Write for Bioscope

Are you an independent filmmaker, and want to spread the word about your next project or celebrate the success of your latest film? Do you want to recommend a South Asian indie film that you have recently watched? Is there a film you want to review? Or is there any news or trivia about a film/ filmmaker you dying to tell others? This is your chance. The NJISACF Monthly newsletter is the free-for-all platform for you. The newsletter will be circulated to all members of our extensive database. You are also free to pass this on to whoever you feel might be interested. If you want to write for the newsletter, send an email to debaratis@njisacf.org or saktis@njisacf.org.

Filmmaker of the Month: February

Golam Rabbany Biplob

Golam Rabbany Biplob was born in 1974 in Bangladesh. A leading cine-club activist and film festival organizer, Biplob is the Founder-Director of the International Film festival of Bangladesh, and the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Film Societies, the global umbrella of cine clubs. His debut film, On the Wings of Dreams (Swapnodanay) was selected for the Foreign Language Competition of 80^th Academy Awards (Oscar). “Swapnodanay” has been screened in numerous film festivals all over the world, including the 10^th Shanghai International Film Festival, where Golam Rabbany Biplob had won the Best Director Award in “Asian New Talent” category.

“The film focuses on the lives of ordinary people and translates their desires and dreams on celluloid. I think it is the simplicity of the movie which will attract votes in the contest,” said Rabbany.

Festival Updates: February 2008

In 2008, NJISACF will be a 3-day show (22nd – 24th August), and we are targeting a much larger audience than the last year. This year, we will have an outstanding array of more than 30 brilliant films from USA, UK, Canada, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, and many other countries.

NJISACF at Franklin Township Library, 14th, 21st, 28th February, 7.00 pm to 9 pm, Free for all admission.

Missed NJISACF 2007? Now you have another chance to watch a selection of some of the best films from NJISACF 2007 at the Franklin Township Public Library on 14^th, 21^st and 28^th February, 2008, from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm. The Franklin Township Public Library is at 485 DeMott Lane, Somerset, in the Franklin Township Municipal Complex. For more information, please call the library at (732) 873-8700, Ext. 111.

In fact, NJISACF 2007 is now a traveling film festival, and public libraries in various counties in New Jersey will host mini fests with selected films from NJISACF 2007. Watch out for the announcement for the next mini fest on www.njisacf.org or in our monthly newsletter.

Call for Submission, NJISACF 2008

We have already announced our call for submission for NJISACF 2008. Check out www.njisacf.org for the submission guidelines and the entry form.

Invitation from Volunteers

NJISACF is run solely by volunteers. No matter what your experience or background is, you can be a part of our team and contribute to the success of this event. If you are interested in volunteering, please send us an email to volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236.

Grant from Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission

We are delighted to announce that NJISACF 2008 has received a very generous grant from the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission/ Board of Chosen Freeholders, through funding in part from the New Jersey State council on the Arts/ Department of State, a Partner Agency of National Endowment for the Arts.

IndieNews

Hava Aane De

Independent filmmaker Partha Sengupta’s film “Let the Wind Blow” (Hava Aane Dey) has been chosen by the Global Film Initiative for the Global lens 2008 Lineup, along with nine other award-winning narrative, feature films from Argentina, China, Croatia, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Philippines and South A
frica. Global Lens, now in its fifth year, is a project conceived by The Global Film Initiative (GFI) to encourage filmmaking in countries with developing film communities, and promote cross-cultural understanding through the medium of cinema. Global Lens 2008 was premiered at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), New York, in January 2008, before embarking on year-long tour of over thirty cities across the United States.

Punching at the Sun

Tanuj Chopra’s debut film “Punching at the Sun”, which was screened at NJISACF 2007, was chosen for an exclusive online premiere on 8^th February by Jaman.com, the leading online destination for quality independent and international films. The emotionally charged “Punching at the Sun” was an official selection at the Sundance and Tribecca film festivals in 2006, and winner of the “Best Narrative Film” at the 2006 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. The film has been described as “distinctive, original and iconoclastic.”

 

The Jaman Collection

Jaman.com is pioneering entertainment on the Internet by delivering high-definition films to a vast online community of fans and filmmakers. Many award-winning acclaimed independent films get lost after a few years, because they never get traditionally distributed. Such films can now be viewed, by a global audience, through jaman.com. Jaman lets filmlovers browse and download films from its vast library directly onto their PCs, Macs, televisions and home-set-top boxes such as AppleTVs and TiVos.

SAYA! Turns 10

Also, check out Tanuj Chopra’s beautiful and poignant film, “SAYA! Turns 10” on youtube. The film is Chopra’s tribute to South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), the first and only organization of its kind in the United States, working to develop the skills, talents, and leadership potential of South Asian youth living in New York City.

Enemy on the Inside

Shakti Productions, LLC is a production house dedicated to producing and using videos to advocate for an end to violence against women. Their film, “The Children We Sacrifice (TCWS)” by Grace Poore, was screened in NJISACF, 2007. Their latest production, “Enemy On The Inside” also by Grace Poore, picks up where TCWS left off. The documentary, along with an educational guide on CD-ROM an a 2-year community education campaign, will be a priceless multi-vocal, multi-disciplinary tool for social change that will push people working on both sides of the divide – be it the victim-survivors of incest or incest perpetrators – to think about preventing incest perpetration in new ways. Shakti Productions is actively fundraising for “Enemy on the Inside.” Contribute to the making of this film by donating generously. Visit their website at www.shaktiproductions.net.

Into the Timeless

Our representative from India, filmmaker Utsav Mukherjee recently released his documentary film, “Into the Timeless.” A documentary on the veteran musician Ramkumar Chattopadhyay, “Into the Timeless” also captures the Kolkata and its musical milieu of the past, that is now lost. This film, in a way, is more of a journey back in time, and a historical document of a city that has changed over the years.

Be Kind Rewind

Our technical director, Sachin Edekar’s Hooga Productions team submitted a short film to a film-making competition inspired by the upcoming movie Be Kind Rewind (Starring Jack Black and Mos Def), which will hit theaters this February. The goal of the competition (Filmmaking Frenzy) is to make a 2 to 6 minute, homemade/low-budget version of a well-known Hollywood film. All submissions are available on a website for the public to view and rate. Finally, the ‘best 30′ will be screened at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Texas. Hooga Productions worked very hard to film a version of the classic “My Fair Lady”, starring NJISACF committee members Vaidehi Mehta and Rajesh Chandrasekharan. The film is up on http://beta.filmmakingfrenzy.com/sites/filmfrenzy_beta/ViewFilm.aspx?FilmId=83 for you to see and vote at Support and help them to win the competition.

A New chapter

Hello Filmlovers,

In 2007, the Asian American Film and Theater Project brought to us the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest, the first and the only of its kind film festival in New Jersey. This was an effort to promote the works of talented South Asian filmmakers from all over the world, and a celebration of the creativity of South Asians. The first film festival was an overwhelming success, and this year we are back for more. This year, the NJISACF will be held on 22^nd – 24^th August 2008, and we hope to bring to you many more thought-provoking and entertaining films. In an effort to keep our audience updated on the South Asian films, we are launching “Bioscope”, our monthly newsletter. Every month, we will bring to you news about South Asian indie films from all over the world – films in which the filmmaker’s personal creative vision is maintained. We will profile independent filmmakers – those fearless and talented individuals, who have attempted to voice their concerns and their view of the world. And of course, we will provide you with the updates of NJISACF, 2008. Our inaugural year would not have been such a grand success without your participation. That is why, we want to keep you updated with the developments at every step – because we are a team, and together, we will make this cine fest a part of the cultural heritage of New Jersey.