3:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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KIA AND COSMOS

2018 | India | 124 mins | English
Directed by – Sudipto Roy
Cast - Ritwika Pal, Swastika Mukherjee, Joy Sengupta, Sraman Chatterjee, Zahid Hossain, Mita Chatterjee, Amaan Reza


Trailer: https://youtu.be/OyLWXtKrMQ4

Synopsis: A 15-year-old otherworldly girl diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorders, living with her single mother takes on the quest of writing a mystery novel spurred by the murder of the neighbourhood cat, who subsequently, with the help of her shadow teacher and her best friend and rickshaw puller, finds herself in an audacious journey from Kolkata to Kalimpong to uncover the mysterious disappearance of her father.

Sudipto RoyDirector: Writer, Director Sudipto Roy is a prodigal observer of human mannerism. Having worked as an international travel journalist, with a career that spans across a decade and the world's most celebrated and quaint cities turning muse his heart lies in story-telling and films. With the keen ear of a guitarist, two very well received short films under his belt and an enviable experience in working with the veterans of Indian Cinema, Kia And Cosmos is his first feature film.


Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/kialistens/
https://twitter.com/kia_cosmos

Reviews:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/kia-cosmos-sudipta-roys-film-follows-a-girls-quest-to-solve-the-mystery-behind-her-fathers-disappearance/articleshow/64124544.cms

AWARDS
Nomination for Best Direction in Foreign Language

PAANI
PAANI
PAANI
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 3:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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PAANI

2018 | India | 140 mins | Marathi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Adinath Kothare
Cast - Adinath Kothare, Rucha Vaidya, Subodh Bhave, Kishore Kadam


Post Screening Q&A with director and lead actor Adinath Kothare

World Premiere

Synopsis: Hanumant Kendre was an ordinary man living in a drought prone village called Nagdarwadi. He was heart broken when his marriage with Suvarna, a girl he had liked, was called off due to the god forsaken condition of his village. Nagdarwadi had been suffering from water scarcity since ages. The path Hanumant chose to win back the woman he loved almost cost him his life. He decided he would marry Suvarna only after bringing water round the year to every doorstep in Nagdarwadi. Paani is the true story of Nagdarwadi and a common man’s endeavour for home and love

Addinath KothareDirector: Addinath Kothare is an Actor, Producer and Director working in the Indian Film Industry. He has acted in over 15 feature films as an Actor, which comprise of prominent and critically acclaimed Films like 'Mazha Chakula' (1994), 'Satarangi Re' (2012), Zapatlela 2 (2013), Avatarachi Goshta (2014), Ishq Wala Love (2014), 'Neelkanth Master' (2015) and 'Take Care Good Night' (2018). His first directorial venture, titled 'Paani (Water)', is currently due for release. Addinath had been working on the project 'Paani' for the past 5 years and is also playing the lead protagonist in the feature film. Critically acclaimed International Actor and Producer Priyanka Chopra has collaborated with Addinath and is the main Producer of the feature film 'Paani'.

KD
KD
KD
KD
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 3:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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‘KD’

2018 | India | 123 mins | Tamil (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Madhumita Sundararaman
Cast - Mu Ramaswamy, Nagavishal, Yog Jagpee


Post Screening Q&A with director Madhumita Sundararaman

Synopsis: Karuppu Durai, an 80-year-old man, bedridden for the past three months in a coma, suddenly wakes up one fine day to overhear his family planning to kill him by performing an ancient euthanasia ritual. Hurt, heartbroken and afraid, Karuppudurai runs away from the only home he has ever known. On an aimless path with nowhere to go, he accidentally meets a 10-year-old orphan Kutty. Kutty is everything Karuppudurai isn’t; smart, spunky and full of life. The fiercely independent Kutty encourages KD to chalk out a bucket list and start living for himself. Thus begins an eventful road trip of this unlikely pair - an old man running away from his family and a young boy who never had one!

Madhumita SundararamanDirector: Madhumita is a prolific Indian writer-director, primarily working in Tamil language cinema. Her first short film ‘Abstract Identity’ won the BBC Award in the ‘Best in the World’ category. Having done a course in Direction from the New York Film Academy, she has also briefly worked on Pirates of the Caribbean III. Madhumita recently completed a Tamil – Telugu bi-lingual feature, titled Moone Moonu Varthai/ Moodu Mukkallo Cheppalante as a director, and a Hindi feature film Tadka as a creative producer.

Awards: Best Director at the UK Asian Film festival.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/yoodleefilms
https://twitter.com/YoodleeFilms
https://www.instagram.com/yoodleefilms/

Baggage
Baggage
Baggage
Baggage
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 6:00 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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BAGGAGE

2018 | India | 114 mins | Kannada (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Roopa Rao
Cast - Teju Belawadi, Nischith Korodi, Bhargav Raju, Surya Vasishta, Sharath Gowda, Sri Ranga
,

Post Screening Q&A with director Roopa Rao

Synopsis: A simple yet an intense high school drama set in the 1990's of Bangalore, story of a 16 year old girl and her struggles with understanding herself and the ever changing world around, her journey from a world that she thinks exists just like in the movies she saw (like any other Indian girl of 90's) to the actual world that unravels to her. A relatable pressure of education, childhood traumas, bullying, competition over marks and love interests, all of this wrapped in a transcending journey of first love.

Roopa RaoDirector: A global citizen rooted to her small town upbringing, Roopa truly believes storytelling is the only way to transmit what truly matters to humanity. A Masters graduate in Commerce and Finance, Roopa is an ex IT professional, who quit her job as a project manager in Infosys to pursue her undying passion for films. She is an alumnus of the Asian Academy of Film & Television. She has co-directed Kannada and Tamil feature film - ‘Only Vishnuvardhana’ & ‘Kuraiondrumillai’, line produced three German productions; written, directed, produced numerous brand films and short films. She is popularly known for her partially crowd funded India’s first same sex web series “The ‘Other’ Love Story”, which has not only won her international awards for ‘Best Director’ (at ‘NY Web fest’) and ‘Best Story’ (at ‘Toronto Web fest’) with 7 other nominations, but also has won millions of hearts across the globe with 60 million views on ‘Youtube’. ‘The Week’ Magazine has honored her as ‘woman of the year’ in 2016 for their year end special edition amongst other celebrated achievers.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.facebook.com/Rooparaodirector/
fb.me/Gantumootekannadafilm

The Bose Family
The Bose Family
The Bose Family
The Bose Family
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 6:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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THE BOSE FAMILY
2019 | India | 110 mins | Bengali (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Suman Ghosh
Cast - Rituparna Sengupta, Aparna Sen, Soumitra Chatterjee


Post Screening Q&A with director Suman Ghosh

International Premiere

Trailer: https://youtu.be/EZdf15G4DzU

Synopsis: 'The Bose family' is the story of Pranabendu and Manjari Bose who intend to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in their ancestral mansion. Their family come down to celebrate this special occasion. What transpires the night of the celebration alters the perception of the family- of relationships and on life and death. Inspired by the novella 'The Dead' by James Joyce 'The Bose Family' is a trenchant examination of today's family.

Suman GhoshDirector: Suman Ghosh is a National Award-winning Indian filmmaker. He has made 7 feature films and one documentary film. He had his film training at Cornell University in New York. His first feature film "Footsteps", starring Soumitra Chatterjee and Nandita Das won 2 National Awards in 2008. It was shown at numerous film festivals including Vancouver, Karlovy Vary and IAAC New York. His second feature film "Dwando", also starring Soumitra Chatterjee, was a part of the Indian Panorama at IFFI Goa in 2009. His next feature film "Nobel Thief", starring the Indian megastar Mithun Chakraborty was world premiered at the Busan IFF and was an official selection at the BFI, London Film festival. The film received the "Best Indian Film" award at the Bengaluru International Film Festival in 2012. His next feature film "Shyamal Uncle Turns off the Lights" has had a warm reception from critics and audiences all over the world. It was world premiered at the Busan Film Festival in South Korea and had its North American Premiere at the MoMA, NY. It won the "Outstanding International Feature Award" at the ReelWorld Film festival in Toronto. It is being distributed in North America by Global Film Initiative. His next feature film "Kadambari" starring Konkona SenSharma and Parambrata Chatterjee. It is based on the life of Rabindranath Tagore and his controversial relationship with his sister-in-law Kadambari Devi. It was screened at several film festivals worldwide and received the Best Feature Film Award and the Best Actress for Konkona Sensharma at the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival in 2015. His latest released film “Peace Haven” world premiered at Busan IFF and was an official selection at MAMI and NYIFF. Suman Ghosh is now completing his first Hindi feature film “Aadhaar” which is being produced by Drishyam Films and Jio Studios.

Reviews:
https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2019/mar/25/19632/
basu-paribaar-trailer-suman-ghosh-explores-a-suspenseful-family-drama
-with-an-ensemble-cast

Blinded By The Light
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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Blinded By The Light
2019 | United Kingdom | 114 mins | English
Directed by – Gurinder Chadha
Cast - Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Dean-Charles Chapman, Aaron Phagura


Post Screening Q&A with director Gurinder Chadha

Synopsis: New Line Cinema’s “Blinded by the Light” is a joyful story of courage, love, hope, family and the unique ability of music to lift the human spirit.  The film tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of “The Boss,” Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen’s powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice.

Based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s acclaimed memoir Greetings from Bury Park, “Blinded by the Light” was directed by Gurinder Chadha from a screenplay by Sarfraz Manzoor, Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges. Chadha also produced the film together with Jane Barclay and Jamal Daniel.  Paul Mayeda Berges, Hannah Leader, Tory Metzger, Tracy Nurse, Stephen Spence, Peter Touche and Renee Witt served as executive producers. The story is underscored by the music and poetic lyrics of Springsteen, who gave Chadha his blessing from the film’s inception.  A New Line Cinema presentation, “Blinded by the Light” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and is slated to open on August 14, 2019.

Gurinder ChadhaDirector: GURINDER CHADHA directed, co-wrote and produced BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. Chadha is one of the UK’s most proven and respected filmmakers whose award-winning films have earned more than $300 million at the international box office. The British Film Institute’s recent filmography study on British Cinema history named Chadha as the UK’s most prolific female director working today.

She began her career as a broadcast journalist for BBC News and moved into directing with her first documentary I’M BRITISH BUT… for Channel 4 and the BFI in 1989 and subsequently made several award-winning documentaries for BFI, BBC and Channel 4.

Chadha directed her first short film, NICE ARRANGEMENT, in 1990. Her first feature, the landmark comedy-drama BHAJI ON THE BEACH, which centred on the experiences of a group of Asian women from three generations on a day trip to Blackpool, received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Film and the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Newcomer to British Cinema.

Chadha’s next feature, WHAT’S COOKING?, a comedy-drama that tells the story of four different families (Latino, Vietnamese, African -American and Jewish) all preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner, was the Opening Night Film of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and was the first British script to be invited to the Sundance Institute’s Writer’s Lab. The film was voted joint Audience Award winner in the New York Film Critics’ 2000 season (tied with Billy Elliott).

Her next film, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, was the highest-grossing British-financed, British-distributed film ever at the UK box office (at time of release) and topped box office charts internationally. The film received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy, a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Film, a European Film Academy nomination for Best Film, and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Her other hit films include BRIDE & PREJUDICE – a film that marries Jane Austen with Indian and Western musicals – which was the first film ever to open at #1 in the UK and India on the same day; ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING, based on the international bestseller which was released worldwide in 2008/2009; IT’S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before releasing internationally in 2010; and VICEROY'S HOUSE, an epic drama on Indian Independence and Partition, starring Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal and Huma Qureshi. The film, which made its world premiere at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival, received critical acclaim and achieved global box-office success.

In 2015, Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges mounted the stage musical version of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM in London’s West End to five-star reviews and critics’ awards. Chadha’s TV company, Bend It TV, recently joined forces with international sales and distribution company Fremantle Media to create diverse scripted and non-scripted TV content. Bend It TV currently has commissions for returning drama series with Sky Atlantic, BBC Drama and ITV.

Chadha is chair of Bend It Networks, a content creation company she co-founded with Paul Mayeda Berges, which develops multicultural stories for international audiences across Film, TV, Stage & Digital. She recently created BEECHAM HOUSE, an epic drama series set in India in 1795, for ITV and Masterpiece/PBS. The first season of the series will premiere in the UK in June 2019 and in the U.S. in late 2019 or early 2020.

Chadha has received several Honorary Doctorates from British Universities and was awarded an O.B.E. in the 2006 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to the British Film Industry. She is an active patron of numerous charities, including MAF (Medical Aid Films), is a Creative Mentor and Role Model for Creative Access, Directors UK INSPIRE, the BFI and the Sundance Directors’ Lab. and Patron of Women in Film UK.

Social Media Handles
https://twitter.com/BBTLmovie

Reviews:
https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/blinded-by-the-light-review-1203119930/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/blinded-by-light-review-1180066
https://www.thewrap.com/blinded-by-the-light-film-review-
joyous-indie-musical-soars-to-songs-of-bruce-springsteen/

http://collider.com/blinded-by-the-light-review/

  Shorts D
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 6:30 pm, Auditorium 5
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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BEAUTIFUL SARI
BEAUTIFUL SARI
BEAUTIFUL SARI
2018 India | 12 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Pooja Kaul
Cast: Aditi Mehta, Gaurav Paswala, Megnaa Mehtta


Trailer: https://youtu.be/N97IpfuI53M

Synopsis: A woman finds a bundle of saris which evokes memories of young love, blurred and elusive but ever present.


Pooja KaulDirector: Pooja Kaul is a writer and director whose work explores contemporary society. Her films 'Rasikan Re' ('O Lover of Life', 33 mins, Hindi and English, 2003) and Winter Trail ( 11 min, 2001) have been seen at festivals and art galleries worldwide, and have been described as unique, stunning and soulful. Pooja has trained at the National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield, England and at the Jamia Millia Islamia’s Mass Communication Research Centre, New Delhi. Her work examines contemporary Indian society in the light of its richly developed past, finding parallel textures and sensibilities, forging connections between past and the present. Most recently she has made 'Sundar Sari' ( 'Beautiful Sari', 12 mins, 2018) a film about memory and how we carry it in our everyday. She is currently developing ‘The Umesh Chronicles’, her first full-length feature project, which she wrote with a Script Development award from the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Social Media Links:
http://thesariseries.com/about/
http://www.borderandfall.com/filmmaker-pooja-kaul/
and
Daughters of the Polo God
DAUGHTERS OF THE POLO GOD
2018 | India | 33 mins | English
Directed by – Roopa Barua


Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbWSgV60Al4

Synopsis: The shimmering emerald state of Manipur, India is the birthplace of modern polo with men having played there for several hundred years. Now it's the turn for the young maidens to charge forward. A young polo sisterhood is developing in Manipur that ploughs on in spite of adversity and political turmoil. They are intensely connected to their sacred Manipuri pony and play an international tournament every year. Roopa Barua’s film is a tribute to these polo players, the modern Manipuri women and the pony campaign.


Roopa BaruaDirector: Roopa Barua is a fan of the cinematic medium. She seeks to create nuanced cinema that goes beyond geography and human boundaries. Roopa has also won multiple awards in 2015 for her documentary Riders of the Mist that is about a hundred-year-old bareback racing tradition in Assam, India with semi-feral ponies. Roopa is also a frequent contributor to the movie blog ‘A Potpourri of Vestiges’. She covered the Cannes Film Festival 2015 for films in both the Palme D’Or and the Un Certain Regard categories for this blog. Roopa has a Certificate in Film Production from New York Film Academy and has also taken film criticism courses at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to her career as a filmmaker, Roopa was a banker with Morgan Stanley in Boston and San Francisco. She has a degree in Economics and Finance from Boston University.

Social Media Handles:
http://www.kahinimedia.com
http://facebook.com/daughtersofthepologod
and
DHARMA
DHARMA
DHARMA
DHARMA
2018 | India | 14 mins | Tamil (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Nishanth Pio


Synopsis: 'Dharma' explores the psyche of a farmer, who strives to uphold the traditions handed down to him over generations; and his relationship with his bull, which is solely raised for the ancient bull-taming sport of Jallikattu.


Nishanth PioDirector: After completing my arts degree, I spent a few years assisting various acclaimed film-makers, including Ang Lee (on Life of Pi), learning the craft of film-making. I’ve spent the last 5 years directing commissioned shorts, music videos and commercial projects.






Social Media Handles: 
https://www.moviebuff.com/dharma-2018-tamil
and
Do We Belong?
DO WE BELONG?
2018 | USA | 14 mins | English
Directed by – Sofian Khan


Synopsis: An Indian immigrant in Kansas is shot and killed in a senseless hate crime, leaving his wife to grapple with the question of whether America is truly her home.

Sofian KhanDirector: Sofian is the founder of Capital K Pictures— a New York-based production company focusing on documentary work. His shorts have appeared on Field of Vision, The Fader, Al Jazeera, PBS, Fusion, The Atlantic and Huffington Post. He is a 2016 MacArthur Documentary Grant recipient for his film 'The Interpreters', currently in post-production. The film, following the stories of Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who worked with the US forces, is being finished with support from ITVS.
Currently, Sofian is producing 'An Act of Worship', based on a short film about the travel ban that he co-directed for Field of Vision with Nausheen Dadabhoy.  The feature length documentary has received support from the Ford Foundation, the Islamic Scholarship Fund and Mountainfilm’s commitment grant.

Social Media Handles:
https://t.co/1iA0dNm42g

Reviews:
https://www.thetealmango.com/entertainment/sofian-khans-short-film-do-we-belong/
https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/560669/hate-crime-in-kansas/
and
  MA (MOTHER)
2016 | India | 10 mins | English
Directed by – Aditi Mody


Synopsis: Chai struggles to understand the loss of her grandmother by exhibiting strange behaviour to her mother. In struggling to understand Chai better, her mother is able to grieve in her own. way.

AditiDirector: Aditi is a filmmaker from Mumbai India who aims to make films that speak to the varied experiences of people living in her nuanced, flawed and versatile city by the sea. She wishes to portray Indians in a more contemporary way which draws light to their unique cultures and belief without making it the only thing that defines them as people.





Social Media Links:
http://www.aditimody.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWXs7HljVo-
TyxSIKCTIvg/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd
and
MAYAT
MAYAT
2018 India | 26 mins | Marathi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Dr. Suyash Shinde
Cast: Kailash Waghmare, Meenakshi Waghmare


Trailer: https://www.facebook.com/240727373334682/videos/241145133292906/

Synopsis: 65th Indian national film award winner for best short fiction 'Mayat' is a story of Nama who is a poor, unemployed, famine struck villager hopelessly struggling to find work. At an acquaintance’s funeral he stumbles upon a strange way, supposedly a taboo, to make ends meet. However, this habit soon lands him into a situation where he has to choose between morality and sin. What does he finally choose?
The film illustratively talks about the general human psyche which tends to choose bad over good in seemingly hopeless situations. It eventually gives us a perspective to find the silver lining in every dark cloud!

Suyash ShindeDirector: A practicing dentist by day, for Suyash Shinde filmmaking has been a hobby that’s now earned him a National Award.  The 26-minute Mayat is the filmmaker’s third film, which also won Best Script at Jaipur International Film Festival held in January. The film was shot in Satara over six days by a crew of 50. Scripted by Shinde, 'Mayat' depicts moral dilemmas and the tough choices one must make between good and evil.

Social Media Link:
https://www.facebook.com/Mayat-240727373334682/

Awards:
Rajasthan International Film Festival (Jan 2019) Jaipur, India - Best short fiction film
65th Indian national film award winner film festival (May 2018) - Best short fiction film
and
Tungrus
Tungrus
Tungrus
TUNGRUS
2018 | India | 13 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Rishi Chandna


Synopsis: Tungrus is a short documentary that observes a week in the peculiar lives of a middle-class household in Mumbai, which turns topsy-turvy when the eccentric patriarch brings home a baby chick for his cats to play with. 
What follows is an alternatingly absurd, nerve-jangling and heart-warming set of accounts about the latest addition, from each member of the family. The once adorable chick has survived his early days and grown into a tyrant, wilful bird - forever taking up too much of their space and generally making life in the apartment unliveable. 
The film follows the thoughts of each person to their inevitable conclusion – the rooster’s got to go. And as his fate hangs in the balance, the family debates the question that lingers in the air: should he be given the gift of life, or served for dinner

Rishi ChandnaDirector: Rishi Chandna is a filmmaker based out of Mumbai, and Tungrus is his first independent short film.  He has a discerning eye for the everyday anomalies of life in India. In the current environment of censorship, he believes that independent cinema is one of the last remaining bastions of honest storytelling.   When he is in doubt, he looks to Werner Herzog, John Ashbery and Fela Kuti for inspiration.



Social Media Handles: 
http://www.tungrus.com
https://www.facebook.com/TungrusTheFilm/
https://twitter.com/tungrusthefilm

Reviews:
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/
sambhavtaha-tungrus-critics-choice-short-film-awards-5496214/


Awards:
Slamdance Film Festival (USA) (Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Documentary)
Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (UK) (Audience Award)
Sapporo International Short Film Festival and Market (Japan) (Best Documentary)
Glasgow Short Film Festival (UK) (Audience Award in International Competition)
Short Waves Festival (Poland) (Audience Award in International Competition)
Kinofilm Manchester International Short Film & Animation Festival (UK) (Best Documentary)
Milano Film Festival (Italy) (Best Short Film Award Special Mention)
Shorts That Are Not Pants (Canada) (Best Documentary)
International Festival Signes de Nuit (Portugal) (Special Mention in Documentary Competition)
and
Vande Mataram: A Dance Tribute
VANDE MATARAM: A DANCE TRIBUTE
2018 | India | 6 mins | English
Directed by – Swapna Maini


Trailerhttps://youtu.be/FHjQe14Z1Wc

Synopsis: A Dance Tribute is an exploration of the beauty of Indian Classical dance forms performed by Indian girls from age 9 to 16. Shot in ancient palaces of Rajasthan and thousand-year-old temples of Khajuraho in India, the film has a musical score praising the motherland with traditional Sanskrit lyrics of India's national song, interpreted anew.

Swapna MainiDirector: Swapna Maini is a Film-maker, Visual Artist, and an Art Educator based in New Delhi, India. Her art and films are inspired by rich symbolism and insight derived from spiritual, cultural and social themes that are often the subject of her extensive research.  Swapna’s films are unique art projects that blend powerful social messages on subjects like women’s empowerment, with the aesthetics and beauty of India’s classical arts. At times, Swapna produces these films as a collaborative project with the students of her art studio in Gurugram, India. She often leads her students in art projects outside the four walls of her studio, working with paint, photography, film and the classical arts to evoke potent social themes.

Social Media Handles:
http://vandemataramfilm.com/

Jhalki
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 9:00 pm, Auditorium 2
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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Jhalki
2018 | India | 102 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Brahmanand S Siingh
Cast - Boman Irani, Sanjay Suri, Divya Dutta, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Govind Namdev, Akhilendra Mishra, Joy Sengupta, Bachan Pachera, Aarti Jha & Goraksha Sakpal. 


Special Appearance: Nobel Peace Laureate, Mr Kailash Satyarthi

Post Screening Q&A with actor Boman Irani and director Brahmanand Siingh

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/323462557/829432b7b9

Synopsis: Jhalki is a lyrical story of lost childhood, against the powerful backdrop of child slavery and human trafficking.  It is a heart-rending but inspiring story of a nine-year old street-smart girl, Jhalki, in search of her seven-year old brother, Babu, who is suddenly thrown into an inhuman world of child labour with no respite from a terminally gloomy, dark and depressing workplace. Armed with an intimate folk tale of a tireless sparrow, her own ingenious efforts and her charming presence of mind, Jhalki manages her search and eventually frees her brother, along with thousands of other enslaved children caught in this insidious practice, affecting over 150 million children worldwide.

Brahmanand S SiinghDirector: Brahmanand S Siingh, a National-Award winning filmmaker, has been vastly recognized for his experiential and inspirational biopics on iconic legends like RD Burman and Jagjit Singh (Pancham Unmixed & Kaagaz Ki Kashti), movies that have acquired a cult status, in addition to social and emotional cause-based films like Jhalki, a story of hope, courage, compassion and self-belief against the backdrop of a story of lost childhood & human trafficking. Many other films like Riding on a Sunbeam, Through our Eyes, Ashgari Bai, Ragpickers, Uncaging the Body and A Burden of Love continue to be popular and loved.

He has been invited to be on the Jury, film and script selection committee of various International Film Festivals and award platforms. He also conducts filmmaking and scriptwriting workshops in film festivals and institutes.

In-the-pipeline projects like Surmayee Shaam on father-son bonding against an Alzheimer's backdrop, Sweet Blasphemy with Rumi as a backdrop, The Dream Teller, with an occult world backdrop of Spiritual communication and practical life; Kindness Series, Legacy Series and a series of hundred 90-120 minute well-researched, and well-told Biopics Series of Iconic figures ... Along with many other films.

All his films explore spaces, worlds and mindsets that make you think and see people & their lives, success, failures, and life itself, in a very different and inspirational way, as something that we all carry inside us and need to tap it within our own selves.

  Shorts C
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 9:15 pm, Auditorium 3
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.


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BEEBAK
BEEBAK
BEEBAK
BEEBAK
BEBAAK
2018 | India | 20 mins | Urdu, Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Shazia Iqbal
Cast - Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sarah Hashmi, Vipin Sharma, Sheeba Chadda, Sana Pathan


Synopsis: Fatin is an Architecture student from a lower middle class Muslim family, who goes for an interview to seek scholarship from a religious Education Trust, along with her father, Zaheer. During the interview, she gets reprimanded by the interviewing officer, Niyaz Sheikh for not following the religious tenets meant for women.
At the tomb below the trust office, she meets two young girls who are students at the local Madrassa. One of them, Rafiya has fixed notion of being a 'good girl' by following the set rules of the religion; the other, Shireen seeks freedom from the same. Fatin has to choose between reinforcing Niyaz's misogynist dogma and live with the burden of her own muddled morality or stand up for what feels right.
  In the process, Shireen, who largely represents girls who are systematically indoctrinated into losing their identity, becomes a catalyst of change for Fatin.

Shazia IqbalDirector: Shazia Iqbalhas been working as a Production Designer/Art Director for more than ten years in the Indian film & Advertising industries. An Architecture graduate, she left a sheltered office job after being enticed by the idea of telling stories. She has studied “Directing for films” at MET film school, Ealing Studios, London. Her first feature script, CHAPLIN, was selected for the NFDC Directors Lab and Mumbai Mantra Screenwriters Lab. BEBAAK is her debut short.



Reviews:
https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/03/short-film-review-bebaak-2018-by-shazia-iqbal/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news
  and
DIFFICULT PEOPLE
2018 India | 19 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Sohil Vaidya
Cast: Abhay Mahajan, Chittaranjan Giri


Synopsis: Akash, an aspiring graffiti artist lives with his father, Sudhakar in an old building in Mumbai. Akash’s mother has recently demised. Apart from the demise of the most beloved person, Akash and his father Sudhakar has one more thing in common, stubbornness! While standing against his father's conventional approach, Akash struggles to find his creative expression in the vast liberating spaces of the Mumbai.


Sohil VaidyaDirector: Sohil Vaidya is a current graduate student in MFA Film Production Course at the University of Southern California where he is focusing on Writing and Directing. He has been awarded James Bridges Directing Scholarship and Edward Thomas Troutner Cinematography Scholarship for his achievements at USC. His last student fiction film ‘Geeta’; based on the issue of Modern Day Slavery, screened at multiple film festivals across the U.S and won awards. Currently, he is directing a feature film with seven other directors after getting selected for the feature film class at USC.   Before coming to USC he made a documentary named ‘Diaries of Unknown’ which tells the story of 15 million homeless people without any document of existence, living across India who are not even recognized as a part of the population by the Indian government. Sohil is amongst the pioneers in starting a film festival in Pune for the underrepresented voices in Indian cinema called Smita Patil International Film Festival. Stanley Kubrick, P.T Anderson, Andrei Tarkovasky and Satyajit Ray are some of the directors who have deeply influenced him. He wants to keep learning about the craft of filmmaking while making films which are thought-provoking, visually compelling and important as content, in the future.

Social Media Links:
http://difficultpeoplethefilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/difficultpeoplefilm/?ref=settings

Awards:
WorldFest-Houston (Apr 2019)
Houston, U S A
Remi Award Nomination
Jaipur International Film Festival (Jan 2019)
Jaipur, India
Best Actor
DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA(DGA) (Dec 2018)
LOS ANGELES, U S A
BEST STUDENT FILM
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS(ASC) (Nov 2018)
LOS ANGELES, U S A
AWARDS
HERITAGE AWARD FINALIST
and
GADEHO (DONKEY)
GADEHO (DONKEY)
GADEHO (DONKEY)
GADHEDO (DONKEY)
2018 | India | 15 mins | Hindi
Directed by – Jai Sharma
Cast – Chandan Roy Sanyal, Vikrant Massey, Aakash Dabhade, Krishanoo Beniwal, Trupti Khamkar


Synopsis: This film is based on a folk story from Rajasthan, India; set in a small village that is stuck in time. The story unfolds the satirical journey of GORU (a naive washer man) who believes that MAATSA (the only teacher in the village) will be able to turn his donkey into a 'Man'.


Jai SharmaDirector: Jai Sharma

Social Media Links:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8226398/
https://www.facebook.com/Gadhedonkey/


Awards:
RAJASTHAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Jan 2019)
Jaipur, India - JURY AWARD- BEST ACTOR (VIKRANT MASSEY)
and
KUL GOV GAREM
KUL GOV GAREM
KUL GOV GAREM
2018 | India | 12 mins | Kashmiri (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Arif Mir
Cast: Nishant Pandey, Manzoor Ahmad Mir, Azaan Muzaffer


Synopsis: Fed up of being constantly chased away, a group of friends decide to take matters in their own hands.  Set against the beautiful but troubled back drop of Kashmir, 'Kul Gov Garem' is a peek into the lives of these children, as they manage to find ways to keep living.


Arif MirDirector: Arif Mir belongs to Anantnag, a small but volatile part of south Kashmir, India.  Having grown up there, he was witness to the birth, emergence and growth of militancy. His teenage years saw gun culture at its peak.  Soon after finishing his graduation from Anantnag in 2005, he decided to move out of Kashmir, in search of better opportunities.  He came upon film making about a decade ago and the whole process fascinated him. He moved to Mumbai and made it his career.  With no formal film school background, he learned while working on the job. His journey involves projects associated with some of the top most production houses in Mumbai, India.  He recognizes the importance of films and storytelling and the impact they may have on the society and minds of people from all walks of life.  Kashmir being closest to his heart, he wanted to start his journey as a filmmaker with a narrative that connected him to his roots. It seemed only apt to make 'Kul Gov Garem', perhaps a slice of his own childhood.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8585426/
and
NAKED
NAKED
NAKED
2017 | India | 14 mins | English
Directed by – Rakesh Kumar
Cast – Kalki Koechlin


Synopsis: A scene popular actor Sandy shot for her film goes viral on the internet as a Sex clip. Same day she is interviewed by a young journalist Ria .What follows is an interview that Ria will never forget.

Reviews:
http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/in-naked-kalki-koechlin-stars-as-actress
https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2017/03/kalki-koechlin-naked-cyberbullying/
and
DHARMA
DHARMA
SAAHUS
2019 | USA | 24 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Hemant Tavathia


Synopsis: Set in Kashmir Valley (India), Soldiers in a hidden Recon Bunker decide to help a company of Indian Soldiers, that is being overwhelmed in battle by a large group of Pakistani Terrorists.


Hemant TavathiaDirector: Hemant Tavathia Born and raised in India, Hemant Tavathia migrated to the US at the age of 16. Hemant graduated with a BA in Film Production from New York University in 2005. Hemant works as a Cameraman and Lighting Designer in Corporate Videos. Hemant's father retired as a Colonel in the Indian Army and is a big inspiration for Hemant's passion for Military stories.



Social Media Handles: 
https://www.dunhillstudios.com/saahus/
and
THE ICE-MAN
THE ICE-MAN
THE ICE-MAN
THE ICE-MAN
THE ICE-MAN
2019 | USA | 3 mins | English
Directed by – Heerak Shah
Cast – Omi Vaidya, Heather Cole, Heerak Shah


Synopsis: 'The Ice-Man' is a super-short film about an unconventional encounter between an Indian man and a white woman at a convenience store somewhere in the suburbs of America.

Heerak ShahDirector: Heerak Shah is a multimedia content creator ( producer, director, editor) for television, radio, web, mobile and film.  Notable productions include sports, concerts, premieres, red carpets, interviews,festivals, corporate panels and commercials at locations like Madison Square Gardens, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Lincoln Center of Performing Arts, Times Square, NYU Skirball theatre, Columbia University, Baruch Performing Arts Center and Florida’s Broward County Regional park.
In last 3 years, he produced a Sports NEWS show, a  Tech-variety show, and a South Asian late-night style comedy show.
He was an Associate Producer for a feature-length documentary called 'Quiet Please' which won the Award of Excellence at Accolade Global Film Competition. After earning an Engineering degree in Electronics, he decided to put his technical skills in the business of storytelling and went on to get an MFA in Television production from Brooklyn College, City University of NewYork. He is also trained in the artforms of Improv and Sketch Writing at New York's Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) theatre. 
and
U FOR USHA
U FOR USHA
U FOR USHA
U FOR USHA
U FOR USHA
U FOR USHA
2019 | India | 22 mins | Marathi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Rohan Kanawade
Cast - Kiran Khoje, Arpita Ghogardare, Hridaynath Jadhav


Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7D1lZMqdQ

Synopsis: Usha, a single mother who works as a farm labourer in rural India, finds herself drawn to a female teacher of local primary school, in ways she never knew possible. This attraction plays an important part, in firing her passion to read and write as she hopes to be as good as the teacher, one day.
‘U Ushacha’ is a subtle portrayal of sexual awakening, as well as how a naïve attraction can empower a woman to take control of her life, and make each day, something to look forward to.

Rohan KanawadeDirector: Rohan Kanawade After completing Interior Designing in 2006, Rohan worked with few architects. He, who have no background in films making or qualification, made his first film in 2008 on Mobile Phone. Later, to invest more time in filmmaking he left his full-time job and started working as a freelance Interior Designer. His short film 'Ektya Bhinti' won him his very first international award as ‘Best Emerging Filmmaker’ in Kashish MIQFF in 2013 Mumbai. In 2015 his film 'Sundar' was selected for Iris Prize UK with other thirty international films. 'Sundar' went in fifteen international film festivals till date winning five awards. In 2017 he formed his production company Dark Stories under which he produced and directed short film Khidkee which was selected at 48th International Film Festival of India, Goa, 2017. 'U Ushacha' is his latest Marathi short film which he has written, produced and directed.

Social Media Handles:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9693538/

  and
THE BOOTH
THE BOOTH
THE BOOTH
THE BOOTH
2018 | India | 15 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Rohin Raveendran
Cast – Amruta Subhash, Parna Pethe


Synopsis: In India, where homosexuality has been decriminalised only recently, comes forth a love story set inside a crowded shopping mall in urban India. A female frisking booth stands as a silent ally to a forbidden romance.

Rohin RaveendranDirector: Rohin Raveendran Nair is an independent filmmaker and cinematographer based out of Mumbai, India. He holds a BA (Honours) in Journalism from University of Delhi. In 2016 he finished his specialization in cinematography from Film and Television Institute of India.

The Booth is the third short film directed by Rohin after ‘Little Hands’ and ‘Paijana’ (Anklet). Little Hands travelled to many reputed film festivals in India and abroad including Curtas Vila Do Conde (Portugal), Dharamshala International Film Festival. ‘Paijana’ was the winner of the international one-minute film festival, Filminute, in 2016 (jury was headed by Hsiao-Hsien Hou).

Rohin worked as the 2nd unit director, 2nd unit cinematographer on India’s first Netflix Originals, Sacred Games, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap. He is currently writing his first feature script.

ABODE
Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 9:30 pm, Auditorium 4
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

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ABODE

2019 | India | 82 mins | Malayalam (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Jaya Jose Raj
Cast - Seema Biswas


World Premiere

Synopsis: After the early demise of her husband, Bhanu (seema Biswas), a 70 year old lady lives alone in her husband’s big ancestral house in a rural village. She carries herself with anxiety, loneliness and fears into her old age. Her hallucinations of a lady deserted in a street and Death make her worry about her own existence. The fateful day arrives when her sons make a visit on her 70th birthday, with an intention to sell the ancestral property and take things out of control. The film moves on through the day of her 70th birthday. The film portrays the loneliness encountered by an aged woman in a modern society. The film introspects conflicts faced by an old woman, tossed between love, selflessness and will.

JAYA JOSE RAJDirector: 'Idam' ('Abode') is the first feature film by JAYA JOSE RAJ where he is the script writer, director and producer. He is an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, in screenplay writing. Active in visual media for the last 22 years, he has scripted and directed around 30 documentaries, short films and docu-fiction serials. Several of which have won awards and critical acclaim.




Social Media Handles: 
https://bodhiacademy.in/

Reviews:
http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/c/23225260
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/actor-seema-biswas-
returns-to-malayalam-with-a-pivotal-role-in-debutant-jaya-
jose-rajs-idam/article24443508.ece

https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/seema-biswas-
jaya-jose-raj-edam/

THE LAST COLOR
THE LAST COLOR
THE LAST COLOR
THE LAST COLOR
Closing Night
Sunday May 12, 2019 @ 4:00 pm, Auditorium 1
Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.

Buy Tickets OR Buy Tickets

THE LAST COLOR

2018 | India | 90 mins | Hindi (with English subtitles)
Directed by – Vikas Khanna
Cast - Neena Gupta, Aqsa Siddiqui, Princy Sudhakaran, Rudrani Chettri, Aslam Sheikh


Post Screening Q&A with director Vikas Khanna

Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9VQsr6XQ50

Synopsis: Nine-year-old fearless tightrope walker and flower seller, Chhoti, savors her dream to save Rs. 300 ($ 4), so she can attend school. “The Last Color” traces Chhoti and her best friend Chintu’s daily struggles for survival on the streets of the ancient city of Banaras, India. Chhoti befriends Noor, a white-clad widow who suffers a life of total abstinence and is disallowed from taking part in any festivities, especially Holi, the Indian festival of colors. Over time, Chhoti and Noor's friendship and uplifting spiritual bond breaks through the barriers of the social system. “The Last Color” is a story of promises kept and promises broken, a friendship that knows no bounds, and the freedom and victory of the human spirit.

Vikas KhannaDirector: Vikas Khanna is a Michelin Star and James Beard Award Nominee Chef based in New York. He is also a renowned author, TV personality and a filmmaker. He was rated as 10 of the most influential chefs of all times by Deutsche Welle. The Last Color is his first feature film, which he has written and directed.

MasterChef Vikas Khanna is a five times Michelin starred Chef who started his journey from rolling bread at the revered Golden Temple in Amritsar and through his persistence and hard work is today amongst the Top 10 Chefs in the world. He is also counted as one of the Chefs in history who have changed eating habits globally.

Over the last few years, he has carved a niche for himself as an author, humanitarian and a renowned documentary filmmaker. He has been focused on showcasing and building pride around Indian cuisine and culture globally through the 27 books that he has written as well as creating award-winning documentary series Holy Kitchens and Kitchens of Gratitude that portray the richness of our culture and values. He has single-handedly promoted India’s culture at a global level and the soft power of food through his culinary epic – Utsav, the largest collection of festivals, ceremonies and rituals in the world. In addition, he is also curating a Kitchen Arts museum, a first of its kind to preserve the lost culinary tools and techniques. As a humanitarian, Vikas is often referred to as 'Ambassador of Indian Culture to America' and 'One of the best exports of India.'

Reviews:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2018/
may/12/vikas-khannas-the-last-colour-is-neena-guptas-
most-fulfilling-project-1813791.html

http://filmthreat.com/reviews/the-last-color/
   
 


New York Indian Film Festival
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