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Cinema, Cinema

NYIFF Comes To Town – And The Beatles Too!

All through the long years of COVID, films have become our best friend, our alternate family which shares happiness and heartbreak with us, even when we weren’t able to reach out and touch our own connections. Now the world is trying to return to normal, and the much-awaited New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) which is presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC)  – a must-see during the summer – is once again coming to town. This time, with the changing times, it is a hybrid model with films being shown by zoom and also in person.

“For two years now, we have offered virtual streaming of films, providing filmmakers with even more outlets to showcase their work. We emerged stronger with a larger footprint as global audiences engaged with the films,” said Suman Gollamudi, IAAC Executive Director, at the press conference at the Indian Consulate.  “This year, we are excited to offer an in-person closing event and award ceremony on May 14 in New York.”

The festival celebrates independent, art house, alternate and diaspora films with on- demand streaming offered by Shift72 from May 7-14, 2022. There will also be a closing night film screening and awards presentation at the Village East Cinemas.

The delight of NYIFF is the wonderful mix of independent, art house, alternate and diaspora films with a rich collection of regional films. Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Festival Director, says: “This year, we will feature films in 13 languages spoken in India: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.  All films will have English subtitles.”

Here is a tasting and a look at the nominations: For Best Film, you have several possibilities: Burqa, Godavari, Nishiddho/ Forbidden, Once Upon a Time in Calcutta and Shoebox.

 Godavari is the opening night film and it’s been nominated for best film, best director and best actor. The Brittle Thread (Hindi) has been nominated for best actor while Demons (Hindi) has been nominated for best screenplay. The Three Legged Horse (Marathi) has been nominated for best director. The Road to Kuthriyar is in Tamil while the children’s film Gandhi & Co has been nominated for best child actor.

For documentary fans, there are several to select from and both 15 Seconds a Lifetime and If Memory Serves Me right have been nominated for best documentary.

NYIFF celebrates alternative, independent cinema from the global Indian community and brings this rich collection of films to the New York audience with 60 screenings  (18 feature narratives, six (6) documentaries and 36 short films).

 

Key highlights from the lineup include:

• A second centerpiece film – Faraz Ali’s Shoebox (Hindi) explores a young woman’s complex relationship with her father as the world around them changes drastically
• First NYIFF screening of a Sanskrit-language film, with Bhagavadajjukam
• Special children’s films screenings – Boomba Ride (Assamese) and Gandhi & Co. (Gujarati)
• Unique documentary tributes to the late lyricist, poet and activist Kafi Azmi in the Kaifinama, and film critic and larger-than-life Bombay personality, Rashid Irani in If Memory Serves Me Right
• A collection of shorts exploring LGBTQ stories set in India with Dal Bhat, Keep Punching, Kiss, Man & Wife, My Mother’s Girlfriend, Pariah and The Way We Are

.Asked as to which film has impacted him the most, Chhabra points to several: “Our four key films – Godavari (opening film, looking at faith, religion, family), Longing (centerpiece, a documentary where a daughter visits her father’s hockey career, plus the story about the Partition), Shoebox (also centerpiece, again a story about a daughter trying to connected with her father, with whom she has had an estranged relationship) and closing documentary “The Beatles and India.”

He adds, “ But there are so many other special films. We have a Sanskrit film – the first for NYIFF called Bhagavadajjukam. Once Upon a Time in Calcutta is a heartbreaking take on a city undergoing changes. The film played in competition at the Venice film festival.”

Film fans will be happy to see so many of their favorite actors in this offering of independent films. Who wouldn’t want to watch a film of Naseeruddin Shah or Rituparna Sengupta? These and other noted talents are in the following films:

• Abhishek Banerjee from Patal Lok ( Lawyer)
• Adarsh Gourav from The White Tiger (Kiss)
• Dhritiman Chatterjee and Tinnu Anand (A Box of Cuban Cigars)
• Jitendra Joshi and Vikram Gokhle (Godavari)
• KaniKusruti (Nishiddho/ Forbidden)
• Lakshvir Saran from Fame Game (Mintgumari)
• Manav Kaul and Amruta Subhash (The Way We Are)
• Naseeruddin Shah (The Daughter)
• Rituparna Sengupta (MahishasurMarddini)
• Tanmay Dhanania (Pariah and Nishiddho/ Forbidden)

 

There is a lot to see for South Asian families. Says Gollamudi: “We have two feature films that will appeal to young Indian Americans and families as well – Gandhi & Co. (Gujarati) and Boomba Ride (Assamese). In addition we have some fascinating documentaries including 15 Seconds a Lifetime (how the TikTok craze inspires young influeners in India), I would also like to mention that we have over 30 shorts dealing with a range of topics – including seven that explore LGBTQ stories. Those should also appeal to young Indian Americans.”

Each film carries within it the kernel of change: One of the nominated shorts is Listen to Your Heart and the filmmaker Meghna Damani spoke to me about her documentary which explores a deep topic: “It is a story of hope and inspiration for anyone who is trying to find meaning and joy in life against all odds.  At the core it is the story of a mother who is driven to bring her musically gifted autistic daughter’s dreams alive and ends up creating a wonderful space – Cafe Arpan in Mumbai – where persons with developmental disabilities find meaning and joy.” She feels making this film has given her a new perspective on true “success” and “ability”.

The most exciting event at NYIFF could be a rendezvous with the Beatles! This in-person event highlights The Beatles and India  – a lovely nostalgia-laced film about the Beatles and their connections with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Ravi Shankar and others. The Peter Compton documentary (2021) of the iconic rock group that rocked the world, focuses on the love story of the Beatles and India which happened more than 50 years ago. According to the press notes, the film has archival footage, photographs, eye-witness accounts and location shoots across India to show the adventures of George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as they searched for spiritual bliss and musical creativity.

The film, which is inspired by director Ajoy Bose’s book “Across the Univese – The Beatles in India’, premiered at the British Film Institute (BFI) and won awards for Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music. In New York the red carpet will take place at Village East by Angelika on May 14, 2022.

Asked as to what’s unique about NYIFF, Gollamudi said, “I found that we are navigating to real personal stories…documentaries that show individual grit and determination, true life journeys  that resonate with curators and I think audiences will relate to them too.”

There are some must watch short films – Succulent, The Daughter (with Naseeruddin Shah and Ira Dubey), Kicking Balls, Keep Punching. Of the 18 narrative features, 10 films happen to be by debut filmmakers! This year NYIFF has also instituted the Best Debut Film Award in collaboration with the  Film Critics Circle of India. Says Chhabra: “This year’s lineup highlights how Indian culture has influenced artists, athletes, writers and world leaders from around the globe. These are not only India’s stories but works that truly celebrate the infiniteness of human creativity and emotions.”

NYIFF is indeed a magical bag of many surprises.

Finally, when do we get back to the old days with interactions in real life with filmmakers and crew?

Says Aseem Chhabra: “Next year for sure. We are very optimistic about 2023 and can’t wait for you to see a bigger and stellar cast and crew attending NYIFF 2023!”