Sneak Peek 3

SPOTLIGHT ON SRI LANKAN FILMMAKER PRASANNA VITHANAGE

Born in 1962, Prasanna Vithanage’s opus of five previous films has made him one of Sri Lanka ’s leading filmmakers with a worldwide critical and popular reputation. He began his career in the 1980’s as a theatre director. He translated into Sinhala and directed Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man in 1986 and Dario Fo’s Raspberries and Trumpets in 1991, before setting out as a filmmaker in 1992.  He returned to his theatrical roots in 2006 when he wrote, directed and produced two hugely popular Sinhala one act plays Horu Samaga Heluwen which ran to nearly 150 performances islandwide. Vithanage also produced Uberto Pasolini’s Machan, the international co-production, which debuted at the Venice International Film Festival in Summer 2008.

Mr. Vithanage will be present at the festival.

DEATH ON A FULL MOON DAY (Pura Handa Kaluwara)

Language: Sinhala
Running time: 74 mins Starring: Joe Abeywickrama, Priyanka Samaraweera, Linton Semage

Considered to be a modern day classic of Sinhalese Cinema, The film deals with the brutal war between the Sri Lankan state and the Tamils living in the North of the Island. When Vannihamy (Joe Abeywickrama) is presented by the army with the remains of his son, the the old man refuses to sign the compensation papers, and insists that his son is still alive. Influenced by Satyajit Ray, this impassioned and impartial neo-realist film uses a spare style and little music, focusing instead on the excellent performances, and the pathos emanating from Vithanage’s script.

The Sinhalese government and military, fearing the film would hamper the army’s recruitment of rural youth and focus public attention on social and political problems in Sri Lanka, suspended its screening indefinitely. Vithanage appealed to the courts. The Sri Lanka Supreme Court eventually directed the government to lift the ban and awarded the director compensation and damages.

Pura Handa Kaluwara has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prix Golden Unicorn for Best Feature Film at the Amiens International Film Festival, the International Film Critics Federation Award at the Fribourg (Switzerland) International Film Festival, and the Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Film at the Singapore International Film Festival in 1999.

FLOWERS OF THE SKY (Akasa Kusum)
Running time:90 minutes
Sri Lanka, 2008
Cast: Dilhani Ekanayake, Kaushalaya Fernando, Malini Fonseka, Nimmi Harasgama

A mother’s search for a daughter she has never met.
Sandhya Rani (Malini Fonseka), an ageing film star, was once the darling of the silver screen. Having lost fame and fortune in a changing world, she now lives quietly in obscurity. She ekes out a living by renting out a room in her home to the film and television stars of today to satisfy their illicit sexual desires. The popular young film star, Shalika (Dilhani Ekanayake), uses this room to carry on an affair with a young actor. When Shalika’s infidelity is unmasked by her husband, the scandal and its publicity forces Rani into the limelight again. In the spotlight once again, Rani is suddenly forced to come to terms with a dark secret of her past – a secret she thought she had buried forever. As she confronts the demons of her past, she journeys in search of a truth she abandoned long ago.

Awards:
Silver Peacock Award (Best Actress), Indian 39th International Film Festival (2008)
Jury Special Mention At Vesoul Asian Film Festival (2009)
Best Asian Film (Netpac) Award – Granada Cines
Del Sur Film Festival

Sneak Peek 2

KARMA CALLING
Directed by Sarba Das, 2008
Running time: 90min
Hindi and English

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival, May 2009

When karma calls, you can’t hang up.

What happens when a bunch of hapless Hindus from Hoboken get mixed up with an underworld don with connections to an Indian call center? And what happens when a good Jersey girl falls for a smooth operator thousands of miles away? For one thing, the phone keeps ringing.
Meet the Raj family. Deep in denial about its creeping credit card debt, dodging collection notices and phone calls. When eldest daughter Sonal finally picks up the phone, she meets a call center operator like no other, Rob Roy. Little does she know that he’s oceans away. Her brother Shyam, a college drop out, is too busy dreaming of becoming the next Dr. Dre (peddling his hip-hop album Hapa Means Weed in Japanese), to notice the bills piling up. But romance is in the air for him too, in the form of Radha, a village girl from India, arriving in America to marry a Dollar Store mogul. As for the youngest daughter Jamuna, well, she just wants a Bat Mitzvah. And another bag of Doritos.
Add to this mix Mausi, a chai-fueled Mary Poppins fresh from India, hell bent on getting this meat-eating, energy-wasting, spendthrift family in line. Little does she know that the Gods have it all figured out.

Narrated by award-winning actor Tony Sirico (aka “Paulie Walnuts” of The Sopranos), Karma Calling is a snapshot of our hyper-globalized world through the eyes of a Garden state family just trying to get by. It’s a quintessential American tale about unlikely alliances, outsourcing, and outwitting. And at its heart, it is the story of a family learning to live together.

GULABI TALKIES
Directed by Girish Kasaravalli, 2008
Story by well-known feminist writer Vaidehi
Cast: Umashree, K.G. Krishna Murthy, M.D. Pallavi, Poornima Mohan, Ashok Sandip
Running time: 122 minutes
Kannada

Best Film in Indian Competition and best Actress in Indian Competition at Osian’s Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, 2008

Best film, best screenplay, best actress at Karnataka State Annual Film Awards, 2009

Women in an Indian village discover that the love of a good story crosses many boundaries in this drama from Girish Kasaravalli. It is 1999 in a coastal town near Kundapura, and Gulabi, the local midwife, has had a hard life – she’s one of the only Muslims in a primarily Hindu community, and her husband Musa has left her to take another wife. Gulabi loves nothing more than a good movie, and she’s hesitant to leave a picture midway, through when she’s summoned to help a local woman give birth. Gulabi grudgingly assists with the delivery, and the grateful family presents her lavish gift – a color television, the first in the village, and a satellite dish to go with it. Given her faith and her marital troubles, Gulabi is something of an outcast in town, but when word gets around about her television, a handful of women from the neighborhood begin stopping to watch soap operas with her (though some are content to just peek though the windows at her new set). One of Gulabi’s new friends is Netru, who has husband troubles of her own, and the two women bond over their shared troubled and love of the daily serials. But with India and Pakistan at war, tensions between Muslims and Hindus reach a new high, and when Netru disappears, many accuse Gulabi of foul play.

Sneak Peek 1

7 DAYS IN SLOW MOTION
Directed by Umakanth Thumrugoti, 2009
US PREMIERE
Running time: 101 min
Hindi and English, India
Cast: Teja, Kunal Sharma, Shiva Varma, Rajeshwari Sachdev-Badola, Ayesha Jaleel, Vivek Mushran

Set in middle-class India, 7 Days in Slow Motion marks the comical yet thoughtful journey of a 6th grader Ravi and his friends whose lives change when they chance upon a camera of a visiting American tourist. Their insatiable love for movies push them into a film-making mission of their own, but their path is riddled with problems: they only have 7 days to make the film as their final school exams begin in 7 days.
Ravi uses creative ways to keep his friends involved in the project during the stressful exam season. But his movie-making project accidentally captures some darker moments of his friends’ and families’ lives which get revealed in a party where everyone suddenly sees on the screen who they are and what they represent.
7 Days in Slow Motion in a subtle way, shows a kid’s rebellion against a system where there is a lot of pressure to succeed academically. It is a beautifully pictured comedy of errors about a film-making project by children, where adults see the truth through a child’s eyes and his ‘borrowed’ camera.

KALA PUL (THE BLACK BRIDGE)
Directed by Saqib Mausoof, 2008
US PREMIERE
Narrative Short, 42 minutes
Urdu-English, US-Pakistan
Director: Saqib Mausoof
Cast: Salim Iqbal, Angeline Malik, Munawar Saeed, Ayesha Toor

Kala Pul is named after a bridge in Karachi which connects the affluent parts of the city and the lower income areas.

It is a dark journey into the heart of Karachi’s militancy by the protagonist, Arsalan, who returns to this gritty megalopolis after 12 years to investigate the violent death of his brother at the hands of religious fundamentalists. On his arrival in Karachi, Arsalan finds himself estranged from his rancorous family, in which his anglicized father is at odds with his devoutly militant younger brother. Arsalan has to navigate these diverging and conflicting paths to discover his dead brother’s past and Karachi’s future.
The plot uses the bridge as a metaphor providing a thriller ride between two completely different worlds – the hip side of Karachi and its disenfranchised youth growing up in the “Kalashnikov culture”.

NJISACF ‘09 Dates Announced

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

NJISACF 2009 dates have been finalized now

Date: October 9 through October 11, 2009
Venue: Busch Campus Center, Piscataway, Rutgers University, New Jersey

Gala Opening on October 9 2009.

Spotlight on films from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan

The best of South Asian Independent films from India, Bangladesh, UK and North America

Filmmaker Lounge, dialogs with filmmakers, history of South Asian Independent film making through photographs.

NO LIMIT, NO INHIBITION, NO BOLLYWOOD ENDING, NO PRETENSION, NO COMPROMISE, NO MASALA FARE

Interview of the Month – KM Madhusudhanan

In the year 1906, villagers at Thrissur Pooram in Kerala, witnessed something that was simply unbelievable; on a flickering white sheet stretched across the wall, an image of a train entering the platform. This scene was breathtaking for them as well the Frenchman who showed it. The villagers could not believe what they saw, thinking it to be the work of evil power. This was the work of man– the arrival of cinema.

The fascination with cinema and images is what director K M Madhusudhanan has portrayed with use of stunning, poetic and dream like images in his first feature film– Bioscope. A fine painter, graphic artist and internationally acclaimed short film maker , the director was here in New Jersey to support the Spring festival of New Jersey Independent South Asian Cinefest. Here is an interview of KM Madhusudhanan by NJISACF staff Neha Mahajan.

NM: You are a graphic artist, painter and internationally acclaimed short filmmaker. How did you end up making films. What genre does it best belong to?

KM: Painting and cinema are connected. I see my film making as part of my art practice. My earlier works of graphics, lithographs, paintings and drawings dealt with dreams, history and memory. I tried and experimented all this in different mediums. So explored film making also. In a way without leaving painting I took up another art form and started doing both painting and cinema. Cinema is an extension of my paintings.

I have been drawing since my early childhood. The only difference is the narrative aspect. I love to tell stories through images. In painting one listens to a lot of stories encompassed in a bottle, or an apple or any other object. That gets a little restrictive, you really can’t go across a certain limit. But in cinema you are able to tell stories through visual images, and that too demands precision just like paintings. This helps one to reach good cinema.

As I said earlier there’s one thing that I have consistently done since childhood and that’s drawing. For my films too, I reach a concept through drawing. I can communicate through my drawings very well. So I basically rely on my drawings for cinema. I use these drawings while scripting and they in a way become my reference while I shoot.

Also attitude to paintings have changed. There are many a painter there who have successfully created images using cinema and paintings. Paintings have an eye to cinema.

NM: Do experimental movies get financial support and returns?

KM: Commercial success is something that money buys. When you want to put your work up for commercial success, people try and change it. Like producers would want some elements changed to make it commercially more viable. You have to compromise on your art. I am not willing to do that. I don’t want to alter my work to get audience. Creator gets money for his own work, Just like my paintings, I am 100% responsible for the cinema that I create.

As far as finances are concerned, now things are changing. Like NFDC helped finance my movie Bioscope. People do watch these movies, they will always create an imprint on your mind. Like Robert Bresson, who was a practicing painter until 40 years of age. No film can match up to his ‘Money’. If one sees ‘Money’, it will take years to erase it from one’s memory. It is like reading Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov.

NM: Will you make a commercially viable movie?

KM: We have had people like MF Hussain and Julian Schnabel making films, but their films get commercial somewhere. I am interested in my films being seen by wider audiences. I am not interested in altering my films to achieve it. I am happy to know that artists and film makers such as Schnabel are being appreciated by wider audiences.

For me films are my own ideas for which I use my own stories. And I am sure people will see it no matter what. When I see audiences for my films like Self Portrait or Bioscope, the shows become house full. There is audience everywhere, its a filmmakers duty to find them. Cinema has no language so it can adept well anywhere.

NM: Do experimental cinema get lost in the humdrum of popular cinema?

KM: Your question, I have partly answered in the earlier answer. Popular cinema is what they call Bollywood or Tollywood. These films are made with big budgets and superstars. You’ll find the same feel to movies. Repetitive narrative, same colors, sound and music. All these merely represent financial gains. They basically try and use the same formula that was successful in the market. This is just the kind of investment that they want back. They are all stuck up with a formula for success. They spend a lot of money and then they want that money back.

The point is, no matter what the budget, filmmaking does require a lot of money.

NM: Your works were honored by MOMA. Please tell us about that.

KM: My two movies were selected at MOMA, Self Portrait 2002 and History Is A Silent Film.2006.

Before making Self Portrait, I was seriously studying visual images. This story is about a photographer whom I saw on the streets of Delhi. I met him in Chandni Chowk. He had this old camera and would click pictures of people on paper negatives. The shots are very shallow. So he doesn’t know anything about anything else. This is the backdrop of US bombings. The technology is outdated and the man is without job. His close friend a policeman gives him the job of taking FIR photographs. Slowly his room is filled with pictures of the dead.

One day during a communal riot, his friend takes him to the crime scene. He takes the photo of a dead man and when he develops it he sees his portrait in it. The film basically deals with the inner menaing of visual images. What we see and what we know about images.

The film was well appreciated in MOMA, it also got an international award for best film from Greece. It has been to several other festivals.

In History Is A Silent Film, I have dealt with history through my medium of cinema. It is about disappearance as a historical motif. For many years I have been researching the history of silent films in India. If you look at the films and lives of people like Dada Saheb Phalke who single handedly started Indian Film industry without compromising the artistic values. There are so many people like them but they are getting erased from the history.

NM: What next after Bioscope?

KM: I plan a three part triology for Bioscope. Not exactly trilogy but an extension yet individual movies. The second part will be a atory about father and son who want to make an indegenous machine – a magic lamp. They depict Hindu mythological stories about life and how all that comes true.

The third part will be a contemporary Buddhist story of a person who is trying to make cinema.

Spring Festival Snapshots

Interview of the Month – Goutam Ghose

An award-winning filmmaker from India, Goutam Ghose has made ten feature films and a number of prominent documentaries and numerous ad films, corporate and other short films.Ghose has won 14 National Awards (excluding 2008) besides Filmfare Awards and many International awards. He is the only Indian to win the coveted Vittori Di Sica Award. He was also awarded the Knighthood of the Star of the Italian Solidarity in July 2006.
He was present in our Spring fest to talk about his film. Read his interview as he speaks to our staff Neha Mahajan.

Here follows the complete interview.

I was very anxious while waiting for Goutam Ghose in a New Jersey hotel lobby. Having had a hectic day, I wanted everything perfect for the interview with this eminent filmmaker. It was not difficult to distinguish him amongst the crowd in the New Jersey hotel. His tall, dark, lean and a very confident persona stood out. For the next one hour, I could hardly keep a tab on time. Read on to know what DE SICA AWARD winner Goutam Ghosh had to say about his movies, Bollywood, National awards and his next projects. I wanted to ask him more, but time was short. Here is an excerpt of the interview with this very noteworthy filmmaker.

NM: Kaalbela is a film about turbulent 70s. How did you come across making this film and how nostalgic was the experience.

GG: This movie is based on a popular novel from the 80’s. The writer gave me the freedom to comprehend the story in my own way. It is about the student movement and I have special memories attached to the era of late 60’s and early 70’s where this film is based. While making this movie, my memories of that era just came alive.

Actually, this movie was planned to be a 5 hrs long ten part mini series for DD. But when Mrinal Sen, saw previewed, he wanted me to make a feature film out of it. It was very difficult for me to chop 2 hrs off, hence the length of the movie is about 3 hrs.

NM: You have been and avid follower of Satyajit Ray. Tell us about the close bond that you share with the legendary filmmaker.

GG: I admire Satyajit Ray. He was a unique man of the 19th century, the period which we call of renaissance and enlightenment. He was a great mind. I respect him as a brilliant mind.

NM: You were a strident political activist, an entertainer and director in theatre and photo journalist when you ventured into film making. How has that influenced your work?

GG: I was never a political activist. Born and brought up in upper middle class family. The people of that age were full of sheer romanticism. Without understanding the situation, they’d just jump in. We had an abstract poet in college. Me and my friend, we used to tease him that in times of rage and anger, you write about love and beauty. One fine day we came to know that he too had become a naxalite and was killed a few days later. This was the kind of craziness that youth had at that time.

From a very young age I had a fascination for technology. I believed science to be a part of philosophy. I had a keen interest in music theater and painting. This is what brought me to film making. Music was in my blood. All my siblings were taught at least the basic music. So I also know basic music.(I interrupted him here as he not only knows music much better than he claims but also composes for all his movies.)

NM: Your earlier films were about social issues. I read in one of your interviews that making Maa Bhoomi was quite a learning experience for you. How was the experience and how did you come up with the idea of making film in a language not so familiar?

GG: I met some producers from Hyderabad. It was some time after my first documentary Hungry Autumn. They wanted me to make a movie about peasant rebellion in the Telangana region. So I came across this short story by Kishan Chander. We were really short on budget and this film had a huge war sequence. The villagers were really supportive. They would tell us exactly how the clothes were worn in those times. I learnt a lot from them. Language definitely was an issue, but we had interpretors. One advantage about being in Hyderabad is that it has a heavy Nizam influence so the language is somewhat similar to Hindi, so we could understand most of it. The movie turned out to be a huge commercial success.

NM: Why all the rebellion in the films through protagonists?

GG: There is anger everywhere. If you see some injustice happening in front of you, you feel angry. It is romanticism, youth want change, something new. In 60’s this was dominant in Paris, US and Asian countries. Anger is the sign of the sensible human being. I do not believe in violence. We get angry when we see something wrong. The anger is in heart. We need tolerance in the society, violence cannot solve any problem. When I see terribly uncivilized people, I become angry.

NMWould you like to make a masala Bollywood movie?

GG: I do not understand the term Bollywood. They have money and expertise but the content is the same. If one formula works, they start following it and you’ll see many movies on the same subject. You cannot predict which film will be liked by the audiences. But young people are trying new content and style I have faith in young generation. I recently saw Delhi 6 and really liked the movie.

NMWhat is your take on movies being classified like multiplex, cross over, middle of the road cinema?

GG: Cinema is an intense language. You can write masala type, personal poetry or even the type relevant to the society. Cinema is flexible. When art and aesthetics come together, you’ll find good cinema. Not all my works are the ones that can be termed as great classics from the masters. The classification is more or less based on the economic definition, you really cannot define cinema. Mixed audience is a wonder, you have to work hard make a film for the mixed audience.

NMIs it necessary that cinema be the image of the society?

GG: It is not necessary. Directly or indirecty, you do get a reflection. After all, the characters, the stories are all part of the society. Cinema across the world is reflective of each culture. Indian culture is not homogeneous. It is difficult to define. Ours is a scattered culture. Bollywood along with regional cinema is incredible.

NMIs talent limited to only Bollywood? I mean why is it that Padma Shri (s) go to Aishwarya Rais and akshay Kumars? There is a hoard of talent around, is there something a miss or are we just blind to the right kind of films?

GG: Much to be blamed is the lobby of the strong groups. In the first place why was Hindi chosen as the national language of India? People speak more regional languages than Hindi. So whenever a lobby is strong, it tends to have its influence. Talent is there. I think per say that regional cinema has more talented actors. I personally feel Malyalam films is where the true super stars are. Even in the most ordinary Malyalam film, the acting is exceptional. It is in their blood, from all the Kuchipudi and Kathakali. But concentration is more on Bollywood– the popular cinema. Money and media both play an important part here. They manufacture the same content.

NM: National Film festival awards have always been shrouded in controversy over lobbying and preferences. What is your take on this issue. How will this be best dealt?

GG: National awards were once confirmed for serious type of films. It has become a commodity now. It’s a kind of a medal that everybody wants around their necks. There are a lot of games., lobbying and pressurizing. It depends a lot on the jury. I myself have been in the chair and can say that they don’t get true professionals. It needs three to four weeks of watchign movies, one jury member ends up watching over four full length feature films in a day and becomes an easy victim for the lobbyists. We have seen that in Oscars too for the past many years. Slundog didn’t really deserve to win, but with the media hype, it becomes a different ball game all together. They need to first shortlist at the regional level then be fair in bringing out the right talent.

NMYou acted in Buddhdeb das gupta’s Grihajudda way back in 1982, any plans of coming in front of the screen again?

GG: (laughs) No. I am happy making my cinema.

NMWhat are your next projects?

GG: I love making documentaries, scholarly, academic type of movies. I am currently working on two projects– one is a Indo Italian venture and the other is a Indo-Bangladesh. Until recently there was no bilateral agreement between India and Italy. Now that the agreement is being signed, I thought it was only relevant to make this movie. It is about a young boy and his love for his parents. It is an east-west encounter.
Our country is fascinating. I want to show people smiling, rural people who have nothing but that intoxicating smile.
The second project is about the Philosopher Lallan. It is a must to bring Lallan to the intolerant societies of today.; he was neither a Hindu nor a Muslim.

NJISACF 09 Spring Fest – A Report

Last month has been a busy and eventful one. NJISACF 2009 officially kicked off with a one day Spring Festival on Saturday April 18, 2009, at the Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, NJ, with style, verve and dazzle. Four independent feature-length films from different regions of India were screened throughout the day, and once again witnessed an audience turnout far beyond expectation.

Something noteworthy has been happening in Indian cinema in the last decade: the number of independent regional films being made has been comparable to that of the films churned out of Bollywood. These independent films not only deal with subjects rarely addressed in Indian commercial cinema, they often gain critical recognition and coveted awards at international film festivals around the world because of their excellence and brilliance. The one-day festival on April 18, 2009, was a rare opportunity to watch some of such films.

The 4 films screened on the occasion included the revival of a lost gem, Genesis – a story about love, jealousy and betrayal starring Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri — by Mrinal Sen, who is considered to be one of the socially committed filmmakers of international fame who ushered in a new era in Indian filmmaking back in the fifties. Another recent film, Kaalbela, a love-story set in the times of Vietnam and the Bangladesh wars, was directed by Goutam Ghose, who belongs to a generation of filmmakers who are influenced by the works of artists like Mrinal Sen. Noted theater personality Chitra Palekar had her debut feature Maati Maay screened on the occasion. Maati Maay deals with the crisis a woman faces in trying to balance between her professional commitments and instinct. Lastly, Bioscope, a new film by a first-time feature filmmaker, K. M. Madhusudhanan, about the introduction of cinema in a remote village in Kerala, may well be hailed as an outstanding cinematic achievement. Directors Goutam Ghose and K. M. Madhusudhanan were present at the screening of their respective films and both participated in intimate and in-depth question and answer sessions with the audience.

Most of the films played to packed auditorium, with Kaalbela being sold out well in advance. The snaking lines outside the theater and the excitement among the audience are evidence that NJISACF has become a sensation and a much-awaited event for film-lovers who otherwise may not have had the chance to see these films ever again. People travelled from far-away Washington DC, Virginia, Connecticut and Massachussetts to watch these films.

Now its time to wait for the main event in September 2009 – the 3rd New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest, which will focuses not only on regional films from India, but on films by and about South Asians from all over the world.

Catch the updates about NJISACF 2009 regularly on www.njisacf.org.

Join Asian American Film and Theater Project’s free email subscription list and the NJISACF Facebook group.

Festival Updates: February ‘09

NJISACF Spring Festival
Encouraged by the overwhelming and growing popularity of the festival, New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest (NJISACF) will be organizing a Spring Film Fest on Saturday, April 18th, from 12 pm to 11 pm, at the Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. This will be a festival of regional films by master filmmakers from India featuring rarely seen works by Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish Kasaravalli and Goutam Ghosh. Details will be posted soon on NJISACF website at www.njisacf.org.

New Website
NJISACF has launched its brand new website. You can check it out here at www.njisacf.org and take a look at our latest updates, blog and more information. Join our email list to get regular updates.

Call for Submission, NJISACF 2009
NJISACF announces its call for film submissions for the 2009 festival. Films submitted should have been completed prior to 2007. Films selected for screening will be eligible for jury awards at various categories. To learn more and download the submission entry form, visit www.njisacf.org.

Personality of the Month

Selvaggia Velo
Director, River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival (Italy)strong>

The River to River Florence Indian Film Festival is unique in several ways. It is a film festival in Florence, Italy, dedicated to Indian films and organized by an all-Italian committee, and started as the first festival in the world totally devoted to Indian cinema and films about India. With a great vision, tremendous enthusiasm and hard work, the festival founder and director Selvaggia Velo started this festival in October 2001. As the festival steps into its ninth year, we interview Velo to find out more about what attracted her to Indian cinema, her experiences and her visions.

When and how did you start the River to River Indian film festival? Also, tell us a little bit about yourself. How did your love affair with Indian films start?

SV: The first edition of the Festival took place in October 2001, and the reason was that I realized that at that time there were no festivals in the world totally devoted to Indian cinema. I knew a little bit of Indian cinema – the classics, and also a bit more – but not too much, but I firmly believed that Indian cinema deserved a festival all for itself.
I liked India, and I liked cinema, and I united the two things.

As for myself, I have studied history of Music, Theatre and Cinema at University. I have lived in Paris as a child with my family, in Bruxelles when I was a teenager, and studied at the University of Bologna near Florence. I used to play the piano.

Then since 1998 my love has completely been towards India and it’s culture, and it is since then that I have been travelling to Mumbai, where I have many friends and where I feel at home. I am 36 years old, and I remember that during the first meetings for the Festival, people would look at me a bit strangely, perhaps thinking that a woman would not be able to run a festival, but I am happy that I have am slowly managing all this!

Are there theatres in Florence screening Indian films on a regular basis? Are they Bollywood films?

The theatres do not screen Indian films in Italy at all. The only Indian films that are screened here are those by NRI filmmakers, such as Mira Nair, Gurinder Chadha and Deepa Mehta. Lagaan was screened here after winning the Audience Award in Locarno Film Festival in 2001, but it was not much of a success.

What are your mission and goals?

To showcase the best of recent Indian independent cinema

What kind of response do you get from the Italian audience?

The response is very good, and through the years it has been growing in numbers and quality, taking also into account that we are the only festival of this kind in Italy.

What percentage of the festival audience is Indian? Do you have any person of Indian origin associated with this festival?

Unfortunately, since we do not screen Bollywood films, the Indian audience is very little.

And yes, we have Mrs. Uma da Cunha who is associated with the Festival – she is a film programmer, journalist and casting director based in Mumbai, and she has always supported us since the beginning.

Tell us a little about your experiences in the first couple of years of the festival. What kind of challenges did you face?

During the first couple of years all was new, and I learnt running the Festival as time went by. It is not only the job of selecting films, but also of looking for the sponsors, thinking of the graphics with the graphic designer, deciding the entire film program and side events, the press office and the guests, and all that is needed for the implementation of a film festival. As I said before, I did not study this in any school or university, nor did I have any experiences in other film festivals, so I learnt from my own mistakes and by seeing how things went on every passing year.

How did you go about assembling a film programming team interested and informed in Indian films?

This takes time. I used to be the only person going to India and to festivals, and watching the films that are then sent here. Now, I have people selecting the films with me.

How do you raise funds for this festival?

Most of the sponsors are institutional ones. I am still not that good at finding private sponsors, apart from small ones.

Is there any other film-related event you produce during the year?

I am also a freelance consultant for Indian films in Italy, so often I am called to organize screenings out of the Festival.

What’s your future vision for the festival?

This year will be the 9th year of the festival, and 2010 there will be the 10th year – something that I never imagined would ever materialize, sincerely!

The Festival wants to become THE place in Europe where to watch Indian films, and be also a marketplace where future collaborations can begin

Yes Madam, Sir

While Slumdog Millionaire continues to be in the headlines, another film Yes Madam, Sir, a documentary based on the life of India’s first woman IPS officer, Kiran Bedi and produced and directed by Australian film-maker Megan Doneman is making news too. The film is the winner of two top awards at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, including an award money of $100,000, the biggest prize for a documentary in any film festival as well as $2500 Fund for Santa Barbara’s “Social Justice Award” at the festival.

A film about Kiran Bedi’s journey in the police force, Yes Madam, Sir explores how Bedi established a place for herself in a profession mainly dominated by men, how she single-handedly confronted a mob of sword-wielding protestors, how she towing a car belonging to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s cavalcade during 1982 Asian Games, and how she changed lives of thousands of prisoners by introducing unique reforms at India’s largest jail, Tihar in Delhi. The film also explores Bedi as a daughter, wife and mother.

On winning the award, Doneman said that “this is not just an Indian story. It is a universal, timeless and inspiring story about standing up for your convictions and never giving up. During today’s difficult times, this story gives us all hope”.

Supriyo Sen’s Wagah Wins Berlin Today Award

Indian filmmaker Supriyo Sen’s film Wagah has won the sixth Berlin Today Award at a parallel initiative held at the ongoing 59th Berlin International Film Festival. This year, the theme of the competition was ‘My Wall’, so as to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall.

The 10-minute short is about the ritual that takes place at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan The film completes the trilogy for the two-time National Award winning director. Sen’s previous films, Way Back Home and also explore the story of the partition of India. Sen’s films have won the prestigious Sundance Documentary Grant and the Pusan Award.

While announcing the award on Sunday, Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Wagah was “a convincing manifesto against any wall that divides people.”

Call for Submission 2009

We are now accepting film submissions for NJISACF 2009. Here are the film submission guidelines:

NJISACF 2009 will showcase independent films by or about South Asians from across the globe.

Filmmakers are invited to submit features, shorts and documentaries of all genres (including animation), formats and lengths. Films should have been completed no earlier than 2007.

Submissions for NJISACF 2009 will be accepted only through May 30, 2009. Films postmarked after May 30, 2009, will not be considered for the Festival. For questions about submission, please send an e-mail to: submissions@njisacf.org

How to submit your film

• Scroll down and save both pages of the embedded submission form. You can right click and hit save for both pages to do this. Print out the form.
• Carefully read the Submission form.
• Fill out, Sign and date the submission form.
• Refer to the Application Checklist below before mailing your entry. Send the completed entry form to the address provided on the form with 2 copies of NTSC DVDs or VHS tapes.
• All applicants will be notified via email by August 4, 2009.

Submission Guidelines

• Filmmakers may submit more than one entry. Each entry must be accompanied by the entry form. Films should have been completed no earlier than 2007.
• Only films by filmmakers of South Asian origin/ about South Asians worldwide/ involving South Asian actors in major roles will be considered
• All foreign language films must be subtitled/ dubbed in English language
• Only NTSC DVDs or VHS tapes will be accepted for submission screening.
• DVDs and VHS tapes must be labeled with the title, running time, contact information on the DVD/ tape label. Submission DVDs/ tapes will not be returned.
• Every submission must be accompanied by a film synopsis (60 words) and Bios (50 words each)
• Please do not send submissions in fiber-filled envelopes, as the dust damages DVD players or VCRs.
• If your film is selected, you will be required to provide 1 screening master, electronic press kit including synopsis, full credits, b/w and/or color stills from the film, poster and promo reel or trailer (if available), filmography and the director’s headshot.
• All filmmakers will be notified via e-mail by August 4, 2009.

Submission deadline is May 30, 2009

Send Film Entry to:

Asian American Film and Theater Project,P.O. Box 136, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, 08852 USA

Courier packages should be sent to the address below:
Sakti Sengupta, 117 Jared Drive, North Brunswick, New Jersey, 08902, USA

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

• Two DVDs or VHS tapes (NTSC)
• 60-word Film Synopsis
• Bios of cast and crew
• Application Form

Application Form Page 1

Application Form Page 2

NJISACF ‘08: Day 2

The snaking lines outside the auditoriums, the huge audience turnout, several congratulations and encouragements from filmmakers and celebrities present, gripping discussions and q/a sessions marked the final day of the festival.

Queue outside the auditorium

Screened in the morning were films and documentaries like Missed Call, Long After, Sari (W)rap,Crossing Lines , My Daughter the Terrorist and Dussehra, which completely captivated the audience. Dussehra, a hard-hitting film based on the taboo subject of incest, moved the audience. The young director of Dussehra, Jigyasa Sethi was present to answer audience questions, and was congratulated again and again by the viewers for the courage she displayed in making the film.

Jigyasa Sethi

Present too were Jamil Dehlavi, a Pakistani-French filmmaker from UK, along with lead actor Kevin Collins, with their award-winning explosive film Infinite Justice. Jamil Dehlavi and Kevin Collins both talked about how important it is to talk to enemies rather than to friends, so as to look for a solution to the problems that give rise to terrorism and violence.

Kevin Collins and Jamil Dehlavi

Pancham Unmixed, an extraordinary documentary on the legendary R. D. Burman was a complete sell-out. After the fabulous film was screened, everyone went ga-ga, clapping and wiping their tears simultaneously, remembering Pancham and his music with fondness. The screening followed a lively Q and A session.

Among the other favorites were Kaal by Bappaditya Bandyopadhyay, A Home in the Sky by Bipin Nandkarni, The Lost Rainbow, and two evocative films about a different Afghanistan – Enemies of Happiness and Khub Asti Afghanistan.

The last screening of the day was Mistaken from Scotland by Sarmed Mirza. The filmmaker was present with this wonderful film, all shot in 9 days. The first ever South Asian film made in Scotland, Mistaken and Sarmed Mirza’s passion, energy and enthusiasm evident during the Q and A session charmed everyone.

Sarmed Mirza

The NJISACF volunteer team

NJISACF ‘08: Day 1

20 September, day 1of the festival witnessed a record number of viewers for the screening of Kanchivaram (India) by Priyadarshan, Amal (Canada) by Richie Mehta and Kissing Cousins (USA) by Amyn Kaderali.

Throughout the two days, along with an exhilarated audience, the filmmakers also made it a point to watch each other’s films constantly and make the most of the experience.

Brahmanand Singh and Sarmed Mirza in a packed auditorium

At the start of the first day, while one theater played a bunch of fascinating short films, three young and talented Bangladeshi directors, Shariar Rahman, Zahid Sharif, Sharbari Ahmed were present at the other auditorium. Sharier and Zahid presented their first film Healing Life and Sharbari presented Aimee Undercover. The three filmmakers talked about their experiences and struggles as they tackled the complex subject of immigration and the American dream. At the same time, one couldn’t miss their passion for filmmaking and the determination to keep doing it, no matter what.

A great cinematic experience with a stunning performance by  Prakash Raj , the screening of Kanchivaram was entirely sold out, especially because Prakash Raj himself was present for a question/ answer session with the audience.

Prakash Raj at the screeing of Kanchivaram

In the very interactive q/a session, Prakash Raj talked at length about this dream project of Priyadarshan and his experiences of being a part of what he described as a ‘very human story.”

Q and A session with Prakash Raj

Richie Mehta shared his experiences of making Amal and working with legendary actors like Naseeruddin Shah as well as the challenges of shoot on location at New Delhi.

Richie Mehta, as he talks about Amal

Amyn Kaderali was present with his excellent debut feature Kissing Cousins, a flawless hip film which was quite a hit among the young crowd. Amyn shared his experiences of completing the film in 3 weeks and how the film evolved into something even better than what he had conceived while he was shooting with the actors.

Q and A session with Amyn Kaderali

Rosemary Rawcliffe, director of Women in Tibet was present during the screening of the film, to talk about Tibet and her experiences of researching about some of the strongest and most dynamic Tibetan women in exile.

Through these daylong discussions, innumerable hours of watching films and the process of sharing and contributing to a mission to support independent films and filmmakers, as well as the encouragements that we received from the filmmakers and audience alike, NJISACF is confident that this is just the beginning of a movement.

NJISACF ‘08: Gala Opening

The second year of the festival kicked off with a Gala Opening Evening dinner and cocktail at the Busch Campus Dining Hall, Rutgers University, Piscataway. The evening witnessed a packed house.

Brahmanand Singh in conversation with Sarmed mirza

Richie Mehta

Filmmaker Amyn Kaderali

Mr Sakti Sengupta, the festival director, introduced the festival as well as the guest filmmakers, and talked about the need for supporting such independent film festivals.

Mr Sakti Sengupta

As the Chief Guest, the versatile actor Prakash Raj stressed on the importance of the festival, congratulated and encouraged NJISACF to keep doing the great work, and promised to provide support from the Indian film industry for the coming years.

Prakash Raj, as he addresses the audience

This was followed by highlights from the NJISACF 2008 showcase with trailers from some films and introduction of the directors of the films to the gala opening guests.
Our sponsors, the Open Road Auto Group, EBC Radio and AVS were honored. Without their generous support the festival would not have been the way it was.

Open Road Auto Group being given the plaque by Prakash Raj

Kulraj Anand of EBC Radio with Prakash Raj

Out-of-the-world music played by  Riyaaz was one of the highlights, and made the evening even more special.

Sneak Peek 5

• 13 feature films, 6 docu-features, 14 short films dealing with a broad range of themes like identity, sexuality, politics and religion – films that will entertain and make you think at the same time

• 13 exclusive US premieres, 11 East Coast premieres, and 10 more for the first time in NJ, films from Cannes, Slamdance, renowned film institutes and regional films

• Intellectually stimulating discussions and a gathering of most talked-about and promising faces of South Asian cinema and eminent personalities

Kissing Cousins

Narrative Feature/ USA/2007/98min/ English
Director/Screenwriter: Amyn Kaderali
Cast: Samrat Chakrabarti, Rebecca Hazelwood, Gerry Bednob, Jaleel White
NJ Premiere
AAIFF08 Narrative Feature Audience Award

Breathes new life into the tired romantic comedy genre

Amir is a “relationship termination specialist,” providing “dumping services” for disgruntled daters. In other words, he is a heartbreaker. Though Amir claims he is “just the messenger,” the job has made him hard-hearted and as a result, he is the last bachelor in his group of friends. So much so that his best friend no longer wants him to be the Best Man at his wedding because he wants someone with “better relationship karma.” Let down, Amir teams up with his attractive cousin Zara to fool his friends into believing he is capable of a relationship. Over time, Amir starts to soften from Zara’s influence and perhaps even begins to develop…feelings? An undercurrent of sexual tension develops between them as the charade comes dangerously close to going too far.

A veteran of short-form storytelling, director Kaderali infuses Kissing cousins with equal parts candor and comedy to craft a funny, touching portrait of a heart redeemed by love. – DesiClub.com

Watch this trailer:

To learn more about the film, visit www.kissingcousinsmovie.com

Kaal (Our Time)

Narrative Feature/India// 2007/ 118min/ Bangla
Director: Bappaditya Bandyopadhyay
US Premiere
Cairo Film Fest 08 Selection

Explores the plight of the contemporary prostitute as a worldly “employer” recruits the rural women into the world’s oldest profession

Our Time (Kaal) tackles the very relevant problem of human trafficking. The film documents the lives of four women – a music student, an illegal immigrant, a sister of a prostitute and a young widow – trapped in this insidious world. Betrayed in love and by their family members, they are forced into new lives in the city where their dreams must change. Things take a dramatic turn when a European woman, herself a victim of trafficking, begins sharing their apartment. Our Time is a fascinating, impassioned, multilayered look at lives torn asunder by the forces of globalization.

The infrastructure of the world’s oldest profession is dramatized and critiqued to compelling effect in the expansive Indian drama “Our Time…. Bappaditya Bandopadhyay’s viewpoint is clear, script avoids moralizing in favor of solid drama – Russell Edwards, variety.com

Read an exclusive interview of Bappaditya Bandyopadhyay here.

To learn more about the film, visit http://kaalthefilm.tripod.com

My Daughter the Terrorist

Docu Feature/Norway-Sri Lanka/ 2007/ 58 mins/ Tamil
Director: Beate Arnestad
East Coast Premiere
Best Feature Length Documentary Film Award at the Message to Man International Film Festival

Deeply explores the single-mindedness, desperation, and mindset of cyanide capsule- carrying fighters

An exceedingly rare, inside look at an organization that most of the world has blacklisted as a terrorist group, the film offers important insights into the recently re-ignited conflict in Sri Lanka.
Twenty-four-year-olds Dharsika and Puhalchudar have been living and fighting side-by-side for seven years as part of LTTE’s elite force, the Black Tigers, as suicide bombers. Their story is told through cinema verité footage, newsreel footage, and interviews with the women and Dharsika’s mother.

Takes political documentary filmmaking a step further. – Susan Gerhard, SF360

Provides a rich insight into the women’s ideology, reasoning, and sometimes plain, even charming, naiveté. The strength of the film’s aesthetic is in its adherence to the mental and psychological point of view of these young women. - Dorit Naaman, Film Studies, Queens University

Watch the film’s trailer here:

To learn more about the film, visit http://www.snitt.no/mdtt

Official sponsor of NJISACF 08
Watch out for the complete list of films selected to be posted soon on our website, www.njisacf.org.
Online ticketing will be open soon on our website.

Volunteer/ Sponsor for NJISACF 08
To be a part of our enthusiastic gang and contribute to the success of this event, email volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236. Watch some of the latest and breathtaking South Asian films for free!
For Advertisements and Sponsorships to reach an audience of more than 2000 South Asians, email sponsors@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236

NJISACF 08 Sneak PeeK 4

• 13 spectacular feature films, 6 stimulating and challenging docu-features, 14 stunning short films from US, Canada, India, UK, Ireland, Scotland, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

• Exquisite films by distinguished filmmakers and promising newcomers that will take your breath away

• World and US premieres, films straight from Cannes and Slamdance, and renowned film institutes

• All day film screenings, thought-provoking Q & A sessions with filmmakers and celebrities, gala opening night with cocktail and dinner

Grahanam (The Eclipse)

Narrative Feature/India/2007/93min/ Telugu
Writer and Director: Mohan Krishna Indraganti
Based on a story by GV Chalam
Cast: Tanikella Bharani, Jayalalitha
NJ Premiere
Indira Gandhi National Award, Best Debut Director

A classic in black and white exploring the complexities in man-woman relationship

Based on the classic short story Doshagunam (The Disease) by the famous Telugu writer, Chalam, the shoestring budgeted Grahanam has won eleven major awards including the Indian National Award for Best Debut Director.
Beautifully scripted and crafted, Grahanam addresses and explores the consequences of blind belief and faith, and the complex way in which female sexuality is controlled in a patriarchal society.

Full of dramatic irony and poignancy… – Ylife, Canada

Mistaken

Narrative Feature/UK/103 min/ English
Director: Shahid Nadeem
US Premiere

The first-ever feature film made by the South Asian diaspora in Scotland

One summer’s evening, the police burst into a Glaswegian Asian household. The son, Ali has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism. Between cops, hacks, mullahs and militants, Ali’s family discovers that all was not well with their son and their world descends into siege and nightmare. Meanwhile, Ali’s sister, Rukhsana refuses to comply with an arranged marriage, and neighbors send bricks through the windows. Yet not everybody is an enemy.

A fast-paced topical and thought-provoking experience…- myivillage.com, Edinburgh

Here is a preview of the film:

Woman in Burka

Narrative Short/USA/ 2008/ 20 min/ English
Writer & Director: Jonathan Lisecki
Cast: Sarita Choudhury, Sam Rockwell, Kerry Washington, Samantha Buck
NJ Premiere
Spirit of Slamdance Award, Arizona Film Festival Merit Award

A lighthearted yet scathing look at racism in Hollywood.

This is a darkly comic look at an actress auditioning for Middle Eastern roles in a post-9/11 culture. Sarita is up for the coveted part of an Iraqi rape victim’s ghost in a new film. No one has seen the script or knows whether it’s a serious drama or a cheap horror movie, but everyone seems to think it’s perfect for her, including her best friend, her manager, and her ex. Will she be the Woman in Burka?

This movie is my anecdote of cultural insensitivity. My life has been full of situations like the ones in this film… – Sarita Chaudhury

The 2008 Slamdance Film Festival narrowed down more than 2,000 short films from around the world to 67 shorts set to compete for a Grand Jury Prize at the event next month. The selection with the highest star wattage is Jonathan Lisecki’s “Woman In Burka” – The Hollywood Reporter

To learn more, visit www.womaninburka.com

Monsoon

Narrative Short/India/ 21 min/ Hindi, English
Director: Shyam Balsé
Best Director and Best Short Film awards at 13 major International Film Festivals.

Beautiful, elegant, touching… insightful story of the intersection of the ancient and the modern.

In this gorgeously shot tale, a young medical doctor returns home to his family in India for a visit at his father’s urgent request. Once there, family history reasserts itself, as the young man finds himself at odds with his father in matters of life and of death.

Monsoon is a beautiful cultural exploration of being torn between two identities, with an accurate depiction of second generation family dilemmas.
– Brian Liu, 2007 Jackson Hole Film Festival Juror

Here is a trailer of the film:

To learn more, visit www.monsoonfilm.com

Preview NJISACF 2008 film line-up on our website, www.njisacf.org
Online ticketing is open now. Visit www.njisacf.org.

Volunteer/ Sponsor for NJISACF 08
To be a part of our enthusiastic gang and contribute to the success of this event, email volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236. Watch some of the latest and breathtaking South Asian films for free!

For Advertisements and Sponsorships to reach an audience of more than 2000 South Asians, email sponsors@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236

NJISACF 08 Venue
Rutgers Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey

Asian American Film and Theater Project, PO Box 136, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, 08852, USA
732.310.0236/ saktis@njisacf.org

Preview – NJISACF 08

And here’s a preview of our awesome NJISACF 08:

NJISACF 08 Sneak Peek 3

• An assortment of 13 feature films, 6 docu-features, 14 short films dealing with a broad range of themes like identity, sexuality, politics and religion.

• World, US and East Coast premieres, films straight from Cannes, Slamdance, renowned film institutes and regional films

• Intellectually stimulating discussions and a gathering of most talk-about and promising faces of South Asian cinema and eminent personalities

• All day film screenings, thought-provoking Q & A sessions with filmmakers and celebrities, gala opening night with cocktail and dinner

Amal

Canada/2007/Feature Film 101min/ English-Hindi
Writer and Director: Richie Mehta
Cast: Nasiruddin Shah, Roshan Seth, Seema Biswas, Rupinder Nagra, Koel Purie
East Coast Premiere

People’s Choice Award, London Film Festival
Panavision Spirit Award for Best Independent Film, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

A modern day fable – sometimes, the poorest of men are the richest

A festival favorite with heart-warming performances by Naseeruddin Shah and Roshan Seth,
Amal attempts to seek the meaning of success, and how the meaning of success can change from person to person.
Filmed on location in New Delhi, this film, both emotional and poetic at times, will touch your heart and make you see the world in a different perspective.
Richie mehta will be present at our film festival.

Not since Charlie Chaplin’s silent movies has a filmmaker seriously deployed such stereotypes.
- The Hollywood Reporter
Amal is unquestionably a rich cinematic experience. – Boxoffice.com
A mix of Guy de Maupassant, O. Henry, Vittorio De Sica and Hindu legend. – Toronto Life

Watch this trailer from Amal here:

To learn more about the film, visit www.poormansproductions.com/amalfeature

A Home in the Sky

India/2007/104min/Marathi
East Coast Premiere
Director/Producer:Bipin Nadkarni

An 11- year old struggles with his parents’ separation and subsequent remarriage

When 11-year-old Bunty’s parents go separate ways, his world revolves around his mother, Aatyabai (his caretaker), and paintings, flowers and butterflies. He accepts the bitter past of his parents’ and is content meeting his father once a month.

But with time, Bunty’s world changes. Both his parents find new companions and resettle in life. Bunty is unable to accept another man in his mother’s life, or come to terms with another woman in his father’s world.
Which of the two worlds would he choose?

Which world does he belong to?

A beautifully-made film on such a complex subject. I have always liked his style of working. - Shivaji Satam

The World Unseen

UK/South Africa/ 2007/ English
Writer and Director: Shamim Sharif
Cast: Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, Nandana Sen
East Coast Premiere

Best Director, Copper Wing Award, Phoenix Film festival
Best Film, Audience Award, Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

Two Indian women find life-changing friendship in 50s apartheid South Africa
A slice of life, an epic drama

Set in 1950’s South Africa, when apartheid is just beginning, this is a story of two women, one free-spirited and the other a young traditional wife and mother, and their unexpected attraction that changes both women forever.

In a system that divides white from black and women from men, what chance is there for an unexpected love to survive? The World Unseen transports the viewer to a vibrant, colorful and evokes questions that are universal.

A sincere, beautifully realized vision of love and resistance in an intolerant world. – Afterellen.com
A rare combination of intricate character study and engaging narrative - British Film Institute

Subtle and rather beautiful … a touching, likeable human story. -Notcoming.com

Here’s the trailer of The World Unseen:

To learn more, visit www.theworldunseenfilm.com

Watch out for the complete list of films selected will be posted soon on our website www.njisacf.org

Online ticketing will be open soon on our website.

Volunteer/ Sponsor for NJISACF 08
To be a part of our enthusiastic gang and contribute to the success of this event, email volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236. Watch some of the latest and breathtaking South Asian films for free!
For Advertisements and Sponsorships to reach an audience of more than 2000 South Asians, email sponsors@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236

NJISACF 08 Venue
Rutgers Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
Asian American Film and Theater Project, PO Box 136, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, 08852, USA
732.310.0236/ saktis@njisacf.org

NJISACF 08 Sneak Peak 2

• An assortment of meaningful and entertaining films from US, Canada, UK, Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh – to challenge your intellect and refresh your sensibilities

• Youth oriented films that reflect the complex world of 21^st century GenNext

• World and US premieres, films straight from Cannes and Slamdance, and renowned film institutes

• All day film screenings, thought-provoking Q & A sessions with filmmakers and celebrities, gala opening night with cocktail and dinner

Infinite Justice

UK/2007/Feature Film 104min/ English
Writer and Director: Jamil Dehlavi
Cast: Kevin Collins, Raza Jaffrey (Best Actor, Kara Film Festival)
East Coast Premiere
Best Dramatic Feature, European Independent Awards in Paris
Robert Rodriguez Award for Excellence, 2007 Hollywood Digital Film Festival, LA

Explosive filmmaking. Not to be missed. – Le Courrier Picard

A bold and taut thriller about the real War on Terror, an uncompromising look at international politics and terrorism

Loosely based on the Daniel Pearl assassination case, Infinite Justice is the story of two men caught in the most dramatic conflict of our times, the war on terror. UK based French-Pakistani Independent film director Dehlavi tries to explore the very complex issue of terrorism impartially from various perspectives. A slick production, the film deftly goes back and forth in time, through continents and creates a complex and multilayered narrative, which efficiently reflects the complex issues at the core of the war on terrorism.

Jamil Dehlavi

Ultimately, what makes Infinite Justice a worthy addition to the canon of films about 9/11 and its aftermath is Dehlavi’s balanced , detached treatment of his explosive. – Sight and Sound

A fast-moving political thriller. Technically impressive.- The Guardian

An interesting contribution to the post 9/11 movies. Serious and decent-minded. – The Observer

There’s an ambitious sweep to Infinite Justice. Dehlavi moves confidently between time frames and countries. - BBC

To learn more about the film and Jamil Dehlavi, visit www.dehlavifilms.com

Khub Asti Afghanistan (Are You Alright, Afghanistan?)

India – Afghanistan/2007/Docu-Feature/ 60 min/ English
Writer and Director: Soumitra Ranade

In search of the other Afghanistan the Western media chooses to ignore
An Afghanistan beyond the stories of terror and torture – a hopeful journey

Indian filmmaker Soumitra Ranade (director of Jajantaram Mamantaram) grew up in Kabul as a teenager. 26 years after leaving the country, he returns to post 9/11 Afghanistan to revisit the definitive years of his youth. In a country devastated by war, he rediscovers its beauty through his memories and encounters with its people. The film takes us on a hopeful journey through the past and present of a country that is yet to see lasting peace.

Soumitra Ranade

The film is a tribute to the Afghan spirit. Some films just have to be made…this was one of them. – Soumitra Ranade

Enemies of Happiness

Malalai Zoya

Denmark/2006/ 59 mins/English, Farsi, Pasthu
Director: Eva Mulvad and Anja Al-Erhayem
East Coast Premiere
Winner, World Cinema Jury Prize in Documentaries, 2006 Sundance Film Festival

The true story of a young woman fighting for changes in Afghanistan
A film on personal courage, about a radical freedom fighter and a land that is changing

The story of the campaign of Malalai Zoya – a 28 year-old Afghan woman, armed with only a strong voice and a fierce loyalty to her homeland, who overcomes entrenched views and death threats to help bring democracy to Afghanistan.

Danish filmmaker Eva Mulvad follows the last 10 days of campaign of Zoya, running the country’s first democratic parliamentary elections in 35 years. The elections represented a special milestone for Afghan women, who had endured second-class citizenry their entire lives. Immensely inspiring, Zoya’s dedication will motivate all of us to join her in the cause of real reform.

This poetic portrait of a popular hero from the dusty Farah Province is sure to inspire viewers from all backgrounds. …- New York Times

You are a shining example of how one person can make a difference in millions of lives and in the future of millions – Hilary Swank

A political documentary with a difference…Quietly celebrates its heroine’s fierce determination to reform her country’s attitude toward women. -Leslie Felperin, Variety

Eloquent…Joya is a controversial voice for a nation ruined by war and ruled by tradition, and a voice with a desperate urge for change. - Göteborg Film Festival

Malalai with her secretary and another female candidate for the provinsial council. (Courtsey: www.enemiesofhappiness.com)

Director Eva Mulvad on location (Courtsey: www.enemiesofhappiness.com)

Watch a trailer of the film here:

Here is a speech by Eva Mulvad at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival:

To learn more, visit http://www.enemiesofhappiness.com

Official sponsor of NJISACF 08

Watch out for the complete list of films selected to be posted soon on our website, www.njisacf.org.

Online ticketing will be open soon on our website.

Volunteer/ Sponsor for NJISACF 08
To be a part of our enthusiastic gang and contribute to the success of this event, email volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236. Watch some of the latest and breathtaking South Asian films for free!

For Advertisements and Sponsorships to reach an audience of more than 2000 South Asians, email sponsors@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236

NJISACF 08 Sneak Peek

• 13 spectacular feature films, 6 stimulating and challenging docu-features, 14 stunning short films from US, Canada, UK, Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
• Exquisite films by distinguished filmmakers and promising newcomers that will take your breath away
• World and US premieres, films straight from Cannes and Slamdance, and renowned film institutes
• All day film screenings, thought-provoking Q & A sessions with filmmakers and celebrities, gala opening night with cocktail and dinner

Kanchivaram

India/2007/Feature Film 104min/ Tamil
Writer and Director: Priyadarshan
Cast: Prakash Raj, Shreya Reddy
US Premiere

An Artistic Masterpiece by the Bollywood Director PRIYADARSHA

An Electrifying Performance by PRAKASH RAJ, who will be present all 3 days of the Festival

Kanchivaram was a deeply moving experience…excellent performances and enviable control in direction…My hats off to you – Shyam Benegal

If you think you can expect only rib-tickling comedies from Priyadarshan, his latest and most ambitious film Kanchivaram will prove you wrong. Clearly the film where the prolific director reaches his creative pinnacle, Kanchivaram is one of the rare film experiences you simply should not miss. Priyadarshan describes this one as his “dream project” and a “true achievement”: “I always do films for others but this is for me…to satisfy my emotions and feelings.”

With exquisite visuals and the usual Priyadarshan touch, Kanchivaram tells the story of a common man caught in the conflict between one’s adopted ideals and individual dreams.

Prakash Raj plays Venkatam, a master weaver who creates the first spark of a revolution, and his performance is a stunner.
To learn more about the film, visit www.kanchivaramthefilm.com

Women of Tibet – A Quiet Revolution

USA-Tibet/2007/Docu-Feature/ 60 min/ English
Director: Rosemary Rawcliffe
SILVER and BRONZE 2008 TELLY AWARDS Winner

Featuring His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

The director will be present during the festival.

An extraordinary film about the brave women of Tibet, and an inspiring document of one of the greatest movements of nonviolent resistance in modern history – when 15,000 unarmed Tibetan women took to the streets to oppose the violent occupation of their country by the China. The film, for the first time in history, interviews those handful women who have survived everything – these being the last generation of women left to share the story of the Tibetan Women’s Uprising and to impart their cultural legacy. Breathlessly beautiful and thought-provoking, along with rare photographs, footage and interviews of the spirited and tough women as well as an extended interview of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama the film is an incredible compilation of little known stories and accounts of courage and compassion. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Himalayas, Women of Tibet shows the strength and perseverance of a people dedicated to the principles of peace, non-violence, and compassion.

The film tells a story which has deep importance to the Tibetan nation, and I believe greater relevance to the wider world as well. – Tenzin Tethong, President, the Dalai Lama Foundation

Women of Tibet present an enlightened look at how women’s issues fit into the Tibetan struggle for freedom. – American Public Television

To learn more, visit http://womenoftibet.org/pages/index.php

Watch the trailer for the film here:

Pancham Unmixed – An Unending Journey

Director: Brahmanand Singh
East Coast Premiere

The only documentary ever made about the legendary music composer RD BURMAN

The director, Brahmanand Singh will be present to share his experience of making this unique film

Featuring:Asha Bhosle, Gulzar, Shammi Kapoor, Shakti Samant, Bhupinder, Manna Dey, Rishi Kapoor, Pyarelal, Ameen Sayani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Usha Uthup, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Kavita Krishnamurthy, and many others – over 40 eminent personalities from the industry, who remember Pancham with fondness and humor and unequivocally vouch for his genius and largesse as a human being.

One of the most versatile composers the Hindi Film Music Industry had ever seen, RD Burman brought about a revolution in the popular music of its time almost single-handedly. This is a never-before incisive look into the composer’s reflective artistry and buoyant-but-also-lonely inner being. You will hear many untold and told stories by the most talented people from the film industry, not to mention his evergreen songs. A unique, up-close and moving remembrance of the legend by the people closest to him.

The tribute is a thorough look at R D Burman’s life and work – and what exactly made his music so trend setting and timeless … – HT Café

A poignant portion is when Vidhu Vinod Chopra speaks about the dark phase in Pancham’s career — apparently RDB had almost been written off by the music industry … – DNA

The film takes an incisive look not only at the body of work of the legendary composer, but also reveals various facets of R D Burman that you would never know. – Yahoo.com, In.Movies

To learn more, visit http://www.brahmanandsingh.com/RDB.htm

Brahmanand Singh

And while you remember the most adored music genius of our time, we leave you with these videos below, of some of his innumerable evergreen creations:

Watch out for the complete list of films selected will be posted soon on our website, www.njisacf.org

Online ticketing will be open soon on our website.

Volunteer/ Sponsor for NJISACF 08
To be a part of our enthusiastic gang and contribute to the success of this event, email volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236.
Watch some of the latest and breathtaking South Asian films for free!
For Advertisements and Sponsorships to reach an audience of more than 2000 South Asians, email

NJISACF 08 Venue
Rutgers Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
Asian American Film and Theater Project, PO Box 136, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, 08852, USA
732.310.0236/ saktis@njisacf.org

NJISACF 08 Official Sponsors

Open Road Honda

New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Radio EBC

Filmmaker of the Month: Deepika Daggubati

Remember the NJISACF 2007 Best Feature Film award winner, Waking Dreams – the energetic culture clash comedy set against the rich backdrops of video games and Bollywood fantasies? (For those of you who haven’t watched Waking Dreams, we strongly recommend you do so as soon as you get a chance.)

Our filmmaker of the month is the very talented director of Waking Dreams, Deepika Daggubati. Born in India and raised in Texas, writer-director Deepika Daggubati has been making movies since the age of ten. As an undergraduate at Georgetown, Deepika worked as a freelance camera operator and editor for news crews and student clubs. After graduating with a B.A. in English and Psychology, she attended Cal Arts for an M.F.A. in Film Production. Waking Dreams is her feature debut. Deepika has been hired to write the original Disney Channel movie Muncie Masala, which is in development. She has also written and directed several short films including the upcoming Dowry. Deepika Daggubati answers a few questions for the readers of Bioscope.

How would you say is your experience of being a 21st century South Asian woman filmmaker in USA? What are the challenges that you have faced, if any?

DD: I’m encouraged by Hollywood’s recent interest in ethnic stories and by the increasing support of the South Asian diaspora for films from our communities. Ethnic stories are universal stories, and people appreciate this fact when they have access to our films. The landscape has changed in a positive direction in the ten years since I’ve been in Los Angeles as a student and filmmaker. While I don’t believe I’ve faced any additional challenges in the industry for being Indian, I do feel that female writers and directors are severely underrepresented in what movies get made and which scripts are bought.

Tell us about some of your favorite films, and the kind of films you would want to make.

DD: Ah, there are so many! Among my favorite directors and films are William Wyler (The Best Years of Our Lives, The Little Foxes), Jane Campion (The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady), Satyajit Ray (Mahanagar, Teen Kanya), Hitchcock (Shadow of a Doubt, Rear Window) and David Lynch (Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man). I look forward to making movies in several genres as Wyler did. I’m fascinated by the small, intimate moments that reveal a person’s deep character. The projects that I’m currently working on include a period mystery about a murder in 1920s Manhattan, a contemporary thriller about a reporter investigating her grandmother’s death, and a boarding school story of rebellion and acceptance.

That is so very fascinating. How much do you think does Bollywood affects our lives as expats, in spite of the fact that most Bollywood films are far removed from reality?

DD: Bollywood has little impact on my life. I occasionally watch new Indian films and can really appreciate the craft and storytelling. But the average Bollywood melodrama has just as little relevance to my life as the average Hollywood romantic comedy. I am glad, though, to see the availability of satellite TV channels for Bollywood and other Indian regional programming. I can’t imagine what my parents watched before they subscribed to Telugu channels like Teja! In some ways, I wish that programming like this had been available when I was a child growing up in a small Texas city far removed from any Indian cultural activities. Perhaps it would have helped me navigate my dual identities as an Indian in America. Or perhaps not. Maybe Bollywood’s unrealistic constructs of love, success and beauty would have been just as detrimental as any Hollywood equivalent.

Has Waking Dreams released in India? If not, do u have any plans to release Waking Dreams in India?

DD: It’s been a long and challenging journey to get distribution for Waking Dreams. The typical response from distributors has been “We love the movie, but we don’t know how to market it.” But the goal post is finally in sight! Waking Dreams will be self-released this year in theaters and on DVD. The target date is August. Please watch for it! Independent releases depend on the goodwill of grassroots audiences, and I’d like to ask your readers for their support. There are no plans as of yet for distribution in India, but I do hope to participate in a couple of film festivals there since we now have a film print to screen.

Do u feel a formal education is necessary for being a successful filmmaking? Do you have any advice for new filmmakers?

DD: A formal education is not necessary, especially because the art and craft of filmmaking can only be learned hands-on. I don’t regret taking the time to get my MFA in filmmaking. But in retrospect, I learned more from making my shorts there and from working on my friends’ films than from anything I learned in the classroom. The great benefit of film school is its access to networking. It takes contacts to land any non-entry level job in Hollywood. Since projects are relatively short-lived, usually lasting only a few months, it’s important to keep in touch with contacts made on each one. My advice to new filmmakers would be to stay in touch with mentors, employers and colleagues long after a project has ended. You’ll never know when an opportunity may arise if you’re not in the loop to hear about it. I also urge filmmakers to not be precious about their work. Don’t rework and polish one script or film repeatedly. Just move on. Make as many short pieces as you can. Write as many scripts as you can. Quality will follow as you get more experience.

What do you enjoy the most and the least about your work?

DD: As far as writing goes, I love being in the “zone” – that stage when I hear characters talk. Emotions bubble up inside me when I’m writing a scene, and I find myself crying or laughing out loud with my characters. Unfortunately, the zone is elusive, and takes time and patience to achieve. On most days when I sit down to write, it’s torturous and lonely. I’m plagued with doubt and wonder how I ever did it before. During the recent three-month Writers Guild of America strike, I was a strike captain. On the daily picket lines, I met many renowned writers whose work I deeply admire. It seems most of them experience the same fear and doubt. It’s just part of the process for most writers.

With directing, my favorite part is production. I love working with actors on performance. I love setting the look of the film with the designer. I love visualizing the shots and lighting with the DP. I never get tired when directing, because it’s the biggest adrenaline rush. There’s nothing I don’t enjoy about directing except that I can’t do it often enough!

What would be your next project?

DD: I recently directed a short film called Dowry about a Persian woman who goes on the worst first date imaginable only to become engaged by the end of the evening. I’m also getting close to a start date on Odd Girl Out, a feature coming-of-age story that I wrote and will direct. Meanwhile, I continue to write scripts and pitch stories. There are so many stories I want to tell! I hope I’ll be back at the NJISACF soon!

Festival Updates: May

Festival Dates and Venue

The date and venue for the NJISACF 2008 have been announced. The final dates are September 19th to 21st, 2008. On 19th, we will have the gala opening event, while the film screenings will be held on September 20th and 21st at the Rutgers Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey.

NJISACF 2007 Traveling Film Festival Schedule

NJISACF 2007 is now a traveling film festival, and public libraries in various counties in New Jersey are hosting mini fests with selected films from NJISACF 2007. Do not miss this opportunity to watch a few of the most brilliant, rarely-seen and award-winning films from and about South Asia and by South Asian filmmakers.

The Franklin Township Public Library, Edison Public Library and the Bridgewater Public Library have already hosted the mini-fest in the months of March, April and May.
Next scheduled Public library screenings are as follow:
· June 1: South Brunswick Public Library, 2 PM – 4:30 PM
· June 2 and June 9: Middletown Public Library, 6:30 Pm – 8:30 PM
· June 14: Washington Township Public Library (Robbinsville, Mercer County), 1 PM – 4 PM
· June 28: East Brunswick Public Library, 1 PM – 6 PM

Call the libraries for a list of films, directions and more information.

Some of the 15 films to be screened are: The Little Terrorist (Oscar-nominated), Whose Children Are These, Toba Tek Singh, Dancing Kathmandu, and 1001 Auditions.

Call for Submission, NJISACF 2008

May 30 was the last date for film submission for NJISACF 2008. We have received an overwhelming number of film submissions from all around the world. Watch out for the film showcase of NJSACF 2008 at www.njisacf.org or in our next newsletter, and Bioscope (www.njisacf.wordpress.com)..

Invitation for 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.

Orbituaries

We pay our deepest condolences to the noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar who passed away on 19 May 2008, after prolonged illness. In his lifetime, he was one of the most radical voices of Indian theatre. His popular work includes the plays Ghashiram Kotwal and Sakharam Binder. The highly celebrated Padma Bhushan awardee also wrote some of the best screenplays in Hindi cinema such as Ardh Satya, Nishant, Akrosh and Shyam Benegal’s Manthan.

We also pay our heartfelt homage to the Hollywood legend, director, producer and actor Sydney Pollack, who passed away on 26 May 2008 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 73. “The Way We Were,” “Tootsie” and “Out of Africa” are some of his most renowned films.

Mehreen Jabbar’s New Film, Ramchand Pakistani

Inspired by a real-life incident, Ramchand Pakistani, a film by Brooklyn based filmmaker Mehreen Jabbar, is one of the most talked about films screened in the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. The film, made in Urdu and Hindi, tells the story of how an accidental crossing of the Pakistan-India border by a poor Pakistani Dalit boy and his father, at a time of war-like tension in 2002, dramatically affects their lives. The two Hindus find themselves imprisoned in India as unwelcome trespassers, while the mother faces consequences back home. The story mirrors the emotional trauma of families living near the Pakistan-India border, especially in times of high tension between the two nations. It also highlights the treatment that many innocent prisoners get in jails after being suspected of espionage, and reveals how little the lives of common citizens of the two countries differ. Javed Jabbar, the writer and producer of the film said that through Ramchand Pakistani, he hopes to bring Pakistan and India closer. An India-Pakistan joint venture, the film stars Nandita Das playing the character of Champa, the mother of seven-year-old Ramchand, along with Pakistani actors Rashid Farooqui playing the father, and Syed Fazal Hussain and Navaid Jabbar playing the child and grownup Ramchand respectively. Praised as a “poignant film” by The New York Times, Ramchand Pakistani will be showcased in film festivals and is scheduled for theatrical release in Pakistan later this year. Watch the trailer of Ramchand Pakistani here:

The very talented Mehreen Jabbar is a 14-year veteran of the industry, with a prolific career as a Director/Producer of gritty, hard-hitting films. She has earned a reputation of professionalism and excellence, and is quoted widely as an expert in her field. Mehreen graduated from UCLA with a degree in Film, Television and Video, and returned to Pakistan to direct and produce made-for-TV movies and drama series/serials under the banner of TasVeer Productions, almost all of which were critically acclaimed by the Pakistani press. In addition to these, she directed a number of short films, and her work has appeared in many film festivals around the world including the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival, and the Leeds Film Festival in U. K. to name a few. Her award-winning films include ‘Daughters of the Late Colonel’, and a four-part television show: ‘ Sanam Gazida, Afsoon Khawab, Deeda-e-Purkhoon, and Lal Baig.‘ Ramchand Pakistani is her first feature length film. Mehreen has been a member of the National Board of Film Censors in Karachi, a founding member of WAR (War Against Rape), the Kara Film Festival in Karachi, and has also served as a juror at the Leeds International Film Festival in 2002.

Indian Independent Films at the Cannes Film Festival

The 61^st Annual Cannes Film festival 2008 was held May 14 through May 25, 2008. Like every year, the most prestigious and influential film festival showcased some of the biggest and most talked about films from all over the world. Since being a part of this grand affair provides filmmakers with the much sought after worldwide media attention, Cannes has become one of the most popular venues for filmmakers, film producers and distributors participating from all over the globe.

This year, along with a couple of the high-budget, glossy Bollywood films from India, a number of offbeat low-budget independent film production houses like iDreams Independent Pictures and Handmade Films participated, to market their classy and “non-mainstream” films extensively.

Among the films shopped by iDreams were Santosh Sivan’s Tahaan, Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s The Voyeurs, Rajnesh Domalpalli’s Vanaja, Shivaji Chandrabhushan’s Frozen and US-based Sarab Singh Neelam’s Ocean of Pearls. These films, the filmmakers believe, have immense potential for traveling all across the globe and impressing a global audience. Some of them have already received recognition from all over the world. For example, Vanaja, a film about feudalism and the class struggle in rural Andhra Pradesh seen through the prism of a classical dance form, is set for commercial release in South Africa and has recently been sold in the Netherlands.

Handmade Films, which produced popular offbeat films like Mixed Doubles and Bheja Fry, brought a new bunch of unconventional films to Cannes, including Beware Dogs, a 45-minute documentary on the contemporary music group Indian Ocean. Their list of feature-length fiction films include Jaideep Varma’s comedy drama Hulla, Maneej Premnath’s thriller, The Waiting Room, Rupali Guha’s Aamras, and Bela Negi’s Driving Lessons. All these films have been directed by debut directors.

Apart from these, another Indian film which created some buzz is Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya, based on the life of the legendary 19th-century Indian painter Raja Ravi Verma.

Meanwhile, India’s Reliance Big Entertainment, owned by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani and the media arm of the $100 billion conglomerate Reliance ADA Group, was launched at Cannes this year. The media group is all set to develop and co-produce films in Hollywood and has signed separate deals with George Clooney’s Smokehouse Productions, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Nicholas Cage’s Saturn Productions, Tom Hanks’ Playtone Productions, Jim Carrey’s JC 23 Entertainment, as well as filmmakers Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures and Jay Roach’s Everyman Pictures to co-produce movies.

Tareque Masud and Catherine Masud at Cannes Film Festival 2008

Bangladeshi independent filmmakers Tareque Masud and Catherine Masud had been invited to the 61st Cannes Film Festival 2008 to take part in the 40th anniversary celebrations of the “Directors’ Fortnight” section of the festival. The Directors’ Fortnight was born out of the new French director’s union in 1968, by independent filmmakers like Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Roman Polanski and Louis Malle, in protest of the Cannes Film Festival’s ‘narrow star-studded focus’ which, they felt, ignored creative independent filmmakers.

Tareque Masud’s first full-length feature film Matir Moina premiered at Cannes in 2002 as the opening film of the Fortnight, and was awarded with the International Critics’ Prize as ‘Best Film’ in the section. The film is also the first Bangladeshi feature film to have a general release in the USA. Matir Moina toured the international circuit and was received with critical praise for its realistic depiction of life without the melodrama that is prevalent in many South Asian films

Indian Film Part of US University Curriculum

A debut Indian film, Mahek, by filmmaker K Kanade has been selected by Otterbein College in Ohio, US to be a part of its curriculum in Integrative Studies Program and Teaching of Modern India. According to the university, Mahek is an introspective Hindi film that sensitively portrays the world of children and their rights. The film, produced by the Children’s Film Society, India, had its world premiere at the prestigious 51st London Film Festival 2007 and has won several awards overseas, including the Best Feature Film (Family) Platinum Remi Award at the prestigious 41^st Houston International Film Festival 2008 and the best feature film award at the 10th Arpa International Film Festival in Hollywood. The film had been nominated in Houston for as many as six categories including the best feature film, best director, screenplay, first feature, best foreign film and best family film. It has been screened at several international film festivals including the 32nd Cleveland Film Festival, the Golden Elephant Children Film Festival in Hyderabad, and at festivals in St Louis, Chicago, Frankfurt and Sydney.

Mahek is a young girl’s journey towards self-realization. The film deals with the understanding of children’s talents, their imaginative skills and also their rights in context of present-day India. Eleven-year old Mahek wants to be the best in everything, as she struggles to figure out what she is best at. To complicate things, she encounters a charmless old fairy, who brings her face to face with reality.

Here’s a trailer of the film:

Hearts Suspended – Meghna Damani’s Film on the Plight of H-4 women

More than 90,000 women accompany their spouses each year in search of the American dream, on an H-4 visa. Out of these almost 40 – 50 percent are Indian women. Once these thousands of educated women who are also doctors, lawyers, architects, business professionals, artists, etc. step into the land of the free, they realize that as an H-4 visa holder, they will not be allowed to work. They are forced to stay at home for an indefinite period of time – life becomes standstill as they find themselves losing their confidence, their self-esteem and identity. This is also what director Meghna Damani, the 32 year old media professional from Mumbai went through when she came to USA post-marriage, in 2002. She realized that she was not complete in this country despite being here for 5 yrs, because of her ‘dependent spouse’ visa status. Her urge to make the voices of H-4 visa holders to be heard was strong, and she decided to make a documentary about other women who shared her situation.

Meghna enrolled in the Documentary Media Studies Program at New school in New York, and interviewed several other women – all of this eventually turned into a 24 hour documentary called “Hearts Suspended”, the untold story of legal US immigrant spouses who are denied the basic human right to work, revealed through the filmmaker’s personal struggles. The film also happens to be the first film about H-4 women – South Asian lobbyists do not have this issue anywhere on their radar. H-4 visa holders are usually middle class with legal status; their plight is not seen as pressing. “These are people who are being brought in only in the most base function of women – housewives, babymakers and sex-partners”, says the film.

The 24-minute documentary was first screened at Brandeis University in Waltham during a conference on immigration and gender. The film was also an official selection for Mahindra IAAC Film Festival in New York, and the selection for the opening night for Ainaa Film Festival at Seattle.

Check out this heartrending clip from Hearts Suspended:

For more information about the film, check out www.heartssuspended.com.

Festival Updates – April

Festival Updates

Festival Dates and Venue

The date and venue for the NJISACF 2008 have been finalized. The final dates are September 19th to 21st, 2008. On 19th, we will have the gala opening event, while the film screenings will be held on September 20^th and 21st at the Rutgers Busch Campus Center.

NJISACF 2007 Traveling Film Festival

NJISACF 2007 now being a traveling film festival, and public libraries in various counties in New Jersey will host mini fests with selected films from NJISACF 2007. Do not miss this opportunity to watch some of the brilliant, rarely-seen and award-winning films from and about South Asia and by South Asian filmmakers.

The Franklin Township Public Library, Edison Public Library and the Bridgewater Public Library have already hosted the mini-fest in the months of March and April.

Next scheduled Public library screenings are as follow:

• April 30: Edison Public Library (North Edison Branch), 7 PM – 8:45 PM
• May 18, May 25 and June 1: South Brunswick Public Library, 2 PM – 4:30 PM
• June 2 and June 9: Middletown Public Library, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
• June 7^h: Washington Township Public Library (Robbinsville, Mercer County), 1 PM – 4 PM
• East Brunswick Public Library: Dates to be announced soon

Call the libraries for a list of films, directions and more information.

Some of the 15 films to be screened are: The Little Terrorist (Oscar-nominated), Whose Children Are These, Toba Tek Singh, Dancing Kathmandu, and 1001 Auditions.

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 for 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 at volunteers@njisacf.org or call 732-310-0236.

An Interview with Nikhil Kamkolkar

Nikhil Kamkolkar, the director of Indian Cowboy, began his career as a First Assistant Cameraperson on the wildly successful South Asian Independent film American Desi starring Kal Penn His debut feature film as a writer/director, Indian Cowboy, is a romantic comedy starring Sheetal Sheth and a bevy of South Asian actors, which was released in North America on February 23, 2007. Indian Cowboy is a fun, irreverant romp through the conventions of hollywood and bollywood romantic comedies, and a tongue-in-cheek exploration of true-love, lending itself a style most unique. Here follows an interview with the filmmaker.

You have a degree in computer science. What motivated you to begin a career in the film industry?

I must say I stumbled into “film as a career” as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I had to take a number of electives to graduate and having always had an interest in storytelling/comic books/film, I picked a number of Performance, classic Literature and Film courses. One of the films I was introduced to then was Steven Soderberg’s “Sex, Lies and Videotape” and that was the film that opened my eyes to the
concept of Independent film. Coming from a non-filmi background, it was this film that made me aware of the possibilities of life as a filmmaker.

Tell us about a few films that have inspired you.

I don’t have a fixed set – but if I really had to pick, I’d say the films that formed my awareness of film as a craft and an artform. Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa and Sergio Leone’s films easily come to the mind, and in contemporary terms, I have a strong interest in films that combine genre and philosophy such as the Matrix and Hero.

What subjects do you like to work on? Do you have a dream project?

Like I said before, I have a great interest in films that combine genre and philosophy, and films with an underdog seem to get my vote and my interest. I don’t know exactly what it is yet, but my dream project would resonate strongly with Indian Mythology.

As a South Asian filmmaker in USA, what are the challenges you have to face, if any? What are the advantages of being a South Asian filmmaker in USA?

Honestly, its not the fact that I am a South Asian filmmaker, but the fact that I actually grew up in India that makes a bigger difference. Its more about “sensibilities” – I can take in the melodrama of Bollywood, the subtlety of Claude Chabrol’s “Un Coeur en Hiver” or the ultra-cool attitude of a hip Hollywood action blockbuster such as “Die Hard”. So my

challenge is really internal, its creative, its about balancing the fact that I need to maintain the right kind of tonality for my film and its target audience. The advantage is exactly the same as the disadvantage! I have a broad pallette I can take in, and work with. Its just a matter of maturing as a filmmaker and a storyteller to be able to channel this advantage into my work.

There are many interesting and alternative/ experimental films being made in Bollywood these days, which are doing pretty well. What are your thoughts on the changing scenario of Bollywood films? Do you think the mindset of the audience has changed as well?

I am excited as an audience member to see all the indie films coming out of India outside of the Bollywood machine. What wonderful opportunities for actors! And watching Saif Ali Khan’s performance in “Omkara” is such a validation of my belief that our good old Bollywood actors are a helluva lot more versatile than the opportunities they are afforded.

Do you think in recent years, Bollywood’s very visual style is affecting and infiltrating Hollywood as well?

There’s always give and take between artists. I’m not certain there’s enough to really expand that to the two industries. Not yet to my mind anyway.

You have been working in the studios of Hollywood. In your opinion, how differently does Hollywood function from Bollywood?

I believe Bollywood is moving closer to Hollywood in terms of the functioning of the film set. And also in terms of the fact that film-making is now a certified industry in India. But the business models are entirely different. Bollywood still caters to a South Asian Diaspora, where Hollywood easily appeals to a global audience. I’d like to believe
that Bollywood will soon bring in Filmmakers like myself to create product that transcends boundaries of sensibilities.

What will be your next projects?

Well, Indian Cowboy: A Love-Love Story, my first movie is now on Netflix after a small theatrical release. I’d like to ask all your readers to check it out!

Its imperative for us filmmakers to take our enhanced skill sets given the experience of making our first film to deliver our second. I currently also work at MTV as a Senior Project Manager which keeps me very close to youth and pop culture. I’m very involved with digital technology and my next project will most certainly be born out of all this. Stay tuned!

Here is the trailer of Indian Cowboy:

Australian Film Explores First Hand Experiences of the Partition

Sydney-based filmmaker Anita Barar’s interesting documentary film Crossing the Lines explores the stories of those people, now settled in Australia, who have seen the bloodshed of 1947’s India-Pakistan divide, and had crossed over the India-Pakistan border against their wishes during the partition – empty-handed and heavy hearted, with horrible memories of killings and bloodshed.

Based on the interviews of senior citizens of Indian and Pakistani origin, the film narrates the first hand experiences of these people as they relive their past and talk about the emotions they go through when they meet their counterparts – i.e., when Indians meet Pakistanis or vice versa. The film also tells some unforgettable stories of how some individuals risked their own lives to protect those members of the other community, in spite of the general widespread violence.

The 75-minute long documentary in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi has been launched in July in Sydney, followed by a launch in India.

Writer, filmmaker, casual broadcaster and theatre personality Anita Barar’s own family moved from Pakistan to India at the time of partition. While making this film, Anita discovered that among the people she interviewed who had experienced the horrors of the partition, there is no animosity at all – life for them has moved on.

Anita Barar works on SBS Radio in Australia, as casual broadcaster and is also known for her good knowledge of the Indian film industry. Some of her films include The First of April, a situational comedy, and In God’s Hand, about an elderly man. She also made a short film on domestic violence, A New Dawn.

Social Activist turned Filmmaker Theresa Thanjan’s New Film

Theresa Thanjan recently completed an educational documentary called ‘Asian Youth Unite Against Hate Violence’, a collaboration with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. The video informs young immigrants about their rights if they are victims of bias attacks.

Born and raised in New York City, Theresa Thanjan is an award winning filmmaker and immigrant rights activist. She has worked as a community organizer for Catholic Charities, and then transitioned into program supervision and management. She was the Director of Youth Programs at South Asian Youth Action, Interfaith Neighbors and Citizens for New York City. During her ten years in the non-profit sector, she personally trained hundreds of urban youth in the areas of civic engagement, leadership, advocacy, voter registration, prevention of bias crimes, conflict resolution and diversity. As a social worker, Theresa has received a number of awards including the Caring for Children Award from the Coalition of Asian American Children and Families, as well as the Best Youth-Led Community Service Program from the New York Life Foundation and Outstanding Activist of the Year from the World Malayalee Council USA, North America.

After the 9/11 attacks, Theresa was troubled by the extreme backlash faced by Muslim immigrant communities in the US and the devastation caused by the domestic ‘security’ measure – Special Registration. At this time, Theresa was selected to the Artist Mentor Project, a program of Film/Video Arts in the Fall of 2003, thus beginning her career in media. During this time, she produced and directed her first film, Whose Children Are These? Since its release, Whose Children Are These? has been screened worldwide, winning several awards and is currently being broadcast on select PBS stations. More information can be found at www.whosechildrenarethese.com.

Since her first film, Theresa co-produced and co-directed a video called I Have a Dream and a public service announcement Rita’s Song promoting the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act). The video makes the connection b/w the civil rights movement of the 60’s to the struggles that many young immigrants face today. The video is being used by the New York State Youth Leadership Council to promote awareness and do advocacy for the DREAM Act. As a member of the National Black Programming Consortium’s New Media Institute, Theresa was one of the producers of a five minute short called Me and My Good Hair which celebrates young African American girls and their hair.

Theresa has taken courses in film production from NYU and Film/Video Arts. In addition, she has taken courses in Digital Film Production and editing from the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) and Downtown Community Television. She is a 2006 Fellow in Video from the New York Foundation for the Arts as well as a graduate of the National Black Programming Consortium’s New Media Institute. She has also been awarded grants from the Center for Asian American Media (formerly NAATA), and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Theresa is the founder of NYC Maharani Productions, LLC, a company that specializes in producing socially conscious media.

Here is a clip from Whose Children Are These?

Filmmaker of the Month: Tanuj Chopra

Tanuj Chopra has been making films since he cut his first student project Hate Crime in the summer of 1998. Since then, his TV, film and commercial projects have taken him from California to India to NYC. In 2003, his short film, Butterfly, was shot, produced and edited in New Delhi, India. Starring Tilotama Shome (Alice from Mira Nair’s smash Monsoon Wedding), the lushly photographed love story won three best film awards in addition to screening at over 20 festivals across North America, Europe, India and Pakistan.

At 28 years old, he wrote, directed and produced his first feature film Punching at the Sun which premiered at the 2006 Sundance film festival as the first South Asian American narrative feature to be selected to the festival. The hard hitting urban tale of loss and redemption also played at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival as well as the 2006 San Francisco Asian American Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize. Punching at the Sun has screened at over 30 festivals and will be released in 2008.

Chopra’s approach to Punching at the Sun was youth driven and community oriented. The entire cast was comprised of first time performers cast from non profit youth and arts organizations like the Queens based SAYA! (South Asian Youth Action) and the New Heritage Theatre in Harlem. Upon completion of the movie, many of the teenage stars appeared at the high profile premieres in Park City, Utah and New York City for lively Q&A sessions with the audience.

Chopra holds a BA in Arts Semiotics from Brown University (1999) and is a graduate of the MFA Film Program at Columbia University. He is a recipient of the School of the Arts Dean’s Fellowship and the FOCUS Film Fellowship.

Tanuj is currently working on a new film starring Tilotama Shome and Sung Kang (The Fast and the Furious, Finishing the Game, The Motel) and also designing a summer filmmaking camp for teenagers in Queens.

Film in Cell Phone Format Wins Best Short Film Award

A short film Stay In Touch by filmmaker Saiful Islam has been shot entirely on a cell phone. “Stay in Touch” has been awarded best short film in 10th Annual Short and Independent Film Festival held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Naveen Qayyum and the team of Talking Faith – Initiating a Dialogue About Faith

Our filmmaker for this month is Naveen Qayyum along with her team, the makers of Talking Faith – a documentary based in Pakistan which addresses the subject of interfaith dialogue by connecting it to post 9/11 geo-political realities. The film narrates the stories through young people, their perspectives and how they live their religious identities in the world of today. Talking Faith is Qayyum’s first attempt in filmmaking, as she had been writing about social justice issues, dialogue and minority rights previously. The film is funded and supported by World Youth Programme WCC for being focused on the insights and opinions of young people living in the modern day contexts of faith identities and dialogue. Here follows an interview with Naveen Qayyum, as she speaks about herself and the film.

1. What motivated you to work on Talking Faith? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

NQ: Talking Faith was conceived as part of my youth internship with the World Council of Churches in Geneva where I worked for interreligious dialogue as a communicator for one year. My living and travelling in Europe made me a lot more sensitive to the issue of Muslim minorities and the perception of Islam after 9/11. Being a non Muslim Pakistani, I was personally interested in the dynamics of religious minorities and how they get affected by the global political. I felt that the perceptions about Islam, Christianity and the West have become more stereotypical in the past few years, and unfortunately mainstream media has greatly contributed to these stereotypes. I felt that real human lives tend to get hidden behind the headlines of violence and fundamentalism. Therefore in order to challenge the stereotypes related to religious and national identities and to explore their complexities after 9/11 I developed the idea of Talking Faith. This is the very reason which motivated me to go back to Pakistan and document the stories of young people whose lives inspire positivism in faith dialogue.

2. Tell us a little bit about the film.

NQ: Talking Faith is a story of two college going friends Sarah and Azam in Pakistan, who happen to be Christian and Muslim. Their views show how after 9/11 the ‘war on terror’ has affected the lives of people in society, where Islam gets associated with militarism and Christian minorities face a backlash by the extremists. Their free spirited conversations and daily lives make it evident how they share so much despite of different faiths, which includes music, friendship and a human bond of commonalities. They exist under the shadow of divisions and tensions but live the hope of interfaith harmony and give dialogue a human face shared by all religions. Talking Faith also contains prominent voices of interfaith dialogue in Pakistan from both religious and secular arena. These actors of interreligious dialogue provide a political and historical reasoning to the divides discussed by the young people in the film. Talking Faith concludes itself by Imtiaz Ali, a Muslim violin player in church, who just appeared in front of the cameras by chance and spells out the theme of the film through his life, love for worship music, faith and simplicity.

3. Talking Faith has a narrative of young voices, and is made by young people. What was your experience as a debut filmmaker?

NQ: It was a very challenging experience in terms of technical expertise and budget constrains, however, meeting young people I interviewed for the film was so inspiring, that it made me keep on going. These young people were so honest and passionate that they agreed to share their opinions in front of the camera, which would otherwise be perceived as a controversial debate about religion and identity. Being a debut filmmaker Talking Faith also proved to be a great learning experience and a journey of discovering interreligious relations and dialogue for me. As I belong to the post 1970’s generation, we experienced the use of religion in the power politics by the military dictatorships. It was just another discovery how the vicious circle has continued till 9/11 and has promoted radicalism in society which are one result of the ‘war on terror’ in our neighbourhood.

5. How did you and the team get together?

NQ: Getting together for Talking Faith was also another encouraging and inspiring experience. As being a first time filmmaker I was supported by many friends and colleagues, some of which ended up forming the Talking Faith team. One person, who is not member of the crew but is the reason for the conception and development of the film is Natalie Maxson, the Youth Coordinator in WCC who made huge efforts to get the project funded. In production, one of the known experimental independent filmmakers in Pakistan, Farjad Nabi helped a great deal in the post production phase. Adan Ali, editor and Ahsan ul Haq, the camera person of Talking Faith both made a great contribution to the film. Anam Gill, my research assistant, who happened to be my niece, also made all the documentation and physical arrangements possible. Gustavo Bonato, a friend and a former colleague from Brazil managed the entire website and promoted the film on the internet. The Talking Faith team just happened to be a group of friends, among whom many volunteered their time and efforts for the film.

4. Tell us a little bit about independent filmmaking and filmmakers in Pakistan.

NQ: Pakistani media in the past few years have grown quite influential and independent as compared to the past. The recent years have seen a mushroom growth of independent television channels. In fact, television channels along with the press have played a huge role in weakening the political powers of military and empowering the civil society activism in their struggles for democracy. Therefore, despite of numerous pressures from governments and several suppressive media laws, many independent filmmakers in Pakistan have been able to produced brilliant films about crucial soc-political issues. Sabiha Sumar, Mehreen Jabbar, Farooq Rind are only few names among many independent filmmakers who produced significant feature and documentary films. The Kara Film Festival, which has gained the recognition for being one of the biggest regional film festivals now, has promoted several Pakistani independent and experimental filmmakers. Talking Faith will also be screened in the next Kara Film Festival, which has been postponed due to the security situation in Karachi last year.

6. What kind of a response are you getting from the viewers? Do you think Talking Faith has indeed initiated a dialogue?

NQ: Talking Faith has been screened in festivals and viewed online in countries like UK, US, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Nigeria, Sudan, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Thailand, Nepal, India and Pakistan. Most of the comments and feedback that we have received are quite encouraging. And a great interest in the film has been received from US, where we even received emails from churches like the Plymouth Church who screened Talking Faith in their seminar on interreligious dialogue. Also one of the very conservative African churches showed interest in the film and screened the film for their congregations. The same response we received from many NGOs and secular organisations whose work is related to religion and dialogue. I feel Talking Faith has surely managed to initiate a dialogue, and the passionate debates of the students in the film are surely one sign of it. Yet it’s a continuing process and I hope that the debates initiated by the young people in Talking Faith manage to instigate dialogue among the viewers as well.

7. What will be your next project?

NQ: I am in a process of developing the idea to continue Talking Faith project. The second part of this project will aim to address the issue of European Muslim immigrants. This actually was the original idea, where we wanted to interview the Christian minorities in Pakistan along with Muslim minorities in UK. However due to limited funding we had to focus on Pakistan only. This time we aim to address and evaluate the Christian Muslim dialogue from the western perspective.

Find out more about Talking Faith on www.talkingfaith.org.

Festival Updates: March

Festival Dates and Venue

The date and venue for the NJISACF 2008 have been finalized. The final dates are September 19th to 21st, 2008. On 19th, we will have the gala opening event, while the film screenings will be held on September 20th and 21st at the Rutgers Busch Campus Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey

NJISACF at Edison Public Library Free For All Mini Fest

The schedule for the NJISACF 2007 Traveling Film Festival at the Edison Public Library will be as follows:
April 9 2008, Wednesday at the South Edison Library (Main branch), 7.00 – 8:45pm
April 23 2008, Wednesday at the South Edison library (Main branch), 7.00 – 8:45pm
April 30 2008, Wednesday at the North Edison Library, 7.00 – 8:45pm.
For more information, contact the Main Library, 340 Plainfield Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08817, PH: (732) 287-2298 or the North Edison Branch, 777 Grove Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08820, PH: (732) 548-3045

Here goes the screening schedule:

9 April 2008, Wednesday at South Edison Library (Main Branch)

Dancing Kathmandu (Doc Feature) Czech Republic, Nepal/ 41 min/ English, Czech, Nepali
Director: Sangita Shresthova

Sangita, a dancer of Czech-Nepali origin, journeys to Kathmandu to explore how practitioners in the Himalayan kingdom negotiate Nepal’s dance traditions in a period of rapid cultural change. In her attempts to map the current situation of dance in Kathmandu valley, she encounters her own teachers as well as younger dancers currently finding their way. Dancing Kathmandu tells stories of nostalgia, passion and survival through dance and dancers in the age of globalization.

Cosmopolitan (Narrative Feature) USA/ 53 min/ English

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Indian-born Gopal is shocked when his wife and daughter desert him in the American suburb he has called home for twenty years. Alone for the first time in his life, Gopal turns to women’s magazines and the Bollywood films of his youth for advice on navigating a romance with his next door neighbor, Mrs. Shaw. Cast: Roshan Seth, Madhur Jaffrey, Kal Penn.

23 April Wednesday. 2008 at South Edison Library (Main Branch)

Little Terrorist (Narrative Short) India/ 15 min/ Hindi Director: Ashvin Kumar

Nominated for Oscar at the 2005 Academy Award and winner of many prestigious international awards, this short film tells the story of a 10 year old Pakistani boy who crosses the border with no way of getting back.

Holly Bolly (Narrative Short) UK / 13 min / English

Director: Dishad Hussain

Two young filmmakers Obi and Dil like making non-mainstream films but they just can’t get funding for them. Unluckily for them, Big Al is the only man in town willing to give the boys money – but money to make a ‘Big Al’ film. His dream is to make the ultimate cross-genre flick, a mix of Cockney Gangster and Indian Bollywood.

Naamkoron / Naming Ceremony ( Narrative Short) India/ 15 min/ Bengali Director: Konkona Sen Sharma

A family of pickpockets in Kolkata and a naming ceremony full of novelty.

Pria (Narrative Short) Canada/ 12 min/ English, Hindi
Director: Theodore Bezaire

In hope of impressing the object of her affection, 15-year-old Pria tries to lose her heavy South Asian accent by imitating lines from her favorite movies.

Toba Tek Singh (Narrative Short) USA, India/ 18 min/ English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi
Director: Afia NathAniel

It is 1947. The newly created governments of India and Pakistan wish to exchange lunatics. Bishan Singh, a Sikh lunatic in Pakistan, wants to know whether his hometown, Toba Tek Singh, has gone to India or Pakistan. No one seems to know. A search for an identity in a world gone suddenly mad.

30 April 2008, Wednesday at North Edison Library

Viva Liberty (Narrative Short) UK/ 20 min/ English
Producer: Dishad Husain, Director: Dishad Husain

This award-winning short film is a dark comedy about a British Muslim whose holiday in America takes a detour to a detention facility called Camp Liberty.

Gandhi at the Bat (Narrative Short) Canada/ 11 min/ English Director: Stephanie Argy, Alec Boehm

Based on a short story by Chet Williamson that originally appeared in New Yorker in 1983, the film is a faithful recreation of a 1930s-style newsreel. This movie includes over 75 shots, which transform the actual shooting location into a faithful recreation of Yankee stadium as it was over seventy years ago.

1001 Auditions (Narrative Short) USA/ 26 min/ English Director: Arun Singh

After years of ups and downs, countless auditions and struggling to make it happen in New York, Meera realizes her true karma.

Red Roses (Doc Short) USA/ 17min/ English, Bengali, Hindi Directors: Madhuri Mohindar and Vaishali Sinha

Set in a South Asian beauty parlor in the Queens borough of New York City, ‘Red Roses’ is a sociological portrait of women negotiating between the cross currents of two cultures. This gender-oriented film is an exploration of how most South Asian women who come to the United States via marriage and family obligations seek to assert their individuality and freedom within their new cultural environment.

NJISACF at Bridgewater Public Library

The schedule for the NJISACF 2007 Traveling Film Festival at the Bridgewater Public Library will be as follows:
April 12 2008, Saturday at the Bridgewater Public Library, 1.30 – 4:30 pm

Here is the screening schedule:

Little Terrorist
Narrative Short / India / 15 min / Hindi

Director : Ashvin Kumar

Nominated for Oscar at the 2005 Academy Award and winner of many prestigious international awards, this short film tells the story of a 10 year old Pakistani boy who crosses the border with no way of getting back.

Whose Children Are These
Documentary Feature / USA / 27 min / English

Director : Theresa Thanjan

The award-winning film provides a glimpse into the post 9/11 world of three youngsters impacted by the federal policy of Special Registration and prejudice in the USA.

Viva Liberty
Narrative Short / UK / 20 min / English

Director : Dishad Husain

This award-winning short film is a dark comedy about a British Muslim whose holiday in America takes a detour to a detention facility called Camp Liberty.

The Goodbye Man
Narrative Short / Pakistan / 14 min / English, Urdu

Director : Mridu Chandra

Imran Butt is a young Pakistani office worker caught in a soul-crushing, dead-end job at an international service center in Lahore. Having reached the end of his rope, Imran makes the drastic but seemingly logical decision to take control of his life once and for all – by ending it.

One Long Night
Narrative Short / India / 17 min / Hindi

Director : Sanjeev Tiwari

“One Long Night” is a story about the desperation to see a dawn that will signal the end of a darkness representative of scarcity, helplessness, and a losing battle for identity. This desperate bid is a metaphor for the eternal struggle between hope and despair. This is one long night indeed.

1001 Auditions
Narrative Short / USA / 26 min / English

Director : Arun Singh

After years of ups and downs, countless auditions and struggling to make it happen in New York, Meera realizes her true karma.

Toba Tek Singh
Narrative Short / USA, India / 18 min / English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi

Director : Afia NathAniel

It is 1947. The newly created governments of India and Pakistan wish to exchange lunatics. Bishan Singh, a Sikh lunatic in Pakistan, wants to know whether his hometown, Toba Tek Singh, has gone to India or Pakistan. No one seems to know. A search for an identity in a world gone suddenly mad.

Gandhi At the Bat
Narrative Short / Canada / 11 min / English

Directors : Stephanie Argy, Alec Boehm

Based on a short story by Chet Williamson that originally appeared in New Yorker in 1983, the film is a faithful recreation of a 1930s-style newsreel. This movie includes over 75 shots which transform the actual shooting location into a faithful recreation of Yankee stadium as it was over seventy years ago.

Pria
Narrative Short / Canada / 12 min / English, Hindi

Director : Theodore Bezaire

In hope of impressing the object of her affection, 15-year-old Pria tries to lose her heavy South Asian accent by imitating lines from her favorite movies.

Red Roses
Documentary Short / USA / 17 min / English, Bengali, Hindi

Directors : Madhuri Mohindar and Vaishali Sinha

Set in a South Asian beauty parlor in the Queens borough of New York City, ‘Red Roses’ is a sociological portrait of women negotiating between the cross currents of two cultures. This gender oriented film is an exploration of how most South Asian women who come to the United States via marriage and family obligations seek to assert their individuality and freedom within their new cultural environment.

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 for 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.

Film from Pakistan to be Released in India

April 4, 2008 will be a notable day in the history of India and Pakistan, when Khuda ke Liye (In the Name of God), an Urdu film from Pakistan, directed by Shoaib Mansoor, will release theatrically all over India. A film that sensibly portrays the turmoils of Muslims in a post 9/11 world, Khuda ke Liye deals with the rift between radical and liberal Islam, an issue that confronts India’s 140 million Muslims as well while they fight charges that the community provides recruits for militant groups. Director Shoaib Mansoor hopes the Urdu film will engage audiences in India. “It is the first Pakistani film (in India) after several decades, so people should have a natural interest in it,” said Mansoor, “India has a very big Muslim population which should naturally be interested. And the non-Muslims (would want) to know what real Islam is.” The much celebrated and critically acclaimed Mansoor is not only a director but also a composer, producer and a writer.

‘Khuda Kay Liye’ weaves together three stories — of a pop singer who comes under the influence of Islamic extremists, a Briton of Pakistani origin who is forcibly married to her cousin and a man illegally detained in the US after the September, 11 attacks. Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah appears in a cameo in the film, as a Muslim scholar.

Biju Viswanath’s Irish Film based on Poems

For all of us, who remember and loved the closing film of NJISACF 2007, Mahotsav (Grand Festival) by Biju Viswanath, here is a bit of good news! The cinematographer-cum-director from Thiruvananthapuram is back with two new films – Sojourn, an Irish Indian co-production based on the literary works of Irish poet Celia de Friene, (check out some clips from the film on Biju’s webpage, http://www.bijuviswanath.com/showreel/) and Parwaaz, a short film based on an Urdu poem by poet Abha Iyengar ( you can watch the clip on the poet’s website at http://www.abhaiyengar.com/video.htm).

Based on six poems by Celia de Friene, Sojourn is shot exclusively in Ireland with an all-Irish crew, and scripted by the poet herself along with Biju Viswanath. Produced under the banner of Indibhid, the film has been shot in Dublin, Connemara and Galway and has in the cast Irish actors Mary Murphy, Katherine Graham and Laura Mac Carthy.

Here is a feel of Biju’s poetry on screen:

Richie Mehta Creates Modern Day Fable with Amal

Sometimes, the poorest of men are the richest. So says the tagline of Richie Mehta’s latest film, Amal. Filmed in New Delhi and with an impressive cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Roshan Seth, Seema Biswas, Rupinder Nagra, Tanisha Chatterjee and Koel Purie, Amal has been described as a modern day fable, which attempts to seek the meaning of success, and how the meaning of success can change from person to person. Based on a short story by Richie Mehta and Shaun Mehta, and produced by David Miller and Steven Bray of Poormans Productions, Amal has been widely appreciated. After Deepa Mehta, Richie Mehta is only the second Canadian Indian director to unveil his first feature at the Toronto Film Festival. Mehta has been solidifying his role as a serious up-and-coming filmmaker for years, and been mentored by industry legends such as Wim Wenders, Shekhar Kapur and Brian DePalma. We had screened one of his excellent short films, All Roads Lead to Here at the NJISACF 2007, which had been appreciated by all of our viewers.

World’s Youngest Director from India Wins Awards in International Cairo Film Festival

Master Kishen has bagged three international awards at the 18^th Cairo International Film Festival for children for his film Care of Footpath- the international long and short film competition section selected by the children’s international jury, the special international jury award, and the prestigious Alexandria International Film Festival Award instituted by the Journalists Syndicate of Egypt. Master Kishen is the Guinness world record holder for being the youngest director of “Care of Footpath” at the tender age of 11. Earlier, the youngest film director and child prodigy had left for Cairo on a special invite from the Ministry of Culture, on behalf of the Cairo government.

Care of Footpath has previously won numerous awards, as well as honor of being the opening film at the Cyprus international film festival in the non-competitive section and the closing film at the Bhutan international film festival. It also won the best film award at Children Oscar at Giffoni film festival and the Silver Elephant for best child actor at the Hyderabad Children Film festival.

Manavi Community Dinner

Manavi, the New jersey based women’s rights organization and a partner of NJISACF, will host its 23rd Annual Community Dinner on Saturday, March 29th, 2008, 6.30 pm onwards, at Akbar Restaurant in Edison, New Jersey.

Since 1985, Manavi has been working to end all forms of violence against South Asian women living in the U.S. Through a wide variety of programs, Manavi ensures that women of South Asian descent in the U.S can exercise their fundamental right to live a life of dignity that is safe and free from violence. Manavi provides services equitably to women from all South Asian countries and does not discriminate based on national, religious or sectarian grounds.

The funds raised through the annual community dinner enable Manavi to run some of its integral programs. This year the guest speaker for the evening will be Bhairavi Desai, co-founder and Director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. Shamita Das Gupta, the co-founder of Manavi will talk about the early days of the organization. The evening will be capped-off with a performance by ATMA, the University of Pennsylvania’s all female South Asian music cappella group.

Tickets for the event can be purchased online through www.manavi.org, or by sending a check.

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.